Ethan “Rampage” Poker Yau Gets Absolutely Pulverized on Hellmuth’s Home Game

Season 2 of Hellmuth’s Home Game presented by Poker Night in America (PNIA) and sponsored by BetRivers is now airing on CBS Sports on Monday nights.

The nationally televised show, which was filmed at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada, is unique in that there is no commentary. Instead, the show is carried by table talk from Phil Hellmuth alongside a cast of fellow pros and friends in an intimate, relaxed cash game setting.

PokerNews watched Episode 3 of Season 2 and compiled a recap of some of the biggest hands and interesting storylines.

Here’s how things stacked up at the start of the episode:

The game was played with $25/$50 blinds with a $50 big blind ante. Here’s a look at some of the biggest hands from the episode.

Classic Flip in First Hand

In the first hand of the episode, with two straddles on, Charlie Hook raised to $600 from the hijack with the 6♥7♥ and Dan “Jungleman” Cates called from the cutoff with the A♠J♥. Kelly Lucas, formerly Kelly Minkin, then called with the A♦K♥ from the button before Stanley Tang three-bet jammed with the covering stack with the Q♠Q♣ in the big blind.

Action folded back to Kelly, and she called off for $10,000 to create a race situation for a $21,575 pot. Kelly was in need of improvement and opted to run it twice, which Tang obliged.

The 8♦4♠10♥2♥10♦ runout on the first was good for Tang, and he looked as if he was going to scoop the pot after the 8♠J♣7♠ flop and 3♦ turn on the second. However, the K♠ spiked on the river to save Kelly and give her the other half. Chop it up!

Xuan’s Big Bluff Tripped Up

Tang raised to $300 from the hijack with the J♦9♣ before Xuan Liu made it $1,000 to go with the Q♥5♥ in the cutoff. Action folded to Kelly in the straddle, and she just called with the A♠K♥, which prompted Tang to fold.

The 4♣K♣K♦ flop saw Kelly check her trips and then just call when Xuan continued for $700. Kelly checked again on the 6♥ turn, and Xuan opted to keep bluffing by betting $2,500.

Kelly took her time before just calling and then coyly checked for a third time on the 9♥ river. Xuan went through with the triple-barrel bluff by moving all in, and Kelly wasted little time in calling off her remaining $7,825 to claim a pot worth $24,475.

Hellmuth’s Big Slick Rampage

With a $400 straddle on, action folded to Hellmuth on the button and he raised to $1,400 with the A♠K♠. Ethan “Rampage” Yau was in the first $100 straddle with the A♥7♥ and opted to three-bet to $4,300, which saw action fold back to Hellmuth.

He moved all in for $8,550 total, and Rampage called to create a $17,825 pot. The two agreed to run it twice, and the 6♣K♥3♠ flop was great for Hellmuth, who flopped top pair. However, the 10♥ turn made things interesting by giving Rampage a flush draw. Unfortunately for him, the 2♣ river was a brick, and Hellmuth locked up half the pot.

On the second run, the 5♠6♠9♠ all-spade flop gave Hellmuth a flush, and the second half as Rampage was drawing dead. The meaningless 2♠ turn and 4♣ river were run out, and Hellmuth doubled his stack.

Running It Once for $85K

Kelly raised to $600 from the hijack with the A♣5♣ only to have Tang three-bet to $2,000 from the button with the K♥Q♦. Rampage then looked down at the J♠J♦ in the big blind and four-bet to $6,500, which prompted Kelly to get out of the way. Tang responded by five-bet jamming, and Rampage had to decide what to do with the $35,500 he had behind

Eventually, he called to create an $84,975 pot, and the duo opted to run it just one time in the coinflip situation. Rampage was looking to hold, but that was easier said than done as the Q♣9♠4♦ flop paired Tang. Neither the 3♥ turn nor 6♦ river helped Rampage, who rabbit hunted what would’ve been the second runout had they run it twice. In it, a jack was the river, meaning they would’ve chopped!

As it was, Tang took down the hefty pot while Rampage was left to reload.

Rampage Fires Every Street

Hellmuth raised to $300 from the hijack with the Q♦8♦, and Xuan called from the button with the K♥9♥ before Rampage three-bet to $1,600 from the small blind with the J♦J♣.

Cates flatted from the straddle holding the Q♥J♥, Hellmuth got out of the way, and Xuan called to make it three-way action to a flop of 9♦3♣9♠. Rampage continued for $2,200, Cates folded, and Xuan just called with her trip nines.

When the 4♣ appeared on the turn, Rampage bet again, this time $9,000, and Xuan called to see the 3♥ pair the board on the river. Rampage moved all in and Xuan called off her stack of $30,625 to double to $88,850.

Here’s how things looked at the end of the episode.

Past Recaps

_{Images courtesy of Poker Night in America.}

PR & Media Manager for PokerNews, host of both the PokerNews Podcast & MPST Podcast Presented By PokerNews, and 2013 WSOP Bracelet Winner.