Rick Salomon Hits Some Monster Hands on New Episode of High Stakes Poker

Andrew Robl showed up with the biggest stack, but Rick Salomon was the most active and aggressive player during Monday’s new High Stakes Poker episode on PokerGO.

Salomon, a long-time regular in the high-stakes private games scene, battled in some entertaining pots with another well-known recreational player, Bob Bright, on Episode 8 of Season 11. There were seven players at the table throughout the show, including Bright, Salomon, Robl, Stanley Tang, William Tjokro, Jennifer Tilly, and Rob Yong — the same crew that appeared one week ago.

Stack sizes when the show began were as follows:

Just Like Last Week Early for Tjokro

Episode 8 began where Episode 7 left off, with Tjokro being the most active player at the table despite being unable to win pots. Following a raise to $1,100 with 10♠10♥ from Tang, who founded the DoorDash food delivery app, Tjokro three-bet to $4,000 with 5♥5♣.

Tilly, with A♦5♠, and the original raiser called to see a flop of 3♠10♣7♦. Tjokro, fresh off a brutal first appearance on High Stakes Poker, bet $6,000 with his small pair, which of course didn’t get top set off the hand, although Tilly folded.

The turn was the 9♠ and action went check-check to the river, the A♠, perhaps a bit of a scare card for Tang as it brought about a potential flush. He opted to check again, which led Tjokro to turn his hand into a bluff with a $16,000 bet. Tang check-raised to $51,000, and that was the end of the hand.

Tilly and Tang Tangle in Monster Pot

Tang was quickly back in action following the opening hand with a $2,000 raise with A♥K♥ before Tjokro again showed some aggression and three-bet it to $7,000 with 7♥6♥.

Salomon, on the button, then made the call with 4♠3♠, but a four-bet to $25,200 came from Tilly in the small blind with A♠A♣. Tang had a decision to make, and that was to bump it up to $75,000, eliminating Tjokro and Salomon from the hand. But Tilly, who had about $110,000 when the hand began, moved all in and Tang had no choice but to call the extra $35,000.

The wealthy poker players agreed to run it twice, and the first board came out J♣Q♣2♦K♦5♠, nice and clean for Tilly. The actress would then claim the entire $236,300 pot when the second board showed 9♦K♣10♦Q♥5♣.

After losing that big pot, Tang made an impressive play with K♦Q♦, moving all in for $70,900 after Robl had three-bet to $30,000 with J♦2♦. Robl felt he was pot-committed so he called and they ended up chopping the pot after each won one of two run-outs.

Can Bob Bright Find a Fold with a Set of Queens?

Players like Salomon are tough to figure out sometimes because they are so aggressive and unafraid of making a big bluff. Bright, a recreational player, found himself in a tough spot against the former spouse of model/actress Pamela Anderson.

The hand began with Tjokro raising from early position to $1,200 with 10♠10♥, and then Bright just called with Q♠Q♦. From late position, Salomon raised it up to $6,200 with J♣10♣, and after two calls, the three players went to a flop, which came out A♣Q♥3♣.

Two players in the hand – Bright and Salomon – were loving that board. Salomon, on a combo draw, bet out $10,500 and only Bright called. The K♦ on the turn completed the straight, but Bright led for $30,000 before his opponent check-raised to $150,000.

Could a set of queens really fold in this spot, with one card still to come, against a loose-aggressive player? The answer is yes, and Bright made the fold of the day.

Moments later, Salomon flopped a set of aces against Bright’s set of deuces and Bright again folded to a monster raise on the river, but still lost a $144,000 pot.

Bright would get a bit of revenge with J♦J♣ against Salomon’s A♣J♠ when the flop came 10♠10♥J♥. The full house held up and Bright took down a pot of over $115,000 to lessen the sting a bit.

Episode 9 of High Stakes Poker Season 11 will air next Monday (October 16) at 5 p.m. PT on PokerGO.

Past High Stakes Poker Season 11 Episodes

Check out our past recaps from Season 10 of High Stakes Poker on PokerGO:

_{*Images courtesy of PokerGO/Antonio Abrego}