"Rampage" Pulled Off the Best Poker Bluff of 2023 (So Far, Obviously)
There's an early frontrunner for Best Bluff of 2023, and although the play Ethan "RampagePoker" Yau made during Friday night's Hustler Casino Live session likely won't hold up throughout the year, it was still epic.
The game was $100/$200 no-limit hold'em with a $200 big blind ante. Bill Klein opened from an early position to $1,400 with K♥J♦ and was called by Yau's K♠Q♠ in a middle position, along with the 2♠2♣ of "Prince Charles" in the cut-off before "J.R." went for a three-bet on the button with A♦10♦.
Klein folded but the other two that called the initial raise came along for the ride to see a flop of 6♣9♦10♠. With top pair and top kicker, after both opponents checked, J.R. made a continuation bet of $11,000.
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Rampage, who picked up a gut-shot straight draw and had two over cards to the board, went for an ambitious check-raise to $35,000. That eliminated one player, but J.R. wasn't going anywhere with top pair. The turn was the 9♥, pairing the board, and the bluffer again ripped out a bet, this time for $33,000, which again received a call.
When the 6♠ appeared on the river, double-pairing the board, the poker vlogger had two options — check and surrender the pot, or empty the clip. He chose the latter, ripping out a wager of $120,000 into a pot of $165,000 with nothing but king-high. After some thought, his opponent folded the best hand.
Rampage, who sold much of his action on Stake Kings, originally bought in for $200,000 and was up about $160,000 in the black at one point. But he became too attached to pocket kings and lost a $333,000 pot against the flopped trips of "Blank Check Ben," one of the many Hustler Casino Live regulars at the table Friday night.
Yau would add on $200,000 to his stack following the rough hand. He finished the seven-hour session down $105,000, whereas J.R. lost $111,000 and was the game's biggest loser.
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