Galfond & Yong Clash on Latest High Stakes Poker; Berkey Stuggles w/ Big Pocket Pairs

Chad Holloway PR & Media Manager

Oct 20, 2023 5 min read

Tilly Draws First Blood
Galfond Picks the Wrong Time
Two Big Pocket Pairs
Pocket Rockets No Good
Now Kings No Good
Tilly Pays Off Putra
Galfond vs. Yong Part II
Past High Stakes Poker Season 11 Episodes

This past Monday, a new episode of High Stakes Poker aired on PokerGO. Episode 9 of Season 11 featured new lineup including Rob Yong, who bought in for $500,000, Jason Koon for $250,000, Ferdinand Putra for $130,000, and $100,000 apiece for Jennifer Tilly, Matt Berkey, Farah Galfond, and Stanley Tang.

Here’s a look at some of the biggest hands and highlights from what turned out to be an action-packed episode.

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Tilly Draws First Blood

In the first hand of the episode, Berkey opened under the gun for $1,000 with the Q♦10♣ and Tilly defended the big blind after looking down at the A♣2♣. The J♥J♣K♣ flop gave Tilly a flush draw and she led out for $1,100, which Berkey called with his open-ended straight draw.

The 8♥ turn was a brick but Tilly kept the pressure on with a bet of $2,000, which Berkey called.

The 5♣ river gave Tilly the flush and she coyly checked. Berkey took the bait by betting $10,000 only to have Tilly wake up with a check-raise to $25,000.

“Oh, you tricked me,” Berkey quipped before releasing his hand and giving the $43,900 pot to Tilly.

Galfond Picks the Wrong Time

With an $800 straddle on from Koon, Galfond looked down at the A♣Q♥ and raised to $3,500. Yong was next to act and made it $15,000 to go with the A♥8♥. Action folded back to Galfond and she called to see a flop of K♥9♥10♣.

Galfond checked her gutshot and then called when Yong bet $15,000 with his nut heart flush draw. The 8♠ river was a brick for Galfond, and she checked to Yong, who paired his eight. He checked behind and the 6♥ river gave him the flush.

Unfortunately for Galfond, she bluffed at it by moving all in for $71,100 and Yong quickly called. Just like that, Yong laid claim to a pot worth $204,100 while Galfond was left to rebuy.

Two Big Pocket Pairs

Midway through the episode, Yong raised to $1,000 holding the A♦7♦ and Tang called with his 4♠4♥. Tilly then three-bet to $4,000 from the button with the K♦K♥ and Berkey, who was in the small blind, four-bet to $10,000 after looking down at the 10♠10♥.

Yong and Tang both folded, and Tilly opted for a five-bet to $30,000. Berkey called an additional $20,000 to see a flop of 8♠J♥4♣. Berkey checked, Tilly bet $40,000, and Berkey thought better of it before folding his hand face up. Tilly did not oblige by showing, but she did say, “Nice, nice, nice laydown.”

Pocket Rockets No Good

With an $800 straddle on by Yong, Berkey raised to $2,000 from the button with the A♠A♥. Galfond called from the big blind with A♣6♣ and Yong, who had the 7♦6♥, came along to make it three-way action to a flop of 8♣4♦9♦.

Two checks saw Berkey continued for $2,500, Galfond folded, and Yong woke up with a check-raise to $12,000 with his up-and-down straight draw. Berkey called and the dealer promptly burned and turned the 5♥ to give Yong the straight.

Yong bet $35,000 and then snap-called when Berkey jammed for $82,500 total. Berkey was drawing dead, and Yong took down a $195,700 pot after the meaningless J♣ was run out on the river.

Now Kings No Good

Not long after, Tilly raised to $1,100 from the button holding the 7♦6♥ and Berkey popped it to $4,000 from the small blind with the K♠K♣. Tilly called and the 4♥8♥6♣ flop gave her a pair and gutshot straight draw, which she bet to the tune of $4,000 after Berkey checked.

Berkey sprung to life with a check-raise to $15,000 and Tilly quickly called to see the 2♦ turn. Berkey kept the pressure on with a bet of $30,000 but he couldn’t shake Tilly, who called and made her straight when the 5♥ completed the board on the river.

There were three hearts on the board, and Berkey slowed down with a check. Tilly tossed out a brick, which constituted a bet of $50,000, and Berkey folded and said, “That’s the worst card in the deck.” Ship the $148,900 pot to the Academy Award nominee.

Tilly Pays Off Putra

Pocket kings reared their head again a short time later when Putra raised to $1,200 from middle position with the K♥K♣. Tilly was next to act with the A♦8♥ and called to make it heads-up action to a flop of 7♦8♣3♦.

Putra bet $2,000, Tilly raised to $6,000 with top pair and top kicker, and Putra just called. After the 4♦ appeared on the turn, Putra checked and Tilly, who picked up a diamond flush draw, bet $10,000.

Putra called and the J♥ completed the board on the river. Putra shifted gears by betting $10,000 of his own, and Tilly paid it off only to see the $55,500 pot pushed to her opponent.

Galfond vs. Yong Part II

In the last hand of the episode, Galfond raised to $1,100 from the cutoff with the 10♠6♠ and Yong three-bet to $3,200 from the button with the Q♣8♣. Both blinds folded and Galfond called to see a flop of 10♥J♠9♠, which had action written all over it.

Galfond checked her pair and flush draw, and Yong bet $4,000 with his flopped straight. Galfond check-raised to $16,000 and Yong moved all in. Galfond called off for $61,600 and had a 39 percent chance of winning the $162,700 pot.

They only ran it once, and the Q♦ turn brought some chops out to Galfond. Unfortunately for her, the 4♣ bricked on the river and once again she was stacked by Yong.

Episode 10 of High Stakes Poker Season 11 will air next Monday (October 23) at 5 p.m. PT on PokerGO.