Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 28: Calling Hellmuth with Jack-Deuce Offsuit
In last week’s Hold’em with Holloway, I highlighted two of the biggest hands I played during my two days on Poker Night in America in April playing in a $25/$50 no-limit hold’em cash game at SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia. The lineup included Shaun Deeb, Phil Hellmuth, Darren Elias, Alec Torelli, Dan Shak, Tom Schneider, and Andy Frankenberger, among others.
Playing in such a game was way out of my league, and I had to turn a blind eye to bankroll management. However, playing poker on TV against some of the biggest names in the game had been on my bucket list. It was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. Fortunately, I was able to double up straight out of the gate thanks to a set-over-set situation, and I also played an interesting one where Torelli laid down a big hand. You can read about both of those hands by clicking here.
I’ll remember those two hands for the rest of my life, but I’ll also remember one that played out in the latter half of Day 1. That’s because I got to do something I’ve always wanted — beat Hellmuth in a pot and inspire one of his trademark rants.
In the hand, I put on the $100 under-the-gun straddle and watched as Hellmuth called from middle position and Torelli did the same from the big blind. I looked down at the lousy J♣2♥ and easily checked my option to see the flop, which came down J♠7♥4♣. I had flopped top pair, but I wasn’t too proud of my kicker, so I just called after Torelli led out for $250. Hellmuth then raised to $900, Torelli folded what turned out to be the J♥2♦ (the same hand as me), and I eyed the “Poker Brat” suspiciously.
Hellmuth doesn’t get out of line much, but I thought he could very well be squeezing. It was an extremely dry board, and it was apparent that Torelli had enough of the flop — possibly a jack or seven — to lead out and then fold. I had a jack myself, so what could Hellmuth have here? There were not many jacks left, and a seven I could beat. Maybe 6x5x for an open-ended straight draw? Though it’s not like Hellmuth to limp from middle position with such a hand. If he had a set, why chase out two opponents on such a dry board?
I wasn’t quite sure where I stood, but I felt it was worth paying to see a turn and get some more information, and so I called. The dealer burned and turned the 9♦. I checked, and Hellmuth quickly fired out $1,600. Again, I looked at him with suspicion.
“Chad, you read me well,” Hellmuth said. “Let’s see. Now’s a test of that. I’m not showing this one either, this one’s going in facedown.”
As soon as Hellmuth volunteered this my gut screamed that I was good. Granted, Hellmuth is one of the best table talkers in the game, and he’s great at manipulating people to do his bidding. However, I’ve seen him open his mouth hundreds of times — both on TV and as a PokerNews reporter — and in this particular case I felt he was full of hot air, so I called.
The 8♠ river meant a ten would make a straight, so it wasn’t a great card for me. I checked, and fortunately Hellmuth did the same. Had he fired another big bet, I’d have been hard pressed to make the call. As it was, I showed my J♣2♥ for a pair of jacks, and Hellmuth showed that he had been bluffing with A♠K♣.
“Good call,” Hellmuth offered, though I knew it wouldn’t stop there.
“You’re kind of free this summer, right?” Shak asked jokingly. “Forget the employee event.” The rest of the table was very complimentary and joked around a bit. All the while Hellmuth sat there quietly with his arms crossed. You just knew it was coming.
“We’ll see if he keeps calling me with top pair no kicker,” Hellmuth finally vented. “I’m tempted to get $15,000 more… he’s trying to give it away.”
It wasn’t a full-blown Hellmuth rant, but it was a mini-one. He made a few more inconsequential comments, and I simply pointed out he didn’t raise preflop with ace-king when he was first to enter the pot. It was hard for him to argue that, but for the rest of the game, even as it went on into a second day, Hellmuth harped on me about how I was going to call him down light again and pay him off. It never happened, but it was fun listening to him go on and on about it — kind of a fan boy’s dream come true.
Now, I’ve known Hellmuth for quite awhile. Not only have I interviewed him and reported on him numerous times for PokerNews, but we also both hail from the Madison, Wisconsin area. As such, we know a lot of the same people, and our paths have crossed multiple times over the years, especially around the holidays when he returns home to visit family. This wasn’t my first experience with the “Poker Brat,” but it certainly was the most high-profile one.
I like Hellmuth a lot. I think he’s a superb tournament player and great for the game. I also think he’s one of the nicest and most charitable guys I’ve ever met off the poker felt. At the poker table, well you know what you get there. Part of it is for show, but part of it is genuine Hellmuth. I’m glad I got to be the hare in his crosshairs, if only for a short time.
The only thing I regret in the hand is not uttering one of my favorite lines. On the turn, before calling, I should have said, “Phil, I may only read at a kindergarten level, but I can read you like a book.”
How epic would that have been? Problem was if I had said that and been wrong, I’d have looked like a total fool. Oh well, missed opportunity there, but I am content having won some of that sweet, sweet Hellmuth money.
I went on to cash out for $20,775 on the first day (a profit of $15,775), but ended up giving half back on Day 2, which featured a much tougher line-up and me playing less than my A-game (more on that in a future article as well). All told I profited $7,850 against some tough competition. Poker Night in America’s Nolan Dalla had some kind words to say about my appearance, and even said I’ll “certainly be invited back.” I look forward to that.
For those interested in seeing my hand with Hellmuth, check out the video below starting at around the 1:03:00 mark. You can also watch my entire appearance on the archived live stream, and this fall it will air on CBS Sports Network (I don’t know the exact date yet).
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In this Series
- 1 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 1: Making Reads and Trusting Them
- 2 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 2: Playing in Poker Charity Events
- 3 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 3: Throttle Back Before You End Up Punting
- 4 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 4: Punish the Satellite Bubble
- 5 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 5: What is Proper Accumulator Strategy?
- 6 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 6: A Chip and a Chair Story with “SirWatts”
- 7 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 7: 15 Things About Poker I Wish I’d Known Sooner
- 8 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 8: Examining the Largest Overlay in Poker History
- 9 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 9: Differences Between Rebuys and Reentries
- 10 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 10: Five Must-Read Poker Books of 2014
- 11 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 11: When Will You Finally Break Through?
- 12 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 12: Dealing with a Target on Your Back
- 13 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 13: Knowing When to Call It Quits
- 14 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 14: Embarking on a Year-Long Weight Loss Journey
- 15 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 15: Navigating Multiple Decision Points in a Poker Hand
- 16 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 16: Chris Moorman Tells Me How Badly I Play Poker
- 17 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 17: Richard “nutsinho” Lyndaker on Getting It in Marginal
- 18 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 18: Getting Inside the Head of Poker Pro Brian Rast
- 19 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 19: Stupid Calls & Lucky Draws in MSPT WI Championship
- 20 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 20: Talking Ante-Only Strategy with Greg “FossilMan” Raymer
- 21 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 21: Contributing to Jonathan Little’s New Book
- 22 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 22: Consequences of Acting Out of Turn & Tossing in Chips
- 23 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 23: When It Comes to Chops, Do What’s In Your Best Interest
- 24 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 24: Accepting Bad Beats & Lessons in Selling Action
- 25 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 25: Heinz’ Ace-High Call Shows Why He's a World Champ
- 26 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 26: Is Keeping the Short Stack Alive Collusion?
- 27 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 27: Great Laydown or Bad Fold on Poker Night in America?
- 28 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 28: Calling Hellmuth with Jack-Deuce Offsuit
- 29 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 29: The Philosophy of "No-Chop" Chad
- 30 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 30: Preparing to Play the World Series of Poker
- 31 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 31: Staying on Your Grind at the World Series of Poker
- 32 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 32: The Perilous Decision to Call Off with Ace-Queen
- 33 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 33: Using Poker Skills in Reality TV Competitions
- 34 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 34: Esfandiari Explains How to Recover from Bad Beats
- 35 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 35: Tilly vs. Brunson in Super High Roller Cash Game Hand
- 36 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol 36: Unconventional Play Leads to Good WSOP Main Event Start
- 37 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 37: Lessons in Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Low w/ Evan Jarvis
- 38 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 38: Things to Say and Do When You Bust a Poker Tournament
- 39 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 39: How Much Did I Have to Raise to Get You to Fold?
- 40 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 40: Practicing Patience in My Deep PPC Poker Tour Run
- 41 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 41: Analyzing a Questionable SHRPO Main Event Hand
- 42 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 42: Analyzing the Play of Neymar Jr. at EPT Barcelona
- 43 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 43: The Value of a Reliable Poker Reputation
- 44 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 44: John “KasinoKrime” Beauprez Rips My PLO Game Apart
- 45 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 45: Satellite Dilemmas -- To Call or Not to Call
- 46 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 46: Seiver Leverages the River in Super High Roller Bowl
- 47 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 47: What Untraditional Moves in Poker Might Mean
- 48 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 48: Thinking About the Future with Sam Grizzle
- 49 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 49: WCOOP Champ “Coenaldinho7” Offers Up His Biggest Hands
- 50 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 50: The Peril of Shoving Weak Aces
- 51 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 51: The Importance of Not Giving Up in Poker Tournaments
- 52 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 52: Does Asking “Check” Actually Constitute a Check?
- 53 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 53: Thomas Cannuli Impresses Even After Main Event Bustout
- 54 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 54: Dealers Aren’t Always Right
- 55 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 55: Don’t Get Married to Pocket Aces
- 56 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 56: Bazeley’s Survival Instinct Leads to Continued Success
- 57 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 57: Playing “Deuces Wild” on the European Poker Tour
- 58 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 58: The Wildest Hand in European Poker Tour History
- 59 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 59: Death, Zombies & Spending Time w/Phil Hellmuth
- 60 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 60: How the Unstoppable Fedor Holz Managed to Win Again
- 61 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 61: Lessons To Be Learned When You Hit the Big Stage
- 62 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 62: Steve O’Dwyer Explains the “Oreo Cookie Tell”
- 63 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 63: What Would Happen to a Chip Stack If a November Niner Died?
- 64 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 64: Forgetting One Chip -- Should It Still Be an All-In Bet?
- 65 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 65: Todd “sharkslayerrr” Breyfogle on Bankroll Management
- 66 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 66: Cash Game Pro Daniel Arfin Offers Sound Bankroll Advice
- 67 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 67: Honeyman Plays Kings to Keep in Opponent’s Bluff Range
- 68 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 68: Why Do I Even Bother Drinking at the Poker Table?
- 69 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 69: Is Your Favorite Poker Pro Left- or Right-Handed?
- 70 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 70: In Order to Live You Have to Be Willing to Die
- 71 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 71: How to Amass a Big Stack Early in a Poker Tournament
- 72 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 72: Answering User-Submitted Poker Scenarios
- 73 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 73: Saying Goodbye with a Top Five List
- 74 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 74: We're Back, Baby!
- 75 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 75: Jivkov on Exploiting Capped Ranges
- 76 Hold’em with Holloway, Vol. 76: Matt Bretzfield Gets Tricky With Aces
- 77 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 77: Joseph Cheong Gets Crazy with a Pair of Ladies
- 78 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 78: Wyoming Poker Action & Wild South Dakota Hand
- 79 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 79: Calling Controversy at WinStar
- 80 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 80: Going for Value with Matt Hunt
- 81 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 81: Bracelet Winner Ryan Leng on Bad Call
- 82 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 82: Romeopro33 Recounts XL Eclipse Victory
- 83 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 83: Men The Master Doesn't Get Paid
- 84 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 84: Harman Hits Back-to-Back Miracle Turns
- 85 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 85: Jamie Kerstetter on Dealing with Bounties
- 86 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 86: Matt Stout Develops a Limp Dynamic
- 87 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 87: Matt Alexander Caught in Between w/ Two Red Aces
- 88 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 88: John Beauprez on Why He Folded a Set of Jacks
- 89 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 89: Alex Aqel Lets Opponent Hang Himself with Aces
- 90 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 90: David Peters Makes Beastly Call Against Will Givens
- 91 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 91: Poker Lessons from a Game of Risk
- 92 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 92: My Upstuck Diagnosis by the CLC Squad
- 93 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 93: Alex Foxen Coolers Nick Petrangelo in SHRB
- 94 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 94: My $25,000 PSPC Experience at 2019 PCA
- 95 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 95: The Equity of Leveraging Time Extensions
- 96 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 96: Dan O'Brien on Developing Healthy Routines
- 97 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 97: Big Hands From the WSOP-C Potawatomi
- 98 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 98: Simon Deadman Rips Apart My NLH Tourney Play
- 99 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 99: Shoving 10-6 Smack Dab Into Pocket Aces
- 100 Hold'em with Holloway, Vol. 100: The Revived Re-Entries Debate
