PokerNews Recap Of Hellmuth’s Home Game Episode 11

Every Monday night, Hellmuth’s Home Game presented by Poker Night in America (PNIA) and sponsored by BetRivers has aired on CBS Sports.

The nationally-televised show, which was filmed at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada and airs weekly at 10:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. PT until the end of 2025 (Note: the Sept. 18 episode will air at 9 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT), 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 the latest episode – which was the 11th of the season – and compiled a recap of some of the biggest hands and interesting storylines.

It was a new lineup from past weeks, and 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, and more often than not, a $100 straddle was on. Here’s a look at some of the biggest hands from the episode.

“Wimpiest Call I’ve Ever Made”

In the first hand of the episode, Nevada looked down at the Q♥Q♣ first to act and raised to $400. Hellmuth called from the cutoff with his A♣J♣, Xuan Liu came along from the small blind with the 4♦4♣, and Randy “3Coin” Sadler called an additional $300 from the straddle with the K♦7♥ to make it four-way action to the flop, which came down A♠Q♠A♦.

Two checks saw Nevada, who flopped a full house, check it to Hellmuth, who bet $300 with trip aces. Both Xuan and 3Coin folded, Nevada just called, and the 5♥ appeared on the turn.

Both players checked and the 5♦ paired the board on the river. Nevada, who had been counterfeited, bet $1,000 and Hellmuth just called while saying, “This is the wimpiest call I’ve ever made.”

With that, Hellmuth took down a small pot of $4,300. “What am I doing just calling?” Hellmuth lamented.

Hellmuth’s First Tournament Win

Around Hand #14, Phil Hellmuth revealed that the Grand Sierra Casino was actually where he won his first-ever tournament back in 1988, though the venue was known as the Reno Hilton back then.

“My first tournament win was here,” he said, adding that if someone scrolled back far enough on The Hendon Mob it’ll be there.

Indeed, it’s actually the third score on Hellmuth’s legendary resume, and the win came in a 1988 Pot of Gold $200 No-Limit Hold’em event. The size of the field is lost to time, but what is known is that Hellmuth scored $17,550 for the win.

That was a career-high for all of four months before he won the 4th Annual Diamond Jim Brady $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em for $125,000 (which was his career-high until he won the 1989 WSOP Main Event for $755,000).

Here’s a look at the result on Hellmuth’s Hendon profile:

Not the King of Nevada

On Hand #17, Nevada was sitting with $2,500 under the gun and looked down at the K♠K♦. He raised to $300 and action folded all the way around to 3Coin, who defended his big blind with the 7♠6♥ to see a flop of 2♥A♣9♠.

3Coin checked and Nevada, possibly scared of the ace, checked behind. When the 10♠ appeared on the turn, 3Coin bet $300 and Nevada call, leaving himself $1,900 behind.

After the 4♥ completed the board on the river, 3Coin took his time before moving all in and putting Nevada to the test. The bluff worked as Nevada hit the tank for a bit before releasing his hand.

“How Bad Does Chris Run?”

On Hand #26, 3Coin raised to $200 from the cutoff before Nevada smooth called from the button with the K♥K♦ off a stack of $1,600. Cates came along from the small blind with his 7♣4♣ before DJ Washburn three-bet to $1,800 from the straddle with the A♥J♦.

3Coin responded by moving all in for $8,800, Nevada quickly called off, and Washburn hit the tank for a good bit before releasing his hand.

There was $5,300 in the pot and Nevada had an opportunity to more than triple in a heads-up pot. The 7♠4♠Q♥ flop was good for him, but disaster struck when the A♠ spiked on the turn. The 6♣ river changed nothing and Nevada, AKA Chris, was left to reload.

“How bad does Chris run?” Hellmuth offered.

3Coin vs. Jungleman

On Hand #30, Cates raised to $150 with the 6♦6♣ in early position and Washburn called with the 4♠2♠. Xuan came along from the button with the J♦4♦ and Phillip Hellmuth III did the same from the small blind with the K♣9♥. 3Coin looked down at the A♣Q♠ in the big blind and three-bet small to $350, which enticed the other four players to call.

With $1,800 in the pot, the flop fell Q♥6♥J♣. Hellmuth III checked, and 3Coin bet a hefty $4,000 with top pair. Cates, who had bottom set, moved all in for $11,37,5 and action folded back to 3Coin, who called to create a $24,550 pot.

3Coin only runs it once, so he was left drawing dead when the 7♦ was run out on the turn. The meaningless A♦ was run out on the rive,r and Cates was pushed the pot.

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

New episodes of Hellmuth’s Home Game will air at 10:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. PT every Monday.

_{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.