Never assume victory until the river card is dealt, which one player learned in a wild all-in hand during Friday night’s Hustler Casino Live stream.
The $50/$100 ($100 big blind ante) no-limit hold’em cash game featured actor Emile Hirsch, star of the new poker movie, Dead Money, which came out in select theaters and streaming apps the same day. Hirsch showed that his performance in the movie wasn’t just an act as he displayed some poker chops on Hustler Casino Live, booking a $17,000 profit over the six-hour session.
He lost his initial $20,000 buy-in but would turn on the jets late in the show to finish in the black. But the high-stakes poker game can best be remembered by a hand played between HCL regulars Mike X and Eshaan “Brown Balla” Bhalla.
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You Won’t Believe this Runout
The hand in question began with poker vlogger Mariano Grandoli raising to $300 from the lowjack with 6♦4♦. Hirsch came along for the ride in the hijack with A♥9♠ before Mike X three-bet to $1,500 in the cutoff with K♦Q♦. Bhalla, on the button holding J♦J♣, then four-bet to $3,900.
Everyone but Mike X folded and the two remaining players in the hand saw a flop of 2♥5♣9♣, no improvement to either hand. The out-of-position player checked to Bhalla, who bet $2,500 with an over pair. Mike X then check-raised enough to put his opponent all in ($12,950).
Bhalla snap-called and was out in front. Both players agreed to run the turn and river twice. The first turn was the Q♥, giving Mike X top pair and the best hand. But the two-outer J♠ on the river ensured “Brown Balla” would scoop at least half the $34,550 pot.
The second turn card — K♠ — once again gave Mike X top pair, leaving Bhalla drawing to a one-outer, which he would miraculously hit when the J♥ appeared on the second river. Bhalla scooped the entire pot, while Mike X leaned back in his chair in disbelief.
Bhalla didn’t have much luck go his way the rest of the night as he lost over $50,000. Mike X, on the other hand, booked a small $5,000 profit on the night reserved to promote Dead Money, poker’s newest movie.