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Alan Keating made one of the best televised poker calls seen in a while during Monday’s episode of High Stakes Poker, and it was one of many monster pots in the nosebleed-stakes cash game.
The sixth episode of Season 14 provided action from start to finish, and it kind-of-sort-of included the largest pot in High Stakes Poker history (more on this later), and a $910,000 hand Keating took down when he sniffed out a bluff.
Keating, a Hustler Casino Live fan favorite, competed against some fellow HCL players such as the show’s owner Ryan Feldman and the following list of players, with chip counts prior to the first hand.
| Player | Chip Stack |
|---|---|
| Ryan Feldman | $779,700 |
| Peter | $640,200 |
| Alan Keating | $574,200 |
| Steve | $418,300 |
| David | $167,400 |
| Vinny | $125,000 |
| Britney | $43,600 |
Three Strong Hands Right off the Bat
The show began with Peter raising to $3,000 with K♦K♣. Vinny, who replaced Marc Kulick in the game, called with A♣Q♠ from the small blind. David, in the big blind with 9♦9♣ threw in calling chips, and so did the straddler, Steve, who was holding A♦6♥.
Three players would check the 10♥3♣7♣ flop back to Peter, who had the best hand. He continued with a $7,000 bet, receiving calls from Vinny and David. Steve, who won the $540,000 pot last year on Hustler Casino Live that was botched by embattled attorney Tom Goldstein, folded.
The 2♠ on the turn changed nothing. Action again checked to Peter, who fired out a big bet of $31,000, enough to get Vinny to fold ace-high, but David still felt his pair was good. The board paired on the 10♠ river and David this time led with a $40,000. Peter initially considered his opponent rivered trips, but he found the call and took down the $175,400 pot on the first hand of Episode 6.
Keating Makes Insane Hero Call
One of the best calls ever made on High Stakes Poker would occur during Episode 6. The hand we’re referring to started with Steve raising to $1,400 with 8♠6♣. Peter, on the button with 6♠3♠, called, as did Keating, who had 9♦7♦ in the big blind.
The A♣7♠K♠ flop gave two players a little something. Keating checked, and then Steve, who flopped nothing, bet $4,000. Peter went for a raise to $13,000 with a flush draw. Keating, who only hit bottom pair, re-raised to $41,000, receiving a call only from Peter.
Action continued to heat up on the 6♥ turn, which improved Peter’s hand. Keating fired out a bet of $58,000, and his opponent clicked back a raise to $175,000, but didn’t get Keating to fold.
The 4♥ on the river didn’t improve either hand. Both players were stuck on small pairs with no cards left to come. Keating checked and then faced an all in bet of $235,000. He went into the tank facing a difficult decision, and he’d make the correct one by calling the bet to take down the $911,000 pot, one of the largest in High Stakes Poker history.
“It’s my favorite hand because neither of us have much, but we made a game of chicken out of it by putting pressure on each other and no one backed down,” Keating told PokerNews.
Nick Schulman, the commentator on High Stakes Poker and a five-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner, referred to it as “one of the coolest hands I’ve ever seen.”
As for the largest pot in High Stakes Poker history, that went to Santhosh Suvarna for $992,000 during Season 13.
Santhosh Suvarna Wins Largest Pot in High Stakes Poker History
Largest Pot in High Stakes Poker History?
Suvarna’s record came to an end during Episode 6, kind of. It all depends on if you count a chop pot that cracked $1 million. This hand began with Peter raising to $4,000 with A♠Q♦ and then Keating making it $25,000 to go with A♦Q♠, the same hand but different suits.
Peter called before both players hit trips with the same kicker on the Q♣K♦Q♥ flop. Keating continued his aggression with a $35,000 wager, and his opponent called before the 8♥ appeared on the turn. Keating bet $79,000 this time. Peter, looking to get his chips back from the monster pot he lost earlier, raised to $229,000.
Keating then went all in for $499,000, and a snap-call was made. They would chop up the $1,120,200 pot, which likely won’t be considered as the biggest in the show’s history by most given the pot was chopped.
Keating and Feldman Take Bad Beat in Same Hand
Feldman, outside of one huge pot he won during Episode 5, has run poorly on High Stakes Poker Season 14. That continued in the final hand of the newest episode.
Preflop action in the straddled pot began with Peter limping on the button with K♦7♦. Keating, the blind, raised to $14,000 with A♦A♣. Feldman, in the staddle with J♦9♣, made the call, as did Peter.
The flop came out J♥K♣9♦, and Keating wagered $28,000 with his pocket aces that had been out-flopped. Feldman, sitting on bottom two pair, just called. Peter came along as well and then sucked out on both players when the K♠ landed on the turn.
Action would check to the button, who bet $85,000. Keating called, while Feldman frustratingly folded drawing dead. The river was the Q♥, which brought about four cards to a straight. Both players feared the straight and checked, which meant Peter took down the $297,400 pot to end the show.
Past High Stakes Poker Season 14 Episode Recaps
To watch past episodes of High Stakes Poker, visit PokerGO.
*Images courtesy of PokerGO/Antonio Abrego