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Maria Ho may be one of the busiest people in poker. That includes commentating on major events on the PokerGO streaming service and ESPN.

Her schedule also includes regular speaking gigs via the PeTalk coaching app. Ho’s poker and communication skills have certainly paid off. In 2019 she won the Global Poker Award for broadcaster of the year.

At the tables she’s earned $4 million in live tournament winnings including five World Series of Poker final table appearances. Ho’s resumé includes four World Poker Tour final tables and a WPTDeepstacks title.

Ranked among the top five female players in the world, she became the youngest member of the Women in Poker Hall of Fame in 2018.

Players looking to improve their online poker skills will find Ho has plenty to offer. She spoke with USPoker about sit and go strategy, satellite survival, and dealing with hyper-aggressive players.

Some sit & go, satellite strategy advice

When it comes to these single-table tournaments, Ho says it’s not ideal to turn up the aggression early. Stay focused and avoid spots where you’d have to risk a lot of chips. She sees these events as similar to how one might play a satellite.

“My general strategy is to take a fairly conservative approach until the later stages,” Ho says. “It’s important to remember that it doesn’t matter how many chips you end up with at the end as long as you qualify.

“Finding opportunities to chip up in low variance pots that don’t involve a lot of confrontation is a great way to put yourself in a qualifying chip position.”

Expanding on that scenario, maybe a player has been smart and won a few nice pots. That player has now built a nice chip stack and may be looking to adjust to this situation.

How does a player handle a big stack in a sit & go or satellite when with quite a few players left? Ho says it’s important to not become too aggressive. Forget those ideas of running the table with any two cards.

“Make sure to not over-pace yourself as the big stack,” she says. “It’s easy to fall in the trap of wanting to play every pot and bully other players as the big stack.”

That doesn’t mean to avoid engaging. Make some moves with good cards, especially toward players with smaller stacks.

“If you are getting close to the bubble then there is definitely a huge advantage to being increasingly aggressive as the big stack when most players are in survival mode,” she says. “But pay close attention to the game flow and shift gears when necessary.”

Battling aggression from the blinds and working up a short stack

Every player has been there. Each time you’re on the small or big blind, the same player keeps putting in a hefty raise right near the button. How do you battle these players and defend those blinds?

“If the effective stack size is still fairly deep, then consider peeling a bit wider especially when facing small raises,” Ho advises. “Getting to the flop is a good way to realize your equity especially against a wide opening range.”

In the opposite scenario of the previous section, playing a short stack well is also important. What are some things to keep in mind when trying to work a small chip stack back up?

Staying in control and not feeling the need to just “get it in” is key. Knowing your opponents at the table also helps.

“Nowadays there is a lot more maneuverability with a short stack than previously exercised,” she says. “You can peel from the big blind against a min raise much more liberally than before.

“The best tip I can give on working a short stack up is to not to allow desperation or panic to creep in. Instead focus your energy on finding a good spot to shove and honing in on your opponents’ preflop ranges to gain more insight on how to play your hands accordingly.”

Bonus advice on folding from Maria Ho

Obviously, folding is a major part of poker. Key folds can extend a player’s life in a tournament or help avoid big losses in a cash game.

It may hurt to lay down a big hand, but sometimes players have to think long term in these situations. Ho recently took to Twitter to offer players some advice on the subject.

Cont. #pokertip pic.twitter.com/uW9CIWgPPH

— Maria Ho (@MariaHo) December 2, 2020

To follow Maria Ho on Instagram click here. To book her a PepTalk speaking or coaching session, click here.

For the first edition of Online Poker Strategy Session with Jonathan Little, click here.

Photos courtesy WPT

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High Stakes Poker returns Dec. 16 with 14 new episodes on PokerGo with 20 of the top cash grinders in the world. Some new faces emerge, but many famous players such as Phil Ivey, Phil Hellmuth, and Tom Dwan will be back in action.

The legendary cash game started during the poker boom in 2006 and was an instant hit. The series ran on the Game Show Network (GSN) until 2010.

For more on the debut of the eighth season of High Stakes Poker including insight from Phil Hellmuth and Doyle Brunson, click here.

Ten years after the show ended, reruns and YouTube clips have kept its popularity alive. The high rollers are now back at the table and viewers will be pleased.

High stakes poker coming back guys. Hope I run as good as last time pic.twitter.com/m8auOjG2ic

— Tom Dwan (@TomDwan) October 27, 2020

 

High Stakes featured some huge moments through the years – highlighting some of the biggest bluffs ever caught on camera. Viewers also saw how fast a million bucks could swing from player to player with the turn of a card.

With the new season debuting this week, here’s a look at some of the most memorable hands.

1 – Greenstein’s Aces get cracked 

Barry Greenstein went toe to toe in this hand for heaps against Sammy Farha. Greenstein is in a dream situation when he gets it all in with his AA against Farha’s KK.

The hand turns into a $361,000 nightmare when Sammy hits a K on the flop.

 

2 – Brad Booth bluffs Phil Ivey 

Recently Brad Booth was the center of a missing person case. Luckily Booth was located and confirmed to be okay. Many will remember Booth for one of the most epic bluffs ever against poker legend Phil Ivey.

Ivey held KK and Booth did him dirty with 42. It is quite memorable hand against one of the biggest names in the game.

 

3 – Gus Hansen hits quads against Daniel Negreanu 

Daniel Negreanu’s 66 went heads-up against Gus Hansen 55. Both players hit a set on the flop of 965. The fireworks began and the pot exploded. Hansen ended up winning more than $575,000 when after making quads on the turn. 

 

4 – Aces no good Barry Greenstein

Greenstein had his luck tested again in as he reraised with AA preflop. Dwan called with KQ and Peter Eastgate with AK. The pot was already at almost $50,000 before the flop.

The flop came Q42, creating a giant hand about to erupt. Dwan ended up cracking Greenstein in a $919,000 pot – one of the biggest cash game pots ever on television. 

5 – Jamie Gold cut down by Patrik Antonius 

Fresh off of his 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event victory, Jamie Gold appeared on the show. His duel with Patrik Antonius stands out. After an Antonius raised to $4,000, Gold three-bet to $14,000 with KK and Antonious called with AJ.

The flop brought 3Q10 and Antonious called Gold’s $15,000 bet. The turn then dropped the K. Action kicks up as both players get it all in. The players decide to run the river three times for insurance and Gold sucks out on two of those. 

Where to see more High Stakes Poker

Along with the new season, all the classic episodes can be watched exclusively on PokerGo. Poker fans will see plenty of high stakes action mixed with some trash talk and fun.

“It truly represents a raw, unscripted high stakes cash game,” legendary televised poker producer Mori Eskandani says. “We don’t make the rules, we react to the rules players make. That’s why you will see many cash game situations like running it twice, sleeper straddle, and more in HSP first.”

Here’s an inside look of the new High Stakes Poker set and some things to watch out for.

Take an exclusive, behind the scenes tour of the High Stakes Poker set at the PokerGO Studio with Jeff Platt.

New season of High Stakes Poker debuts Dec 16th, only on https://t.co/2RQh5RNM18! pic.twitter.com/QUDsg0Ui3A

— PokerGO (@PokerGO) October 30, 2020

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After two days of action at WSOP.com, the final table is now set in the World Series of Poker $10,000 Main Event. The action now shifts to live play at the Rio in Las Vegas on Dec. 28.

Joseph Hebert returns as chip leader when play resumes. The final table of the GGPoker international half was set for Tuesday at King’s Casino in the Czech Republic.

The two winners then battle it out heads-up on Dec. 30 at the Rio for the bracelet and $1 million. It’s been a unique Main Event, but the end appears now in site barring any COVID-related setbacks.

A look at the WSOP Main Event final table

Hebert hails from Metairie, Louisiana, and looks to be in the driver’s seat when action resumes. With more than twice his nearest opponent, he’ll have plenty of chips to battle with.

Three-time bracelet winner Upeshka De Silva may be the most recognizable name remaining in the field. He emerged from Day 1 as chip leader, but now finds himself with work to do.

De Silva sits in eighth and looks to be the most experienced player on this stage. When looking at US online poker markets, three players remain from New Jersey and one from Pennsylvania. Here’s a look at all the final table players.

2020 WSOP US Main Event Final Table

Position	Name	Chips	Hometown	Resumé
1st	Joseph Hebert	13,052,534	Metairie, Louisiana	• $668,000 in live tournament winnings • Biggest cash (2013) – 2nd in WSOPC New Orleans Main Event for $140,932
2nd	Shawn Stroke	5,252,000	Lawrence, New York	• $68,175 in live tournament winnings • Biggest cash (2013) – 2nd in $365 WSOP.com Online event for $94,265
3rd	Ryan Hagerty	5,071,572	Somerset, New Jersey	• $341,128 in live tournament winnings • WPTDeepstacks winner (2019) – $70,865
4th	Ye Yuan	4,829,459	Madison, Wisconsin	• $6,774 in live tournament winnings
5th	Michael Cannon	4,408,847	Harrisburg, Pennsylvania	• $184,584 in live tournament winnings • Took 9th in WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open in 2019 for $ 72,842
6th	Gershon Distenfeld	3,475,481	Bergenfield, New Jersey	• $10,375 in live tournament winnings • 7th in a WPTDeepstacks event in 2019
7th	Ron Jenkins	2,476,746	Los Angeles, California	• $388,819 in live tournament winnings • Won $225 event at the Bicycle Casino in 2010 for $70,012
8th	Upeshka De Silva	2,151,969	Katy, Texas	• $3.1 million in live tournament winnings • 3 WSOP bracelets
9th	Harrison Dobin	1,581,392	West Long Beach, New Jersey	• $101,125 in live tournament winnings • 8 cashes in recent WSOP Online at GGPoker

 

Other big names hit the rail

Several other big name players were in the mix for Day 2 but didn’t make the final table. Maria Ho made a deep run, finishing 22nd for $35,194, and Jason Somerville finished 32nd for $29,779.

Scott Seiver finished 39th for $25,718 and Freddy Deeb 46th for $22,334. 2013 WSOP Main Event Ryan Riess took 47th for $22,334.

Four-time World Poker Tour champion Darren Elias took 50th for $22,334. Two-time bracelet winner Shankar Pillai finished 51st for $22,334. 2018 888poker Crazy Eights bracelet winner Galen Hall bowed out in 53rd for $22,334. Poker commentator Nick Schulman took 55th for $20,304.

Key links to follow the action

ESPN will be filming all the action at both final tables and the heads-up match. However, those looking for live coverage of the GGPoker final table will be out of luck. There are a few places fans may want to follow to check out the action.

• WSOP.com – will be providing live updates on the US final table
• GGPoker YouTube – will be posting highlights from the final table in the Czech Republic
• GGPoker Twitter – regular updates throughout the final table
• WSOP  and WSOP.com Twitter – regular updates on the final table and heads-up match

The action at the live final table was already underway on Tuesday afternoon. At press time, Damian Salas moved from third to chip leader with three players remaining.

A win would complete quite a Main Event run for Salas after finishing seventh in the event in 2017 for $1.4 million.

★★★ For a complete review of WSOP.com and an exclusive USPoker bonus, click here. ★★★

Joseph Hebert photo courtesy WSOP

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Big cash, big hands, and big personalities. Those are some of the reasons poker fans fell in love with High Stakes Poker – and it all made for big fun.

Poker fans are in luck with the eighth season of the show returning to PokerGO with 14 new episodes. The show debuts on Wednesday, Dec. 16, with a lineup of high rollers ready for action.

Viewers can look for plenty of Hold’em and hijinks from players like Phil Hellmuth, Phil Ivey, Ben Lamb, Jean Robert Bellande, Bryn Kenney, and others.

Bringing back a poker classic

High Stakes Poker debuted in 2006 on GSN (Game Show Network) and was one of the first televised cash games. The show ran until 2011 and featured hundreds of thousands of dollars wagered in a single night.

Betting and bluffing such large sums of money was intoxicating for players more accustomed small stakes games with friends. The table talk from players like Doyle Brunson, Antonio Esfandiari, and Mike Matusow only added to the entertainment value.

The series featured AJ Benza and Gabe Kaplan calling the action with Kara Scott later stepping in for Benza. Norm Macdonald replaced Kaplan in the show’s final season and original episodes are also available on PokerGO.

Originally filmed at the Palms, Golden Nugget, South Point, and Bellagio casinos, the action now shifts to the PokerGO Studio at Aria. PokerGO has gone all out to bring the show back a decade since it went off the air.

That process involved purchasing the show from GSN then building a stage similar to previous seasons. Producers then invited players they thought would mix well. Strict pandemic rules were also put in place to keep players and staff safe. 

“Players were thrilled to find out the show was making a comeback,” Poker Hall of Famer and legendary televised poker producer Mori Eskandani says. “Many were disappointed that they couldn’t travel to participate due to COVID. The process was similar to what we’ve done in the past – finding a group of players who know each other well and are willing to mix it up on camera.”

 Finding that mix helps make the show more than just simply about cards and chips. While the stakes may be high, fans can relate to the needling, jokes, and festive atmosphere.

“It truly represents a raw, unscripted high stakes cash game,” Eskandani says. “We don’t make the rules, we react to the rules players make. That’s why you will see many cash game situations like running it twice, sleeper straddle, and more in HSP first.”

Fans can expect producers to continue with that winning formula. There are some new players, but the feel of the show remains the same. Benza and Kaplan are even back in the commentary booth for the revival.

Eskandani notes: “I’m confident the future seasons will build upon this season and get better and better.”

Phil Hellmuth ready for High Stakes

No one may be more excited for the return of High Stakes Poker than 15-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner Hellmuth. He believes the show mixes “great personalities and great players.”

The first episode has $400/$800 blinds with a $200,000 minimum buy-in and features Bellande, Kenney, Rick Salomon, Tom Dwan, Nick Petrangelo, and others.

Hellmuth wasn’t up for playing as much during the show’s first incarnation. Almost 10 year later he was happy to jump in the mix.

“I wasn’t playing much No Limit Hold’em, not regularly, and I wasn’t nearly as steady as I am now,” he told USPoker. “I had trouble playing my best when I was tired. And my cash bankroll had me feeling short when I played. I lost money, and didn’t look great doing it.”

The Poker Brat says that’s changed and he’s won 23 of 25 times in televised cash games recently. That’s included shows like Poker After Dark, Live at the Bike, Poker Night in America, and others. He felt ready and in Hellmuth style, hoped to show off his skills.

“This year on High Stakes Poker I risked $400,000 of my own money,” he says. “I was comfortable, I knew that I had earned my seat at the table, and I was ready to show the world that I’m a great player.”

What to expect on PokerGO

PokerGO has led the charge in offering live poker in recent years. High Stakes Poker adds to a growing lineup that includes shows like High Stakes Duel, Poker After Dark, WSOP Classic, and more.

When new High Stakes episodes go live, Hellmuth believes fans will be pleased. Look for plenty of chips flying around the table with plenty of jabs among players.

“The atmosphere was amazing,” he says. “Fun, jovial, and Tom ‘durrrr’ Dwan put on quite a show. It’s amazing that he can play so many hands, and still manage to win –  truly impressive.

“We all get along so well, lots of laughter on the set. This group is so clever. Watching Dwan and Rick Solomon battle is great. I win a lot of money, but not by playing every hand. There aren’t many players on the planet that can do that, play 40% of the hands and win big. But Dwan and Solomon are two of those rare guys.”

Looking back with Doyle Brunson

When it comes to playing high stakes poker, Doyle Brunson might be more synonymous with those terms than anyone. The 87-year-old, 10-time bracelet winner still plays at some of the highest stakes around.

Like Hellmuth, Brunson describes High Stakes Poker as the “best show ever. Everything about it was good.” While he hasn’t been asked to appear yet, he’s expecting an invitation soon and is interested in jumping in.

Brunson played in some of the original episodes and one aspect of the series sticks out in his mind. His memory coincides with some action and talk surrounding the current battle between Daniel Negreanu and Doug Polk.

This old school player plans on sticking to his experience and instincts rather than software and solvers.

“I remember Daniel Negreanu repeatedly ran into coolers,” he says. “Those bad beats made people think Daniel was a bad player when he really is one of the elite players.

“Of course after hearing about all these solvers I know nothing about, I’m anxious to see if I can compete now. I’ve played nothing but mixed games for years.”

On a show with so much money on the table and interesting personalities, which did Brunson enjoy more – the action or the camaraderie? Both it turns out – with a goal in mind.

Ever the card shark, Brunson used some of his opponents’ bravado against them. His strategy brought plenty of paydays.

“Everybody was trying to impress the audience with unusual plays, so I played ABC hands,” Brunson says. “I remember winning 15 times before finally having a loser.”

High Stakes Poker debuts Dec. 16 on PokerGO.

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The first day of the unique online and live hybrid of the World Series of Poker $10,000 Main Event wrapped up on Sunday for US-based players. Registration closed with 705 players from New Jersey and Nevada for a prize pool of $6.8 million.

That total tops the GGPoker portion of the tournament for international players. That half drew 674 players for a $6.5 million prize pool.

The 2020 Main Event establishes a new US record for an online poker tournament prize pool in legal, regulated markets. The prize pool easily eclipsed the $2 million for the WSOP Online championship in July.

Big numbers for WSOP online bracelet hunters

The winner and runner-up become the first players to win $1 million since US regulated online poker launched in 2013. The winner takes home $1,553,256 and runner-up earns $1,002,340.

When combined with first and second from GGPoker, four players will hit the million-dollar mark. 

“It’s a great result so far,” WSOP executive director Ty Stewart said in a news release. “I think considering the circumstances, 1,379 players is a strong field size that can stand up to the history of the event.

“It’s also an important milestone for regulated online poker. I can’t wait to see who will win this world championship bracelet.”  

The remaining eight GGPoker players convene for live play on Dec. 15 at King’s Casino in the Czech Republic (see more on that event below). Play resumes at WSOP.com on Monday with the final table playing out live at the Rio in Las Vegas on Dec. 28.

That’s followed on Dec. 30 by the heads-up battle at the Rio between the two winners at WSOP.com and GGPoker for $1 million.

Inside the first day of action at WSOP.com

When the dust settled on Monday, Upeshka “gomezhamburg” De Silva led the remaining 71 players left in the field. No stranger to poker success, De Silva has $3.1 million in live tournament winnings.

A three-time bracelet winner, this player from Katy, Texas, also has two World Poker Tour final table appearances and a WPTDeepstacks title. 

A few other names stand out among those returning. Taylor von Kriegenbergh sits in fourth and has $2.2 million in live tournament winnings. He’s looking for his first bracelet, but won the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown in 2011 for $1.1 million.

Galen Hall sits in seventh and will certainly be a player to watch. He snagged his first bracelet in 2018 in 888poker’s $888 Crazy Eights for $888,888. The New Yorker has $5.4 million in live tournament winnings.

Here’s a look at the top 10 chip counts:

2020 WSOP.com Main Event Day 1 Leaders

Place	Player	Chip count
1	Upeshka “gomezhamburg” De Silva	1,930,067
2	vforvictoria	1,792,716
3	Samthedog76	1,529,044
4	Taylor “zeroto100” Von Kriegenbergh	1,518,393
5	Michael “vagab0nd” Youngman	1,421,443
6	Gershon “jets613” Distenfeld	1,409,061
7	Galen “turkmalloy” Hall	1,271,362
8	Keith “T1mB3y_B33F” Donovan	1,255,452
9	DameTime12	1,122,086
10	ErikBachman	1,062,738

Other interesting names from Day 1

Plenty of players in New Jersey and Nevada jumped in the action on Sunday, but only about 10% advanced. With action paused in the High Stakes Duel against Doug Polk, Daniel Negreanu cashed in the Main Event.

After stopping a run of bad cards and considerable downswing on Friday, he at least has some semblance of momentum. However, Kid Poker didn’t make it to Day 2 in the Main Event.

My last 41 hands I didn’t drag a chip.

— Daniel Negreanu (@RealKidPoker) December 14, 2020

Some other big names that moved on to the second day of action include:

• Mohsin “bubbletea3” Charania – 777,260 (bracelet winner, two-toime WPT champion)
• Jason “haderade” Somerville – 692,314 (bracelet winner, poker streamer)
• Darren “darrenelias” Elias – 632,176 (four-time WPT champion)
• Nick “CashUsKlay” Schulman – 585,012 (three-time bracelet winner, poker commentator)
• Dan “pepperprince” Zack – 420,146 (bracelet winner)
• Ryan “Protential” Laplante – 391,535 (bracelet winner)
• Maria “femmeonfelt” Ho – 342,441 (poker commentator, WPTDeepstacks winner)
• Freddy “nevera” Deeb – 272,539 (two-time bracelet winner)
• Ryan “BiTC0iN” Riess – 288,474 (2013 WSOP Main Event champion, WPT champion) 

Ho made her way to Vegas Sunday to take her Main Event shot at a friend’s place. She was pleased with the hospitality and no doubt pleased to advance to Day 2.

8 hours in, 4 more to go until end of day- have over 2x average stack and this holiday cheer is giving me life! pic.twitter.com/WfXdK6C36O

— Maria Ho (@MariaHo) December 14, 2020

 

GGPoker final table player not expected to play

The final nine players have been set in the international half of the Main Event at GGPoker. However, one player won’t be making the trip to the Czech Republic.

Peiyuan “fish3098” Sun is from China and informed GG that he won’t be able to attend. He sat in eighth place with play paused for the live final table.

As per the terms and conditions of the tournament, Sun will be eliminated from the event in ninth place. GG representatives said he can still change his mind and make the trip.

As of Monday, that didn’t seem likely however. For ninth, Sun would win $75,360.

★★★ Looking to get in the action at WSOP.com or GGPoker? Click here to check out a complete site review and exclusive bonus offers for WSOP.com. Click here for GGpoker. ★★★

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After a great week for Doug Polk, Friday’s session brought a nice rally for Daniel Negreanu. He booked a $144,000 win to at least regain a bit of momentum.

For more of the Day 19 action, check out the updates just below the links. This page follows the action of the Daniel Negreanu-Doug Polk matchup as it plays out over the next few weeks.

The High Stakes Feud kicked off on Nov. 4 with live play on PokerGo and then shifted online. Here are all the match details and updates.

Negreanu versus Polk – complete details

• Dates – begins Nov. 4 on PokerGO
  • Look for 3-5 days per week online
  • Next date is Monday, Dec. 21, 5:30 pm ET (preliminarily)
• Online site – WSOP.com
• Game – Heads-up No Limit Hold’em
• Stakes – Blinds set at $200/$400
• Number of hands – 200 live and 25,000 total with option to quit at 12,500
• Number of tables – 2 (online play)
• Where to watch the live poker – PokerGO app and Youtube, Facebook channels
• Analysis – Click here for insight and picks from several poker pros
• Where to watch online – Polk and Negreanu may be streaming on their own channels as well during online play throughout the series
  • Doug Polk/Upswing Poker stream
  • Daniel Negreanu stream
  • GGPoker stream
• Hands played so far – 10,784
• Leader – Doug Polk is up $814,290

Tracking the action on the felt

Day 19: Dec. 11 – Negreanu $144K Score Halts the Bleeding

Would Doug Polk officially reach the $1 million mark? That was the question for many poker fans going into Friday’s action.

However, after a terrible run of cards (see Day 18 below) Negreanu stopped the bleeding in session lasting 834 hands. He chalked up a $143,642 victory but still has a way to go to draw closer to Polk.

Things got off to a big start quickly with the two players trading blows. On a board of 53810, Polk bet $6,300 with $19,000 already in the pot.

Negreanu thought a bit and moved all in for $31,000. Polk eventually folded and his opponent jumped out to an early lead.

Simultaneously, Polk moved all in on the river on the second table with $19,000 also in the pot. With a flop of 610932, Negreanu eventually folded.

About 45 minutes into the day, a big hand went Negreanu’s way. He called a preflop raise to $900 and saw a flop of 542. Negreanu checked and then called Polk’s bet of about $800.

The 7 came on the turn and Negreanu checked. Polk bet $3,400 and received a call. The J fell on the river and Negreanu checked again.

Polk launched one of his routine river over-bets, $15,000 into a $10,000 pot. Negreanu took a bit of time and then moved all in for $96,000.

After a long tank, Polk called the last of his $33,600 and showed 77 for trips. However, Negreanu flopped a straight – showing 36 and took a pot of $106,000. For a change, the cooler went the other way.

Inside the 19th day of action

By the hour mark, Negreanu had moved up by more than $100,000. He continued to find success picking off occasional bluffs and hitting hands that held up.

About two hours in, Negreanu’s KQ landed two more Queens on the flop, Those trips brought him a $55,000 pot.

A few Negreanu drawing hands actually paid off as well and he hit trips a few times that got paid off. Polk notched some nice hands as well, such as winning a significant pot with pocket Kings versus Negreanu’s pocket Jacks.

Some of Polk’s large river bets also continued to pick up some pots. Negreanu’s lead was trimmed to about $60,000 halfway through the four-hour session.

Late in the session he also scored an $80,000 pot with pocket Aces. Polk also tool a late $87,000 pot with a full house versus Negreanu’s two pairs.

But the larger pots seemed to go Negreanu’s way. It had to feel good to lock up a winning session again after some tough runs. Missing on some big draws seemed to still leave him flustered however.

“Obviously I won today so I shouldn’t be bitching,” Negreanu said on the GGPoker stream. “But I felt like I could have won a lot more.”

As the recent days played out, Polk has seen Negreanu go on tilt on the GG stream. However, he feels Negreanu hasn’t really lost control at the table and kept a clear mind.

“I think he’s more of a verbal tilter than a play tilter,” Polk noted on the Upswing Poker stream.

Polk tries to keep his game at a similar level, he noted. A 3.5 buy-in performance certainly helped Negreanu but he’ll have to rally off more days like Friday to recover.

That will have to wait at least a week as the two combatants have scheduled next week off. Negreanu jumped in the WSOP Main Event on Sunday. Polk, not so much.

Not playing the main today because I hate playing poker. GL out there

— Doug “Truck Driver” Polk (@DougPolkVids) December 13, 2020

• Hands played: 10,784
• Total: Polk up $814,290
• Next match: preliminarily – Monday, Dec. 21, 5:30 pm ET

Day 18: Dec. 10 – Polk scores another six figures as massive run continues

Daniel Negreanu’s frustration seemed to reach a boiling point after Thursday’s session. Nothing seemed to go right and even Doug Polk recognized an insane run of cards. 

Even when Negreanu was ahead, Polk just seemed to pull the perfect cards. Negreanu’s pocket Aces versus pocket Kings? No good. Ace-Queen and hitting a flop with two more Queens? No good.

Surely a misclick five-bet by Polk with 9-7 offsuit would bring a nice Negreanu pot? Nope, Polk won that one too. That’s just how things have gone lately in this series.

After a $100,000 loss on Wednesday, Polk booked a $173,363 scored over 980 hands on Thursday. In a session that stretched over more than five hours, Polk extended his lead to just short of $1 million. He once again won most of the big pots and continues to run hot.

Bad flops, turns, and rivers for Negreanu

After Wednesday’s session, Negreanu went on a curse-filled rant on the GGPoker stream. A more subdued tilt followed on Thursday – with less cursing.

Negreanu noted that luck has worked against him and added significantly to Polk’s lead. The big hands have not only not worked out his way, Negreanu noted, but just seemed like unreal run-outs. He’s lost regularly with straights, flushes, and trips.

“You sort of become numb to it,” he noted afterward on the GGPoker stream. “You’re hoping that it’s going to turn, but there are no promises just because he’s run incredibly well. And literally the only reason he’s up as much as he is is pure luck. There’s no question.

“I really don’t think I made any mistakes that were significant in this entire day – that’s why I kept playing.”

Some of those frustrations he shared on Twitter.

Need a breather peeps.

KQss vs A9 Q53hhs turn As river 3

Ah Qs flop QQ6hh turn Jh river 2 lose to KThh

AA vs KK all in preflop lose

How is your day going?

— Daniel Negreanu (@RealKidPoker) December 11, 2020

Played a guy today who was misclick 5-betting the minimum 200 bbs deep with 97o and just smashing the 723 flop making it look easy.

— Daniel Negreanu (@RealKidPoker) December 11, 2020

 

Adding to that analysis, he later released another video detailing some of the hands more specifically. The extended run of poor luck couldn’t have come at a worse time.

Polk responds after another big win

Despite the tough run, Negreanu remained confident and was ready to go ahead on Friday. For his part, Polk seemed to agree with how things played out Thursday.

“This is just unbelievable how hot I’m running,” he said on the Upswing Poker stream. “I’m going on one of the hottest stretches of my entire career at maybe the most important point ever.”

Polk said he understood Negreanu’s frustration, although mixed in some laughs and needling. He remains confident and plans to keep the Polk truck rolling.

I have probably made between moderate and large mistakes in 25-50 hands in this challenge. I have no problem saying that, its just the truth. As this challenge goes on I will do my best to play at the highest level I can learn to play at.

— Doug “Truck Driver” Polk (@DougPolkVids) December 11, 2020

Inside the 18th day of action

While Negreanu may be struggling, he  seems determined to battle back. Even Polk noted that his opponent has run terribly recently. Kid Poker was set to be back at the tables on Friday.

The two players were then scheduled for a break. The $10,000 WSOP Main Event kicks off Sunday and it’s a good bet at least Negreanu will be playing.

The 12,500-hand mark is approaching, which means either party can then quit. Will Negreanu decide he’s had too much?

That hasn’t seemed like a possibility. But down a million bucks and so completely frustrated, could Team Negreanu sound the surrender? The coming weeks will tell the tale.

His opponent is not only skilled and confident, but has been running amazingly well. Regarding the luck factor, Polk even noted on Twitter that “this was my luckiest session I’ve had of the entire challenge.”

• Hands played: 9,950
• Total: Polk up $957,933
• Next match: Friday, Dec. 11, at 5:30 pm ET

Day 17: Dec. 9 – Lead grows again for Polk with $101K win

Things continued to fall Polk’s way on Wednesday, posting a win of $101,713 over 662 hands. He remains a dominating force the further the action goes into the series.

Negreanu started out well by taking a few pots and building small leads on both tables. Polk again used some river over-bets to take some of his own and get back in it.

The first big hand occurred about 15 minutes into the action with Negreanu raising to $1,000 from the button. Polk called and the flop brought A68. Polk checked and Negreanu bet $400.

Polk called and the 10 fell on the turn. Polk checked and Negreanu bet $2,100. Polk then raised that to almost $11,000.

The river brought the K and Polk moved all in with a snap call from Negreanu, who showed 79. He’d turned a straight, but Polk showed J4 for a flush and an $85,000 pot.

After the last session, Negreanu remarked afterward that he missed numerous draws that cost him big pots. This time he’d gotten there but Polk had the goods to scoop another one.

It was a major frustration for Negreanu and he mentioned the hand several times in his interview afterward.

Aces score for Negreanu, Kings score for Polk

Despite the loss, Negreanu would find his own hefty pot early. After raising on the button to $1,000, Polk three-bet to $4,100.

Negreanu then four-bet to almost $11,000. Polk called and there was already almost $22,000 in the pot. Polk checked and Negreanu bet $4,400.

Polk called and the turn brought the 7 bringing another check from Polk. Negreanu checked behind and the 5 came on the river.

After another Polk check, Negreanu moved all in for $33,000 and Polk called. Negreanu showed pocket Aces, AA, for trips to Polk’s top pair with A8.

Those pocket rockets brought Negreanu a pot of $110,000. But once again the big hands were too fleeting for Negreanu.

A short time later, a similar hand developed. This time Polk check-raised all in on a board of 5K10J3. Negreanu called and showed K3 for two pairs.

However, this time Polk had the big pocket pair – tabling KK for trips. He raked another $81,000 pot with the cooler going his way this time.

Inside the 17th day of action

It was another nice session for Polk, where he seemed to pick up pot after pot. Those sweating Negreanu are probably concerned at this point as he moves closer to $1 million in the hole.

The 16th session could have been better for Negreanu if not for a tough cooler just before the day’s end. After a Negreanu four-bet, Polk five-bet all in and showed AA to Negreanu’s AK.

Despite landing a flush draw on the flop, Negreanu suffered another big loss. Polk scored $118,000 – the largest pot of the day.

Wednesday’s session lasted just under three hours and Negreanu seemed extremely frustrated and tilted afterward. To say the salty language was flying would be an understatement. 

“Heads-up poker is bananas,” he noted on the GGPoker stream.

Negreanu noted that he’d have to deposit more funds on WSOP.com to keep playing. Players had planned to play Thursday this week as well. A wire transfer could delay those plans however. 

While the players are expected to play 25,000 hands, either can quit at 12,500. That doesn’t seem likely considering Negreanu’s comments following the match.

In the GGPoker interview, Negreanu noted that he was willing to play even more hands. He said running to 100,000 hands might show how long his bad run of cards and coolers could continue (or perhaps turn things around).

Hearing that, Polk certainly seemed amenable to the prospect.

Just watched the @GGPoker stream. I liked the ending interview where @RealKidPoker said lets do 100k hands. If that is something he would like, I’m down!

— Doug “Truck Driver” Polk (@DougPolkVids) December 10, 2020

• Hands played: 8,108
• Total: Polk up $799,348
• Next match: Thursday, Dec. 10, at 5:30 pm ET (schedule could change)

Day 16: Dec. 7 – Polk scores big to extend lead

It was another long session for Polk and Negreanu on Monday – spanning four hours. Polk scored an impressive win after three straight losing, albeit small, losing sessions.

After 824 hands, Polk finished up $160,349 – about four buy-ins. He’s now closing in on a positive $700,000 in the series. Things didn’t start out poorly for Negreanu. He scooped a few nice pots early and utilized some aggression.

Deeper into the first hour of play, however, Polk took command. One hand at about the 50-minute mark exemplified Polk’s river-raising forte. Negreanu started the action with a raise to $1,000 and Polk called.

The flop brought 58K. Polk checked and Negreanu bet $800. Polk called and the turn was the 3. Negreanu bet $1,600 and thought a bit before raising to almost $9,900.

Negreanu called to make it more than $23,000 in the pot. The river produced the Q and Polk moved all in for his $102,000. Negreanu tanked before eventually folding. The big pots continued for Polk throughout the day.

The Polk truck rolls on

About an hour and half into the match, three-bet pots developed on both tables. The first saw Polk make a pot-sized bet of $8,200 into a board of KQ108. Negreanu called and the river brought the 2.

Polk moved all in for $79,000 and Negreanu called the last of his $33,000. Negreanu showed K7 for top pair, but Polk tabled Q10 for two pairs. He raked about $90,000 in that one.

On the second table, Negreanu took a smaller pot of about $14,000. However, it was a large net win for Polk and typical of how things went. Polk had a lead of $170,000 about 90 minutes into the match.

Just short of the two-hour mark, Polk raised to $900 and Negreanu three-bet to $4,200. Polk then four-bet to $12,500 and Negreanu made the call with 2Q5 hitting the board.

Both players checked and the 3 landed on the turn. Negreanu bet $10,500 and Polk called, making it $46,000 in the post so far.

The river brought the K and Negreanu moved the last of his $36,000 into the pot and was called. Negreanu showed top pair with Q10, but Polk tabled AA for a $120,000 pot.

Inside the 16th day of action

Despite a nice win and a healthy lead, Polk is still only up just about 17 buy-ins. A couple big days from Kid Poker could swing this back to a closer matchup.

Polk has run well and even caught four of a kind on Monday for a $25,000 pot. If the cards turn, Negreanu may be able to turn the tables if Polk is snookered here and there.

But Polk is a tough customer and Negreanu admitted he was an underdog going into the series.

“There were some interesting big pots,” Polk noted on the Upswing Poker stream afterward. “I think Negreanu might have overplayed his hands a little on some of those.”

Polk questioned his opponent’s play on the pocket Aces versus Q10 hand. He was unsure why Negreanu moved all in on the river.

“It’s just not good,” Polk said. “It’s just very bad. I don’t know what that was.”

Polk remains in control as of now. He seems to take the big wins of late with his opponent taking the small ones. Polk picked off a few bluffs on Monday and looked to have made some timely folds.

Negreanu had been down more in the session, but was able to cut some of his losses late. It was a frustrating day for the Poker Hall of Famer.

“I just missed a lot of draws,” he said on the GGPoker stream. “If you hit those hands you can win big. But if you keep putting in a lot of money and then miss them, you feel silly sometimes. I ran a couple bluffs that didn’t work and he had a hand he had to call with.”

Overall Negreanu believed it was a good battle and still feels comfortable with his heads-up game.

Could live play be returning to the series?

Those watching the GGPoker stream of the series on Monday received some interesting news. Host Jeff Platt noted there’s a possibility the two players may return live on PokerGO at some point.

No firm details are available yet and the possibility may depend on the status of the match. A big loss by one player (Negreanu as of now) may put a damper on those plans however.

In other news, the two players announced that they’ll be playing four days this week. They’re planning on throwing in a Thursday session and then taking some time off next week for the holidays.

• Hands played: 7,921
• Total: Polk up $674,000
• Next match: Wednesday, Dec. 9, at 5:30 pm ET

Day 15: Dec. 4 – Negreanu chalks up third-straight win

Polk started the week noting it would be an important three matches for the series. Negreanu could add to his deficit and be in rougher shape or battle back to stay in the match.

After Friday’s action, Negreanu had notched three small wins in a row. While Polk’s lead remains large, his opponent has chipped away. A larger Negreanu win this week could change the series even more.

Friday’s action included an interesting development, with Polk streaming his session. While not all his cards were visible, many of his hands were shown for viewers. He offered his reasoning for not showing everything.

“The reality is that when you play at high stakes, people are trying to look at what you do and trying to figure you out,” he said to begin the stream.

Negreanu stacked early in session

Shortly after taking an early $14,000 pot, Negreanu raised another hand to $1,000 and Polk three-bet to $4,100. Negreanu called and the flop brought 106Q. Polk informed viewers he’d be betting the size of the pot

“This could be getting spicy right out of the gate,” he said.

After a Polk bet of $8,200, Negreanu shoved all in for $44,000 and received a quick call. Negreanu held JQ for top pair, but Polk’s KQ had him out-kicked. The turn brought the 10 and the 8 fell on the river. Polk raked an $80,000 pot.

“We stacked him right out of the gate – boom, boom, boom, boom, boom,” Polk yelled on his stream. “That’s what’s up. You love to see it.”

Kid Poker catches up

While Polk found some early success, Negreanu would find some of his own pots. A short time after the big Polk win, four hearts showed up on the board. Negreanu snagged $17,000 with his A for the nut flush.

On the second table with a flop of 10J2, Negreanu check-raised to $11,000 when the 10 landed on the turn. Polk called and the river produced the 4.

Negreanu moved all in for almost $28,000 and Polk went in the tank before eventually folding. Negreanu secured a $34,000 pot in that one.

A short time later he raked a $21,000 pot with pocket Queens. Those wins moved him closer to even for the session.

About halfway through the day, Polk raised to $900 and Negreanu made it $4,200. Polk four-bet to $11,300 and Negreanu called.

The flop brought J22 and Negreanu checked. Polk bet $4,500 and Negreanu called. The turn brought the 3 with both players checking and the Q coming on the river.

Negreanu checked again and Polk moved all in. Hs opponent insta-called with AA for his last $40,000. The trap had been set and he picked off a Polk bluff with K4. The move was good for a $114,000 pot.

After about an hour, Negreanu was up $40,000, but Polk would close that to a few thousand. He’d later move ahead himself to about $40,000 at the two-hour mark.

Inside the 15th day of action

In the end, Negreanu finished up winning $46,582 over 452 hands. It was a bit of a swingy day again with things going Negreanu’s way.

The session lasted just under three hours and Polk lost just a bit over one buy-in.

“Sometimes you’re going to have good sessions and sometimes you’re going to lose a buy-in,” Polk said. “Considering all the swings that we had and the stacks were flying, I thought this was a good session.”

After some thought, Polk seemed to be a bit less positive and will be looking to correct some mistakes.

yikes, we had some mistakes today. Back in the lab we go.

— Doug “Truck Driver” Polk (@DougPolkVids) December 5, 2020

Throughout the series, Negreanu has noted that he’s had Aces numerous times. That continued on Friday and he was happy to finally get paid off with them.

“I think I had Aces six times in this session,” he said in an interview on the GGPoker stream. “It was nice to finally get action.”

• Hands played: 7,469
• Total: Polk up $514,000
• Next match: Monday, Dec. 7, at 5:30 pm ET

Day 14: Dec. 2 – Negreanu scores small victory in massively swingy day

Team Negreanu has some reason for optimism. While they haven’t been huge wins, Wednesday brought the second-straight positive day for Negreanu.

There’s still a mountain to climb, but any momentum is good for Negreanu backers. The day started with Negreanu grabbing a few pots including a three-bet pot eventually won with Queen-high.

A few nice more would follow and then 10 minutes in, Polk utilized an all-in shove on the river. With a board of 10475Q Negreanu bet $9,000 and Polk moved all in for $35,000. That was enough to win about $30,000.

Things continued to swing back and forth for much of the day, which went for four hours.

Polk finds a flush and more

In the first hour of play, one interesting hand saw Polk raise to $900 from the button. Negreanu called and the flop came Q64.

Negreanu checked and Polk bet $600 and received a call. On the turn, the 3 hit the board and Negreanu checked again. Polk bet $2,000 and Negreanu check-raised to $7,500.

Polk called and the river brought the 2. Negreanu bet $13,500, about two-thirds of the pot, and Polk made the call. Showing A5, Negreanu made a straight.

However, Polk showed J2 for a flush and raked a $45,000 pot. The Polk train continued to roll when he took down another $45,000 with two pairs shortly afterward.

As part of this big run, Polk also picked off a Negreanu bluff for $36,000. He built about a $60,000 lead at the half-hour mark.

Negreanu battles back

Despite some huge Polk runs, Negreanu would find his share of big pots as well. Just short of an hour in, Polk raised to $910 and Negreanu reraised to $4,100. Polk four-bet to $11,100 and Negreanu called.

The flop brought 48Q and Negreanu checked. Polk bet about $4,500 and Negreanu called, building the pot to $31,000.

The turn brought the 4 and Negreanu again checked with Polk betting $6,800. That brought an all-in shove from Negreanu for his last $31,000.

Polk called and tabled 1010 to his opponent’s AQ. Negreanu added to his hand with a K on the fiver and the nut flush. He took $94,000 on that one.

This win came right after Negreanu took a $63,000 pot with a King-high straight. He’d moved up over $30,000 by about midway through the action.

That lead wouldn’t stand, however, and he was down later as much as $70,000. There were plenty of big pots and by the end, it was Negreanu who rallied and edged out ahead.

Inside the 14th day of action

When it all wrapped up, Negreanu booked another small win of about $13,000 after 788 hands. This came after a win of almost $18,000 on Monday.

These aren’t massive days and Negreanu will need much bigger scores to get back in the series. However, Polk said this week would be crucial for Negreanu and the match overall.

The two are closing in on the 12,000-hand mark where either player can decide to quit. Negreanu has answered the bell so far this week.

But if he remains down more than a half-million bucks, tapping out might be a possibility. Adding a couple six-figure wins in the coming days would certainly help his cause. Accomplishing that is easier said than done.

Not only is Polk a heads-up shark, he’s also running well in big spots. He noted this on Twitter after the match about another huge hand from session 14.

absolutely cannot miss atm

— Doug “Truck Driver” Polk (@DougPolkVids) December 3, 2020

On the GGPoker stream afterward, Negreanu described Wednesday’s session as emotional with “crazy back and forth.” 

Some added streaming coverage coming from Polk

Players checking out Friday’s action will find an added bonus from Polk. He’s decided to stream his play so viewers can see his hands throughout the session.

Ok you guys got close enough. Let’s roll. Planning on most likely this Friday session streaming it. https://t.co/islRe5pGtj

— Doug “Truck Driver” Polk (@DougPolkVids) December 1, 2020

In a matchup that is attracting plenty of interest, this should bring some extra excitement. Less experienced players may be amazed at the hands each play for so much money.

The Polk stream should offer some insight into the thinking of players at this level.

• Hands played: 7,015
• Total: Polk up $565,418
• Next match: Friday, Dec. 4, at 5:30 pm ET

Day 13: Nov. 30 – Negreanu books small win to break Polk streak

After 12 days of play, Polk noted the importance of this week in the High Stakes Feud. He sees it as a big week in the challenge with Negreanu now down more than a half-million dollars.

“A swing towards Dnegs and it will be back in any man’s game territory,” he noted on Twitter. “A swing towards me and it will start to get out of hand. Could be a make or break week for the challenge.”

From Polk’s perspective, Negreanu would need to cut into that lead this week to have a chance to stay close. After four straight days on the losing end, Negreanu was at least able to stop the bleeding on Monday.

Negreanu looks at some of the showdown hands

While the Negreanu-Polk matchup has been making news, viewers haven’t been able to see hole cards. Negreanu offered some insight on Tuesday with a look at some of the bigger hands of the day. All the hands made it to a showdown.

Viewers will get some insight on how Negreanu plays some of his hands. An early hand saw him flop top pair with his 10J on a board of 106439. Negreanu bet the hand through only to see Polk rake a $23,000 pot with 46.

A similar hand saw his K5 hit top pair. However, Polk’s A9 drew four spades for a flush and a $28,000 pot.

Negreanu would find some of his own pots however. Negreanu raised to $4,100 with AK and Polk called. The flop brought A3Q and Negreanu checked, as did Polk.

The 10 came on the river and both players checked again with the 9 falling on the river. Negreanu checked again and received no action with Polk checking again. He may have raked a small pot, but was unhappy with his passive play and not betting the hand.

“Bet your own hand you dumb idiot,” he says about his play in that spot.

Adding some nice wins

Later he would bet a big hand, with his pocket 10s taking a $32,000 pot. That win came despite a Jack and Queen hitting the board.

Another big hand saw him dealt AK again and three-bet before the flop to $4,100. A flop of Q2K had him in even better shape and he bet $2,400.

Polk called and the turn produced the 7 giving him a nut-flush draw. He bet $9,800 this time and the two players saw the 5 on the river. Negreanu moved all in and Polk called with QJ.

Negreanu raked a pot of just under $100,000. Here’s a look at Negreanu reviewing all the hands.

Inside the 13th day of action

After 476 hands, Negreanu came out on the plus side with a $17,780 win. Some of the draws Negreanu missed in earlier matches seemed to be hitting Monday.

A few straights and flushes produced some nice results. Negreanu felt like he could have possibly won some big hands in other spots as well. However, timely Polk folds kept that from happening.

A win is a win but this freaking guy is WORLD CLASS at folding preflop when I have Aces! I have video evidence we are now at exactly 10 straight times where he has either open folded, folded bb, or folded t a 3 bet.

4 times in today’s session.

— Daniel Negreanu (@RealKidPoker) December 1, 2020

Putting the day in perspective, it was still a tiny win in the big scheme of things. Polk believes he made some errors and that Negreanu keeps improving.

“Poker is so humbling,” he noted on Twitter. “You can play great several sessions in a row then get a couple tough spots and be super inaccurate. Just gotta keep doing your best to improve.”

Polk has also put together his own analysis of some of the bigger hands in the matchup so far. He’ll be looking to make it a tough week for Negreanu and make his prediction a reality.

New video?! My Top 5 Biggest $200/$400 Pots vs Negreanu: A Breakdown https://t.co/HrVUR11KET pic.twitter.com/mLU8wTqjYt

— Doug “Truck Driver” Polk (@DougPolkVids) November 30, 2020

 

• Hands played: 6,227
• Total: Polk up $578,418
• Next match: Wednesday, Dec. 2, at 5:30 pm ET

Day 12: Nov. 28 – Polk scores huge post-holiday win 

After some Thanksgiving festivities, Polk did a bit more celebrating on Saturday. His sharp play and some nice cards ushered in a fourth-straight win.

After some early Negreanu pots, Polk grabbed a nice one after making a pot-sized $13,500 river bet. With a board of 545KK, Negreanu folded and his opponent raked a nice pot.

More pots would continue to go his way. Later, Negreanu three-bet a small Polk raise to $4,100. Polk called and the flop brought 4910.

Negreanu bet $3,200, Polk made the call, and the turn brought the A. This time, Negreanu checked and his opponent did the same.

The 2 fell on the river and Negreanu ripped in almost $11,000. Polk has traditionally played fast throughout the series, but gave it some deep thought here.

Eventually, Polk clicked call and showed 88 while Negreanu held 76. Polk took down a pot of $36,500 after sniffing out the bluff.

 

Polk rolls on, bags a six-figure pot

About a half hour into the action, Polk took down another nice one. Negreanu raised to $1,000 on the button and Polk three-bet to $4,100.

Negreanu called and the flop brought 47A. Polk bet $1,800 and received a call, with the K coming on the turn. This time Polk bet $9,500.

After a bit of thought, Negreanu called and saw the 6 on the river. Polk then moved all in for $24,600 and his opponent folded. Polk took about $31,000 on that one.

A short time later, the two saw a board of 78AJ6 with $19,500 already in the pot. It went check-check on the river and Negreanu grabbed that one with a pair of Jacks.

Close to the hour and a half mark, Polk three-bet to $4,100 followed by a four-bet from Negreanu to $10,400.

Polk called and Negreanu’s pocket Kings would eventually be good for a $30,000 pot. But the Polk pots continued throughout the day.

One massive pot stood out later in the day. After raking a $13,000 pot Polk raised to $928 from the button. Negreanu three-bet to about $4,200 and Polk called.

The flop brought 106J and Negreanu checked. Polk bet $2,300 and received a call. The turn was the Q and Negreanu checked again.

Polk bet $12,300 and Negreanu called. With the 7 falling on the river, Negreanu checked and Polk moved all in for his last $35,000.

After a snap call, Negreanu showed AK for a Broadway straight. However, Polk hit runner-runner flush with his 46 and won $108,000 in a huge cooler.

Inside the 12th day of action

After 684 hands, Polk had notched a win of $332,178 – the biggest session score by either player. As the match has gone deeper, Polk seems to have gotten comfortable and been in a groove.

“It’s honestly just too unfair I think, when I’m playing good and getting good spots and then the deck [ hits me],” Polk said on the Upswing Poker stream. “Obviously this was the session that I was hoping for for a while. You don’t want to get too excited because it can easily just flip back the other way.”

Despite a rough day, Negreanu felt good about the day. 

“He ran hotter than the sun, and if didn’t admit that he’d be lying,” Negreanu said on the GGPoker stream. “That was absolutely insane.”

The action lasted a bit over three hours and Polk now has a solid lead of about 15 buy-ins. He spoke at length about how certain spots are becoming understandable and recognizable. 

However, Polk also realizes things can change quickly in heads-up play. 

Also he did make some improvements in the last session. Don’t completely write him off cause he went on a big downswing.

Also next time I lose 250k lets not overreact the other way lol.

— Doug “Truck Driver” Polk (@DougPolkVids) November 29, 2020

• Hands played: 5,751
• Total: Polk up $596,198
• Next match: Monday, Nov. 30, at 5:30 pm ET

Day 11: Nov. 25 – Polk chalks up another win

Polk once again took command the day before the Thanksgiving holiday. This win made it three in a row for the heads-up specialist.

One hand on the day stood out and came early in the match. With Negreanu raising to $1,000 on the button, Polk made the call and saw a flop of 873.

Polk checked and Negreanu bet $1,500. After another call, the turn brought the J. After a Polk check, Negreanu bet $3,750 with another call behind.

The river brought the 3 and Negreanu bet $3,200 after another check. Negreanu tabled J9 for a flush, but Polk showed  107 for a bigger flush. That sent almost $19,000 Polk’s way.

The Polk river over-betting continued on Wednesday as well. One big pot near the end of the session saw Polk raise to $928 from the button and Negreanu call.

The flop brought 78J and Polk bet $400. After a call, the two players saw the J on the river. Negreanu checked and Polk bet about $1,800 with Negreanu calling.

The river brought the A and Negreanu checked. In a $6,200 pot, Polk then bet $9,300. Negreanu eventually called and Polk flipped 88 for a full house and a $25,000 pot.

Inside the 11th day of action

The day was fairly quiet considering some of the recent fireworks. There were no big all-in pots and lots of small and mid-range pots heading to Polk.

The two went for about two hours during this session. When the dust settled, Polk added to his total again – finishing up $120,024 over 416 hands.

Despite that, Negreanu is down only less than seven buy-ins and seems to have felt he could have lost more.

I don’t know how I only lost 3 buy ins in today’s session but I’m thankful for it!

Happy Thanksgiving y’all.

Will be back at it again Saturday at 2:30pm PST.

— Daniel Negreanu (@RealKidPoker) November 26, 2020

“Of the entire match … that was easily the worst two hours I’ve run,” Negreanu said in the post-session interview with GGPoker.

Negreanu noted that he could have easily lost 35 buy-ins. Polk has said his opponent has been much tougher than he expected. But he continues to come out on top in the online sessions to build his lead.

Lotta pros in the chat telling @RealKidPoker how he needs to play. Wonder how many of them would be doing better than he has so far.

— Doug “Truck Driver” Polk (@DougPolkVids) November 26, 2020

• Hands played: 5,067
• Total: Polk up $264,020
• Next match: Saturday, Nov. 28, at 5:30 pm ET

Day 10: Nov. 20 – Polk extends lead with another six-figure day

After moving back ahead last week on Day 9, Polk built on his lead Monday with an impressive day. Polk scored a win of $117,624 over 852 hands on a day when there were plenty of big pots shipped back and forth.

“This was our longest session we have played yet I think,” Polk noted on Twitter. “Lots of big pots back and forth. Some coolers, some bluffs, this one had it all.”

It was also the longest day of the series, checking in at over four hours. The action got underway with a decent-sized pot just a few minutes into the day. After Negreanu three-bet to $4,100, the players saw a flop of 829.

Kid Poker then fired $6,100 into the pot and Polk called. The turn brought the 2 and both players checked. The 6 fell on the river and Negreanu checked again. Polk bet almost $14,000 and Negreanu folded, sending his opponent about a $21,000 pot.

At the same time, another big hand developed on the second table. On a board of AJ45Q with about $5,000 in the pot, Negreanu bet $3,400.

Polk raised to almost $15,000 and Negreanu went into the tank for quite a while. He eventually called with A3 for top pair while Polk revealed KK. Negreanu raked a $34,000 pot.

This was the kind of back and forth action Polk referred to, and it continued throughout the day.

Polk throttles ahead again

About 30 minutes into the match, another interesting hand played out. On the button, Negreanu raised to $1,000 and Polk made the call. The flop brought  999 and Polk checked. Negreanu made a min-bet of $400 and Polk raised to almost $2,700.

Negreanu called and the turn brought the 2. Polk bet $2,400 and received a call. The 8 fell on the river and Polk bet $4,000.

Negreanu called and turned AA for a massive full house, while Polk tabled J2 for a smaller boat. Negreanu raked a bit over $20,000 on that one.

That may have been a rough hand for Polk, but plenty would go his way too. After an early Negreanu lead, Polk began finding his own pots.

At just over the hour mark with a pot of about $21,000 the two players saw a board of K49104. Polk then used a common weapon in his arsenal, the over-bet all-in shove. The move worked with Negreanu folding and Polk snagging the pot.

A hand just a short time later saw Polk raise from the button to $928. Negreanu then reraised to $4,100 and Polk called. The flop brought K22 and Negreanu bet $2,000.

Polk called and the turn brought the A. Negreanu bet $9,300 and Polk called to see the 4 on the river. Negreanu bet $35,000 and Polk moved all in for his last $39,000. 

Negreanu called and showed J4 for two pairs, but Polk tabled Q6 for a flush. Polk raked more than $111,000.

Inside the 10th day of action

The last two sessions may have shown why many picked Polk to win the match. He booked his second straight six-figure win.

Negreanu has been game, however, and has shown he can battle. Polk’s total win still only amounts to a bit over three buy-ins.

Either player has the option to call it quits after 12,500 hands. The action is just a bit more than a third to that point. If he’s deep in the hole at that point, would Negreanu hang it up?

That doesn’t seem likely. Negreanu has noted how he’s pleased to see so many in the poker world watching the action. Bringing the series to an end, especially when he’s played well, doesn’t seem to fit that narrative.

One of the coolest things about this challenge is the buzz it’s creating in the community and seeing so many different commentary teams covering the same event.

Everyone has different taste which makes this a win for poker fans across the globe.

— Daniel Negreanu (@RealKidPoker) November 21, 2020

Negreanu is also extremely competitive and having fun. With the Thanksgiving holiday this week, the next sessions are set for Wednesday and Saturday.

• Hands played: 4,651
• Total: Polk up $143,996.16
• Next match: Wednesday, Nov. 25, at 5:30 pm ET

Day 9: Nov. 20 – Polk notches nice win to edge ahead in series

Team Polk should be happy after a big finish to the week. Polk scored a nice win on Friday after three straight losing sessions. The win moves him back into the series lead.

One of the first major hands of the day saw Polk call about a $14,000 river bet on a board of 59643. He showed A9 for top pair to Negreanu’s QJ to win about $48,000.

Polk doubled up with a $12,000 win on the second table at the same time. The heads-up specialist seemed off and running from the beginning. He led by about $33,000 about 15 minutes into the session.

 

One interesting Negreanu win came in the first hour. Negreanu raised to $1,000 on the button and Polk three-bet to $4,100. Negreanu called and bet $2,000 after a Polk check on a flop of 579.

Polk then raised to about $10,000 and his opponent called. The turn brought the 2 and Polk moved all in for $32,000.

Negreanu snap called, showing 77 for trips with Polk tabling KK. The J on the river changed nothing and Negreanu raked a pot of about $53,000.

Polk takes command

Negreanu may have taken that one, but much of the day went Polk’s way. A short time after that cooler, the two locked horns in another big hand.

After Negreanu raised from the small to $1,000, Polk called and the flop came 954. Negreanu then called Polk’s bet of about $5,000.

The turn brought the 2 and Polk bet $5,800. Negreanu continued with a call and the river brought the 9. Polk moved all in for $42,000 and Negreanu called with the last of his $40,000.

Negreanu showed J10 for a flush, but Polk had a bigger flush with K7. He raked a pot of almost $111,000. About an hour in, Polk raked $54,000 also after an all-in shove on the turn and a Negreanu fold.

That was a move Polk utilized throughout the day. For example, late in the day Negreanu raised the action to $1,000 with Polk three-betting to about $1,800.

Negreanu called for a 5310 flop and his opponent fired another $1,800. Negreanu again called and the 2 fell on the turn. This time Polk bet almost $14,000 and received another call.

The river brought the 9 and Polk moved all in. Negreanu eventually folded and Polk took a $43,000 pot.

A short time later, the two were involved in another three-bet preflop hand. On a board of 572102, Polk moved all in again. Negreanu folded and Polk added another $43,000. 

Inside the ninth day of play

It was a big day for Polk, who dominated much of the action on Friday. He continued to take most of the big pots and his aggressiveness scored plenty of small ones also.

After 377 hands, Polk scored $205,522 in a session that lasted a bit more than two hours. A couple coolers also went his way leading to a nice win.

“It was good that I finally got a win after a little bit,” Polk said on the GGPoker stream. “It’s anyone’s game at the moment.

“Sometimes when you’re on a big upswing, it feels like you can’t lose. And sometimes when you’re getting beat every session, it feels like you forgot even what it’s like to win.”

Going into the series, Polk said he expected Negreanu to be weak and easily run over. He’s been surprised at his aggressiveness and strength. He believes Negreanu isn’t afraid to make tough calls at times, but also still has some leaks in his game.

“A lot of the situations in heads up are really difficult, very complicated and you really have to think about how often you should take some lines,” Polk said.

“I do think there are some errors that he’s making that make me feel good about my side, but he’s not going to get totally run over. I don’t think that’s going to happen in this one.”

For his part, Negreanu felt good about his play and that he took some tough situational beats. He believed he played better on Friday than he did when booking a small win on Wednesday.

“I’m glad this is a close match,” Negreanu said. “I wanted it to be competitive and it is.”

What’s up next?

With the Thanksgiving holiday this week, the upcoming schedule has been adjusted slightly. Look for action on Monday, Tuesday, and Saturday. 

• Hands played: 3,799
• Total: Polk up $26,372
• Next match: Monday, 5:30 pm ET

Day 8: Nov. 19 – Negreanu adds another session to the win column

With eight sessions into the High Stakes Feud, Negreanu continues to defy the doubters. There’s still plenty of poker to be played, but he again extended his lead with a small victory on Thursday.

One of the first major pots of the day fell Kid Poker’s way with a fortuitous river card. Polk started the action with a raise to $910 and Negreanu three-bet to $4,100.

Polk made the call and flop brought 42Q. Negreanu led out with $6,155 and Polk called. The turn brought the 4 and Negreanu checked, with his opponent doing the same.

The river card was the 2 and Polk bet almost $14,000. Negreanu made the call with J9 for a flush and Polk turned Q10 for two pairs. Negreanu raked a $48,000 pot.

Polk grabs his share of pots and then a big cooler

Thursday’s action saw a bit of a see-saw battle with Negreanu able to book a win just over a single buy-in. Polk certainly had his moments as well. Early in the day he raised from the button to $910.

Negreanu called and the flop came 9J3 and Negreani checked. Polk bet a bit over $760 and received a call. The turn was the 4 with Negreanu checking again.

Polk bet $5,000 this time, Negreanu called, and the 4 fell on the river. After another Negreanu check, Polk went for his signature over-bet on the river – this time for $20,000. Negreanu thought a bit before calling and Polk showed AJ for two pairs and a $53,500 pot.

At about the 90-minute mark Polk made an all-in river bet of about $53,000 into a $42,000 pot. With the board showing 81022K. Negreanu went into the tank and eventually folded.

The crazy hand of the day came just short of two hours into the match and produced plenty of fireworks. After Polk’s raise to $910, Negreanu three-bet to $4,100.

Polk called and the flop brought 5AQ. Negreanu bet $2,000 and received a call with the turn bringing A. This time Negreanu checked and Polk did as well.

The 3 fell on the river and Negreanu bet about $9,200. Polk moved all in for his $103,000 stack and his opponent called the last of his almost $32,000 chips instantly.

Polk showed K8 for the nut straight, but Negreanu tabled AA for quads. It was a massive cooler hand for Polk and Negreanu pulled in almost $94,000.

Inside the eighth day of play

The action swung back and forth a bit Thursday. Negreanu finished up ahead again for the session, scoring $24,157 after 457 hands.

The win moves his total number of days won to five, including the live session to start the series. Here’s a review of the sessions won by each player:

• Negreanu – sessions 1, 4, 5, 7, 8
• Polk – sessions 2, 3, 6

Both players took to Twitter afterward to comment on a couple hands and had some back and forth. Polk noted losing with a nice pocket pair.

The least big blinds ive ever lost JJ vs AK when a king hits pic.twitter.com/aUCpj2Sj8p

— Doug “Truck Driver” Polk (@DougPolkVids) November 19, 2020

 

Negreanu looked back on his own poor run in one hand with a Polk response.

Tough break. I didn’t have any tilting hands that session.

— Doug “Truck Driver” Polk (@DougPolkVids) November 20, 2020

• Hands played: 3,422
• Total: Negreanu up $179,364
• Next match: Friday, Nov. 20, 5:30 pm ET

Day 7: Nov. 18 – Negreanu bags nice day to reclaim lead

The back and forth battle between Negreanu and Polk continued on Wednesday as these two upped their session frequency. After about three meetings a week, that moves to four this week.

Polk jumped out to about a $65,000 lead early after raking a few decent pots. But Negreanu turned the tables at about the five-minute mark. In one big hand, Negreanu raised from the button to $1,000 and Polk three-bet to $4,100.

The flop brought K58 after a Negreanu call. Polk bet $2,300 and Negreanu called before seeing the Q on the turn. Polk now bet $9,600 and Negreanu called, swelling the pot to just over $32,000.

The river brought the 7 and Polk moved all in for $32,000. His opponent thought a bit before making the call with K10 for a pair of Kings. Polk tabled AJ for Ace-high and his opponent raked an $80,000 pot.

Shortly afterward, Negreanu raked a nice pot again after calling some hefty bets from his opponent. Negreanu hung in to secure a pot of $122,000 after Polk missed on his flush draw.

Kid Poker continues to build

The pots continued to go Negreanu’s way throughout the afternoon. After about 20 minutes, both players flopped a flush. Negreanu came out on top of that one with a Queen and won $20,000.

Later Negreanu scored a $31,000 pot when his pocket Queens hit trips on the flop. He was able to bet the hand all the way through the river.

By the hour mark, Negreanu had moved up to more than $160,000 for the session. Polk did find his share of pots, such as a three-bet forcing a Negreanu fold after an hour of action.

On a flop of K26, Polk bet $2,300 followed by a Negreani raise to $7,000. Polk then escalated the action to more than $14,300. Negreanu got out of the way and Polk took down about $30,000.

However, most of the really big pos went Negreanu’s way. One more example came late in the match with about $7,200 in the pot and a board of 42QQ3.

After a Nreganu check on the river, Polk made a signature over-bet of almost $11,000. Negreanu made the call with Q10 for trip Queens and a $29,000 pot while Polk showed J9.

Inside the seventh day of play

It was that kind of day for Polk. Negreanu just seemed to have the nuts in big spots and picked off his opponent at key times. He finished $222,833 to the good after 591 hands.

The Poker Hall of Famer is pleased with his play so far and feels his preparation has paid dividends.

“I’m looking at my balance now and it’s definitely bigger than when I deposited online, so I’m happy about it,” he said afterward on the GGPoker stream. “I think my play’s improving with each session and one think I’ve always prided myself in is that I work hard and learn fast.

“This isn’t my first time playing poker. I did have to re-learn a lot about how the game is structured and the best way to play it, but I’m willing to do that. It requires a good amount of humility to ask other people for help.”

It was certainly a nice day for Negreanu, but still only a small win in comparison to the buy-in. Polk remains a favorite, but so far Negreanu has shown he can play in this arena.

“Lowest point in the challenge yet,” Polk noted on Twitter. “Luckily only about four buy-ins or so. Looking forward to getting in a lot of volume tomorrow and Friday.”

The heads-up specialist Polk remains confident in his play and his chances.

Dont get it twisted, I’m gonna win the challenge.

Remember this tweet.

— Doug “Truck Driver” Polk (@DougPolkVids) November 19, 2020

• Hands: played: 2,965
• Total: Negreanu up $155,206.89
• Next match: Thursday, Nov. 19, 5:30 pm ET

Day 6: Nov. 16 – Controversy over hand histories, Polk slides back ahead

After plenty of fireworks in Day 5, there may have been more interest in a post-session controversy after Monday. Businessman and poker player Bill Perkins charged Polk with using study methods outside the rules.

Match delayed due to disagreement over rules. One party(@DougPolkVids )thinks its ok to manually enter in hand history to software and have frequency analysis done and the other does not (@RealKidPoker) Big disadvantage that Dnegs has not been doing this. @PhilGalfond time #Poker

— Bill Perkins (Guy) (@bp22) November 17, 2020

That drew some quick responses from Polk, who said the charge was completely baseless. He noted on Twitter that both players can open the WSOP.com client and review hand histories. The “cheating on his homework” charge was out of line, he noted.

“The rules were, no hand histories and no HUDs [head-up display, an app that collects and displays statistics about opponents],” Polk said. “We both agreed and were clear on that. Neither was used.”

After a brief discussion on data mining, Negreanu agreed with Polk. The matter now seems to be in the past and players can again focus on the match.

Had a good discussion with @PhilGalfond @DougPolkVids and we are set to go tomorrow 2:30pm PST

People overreacting here.

We just want to make sure everyone is on same page in regards to what is allowed in regards to NV regulatory rules.

— Daniel Negreanu (@RealKidPoker) November 18, 2020

 

Quads early for Negreanu to take the lead

At the tables, Negreanu found the first big pot on Monday. Early action saw him score $34,000 when his Q5 made two pairs on the flop.

After about 10 minutes, Negreanu seized a lead of about $22,000 and then snatched two more nice pots. At about the 20-minute mark, Polk scooped a small one but there were big developments on the second table.

After a pre-flop four-bet from Polk, the players saw a board of 10102. Negreanu checked and Polk bet a bit over $4,100.

Negreanu called and the 9 landed on the river. After another check, Polk checked as well and the river brought the 7.

After another check, Polk thought a bit and checked again – sniffing out a trap as Negreanu tabled 1010. Kid Poker scooped a $28,000 pot with his quad 10s but missed out on more.

Action shifts Polk’s way

After two straight losing days, Polk would find some nice pots of his own – and one would come quickly. Just a couple hands later on the same table, Polk picked up pocket Aces and three-bet.

The flop brought 5KQ and he led out with a $6,700 bet. His opponent moved all in and Polk snap-called. Negreanu turned over Q5 for two pairs and looked to be in good shape to crack his foe’s Aces.

A 4 on the turn was no help for Polk, but a second King on the river gave him a bigger two pairs. That gave him the $81,000 pot.

Polk grabbed another big pot a short time later, taking $37,000 with a full house. That win moved him ahead in the session and he continued battling.

Inside the sixth day of play

For much of the day, Polk’s aggression paid some big dividends including a five-bet pre-flop shove at one point. His typical river over-bet shoves also scored some nice pots.

The chips just kept going his way much of the day. That was enough to book a win of almost $93,542 on the day, moving Polk back up for the series. However, that’s not a huge lead – just a bit more than two buy-ins for this High Stakes Feud.

The capper for Tuesday’s controversy may have been a video released by  poker pro Will Jaffe calling Perkins out. He advised that this was “the ultimate stay in your lane moment.”

Alright enoughs enough ⁦@bp22⁩ pic.twitter.com/TiJ6k80YgL

— WIll jaffe (@dankness3) November 18, 2020

After Monday’s session, the heads-up challenge is now about 10% complete. The play went more than three hours and both players have promised moving past the early two-hour sessions.

There are also plans for more frequent matches, with more play set for Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday this week. USPoker will update all the action as it plays out.

• Hands played: 2,374
• Total: Polk up $67,625.81
• Next match: Wednesday, Nov. 18, 5:30 pm ET

Day 5: Nov. 13 – Negreanu makes it two in a row, climbs ahead in series

After rallying late in Wednesday’s session, Negreanu built on that momentum Friday. He notched his second straight online win, this time much bigger than his previous score and putting him ahead in the match.

There was plenty of action in session four with plenty of three- and four-bets with big pots. The three-bets came early in the fifth session and Negreanu took the first $20,000-plus pot.

A few more pots went Negreanu’s way early before Polk scored a $7,000 pot with a full house. He followed that up with a few more nice ones.

 

Just after raking an $11,000 pot, Negreanu raised to $1,000 from the button. Polk three-bet to $4,110 and his opponent made the call.

The flop brought Q9A and both players checked with 8 coming on the turn. Polk checked and Negreanu bet $6,165.

Polk called and the flop brought the 6. After a check from his opponent, Negreanu fired $15,413 and Polk made the call. Negreanu tables 89 for two pairs and took down a $51,373 pot.

Kid Poker finds some big pots

Things seemed to be going Negreanu’s way and he’d seized a small lead by the first half hour. A massive hand then developed after Negreanu five-bet shoved all in with AK. 

Polk quickly called with 1010 for an $83,000 pot. The flop brought Polk a set with 2410 followed by a J on the turn. The 7 on the river meant a huge win for Polk.

A few hands later, Negreanu added an $11,000 pot and then found another for $20,000. A $25,000 pot then immediately went Negreanu’s way as another big hand also developed on the second table.

In that one, Polk raised to $910 from the button and was three-bet to $4,241. Polk called and the flop brought 723. Negreanu bet $1,600 and received a call.

The turn brought the 5 and Negreanu bet a hefty $8,762 before receiving another call. On the river 6, Negreanu moved all in and Polk snap-called.

Polk showed 64 for a straight while Negreanu tabled 89 for a bigger straight. Kid Poker collected a nice $80,000 score.

Truck driver rolls, Negreanu fights back

After a break in the action, the truck driver rallied back with a few nice pots at just over an hour into the session. However, Negreanu seemed more aggressive throughout the day. A big hand developed at about the 90-minute mark.

After Polk raised to $910 on the button, Negreanu three-bet to $4,241. Polk called and the two players saw a flop of 8J10. After Negreanu checked, Polk bet $2,798 and was called.

The 6 fell on the turn and Negreanu checked. With the pot at about $14,000, Polk bet $11,542. After Negreanu’s call, the K fell on the river and he checked again. Polk then jammed all in with Negreanu snap calling.

Polk held Q9 for a King-high straight, but Negreanu showed AQ for a Broadway straight. The hand shipped him more than $93,000. 

Inside the fifth day of play

It was that kind of day for Negreanu and he seemed to collect plenty of nice pots with big hands. Just a short time after the big Ace-high straight, another pot fell his way.

With 45, Negreanu flopped a straight and snagged another $24,000. By the end of the two-hour session, Negreanu had erased his deficit and climbed ahead. He’s now winning almost $26,000 for the series.

That represents less than one buy-in, but so far Negreanu has been competitive in an event many felt Polk would dominate.

“A long way to go to the finish line, but very happy to be ahead obviously,” Negreanu noted on Twitter, and broke out a Rocky shirt to commemorate his success so far.

This @ContendersUSA T-Shirt felt appropriate for a chill Saturday. pic.twitter.com/5D4DC12K2b

— Daniel Negreanu (@RealKidPoker) November 14, 2020

Beyond hitting big hands, many feel Negreanu heads-up skills have sharpened since earlier online sessions. Even Polk echoed those thoughts.

“The worst part of today’s session wasn’t getting stacked repeatedly for $200,000, it was also seeing Dnegs making less and less errors in other pots,” Polk noted on Twitter. “If the challenge keeps going this direction, may need to trade in the truck for a used Honda Civic.”

Polk probably won’t be heading to the Honda dealership any time soon. He remains confident and is looking forward to next week’s action.

• Hands played: 1,737
• Total: Negreanu up $25,916.87
• Next match: Monday, Nov. 16, 5:30 pm ET

★★★ Those looking to follow the action live, should check out our complete review of the GGPoker and Upswing Poker streams. ★★★

Day 4: Nov. 11 – Daniel Negreanu rallies for first online win

Score one for Kid Poker. After two straight losing sessions, Daniel Negreanu notched a winning session online Wednesday against Doug Polk. It was a nice result for Negreanu, who is considered the online underdog.

Polk made a small aesthetic change on Wednesday, switching his avatar to the American flag. It may have been a Veterans Day gesture with or a slight needle to his foe’s Canadian flag.

The two traded pots early, moving just above and below each player’s $40,000 starting stack. At about the five-minute mark, Polk made the day’s first four-bet for more than $10,000.

Negreanu made the call and the two saw a Q7Q flop with almost $22,000 in the pot. After a check, Polk bet $4,318 and his opponent called. The J came on the turn and Polk bet $6,650 after a Negreanu check.

Again Negreanu called and the 10 came on the river. Polk shoved all in for $25,000 and Negreanu went in the tank. He eventually folded and Polk dragged a $43,528 pot. More fireworks would follow.

Polk dominates early play

A few hands later, another big pot developed with $34,000 in the pot on a board of 529K7. Both players checked the river and Negreanu took it down with KQ.

Despite that, Polk was up about $45,000 the first 20 minutes. A $42,000 pot after a half-hour moved that up to $65,000 and later more than $90,000.

Just short of an hour into the match, a couple  interesting hands developed. Polk shoved all in on both tables, one on the turn and one on the river.

I think the average player really underestimates the amount of time and work it takes to become even somewhat decent at HUNL. With the info out there now the bar is just absurdly high and you will constantly be making mistakes.

Just have to keep striving to get better.

— Doug “Truck Driver” Polk (@DougPolkVids) November 11, 2020

Negreanu folded on both, and Polk took almost $14,000 on one and $29,000 on the other. A few hands later Negreanu raked a $17,000 pot, but Polk soon gobbled up one for $32,000. For the first hour, Polk seemed to take pot after pot with aggressive bets on the turn and river.

Kid Poker surges late in the session

Despite Polk’s early domination, Negreanu got back into it. A few hands later, a check-raise on the river worked out well when he caught a straight. Polk called and Negreanu won $24,000.

With about 30 minutes left, another huge hand developed. Negreanu raised to $1,000 from the button and Polk three-bet to $4,110. Negreanu then four-bet to $10,220.

Polk moved all in for another $47,495 with Negreanu making an insta-call. Polk tabled JJ to Negreanu’s KK. The flop didn’t change things and Negreanu took a $95,000 pot.

That became the largest pot so far for Negreanu during online play and cut his session deficit to about $30,000. Another $41,000 pot would ship his way a short time later. 

In the last 15 minutes, Polk four-bet a pot to $12,876 and Negreanu called. The flop came A84. Negreanu checked and Polk bet $5,150 and Negreanu called before the turn brought the A.

Again Negreanu checked and Polk bet $11,896. His opponent called once again and the river produced a 4. Negreanu checked again and Polk moved all in with $126,351.

With only $34,633 in front of him, Negreanu made a snap call and revealed AQ for a full house. Polk showed JQ, handing Negreanu a pot of $129,109 after picking off his bluff.

Inside the fourth day of play

The late comeback brought Negreanu his first winning online session in the series. He finished the day winning $87,167 and the late wins helped overcome some early struggles and frustrations.

“It didn’t feel like a win did it?” he said on the GGPoker stream. “The first hour I just kept missing all these hands. I was getting annoyed.”

Nice to book a win today of about 2 buyins. Lost that pesky JJ vs TT hand on the river or it would have been 4 buy ins, but a win is a win.

1372 hands played of 25,000 and currently down about 4.5 buy ins.

Back at it Friday 2:30pm PST.

— Daniel Negreanu (@RealKidPoker) November 12, 2020

While Polk was dominant for much of the day, Negreanu’s late push seemed not to bring any real concerns. Polk knows it’s a long haul.

“Obviously it was not the best of runs there at the end,” he said after the match on the Upswing Poker stream.

Polk said when Negreanu seemed to bet aggressively, he always seemed to have a strong hand. He also feels his opponent has ramped his game up a bit.

“I think he’s playing a little more aggressive online overall than when we played live,” Polk said. “It’s been interesting. It was an interesting swing today.”

Despite the big numbers, Polk notes that he’s up only two and half buy-ins. There haven’t been any massive swings so far and Negreanu also made note of that as well.

• Hands played: 1,372
• Total: Doug Polk up $180,865.22
• Next match: Friday, Nov. 12, 5:30 pm ET

Day 3: Nov. 9 – Doug Polk extends his lead

The High Stakes Feud action resumed on Monday between Daniel Negreanu and Doug Polk. After one live session won by Negreanu, Polk again won in the second online session at WSOP.com.

The pair got in another 382 hands and Polk came out on top for an additional $166,239. This moves his total up to a positive $268,032.

Monday’s action began well for Polk after his 25 hit two more fives on the flop early in the match. He got paid off on the river for almost a $27,000 pot.

 

However just after that, Negreanu raked his own $29,000 pot on the second table. He added another $10,000 pot a few minutes later with a flush.

There was plenty of three-bet action early. About 15 minutes into the match, Negreanu also picked up a $93,000 pot after picking off a Polk bluff. He seemed to be rolling through the second online session.

Polk turns it around and turns it on

That momentum would change however. About a half-hour in, Polk moved all in for $42,000 on a board of J734. This came after Negreanu three-bet pre-flop and then bet the flop and the turn. Polk took the $34,000 pot instead.

Several five-figure pots continued to go his way. Polk picked up a $16,000 pot when his K-J hit a King on the river. Polk’s stacks on both tables continued to grow.

He raked a $25,000 pot at about the one hour, 15-minute mark. After three-betting pre-flop, he check-raised the flop and bet big on the turn to draw a fold.

A few hands later, Polk raked a $12,000 pot after betting $17,000 on the river. More pots would go Polk’s way including two simultaneous pots for about $30,000, both of which Negreanu had three-bet.

Polk methodically took control and continued to over-bet often on river cards. Negreanu was put in numerous tough spots and a critical hand came late in the match.

With $13,000 in the pot and a board of K7385, Polk moved all in for $81,000. Negreanu tanked before eventually making the call.

Polk tabled K7 for two pairs with his opponent showing K5 for a smaller two pairs. The $96,000 pot was sent to Polk after a tough cooler for his opponent.

Inside the third day of play

After 1,006 hands played so far, Polk looks to be in control. However, there is plenty of poker left to be played. Polk’s lead looks hefty at more than a quarter of a million dollars. However, players start each session with $40,000 and Polk noted his lead isn’t large in this kind of challenge. 

“I will say this though, just cause the number is big doesn’t mean Dnegs is down that much,” he noted on Twitter. “He is down a little under seven buy-ins. That is a completely normal result over 1,000 hands of heads-up no limit.”

The two foes are about 4% through the challenge and Polk looks to be in command online so far. His river aggression on Monday seemed constant and gave Negreanu some trouble. Polk did note that Negreanu faced some tough hands.

At the end of the challenge ill give my thoughts on Negreanu’s play, but until then not going to say much.

I will say he is obviously running bad in a bunch of standard cooler spots. His game does have some issues though.

— Doug “Truck Driver” Polk (@DougPolkVids) November 10, 2020

Negreanu said the big two pairs versus two pairs hand was indicative of how things went. He still seems pleased with how he’s played and believes he’s on the right path overall.

“I was very happy,” Negreanu said on the GGPoker stream after the day’s action wrapped up (see complete stream replay above). “I felt like I ran kind of bad in the last session … but in this one I was quite certain I ran worse. I generally felt pretty comfortable, pretty good.”

Can Kid Poker turn it around? There are plenty more online sessions and USPoker will be tracking all the action.

• Hands played: 1,006
• Total: Doug Polk up $268,032
• Next match: Wednesday, Nov. 11, 5:30 pm ET

Day 2: Nov. 6 – online action begins, Polk storms ahead

After battling on PokerGO live, the action shifted to WSOP.com on Friday. The heads-up game is Polk’s forté and that came through in the first session online.

When it comes to usernames, Polk brings some humor – going with “MicroStakes” as his moniker. Negreanu goes with “DNegs” at these virtual tables. Here is all the action below via the GGPoker stream.

There was plenty of action right from the beginning with Negreanu scooping a few pots early . Then almost simultaneous $20,000-plus pots developed on both tables within the first 10 minutes.

Negreanu won the first for $120,698, then action shifted to the second table. That hand produced some fireworks.

With Polk on the $200 small blind, Polk raised to $918 and his opponent three-bet to $4,140. Polk made the call and the flop brought 624. Negreanu then bet $6,210 and Polk called with the 10 landing on the turn.

Kid Poker checked and Polk bet $6,830. Negreanu, on a stack of just over $56,000, then moved all in. Polk snap-called with almost $29,000 left in front of him – producing a $92,205 pot.

With the call, Negreanu held J9 for a flush draw. Polk flashed 46 for two pairs. The river brought the A and Polk raked the massive pot.

Inside the second day of play

That’s the kind of day it would be for Polk on Day 2 online. He completely flipped the table from the first session – winning $218,292.78 after 424 hands.

I won 200k but I still feel bad because I made more misclicks in my session than a man 2 tabling in a recliner

— Doug “Truck Driver” Polk (@DougPolkVids) November 7, 2020

 

“Felt good today,” Polk added on Twitter. “Obviously ran hot in some important spots. Much happier to be back on the online felt.”

A few coolers ran Negreanu’s way and he wasn’t disappointed with his play.

“I’m playing against a really great player,” Negreanu said after the match on the GGPoker stream. “It’s going to be tough and put you in really tough spots. Overall I think I played pretty well.”

• Hands played: 624
• Total: Doug Polk up $101,792.78
• Next match: Monday, Nov. 9, at 5:30 ET

Day 1: Nov. 4 – kicking things off on PokerGO

The two combatants got things started at the PokerGO Studio at Aria casino in Las Vegas. The live component was a late addition but added extra excitement to the series to get fans even more interested.

Ali Nejad and Kane Kalas called the action as the series, known as High Stakes Feud, got underway. Those looking for some contentious banter wouldn’t find it on PokerGO.

While they may trade barbs on social media, Polk and Negreanu were friendly and even wished each other good luck.

I was happy that despite our history, and with all the divisiveness in the country right now, that @DougPolkVids and I could be civil and put on a show that the poker community could both be proud of and enjoy the fireworks.

Online Friday 2:30pm PST

— Daniel Negreanu (@RealKidPoker) November 5, 2020

The action began with Negreanu raising to $1,000 with K4 and Polk called with A4. Both players continued checking on the flop of K29 and turn of 6.

Negreanu then fired a $1,500 bet on the river with Polk raising to $8,500. After some thought, Negreanu made the call and jumped out to a lead of $9,500.

“How many hands left?” he said as he got up from his seat. The joke drew a laugh from his opponent.

That run would continue and the two continued talking poker and other topics throughout. Both players even needled Phil Hellmuth a bit.

 

Negreanu finds some big hands to take lead

Some poker fans may have preferred more combative conversation. However, even the friendly chit chat made for better viewing. High stakes players simply staring at cards hasn’t made for great viewing.

Negreanu even mentioned his new chair for the online portion of the match – complete with built-in massager.

By Thursday morning, High Stakes Feud had been viewed more than 260,000 times on YouTube. At the table, Negreanu seemed in control in the first match.

An early win with a flush saw Polk dip below half his starting stack and add $30,000. Negreanu kept a small advantage of $10,000 to $15,000 for much of the early play.

Polk reversed Negreanu’s lead after a break in the action. He flopped a flush while Negreanu hit the nut-flush draw. Polk ultimately raked a pot of $11,600 for his first lead in the match.

That lead disappeared soon as Negreanu took a few big pots and found a lead of about $50,000. One of the biggest hands then came right before the end of the night.

Polk raised the action to $900 with QJ and Negreanu three-bet to $4,000 with 106. Polk made the call and the flop brought 6K6.

Negreanu then bet $1,600 and Polk called. The river brought the 8 and he then checked. Polk fired $7,600 and Negreanu called.

The 2 fell on the river and Negreanu checked again. Polk continued the bluff moving all in, swelling the pot to more than $70,000.

Negreanu called and raked a massive pot with Polk adding another $50,000. The match would come to a close a few hands later with Negreanu finishing up $116,500 for the first session.

Reflecting on the first day of action

In his post-match interview, Negreanu spoke about how the live game was to his advantage.

“I’ve got 20 years of playing under the lights in this scenario, but unfortunately for me that’s just a very small portion of the match,” he said. “I know that we’ve got a long road ahead and we’re going to be walking into his arena, which is online.

“I felt like I played well and executed my strategy. It was really important to me to get off to a good start and I want to make this match competitive.”

Negreanu did just that. With action shifting online, Polk is in his element and it will be interesting to see how things play out.

“I had some spots that I thought were good to bluff – they weren’t,” Polk said about the live play element. “Just really didn’t get things going my way.”

Felt good about my play tonight despite going -$116,500. Couple hands were slightly loose (first hand of the night I misread the board to be totally honest lol)

Looking forward to not getting stacked bluffing into trips next session.

— Doug “Truck Driver” Polk (@DougPolkVids) November 5, 2020

Online poker included in Negreanu-Polk chit chat

The ins and outs of real money US online poker became a topic of conversation late in the match. Polk spoke about some struggles making a large deposit on WSOP.com.

“I always feel bad [for the sites] because it’s not their fault,” Negreanu noted about regulations legal operators faced. “It’s all politicians just doing their best.”

The site, however, apparently made some moves to facilitate the large deposits. WSOP.com has also designated two cash game tables for the match.

“It was pretty cool they made it work for us,” Negreanu noted.

Kid Poker went on to detail some of the frustrations the industry initially faced in Nevada. The two continued discussing the state of online poker and now take the game to the virtual tables.

After the loss, Polk to Twitter to offer an interesting post-match note as the action heads online.

Getting ready for bed and I get a text from my dad “Doug had a rough night, lost 100k”. Then texted back, oh wrong person.

Thanks dad.

— Doug “Truck Driver” Polk (@DougPolkVids) November 5, 2020

★★★ Looking to get in the action at WSOP.com? Click here to learn more about the site and qualify for some exclusive USPoker bonuses. ★★★

Photos courtesy of PokerGO

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