High Stakes Poker, one of the longest running and most popular poker shows, began a new season in style on Monday January 13th. The show, known for massive stakes poker and huge hands between some of the biggest names in the game, did not disappoint in its season premiere.
One of the appealing things for viewers about High Stakes Poker has always been the massive amounts of money. There are many six figure pots per night, with many of them totaling as much as a first-place prize at a major poker tournament. For many, the popular show became the pinnacle of cash game poker.
While most players enjoy playing cash games at casinos or on any variety of offshore poker sites, High Stakes Poker does a good job of creating the dream like setting that most players can only dream of playing at.
The $200/$400 stakes on Monday created for more of these gargantuan pots and one in particular that garnered much attention.
Bleznick vs Kulick
The Monday night High Stakes Poker lineup was stacked with several big names such as Andrew Robl, Brandon Steven, and Jared Bleznick, who stole the headlines on this particular episode.
There were also some new faces who were unfamiliar to the general poker audience. One of these new names was Marc Kulick, who got into a big time tussle with Bleznick – the sports card collector, WSOP bracelet winner, and all-around interesting character.
After many six-figure hands throughout the night, the real headliner came on the very last hand of the night, which ended up being a $450,000 pot. Bleznick and Kulick would face off in a final parting blow after several skirmishes throughout the episode.
The Bad Beat
The last hand of the night began when Kulick raised to $2,200 with A♦Q♠. Bleznick was pipped with K♣Q♣, but three-bet to $6,000. Kulick called and the heads-up pot went to the flop.
Kulick then bet $2,500 in the dark before the flop even came down, which came J♥10♦9♣, giving Bleznick a straight. “Blez” quickly raised to $10,000. Kulick made the call with his straight draw and two overs.
The 7♦ turn put a lower straight on the board plus a diamond draw. Bleznick kept the pressure on by betting $25,000. Kulik called once again, building the pot to $83,000.
The K♠ river was the spark to light the fuse as Kulick had the broadway straight, besting Bleznick’s straight. Considering poker hand probabilities, this was a truly sickening beat for Blez. Bleznick was not initially deterred as he piled in $50,000 into the pot of $83,800.
The entire tone of the hand changed as Kulick took a decent amount of time before moving all in over the top for a total of $183,000. Bleznick, who had been pretty confident all hand long, was suddenly thrust into the blender.
After several minutes of deliberation, Bleznick called and saw the bad news to lose the passive pot and end his night on a very sour note.
Usually a player who has a joking and light-hearted manner while playing, Bleznick admitted afterwards just how much the final hand stung, claiming it was the worst beat he has taken in his entire career. Considering the stakes of the hand, it is safe to say that is correct.