High Stakes Poker Season 5 Episode 8 aired on the Game Show Network (GSN) on Sunday April 19, 2009. To watch this entire episode online click the play button below.
It’s the same group that debuted on last episode returning for this one. AJ Benza and Gabe Kaplan start the commentary letting us know where each player stands. Antonio Esfendiari and Patrik Antonius are about even, Negreanu, Lederer and Simon are the losers so far and Phil Laak, Nick Cassavettes and Joe Hachem are up between $40,000 and $60,000 each.
On the first hand Esfandiari limps with AQ, Antonius follows with 64, as does Laak with AK suited and Simon checks with J5. Esfandiari picks up this pot uncontested on the flop.
A conversation breaks out about how Nick Cassavettes will rate the matrix on a 0-100 scale, meanwhile Negreanu raises to $2500 with 6s5s, Antonius calls with AdTc. The flop comes 4d3s8h, Negreanu bets $4K and Antonius calls. The hand gets interesting when the Ace of spades comes on the turn as Negreanu picks up a bunch more outs and Antonius has made top pair. Negreanu bets $10K and this sends Antonius to the tank till he finally calls. The river comes a 4 of spades, Negreanu checks and Antonius bets $18K. Negreanu just called and took down the pot.
As we’re coming back from commercial break we learn Nick Cassavettes ranks The Matrix an 87 out of 100 rating. Esfandiari then asks Simon how many push ups he thinks Hellmuth could do.
Negreanu raises the pot to $2500 with pocket nines, Antonius calls with Qs8s. Laak picks up Aces and raises to $16K. Lederer who is as tight as broomcorn’s uncle folds his pocket sevens, and Hachem has AK and is now in the tank, after thinking for a few he lets go of his Aces. Negreanu calls with his nines and Antonius tanks a bit before leaving it to Laak and Antonius to fight out. Negreanu checks in the dark, the flop comes Kd Th 2h and Hachem looks sick not knowing yet he is lucky he folded. Laak checks behind and the turn is the 7d (would have given Lederer a set). This time Laak bets $17,500, Negreanu tanks and then folds.
Conversation then goes back to Hellmuth push-ups and Lederer lets his opponents know he would have set
Negreanu picks up pocket kings on the next hand, makes it $2500, Laak calls with $2500, Lederer calls with Kd Jd, Cassavettes raises to $9300 with Ad Jd, action is back to Negreanu who tanks for a few thinking about how much to raise. He makes it $29,300 and Lederer mucks his hand face up? This gets Negreanu a little upset; he responds “careful children, those cards had nothing to do with this hand”. Lederer apologizes, Cassavettes makes matters worst as he says, “if those two cards didn’t get turned up I’d for sure call you”. Negreanu irritated says “thanks a lot guys”. I guess Laak was involved because he had shown his two eights to Lederer as he folded, and Lederer was reciprocating or confused. Laak begins to defend himself. Anyways, Negreanu picks up the pot.
On the fourth hand Antonius raises to $3500 with pocket sevens, Negreanu calls with Kc Jc, the flop comes Jd 2h Js, Antonius bets $5500, Negreanu raises it to $17,500 and Antonius is quite surprised by the raise, but calls. The turn is Ah, Negreanu checks quickly, Antonius goes back into the tank, the pot is $44,000 and he adds $27K to it with a bet. Negreanu tanks for a bit and calls. The river is a 9h, Negreanu checks and Antonius checks. Negreanu picks up the pot.
On the following hand Lederer open folds KJ, Simon open folds A8, three more folds and Antonio Esfandiari opens to $2500 with Qd, Laak calls with 66. The flop comes 2QA and Esfandiari picks up the pot with a $5100 bet.
The fifth hand sees Cassavettes open with AK, Antonius call with 7s6h, and everyone else folds. The flop comes 5d9c7d Cassavettes bets $4200, Antonius raises it to $14,200 and Cassavettes tanks for a long time before finally folding.
A prop bet then breaks out on how many pushups Antonius Esfandiari can do, he starts doing them and there is an argument about the method he is using. Cassavettes is complaining his chest needs to touch the ground. He does 47 correctly and they decide he’s close enough and the over 50 bet wins.
On the sixth hand Esfandiari raises to $2500 with pocket nines, Antonius calls with Ad8d, Hachem raises to $10K with A8 and we then see Cassavettes fold a third A8. Esfandiari tanks for a bit and calls as does Antonius. The flop comes 7h Jc 5d, Esfandiari bets $25,000 Antonius folds and Hachem does as well, Antonius picks up the pot.
Broomcorn’s uncle Howard Lederer limps with Aces on the 7th hand, Simon limps with 5d 4h, Negreanu calls with Ks Qs, Esfandiari raises to $7,300 with Td 2s, Lederer tanks for a bit before raising it to $28K, everyone folds and Lederer wins the pot.
The next hand Antonius raises to 7d5h and Laak calls with AK. The flop comes Jd 7d Kc and it goes check check, the turn is 4d, Antonius bets $5K and Laak calls. The river is Ac and check check Laak wins the pot.
The final hand of the night: Laak opens with Ts 7s to $3600, Hachem calls with Kh 3h, the flop comes 2c 6d 5h and both players check. The turn is 3s, Hachem bets $3K and Laak raises to $13,200. Hachem tanks for a bit and makes the call. The river is an Ad, Hachem again tanks the pot is $35,600. After a while he fires $20,500 into the pot. Laak tanks for a while and then folds.
We’ll be back next week for High Stakes Poker Season 5 Episode 9, where Simon leaves and Tom Dwan Durrrrr returns!
