March 07 2011, Rich Ryan

In the first episode of High Stakes Poker Season 7, the pro’s and the businessmen butted heads in some massive pots. Vanessa Selbst lost a massive pot when Phil Ruffin flopped a set of threes against her overpair and David Peat drew out on Bill Klein with a pair and a flush draw against Klein’s aces. The action did not slow down in the second episode of the season, especially on the last hand when there was a $600,000 pot played between two pros.

SPOILER ALERT: If you are waiting to watch the HSP episode, read no further.

Here’s how the players were seated and what their stacks looked like to start the episode.

Croak Folds a Flush: In the first hand of the episode, Peat limped in with from early position, Antonio Esfandiari limped behind on the button with and Robert Croak and Ruffin completed in the blinds with and respectively. The flop fell and Croak checked to Ruffin who bet $3,000. Peat, Esfandiari and Croak all called.

The turn was the and all four players checked. The on the river gave Croak a flush, yet Ruffin led for $50,000 into a pot of only $16,000. Action folded to Croak who tanked momentarily before mucking the best hand, and Ruffin triumphantly tabled his straight. Croak admitted he folded a flush and both Esfandiari and Vanessa Selbst were confused as to why.

Peat Trips up Klein: Selbst opened to $2,500 from early position with . Esfandiari called with from the hijack seat, Klein called with from the small blind and Peat protected his big blind with . Klein’s trap was foiled when the flop fell . He checked to Peat who fired $5,000 and the action folded back to Klein who check-raised to $15,000. Peat called.

The turn was the and Klein led for $20,000. Peat quickly called and the fell on the river. Klein led again – this time for $40,000. Peat was never folding but thought about raising for about half a minute before he finally called. Klein opened his kings but they were no good against trip fives and $160,800 was shipped to Peat.

“I didn’t want to take from charity.” Peat explained when his tablemates asked why he didn’t raise.

“It’s called being a nit,” Selbst needled.

Hero Call?: David Peat straddled for $1,600 and Barry Greenstein opened to $5,100 with . Ruffin called with from the small blind and Peat defended his straddle with . The dealer flopped and the action checked to Greenstein who continued for $8,000. Ruffin released and Peat made the call.

Both players checked the on the turn, and after the rivered Peat led for a measly $2,000. Greenstein promptly raised to $20,000 and Peat called even quicker. The Robin Hood of poker rolled over his hand to show he had trip kings and Peat mucked his hand looking utterly confused.

Klein Gets Tricky: Bill Klein started the action by limping with , and Peat raised to $3,500 right behind him with . Selbst called with , Ruffin defended his big blind with and Klein called, as well. The flop was and the action checked to Peat who continued for $8,000. Selbst folded, Ruffin called, and Klein surprisingly raised to $23,000. The action was on Peat and Ruffin tried to call, which led Peat to fold. Ruffin then called and the turn brought the . Both players checked. The river was the and Ruffin checked again. Klein bet $29,000 into $69,200, and Ruffin immediately folded.

High Stakes Legends: This week’s edition of High Stakes Legends profiled Benny Binion. Binion of course opened the famed Horseshoe Casino in Las Vegas, which hosted the World Series of Poker for over 30 years. The Horseshoe played host to huge cash games, as well, attracting the best players in the world to the property.

Oops: Ruffin limped in with and Peat tried to isolate him by raising to $3,500 with . The remaining players folded, Ruffin called and the flop fell . Ruffin led for $5,000 and Peat called.

“Obviously he has larceny in mind,” host Norm Macdonald commented.

The turn was the and Ruffin quickly bet $20,000 into a $19,000 pot. Peat stuck to his guns, however, raising to $50,000. Ruffin snap-called. The river was the and Ruffin slowed down, checking to Peat who fired one more bullet worth $100,000. Ruffin called and Peat sheepishly turned over the bluff.

Kara Scott asked Ruffin whether or not he thought Peat could’ve had him beat and Ruffin responded, “Nope, he could’ve had anything. I had $600,000 and it was about $100,000 so it was an easy call.”

Run It Once: Antonio Esfandiari opened to $2,500 with from under the gun, Ruffin called with , Peat called with , Selbst called with and Greenstein defended his big blind with .

The flop: – Whammy!

Selbst and Greenstein checked to Esfandiari who continued for $6,200. Peat called with just a pair of sixes and the action folded back to Greenstein who check-raised to $30,000. Esfandiari put in a third bet worth $106,000, Peat got out of the way and Greenstein moved all in.

“Once or twice?” Esfandiari asked, pushing his stack in the middle.

The $593,900 pot was the biggest of the season and Greenstein always runs it once, making this hand even more sick. The spiked on the turn to give Esfandiari a leading flush, but if the board paired then Greenstein would re-suck and take the pot. The bricked on the river however and Esfandiari scooped the monster pot.

The action has been fast and furious this season, and Andrew Robl will join the table on next week’s episode. If the teaser trailer is any indication, there is going to be ever more action and more all-ins than this past week.

Be sure to follow us on Twitter for up-to-the-minute news.

March 21 2011, Rich Ryan

For the first three episodes of season seven of High Stakes Poker, Phil Ruffin crushed the game for around $400,000. He stacked fellow novice Robert Croak and won two massive pots against both Vanessa Selbst and David “Viffer” Peat.

Would the amateur’s luck last during his fourth and final episode? Or will the sharks rebound and regain some of their loses?

SPOILER ALERT: If you are waiting to watch the HSP episode, read no further.

There was no graphic to start the episode, but host Norm Macdonald told us that there was over $3 million on the table.

Bringing a Gun to a Pillow Fight: David Peat limped in with , and the action folded all the way around to Phil Ruffin who completed in the small blind with . Bill Klein checked his option with and the flop came down . Ruffin quickly led for $20,000 into a pot of only $3,200 and his two opponents folded immediately.

“Wow,” Macdonald commented. “That’s like bringing a gun to a pillow fight.”

Ruffin Through the Backdoor: On the next hand, the action folded to Phil Ruffin on the button who limped in with . Bill Klein completed with and David Peat checked with . All three players checked the flop and the on the turn, but after the fell on the river, Peat led for $1,000. Ruffin promptly bumped it to $20,000 with his flush, Klein mucked and Peat tank-called. Ruffin opened up his cards – much to the dismay of Peat – and raked in yet another pot.

Stack Sizes: Better late than never!

Ruffin Stacks Greenstein: Barry Greenstein opened to $3,000 from early position with . Phil Ruffin called with from the hijack seat, and David Peat also called, holding .

Ruffin flopped the joint – . Greenstein continued for $5,000, Ruffin smooth-called and Peat got out of the way. The on the turn was a disastrous card for Greenstein, giving him the wheel and enough of a hand to stack off with. He moved in for his last $18,100 and Ruffin asked him if he “had any more” before snapping it off.

“That’s all you have?” Greenstein joked upon seeing Ruffin’s hand.

The river was a meaningless , Ruffin raked in the pot, and Greenstein reached into his pocket for another $200,000.

Ace-High is Good: Phil Ruffin limped in first position with two red nines, David Peat limped behind with , and Doyle Brunson followed suit with . Vanessa Selbst popped it to $5,000 with two red eights, and Antonio Esfandiari re-popped it to $20,000 with . Ruffin tried to call before Andrew Robl acted and then did once it was his turn. Everyone else folded except Selbst, and the three took a flop of .

There was a beat and then Esfandiari plopped $45,400 in the middle. Ruffin snap-mucked his pair, but Selbst went into the tank. Esfandiari’s continuation bet was good enough to ship the pot to him, after Selbst eventually folded the best hand.

“I thought it was going in,” Esfandiari professed while stacking his new chips.

“I thought so too,” Selbst agreed.

“I had ace-high, but I was calling,” Esfandiari admitted.

Selbst laughed. “I had ace-high beat.”

30 Seconds with Kara Scott: Rather than sit down with one player, Scott asked everyone at the table who would play them in a movie about their life. Here are the answers the players gave.

Andrew Robl – Matt Damon

Vanessa Selbst – Matt Damon

Phil Ruffin – Pierce Brosnan

Bill Klein – Robert Redford

Antonio Esfandiari – Michael Imperioli

David Peat – Jim Carrey or Danny DeVito

Greenstein Gets Some Back: Phil Ruffin limped in with and so, too, did Doyle Brunson with and Vanessa Selbst with . Barry Greenstein decided to punish the limpers, raising to $5,100 with , and only Ruffin came along.

The dealer fanned and Greenstein immediately fired $7,000. Without hesitation, Ruffin raised to $20,000 and Greenstein called. The turn was the and Greenstein slowed down, checking to Ruffin who quickly tossed another $20,000 in the middle. Greenstein called.

The river was the , and it was Greenstein’s turn to bet $20,000. Ruffin snap-called and both players opened their cards. It took Ruffin a second to see that he was beat, but Greenstein’s queen played and won him a pot worth $132,600.

Soul Reading: Vanessa Selbst opened to $3,000 with , Barry Greenstein flatted with , as did Antonio Esfandiari with . The flop was , giving Esfandiari a flush draw, and Selbst led for $6,700. Greenstein quickly folded the best hand and Esfandiari called.

The turn was the , giving Selbst a flush draw, too, and she checked to Esfandiari who bet $15,600. Selbst called.

The spiked on the river and Selbst sneakily checked the nuts. Esfandiari fired a $32,400-bluff and Selbst check-raised to $101,800. For a moment it looked like Esfandiari was going to do something crazy, but he thought better of it and laid it down.

“I so wanted to re-raise you,” Esfandiari said after the hand.

“How could you call me with eight-high of hearts?”

He said re-raise Vanessa, but props for the sick soul read.

High Stakes Legend: This week’s tribute was to Texas-born rounder Jack “Treetop” Strauss, whose nickname referred to his six foot, six inch frame. Strauss was legendary for both his wit and his aggression, but his most famous achievement is winning the 1983 World Series of Poker Main Event after being down to a single chip. The feat gave birth to the saying, “all you need to win is a chip and a chair.” Ironically, Strauss died in 1988 after suffering a stroke during a high-stakes cash game.

Klein Wins a Pot!: Vanessa Selbst raised to $3,000 with and Andrew Robl three-bet to $11,000 with . Bill Klein cold-called the three-bet from the small blind with , Selbst tossed in the extra $8,000 and the flop fell .

Klein checked his set of eights and Selbst bet $18,000. Robl mucked and Klein check-raised to a hefty $58,000. Selbst called.

The turn was the and Klein led for $70,000. Selbst was forced to fold and Klein shipped his first pot in ages.

Klein couldn’t resist saying his favorite line; “There’s always a nine.”

Oops: Doyle Brunson opened to $3,400 with and Vanessa Selbst called with . Everyone else folded and the flop came down . Brunson checked to Selbst who fired $6,000, and Brunson check-raised to $21,000. Selbst called.

The turn was the and Brunson led for $35,000 with just king-high. Selbst moved all in for $121,000 and Brunson quickly folded.

This episode was Phil Ruffin’s last. He walked away with $336,000 in profits – a HSP record for an amateur player. Poker legend Johnny Chan will join the table next week so be sure to check your local listings and tune in to episode five of season seven of HSP.

Be sure to follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.