Mon, 03/07/2011 – 20:28 – PokerPages Staff

Team PokerStars Pros Vanessa Selbst and Barry Greenstein featured on the latest episode of the High Stakes Poker game show which aired on GSN on Saturday.

Selbst began in the red by $228,000 after being stacked during the first episode while David Peat headed the elite group with winnings of $210,000.

Phil Ruffin and Robert Croak were involved in the first notable hand after Ruffin fired a huge overbet on a 7-8-2-A-J board.

Croak had spiked a flush on the river but managed to get away from his hand despite dominating Ruffin’s straight. He later revealed that the size of the bet had swayed his decision from calling.

Bill Klein then saw his pocket kings cracked after Peat flopped trips. Klein check-raised on the flop and led out on the turn and river before mucking his hand.

Poker Hall of Famer Doyle Brunson entered the action on a J-3-7-Q board for top two pair. Antonio Esfandiari had flopped a set and value bets of $10,100 and $30,100 saw him rake in a $96,000 pot.

Greenstein had been largely inactive up to this point but he sprang to life in the biggest pot of the evening.

Esfandiari fired a $6,200 bullet with 8-7 on a 10-6-4 board for flush and straight draws.

Peat (7-6) called before Greenstein made it $30,000 to go with a flopped set of fours. Esfandiari came back over the top for $106,000 only for Greenstein to jam all-in.

Both players agreed to run the river just once and Esfandiari spiked the Queen of hearts to complete his flush and take down the huge $593,000 pot.

Wed, 03/02/2011 – 01:28 – PokerPages Staff

Season 7 of the High Stakes Poker game show premiered on Sunday evening as new host Norm Macdonald took the reigns for the first time.

Macdonald, who was a surprise choice to replace former favorite Gabe Kaplan, oversaw a star-studded table which included Poker Hall of Famer Doyle Brunson and Team PokerStars Pros Vanessa Selbst and Barry Greenstein.

Selbst got the action underway at the Bellagio, rasing from early position with Ah-Qc. Robert Croak called from the cut off with pocket jacks and Bill Klein (Ks-7s) and David Peat (9d-8h) also came along for the ride.

Selbst fired the first bullet on the 4s-2h-9h flop for $7,600 and Croak min-raised to $15,700. Klein and Peat mucked but Selbst continued her interest in the hand.

A 5h on the turn prompted Selbst to fire a second barrel for $28,400 and Croak finally gave up as the 26 year-old dragged down the pot.

The next big action came when Phil Ruffin limped with pocket threes. Brunson made it $4,900 to go with 7s-5s and Selbst called with pocket queens. Antonio Esfandiari also wanted to see a flop as he limped in with 10d-9d.

Esfandiari bet $17,000 on a 4c-9c-3d board and Ruffin elected to smooth call with his flopped set. Selbst re-raised to $63,800 and Ruffin then made it $117,100 to go.

Selbst tanked before jamming all of her chips into the middle. Ruffin snap called and the 6d and 6h turn and river were no help for Selbst as Ruffin snared the huge $474,100 pot.

Ruffin was also involved in the last notable hand of the evening after meeting Esfandiari’s $6,000 raise with Ad-8h. He was in bad shape as Esfandiari held Ac-Qd and it seemed like he would bleed a significant percentage of his stack when an Ace hit the felt on the flop.

Esfandiari fired an $8,300 bullet only for Ruffin to four bet to $38,300. Esfandiari responded by moving all his chips into the middle, forcing Ruffin to fold.