Fans of Garrett Adelstein got exactly what they asked for in December. The dominant cash game player's return to streamed poker was at first hopeless, then rumored, and now a reality. We collected some of the largest pots Garrett played in during the Christmas stream in Las Vegas. His opponents were mostly familiar faces, including Eric Persson, Charles Yu, Han, Kirk, and Pennzoil Don.
Patrik Antonius even got a candle and birthday cupcake during the Balley Live Stream, but Garrett took home more gifts than anyone from the table.
The ex-Hustlers Casino crusher ended the session with a profit and even won a hand with Jack-four, which must have felt strange.
After buying into the game for $135,000 (a homage to the Jack-four situation), Gman added on $500,000. With the table covered, he was looking like his usual self.
A Big Bluff Against the Top Pair of Antonius
($200/$400 + Ante / Effective Stack $161,500)
Patrik Antonius raises to $1,200 from early position with and gets called by Persson and Curtis.
On the button, Garrett sees and 3-bets to $6,000. Patrik calls, Persson lays down (and some of Garrett's spades), and Curtis calls with .
The flop comes out . When it's checked to him, Gman bets a nice and round $10,000 into about $30,000. Both opponents call.
The turn is a and improves everyone except the aggressor. Curtis improves to a gutshot straight draw and pair, while Patrik's hand receives even more equity. The Finnish 42-year-old now has top pair, a gutshot, and a flush draw. Garrett rather quickly bets $35,000 into $50,000. After a short speech, Curtis folds, and Antonius calls. The pot is now $120,100.
The river brings a , meaning that Curtis would have had a straight.
The commentators can't wait for it and Garrett doesn't disappoint – putting in a bet for $500,000 and putting Antonius all-in.
"Seat two bets five hundred thousand," announces the dealer. Antonius looks disgusted at first, then looks like he might call, but eventually, he folds.
+$69,100 to Garrett Adelstein.
Winning with the Infamous Jack-Four
($200/$400 + Ante / Effective Stack $233,800)
Persson raises his to $1,500 from out of position. Garrett looks down at two cards that probably didn't mean much in the past, but a whole lot now! Garrett calls with , also known as "The Robbie".
The flop of is great for both players, but it's beautiful for Garrett's hand.
Persson continues for $2,000 and Garrett raises it to $5,500 almost immediately. Eric calls and checks in the dark like Phil Hellmuth.
The turn is a and both players check, quickly going to the river.
The river is a , double pairing the board and making Persson's hand the surprising leader (at the moment).
Garrett ponders his choices and bets $10,000.
"This is annoying. I really feel like you hit the five." Before long, Eric Persson's cards are in the muck.
Unfortunately, Garrett didn't flip over his cards on this one. To Persson's credit, it's hard to imagine him beating any other hand. The commentators (and Persson) aren't exactly sure if it was a value bet or bluff.
It's not every day that a player gets to win a pot with the starting hand they helped popularize. On top of that, in one of the first televised games since that very hand caused Garrett to take a break.
+$7,300 to Garrett Adelstein
Garrett Gets Thin Value from Han
($200/$400 + Ante / Effective Stack $117,200)
There's a button limp and Garrett bumps it up to $3,400 with . Han is next to him in the big blind and calls with .
The flop comes out and interacts well with both players' starting hands – although not as well as Han may have thought at the time. Garrett bets $4,000 and Han makes an easy call.
The turn is a brick, except for the backdoor flush draw it brings. Garrett bets $12,000 into the pot and Han calls, making it $39,800 in the middle.
The river is even more of a brick than the turn. Better hands may have raised already, so Garrett's top pair qualifies for a third barrel. He bets $25,000 into the pot.
Han thinks for quite a while and uses a time extension, eventually paying the bet. He sees the bad news and Garrett collects some great value.
+$45,400 to Garrett Adelstein
Runner Runner Flush Beats Top Pair
($200/$400 + Ante / Effective Stack $168,700)
Kirk gets dealt in this hand and makes it $2,500 from the Cutoff. Garrett 3-bets him to $10,000 holding .
No 4-bets here. Kirk calls the $10,000 bet and the players head to the flop.
We see an uninteresting texture of and a commentator suggests that even a continuation bet could take the pot. Instead, Garrett checks and Kirk checks behind.
Hitting top pair on the turn, Kirk mentions "He's just going to bluff – now he hit," in a bit of speech play. Garrett, armed with a bit more equity, fired $7,000 into the pot. Kirk decided to play covertly and called, making the pot $34,700.
Do you think Garrett got there on the river? Kirk even called out the card before it hit the felt, right above the GGPoker logo.
The river was a .
"Garrett, be gentle. I've lost every hand," said Kirk – and then a moment later, "Did you go runner-runner?"
The $20,000 bet that followed wasn't a "gentle" bet size, but Kirk called it anyway.
"So gross dude."
+$37,500 to Garrett Adelstein
Middle Set Against Kirk
($200/$400 + Ante / Effective Stack $117,500)
Out of the Highjack, Garrett raised it to $1,200 preflop with and got a call from Kirk with and Curtis with .
Everyone went to the flop, which was – a bit of a cooler considering the soft preflop action. Curtis escapes without losing anything else, but Kirk calls the $2,000 bet from Garrett.
The turn doesn't help Kirk escape yet, but it does bring some unlikely straights in. Gman chooses to bet $7,000 and Kirk calls, saying, "I pay you off every time."
The river is a , changing very little about the board and the hand strengths. and made straights, but those are less likely.
It's time for Garrett to collect value, so he bets $25,000. Without thinking for long, Kirk throws in the call.
+$36,900 to Garrett Adelstein
By the end of the stream, Garrett Adelstein, Han, Curtis, and Charles Yu all booked profits. Gman took home the most, with $132,600.
Unfortunately for Patrik Antonius, birthday luck was nowhere to be found. He was -$67,700 after the stream, although he did receive a small cake and candle from the Bally Poker team. Patrik is now forty-three years old.
