The second edition of Hustler Casino Live's Million Dollar Game wrapped on May 31st after four days of nosebleed stakes cash game action. When the gold dust settled, one player stood far above the rest and several players had air in their bank accounts where millions once sat.
The mysterious Peter from China booked an incredible $4.9 million win. There might have been more winners, but he managed to get a hold of a massive chunk of the total chips.
Over four days, 6 players left the table positive, walking with just over $10 million. Peter had about 50% of that, with ~20% going to Alan Keating, and ~10% to Santhosh. Doug Polk almost broke even but lost $126,000 on his only day in the game.
Million Dollar Game 2 Winners:
| Player | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peter | $1,525,000 | $999,500 | - | $2,413,500 | $4,938,000 |
| Alan Keating | - | - | $1,521,000 | $421,000 | $1,942,000 |
| Santhosh Suvarna | - | - | - | $1,187,000 | $1,187,000 |
| Steve | -$314,500 | $148,000 | $982,500 | - | $816,000 |
| Brandon Steven | - | - | $552,500 | $127,000 | $679,500 |
| Handz | $226,000 | $268,500 | - | - | $494,500 |
Million Dollar Game 2 Losers:
| Player | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas | - | - | -$1,112,000 | -$1,619,000 | -$2,731,000 |
| Texas Mike | $516,000 | - | -$2,747,500 | - | -$2,231,500 |
| Rahul | - | - | - | -$1,649,000 | -$1,649,000 |
| Action Dan | -$404,000 | -$1,004,000 | - | - | -$1,408,000 |
| Tom Dwan | -$992,000 | -$286,000 | $803,500 | -$247,000 | -$721,500 |
| Stanley Tang | - | - | - | -$633,500 | -$633,500 |
| Hook | -$557,000 | - | - | - | -$557,000 |
| Doug Polk | - | -$126,000 | - | - | -$126,000 |
The Aftermath of 2024's Largest Streamed Cash Game
As promised, Ryan Feldman and HCL delivered a massive cash game for the viewers. Even with slow moments and lineup droughts, it's impossible to say that the action was a disappointment. But, to get the multi-million dollar pots and controversial moments, perhaps a few hiccups were unavoidable.
Long after Million Dollar Game players grabbed racked up and left, the public debated what they'd seen.
- A $543,000 Misread on Day 3.
On a river that brought in higher straight draws and a flush draw, Thomas bet $130,000 into about $400,000. The board was , and he held , so it appeared to be for value. But for whatever reason, when Steve called with , he folded. Thomas' eyes, mind, or both betrayed him and he effectively torched enough chips to buy a Ferrari. On his Twitter, he implied that it may have been because of the pressure he was facing.
- Peter's Hit and Run
Hit and run, crush and rush, chip and skip – whatever term you use, Peter was under some scrutiny for it after the Million Dollar Game 2. After running like a celestial being and winning on 3 out of 3 days, viewers accused Peter of leaving as soon as he was up lots of chips.
Doug Polk commented on his Day 2 interaction with Peter:
"There was quite some drama on his second session where he decided to leave fairly early with a bunch of the winnings, right after I'd bluffed him in a pot."
Apparently, Ryan Feldman knew about Peter's short schedule ahead of time, but didn't share it for perception reasons. Nik Airball also spoke up, saying that Peter had mentioned it beforehand. If this is true, accusations of a hit-and-run are unfounded.
- Alan Keating Gets a Much-Needed Win
Despite seeming to stick to his normal play style, Alan Keating wasn't able to donate multiple million-dollar stacks to his opponents. Coming into the game, the "VPIP God" was severely in the red, to the tune of $3.4 million. After the Million Dollar Game 2, he shaved a couple of million dollars off that figure.
After playing Day 3 and Day 4, Alan Keating won $1,942,000. It was a style of play the viewers craved, with a high VPIP, lots of straddles, and the inability to fold at fortunate times.
In one of the highlights, he sent Texas Mike home via the quintessential flip of Ace-something versus a pocket pair. It became the 5th-largest pot in Hustler Casino history.
- Who Controls the Million Dollar Game Lineups?
In large streamed games like Hustler Casino is known for, there have long been questions about who sets the lineup. In the days of Garret Adelstein, Nik Airball and others complained that G-Man was pulling the strings in his favor, stacking the table with amateurs. At the MDG2, Alan Keating was the one accused of this lineup manipulation.
Tom Dwan, originally slated for 4 days, wasn't booked on the final day. After some hubbub on social media, the seating plan was rethought. In the end, Dwan managed to play Day 4, but didn't make a profit.
Doug Polk said he was "not allowed" to come back on other days, which didn't sit well with him or viewers. Coming back for 2025's Million Dollar Game isn't in the cards, or so he says. Aside from not being scheduled for a second day, he was also disappointed by the lineup.
In response, Keating denied being involved in selecting the players, while Vertucci put it down to the organizing "not being easy" and dealing with "politics."
We'll cover the upcoming Hustler Casino Live production, Legends on the Felt, featuring PokerStars ambassador and footballer Neymar, basketball's Jimmy Butler, boxing's Ryan Garcia, a few streamers, and Alan Keating.
The game starts on June 22nd and more special guests are said to be announced before the show.
