Season 12 of "Poker After Dark" on PokerGO continued with a new cast playing a new session, this series of episodes titled "Blitz Week."
It was a recreational-filled game with a couple of names from the music industry and even a pro boxer, but the main attraction was the controversial Dan Bilzerian. The sometime poker player and full-time social media star doesn't appear too often on televised poker, particularly relative to how well-recognized he is both in the industry and without.
They played $50/$100 no-limit hold'em with a $500 ante from the big blind. Buy-ins ranged from $15,000 to $40,000.
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Big Pair for Bilzerian
Bill Perkins opened the action with a raise to $400 from early position holding 7♠️
Bilzerian woke up with a♥️a♣️ on the button and popped it to $1,900. Perkins reraised it right back to $6,000. Aoki mucked but Mally Mall was in there with an all-in shove for $15,700. Bilzerian wasted no time following him for $19,350. Perkins decided he couldn't let it go, so it was a $55K pot with $7,000 of it on the side.
The 8♣️q♠️9♥️ flop brought a bit of danger for Bilzerian as Mally Mall picked up a straight draw. The turn was an inconsequential 8♠️ and the 9♦️ was equally bricky.
He Can Win With Rags, Too
Pro boxer Chris Eubank Jr. opened with a limp under the gun holding 7♥️7♦️ and action folded to the small blind, where Mally Mall made it a small raise to $300 with q♥️q♣️. Bilzerian peeled with k♥️3♦️ and they went three ways to 4♦️2♦️5♠️.
Mally Mall continued for $1,000, Bilzerian made it $3,000 and Mally Mall shoved for $11,750. Bilzerian snap-called.
The a♣️ turned Mally Mall dead and Bilzerian added to his hot start with a $24,900 pot when he didn't have to chop on the 9♦️ river.
Bell Caught on Big Bluff
With the seven-deuce game on at $300 a head, David Bell three-bet said rags of the 7♦️2♠️ flavor to $1,400 on the button after Eubank Jr. made it $400 with a♠️j♠️ in middle position.
Eubank Jr. came along and the 6♠️q♣️q♦️ flop checked through to a 6♥️ turn. Eubank Jr. bet $1,400 and Bell called. The a♥️ river improved Eubank Jr. and he bet $3,000. Bell raised to $8,400.
Eubank Jr. needed a bit of thinking time but he eventually tossed in a chip to call. Bell smiled and tossed in the worthless napkins, with the other players happy to see they saved a few bucks thanks to their tablemate.
Kicker Problems Turn Around for Aoki
Eubank Jr. made it $400 to go from early position with what turned out to be k♥️q♥️ and picked up calls from the blinds — Aoki with k♣️j♣️ and then Mally Mall with a♣️9♥️.
The 2♥️3♣️k♦️ flop prompted a lead worth $1,200 from Aoki and a call from Eubank Jr. Aoki spiked the j♥️ turn that also improved Eubank Jr. to a flush draw. Nonetheless, Aoki checked. Eubank Jr. took the opportunity to bet $2,200 and Aoki just called. He then opted to lead out on the 6♦️ river for $6,000 into the $8,500 pot.
Eubank Jr. quickly called but saw the bad news.
Bilzerian Tries a Bluff
Bilzerian raised to $600 with 7♣️4♣️ after an early limp, and Bell repopped it to $1,600 on the button with ♦️aq♥️.
Both players quickly checked the 4♦️6♦️k♦️ flop. The 5♦️ improved Bell but it was Bilzerian leading for $1,400. Bell tossed in a $5,000 "flag" and Bilzerian came back with $10,000. Bell shipped all for $30K and Bilzerian mucked in a hurry.
