The third episode of the second season of Hellmuth’s Home Game ended with a major loss for Ethan “Rampage” Yau: by the end of the episode, his result stood at -$103,050. The key hands included Yau’s clashes with Phil Hellmuth and Stanley Tang, as well as a major bluff by Xuan Liu against Kelly Lucas.
The show, presented by Poker Night in America (PNIA) and sponsored by BetRivers, airs on CBS Sports on Mondays. The episode was filmed at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada, and continues the show’s defining format of having no commentary: the action at the table is revealed through Phil Hellmuth’s conversations with professional players and friends during the cash game.
Details
At the start of the episode, Dan “Jungleman” Cates had a $20,000 stack, Kelly Lucas had $10,000, Phil Hellmuth had $5,000, Stanley Tang had $50,000, Xuan Liu had $20,000, Ethan “Rampage” Yau had $50,000, and Charlie Hook had $50,000. The game was played at $25/$50 blinds with a $50 big-blind ante. A straddle is an additional mandatory bet made before the hand that increases the pot size and the action.
In the first hand of the episode, with two straddles in play, Charlie Hook raised to $600 from the hijack with 6♥7♥. Dan “Jungleman” Cates called with A♠J♥, while Kelly Lucas, formerly known as Kelly Minkin, held A♦K♥. Stanley Tang moved all-in from the big blind with Q♠Q♣ and had everyone covered. The action returned to Kelly, and she called for $10,000, creating a $21,575 pot and a classic “coin flip” situation—a pair versus two overcards.
Kelly chose to run it twice, and Tang agreed. On the first board, 8♦4♠10♥2♥10♦, Tang won. On the second, after a flop of 8♠J♣7♠ and a 3♦ turn, it looked as though he would win the entire pot, but the king of spades on the river gave Kelly half. The pot was split.
In another major hand, Tang opened to $300 with J♦9♣, after which Xuan Liu raised to $1,000 with Q♥5♥. Kelly, in the straddle, called with A♠K♥, forcing Tang to fold. On the 4♣K♣K♦ flop, Kelly check-called a $700 bet. After both players checked the 6♥ turn, Liu continued her bluff with a $2,500 bet. Kelly called again and checked for a third time on the 9♥ river. Liu moved all-in, continuing her bluff, and Kelly called off her remaining $7,825. The pot was $24,475.
Hellmuth and Rampage then clashed directly. With a $400 straddle in place, Hellmuth raised to $1,400 on the button with A♠K♠. Yau, who was in the first $100 straddle, three-bet to $4,300 with A♥7♥. Hellmuth moved all-in for $8,550, and Yau called, creating a $17,825 pot. The players agreed to run it twice. On the first board, the 6♣K♥3♠ flop gave Hellmuth top pair, while the ten of hearts on the turn gave Yau a flush draw. However, the 2♣ on the river changed nothing, and Hellmuth won half the pot. On the second board, the 5♠6♠9♠ flop immediately gave Hellmuth a flush, leaving Yau drawing dead. Hellmuth doubled his stack.
The episode’s biggest pot came in a hand where Kelly opened to $600 with A♣5♣, and Tang three-bet to $2,000 with K♥Q♦. Rampage, in the big blind, responded with a four-bet to $6,500 with J♠J♦. Tang moved all-in, and after thinking it over, Yau called with $35,500 behind. The pot reached $84,975, but the players decided to run it only once. The Q♣9♠4♦ flop gave Tang a pair of queens, while the 3♥ turn and 6♦ river did not help Yau. When they later reviewed what the second board might have been, it turned out that a jack would have come on the river, resulting in a split pot. In the actual hand, Tang took the pot, and Yau had to rebuy.
In the episode’s final notable hand, Hellmuth raised to $300 with Q♦8♦, Xuan called from the button with K♥9♥, and Rampage three-bet to $1,600 with J♦J♣. Cates called from the straddle with Q♥J♥, Hellmuth folded, and Liu joined the hand. On the 9♦3♣9♠ flop, Yau bet $2,200, Cates folded, and Liu called with trip nines. After Yau bet $9,000 on the 4♣ turn, Liu called again. The 3♥ river paired the board, and Rampage moved all-in. Liu called off her remaining $30,625 and doubled to $88,850.
At the end of the episode, Xuan Liu had $102,850 for a profit of $42,850, while Stanley Tang had $92,200 and was up $42,200. Kelly Lucas finished with $26,025 and a profit of $16,025, while Phil Hellmuth had an $18,250 stack and was up $13,250. Charlie Hook was left with $48,900 for a loss of $1,100, Dan “Jungleman” Cates had $28,425 and was down $11,575, and Ethan “Rampage” Yau had $99,900 and finished down $103,050.
Earlier, PokerNews published a recap of the first episode of the second season, which featured rapper 24kGolden at the table, and the second episode, focused on Dan “Jungleman” Cates’ run in Hellmuth’s Home Game. Reviews of the first season are also available. Images provided by Poker Night in America.
Commentary from the Vse-o-Pokere Editorial Team
For clients who produce poker broadcasts, organize cash games, or promote gambling brands, this episode shows how closely gaming content, sponsorship, and television distribution are connected. Businesses need to distinguish editorial content, advertising integration, and an operator’s commercial promotion in advance, especially when BetRivers and a major media platform are involved in the project. Another important issue is the rules governing the depiction of gambling and advertising restrictions in the jurisdiction where filming takes place, as well as the requirements for publishing such content to audiences in other regions. Our team advises and supports clients on poker, gambling, casino, gaming, and legal matters, including the preparation of media projects and advertising campaigns.
