Phil Hellmuth took his largest live-stream defeat in a decade on Monday’s Hustler Casino Live high-stakes game, and he was apparently so excited to tell the Twitter world about his loss that he spilled the beans two hours before the stream ended.

As is customary when it comes to live-streamed shows, which all operate on a slight delay for integrity reasons (and gaming regulations), most players will wait until the stream concludes before posting results on social media. But not the “Poker Brat,” who prematurely informed his followers that he dumped $144,500.

The 16-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner, however, held true to his word that he would buy in for $300,000, a proclamation he made last year after facing criticism for entering a Live at the Bike high-stakes game with just $20,000.

Hellmuth Takes an ‘L’

At the end of the five-hour stream, he was down $158,600, according to the YouTube graphic, slightly more than showed in his tweet. A large chunk of those losses came in a hand against his pal Stanley Tang, the DoorDash founder.

With three straddles on, Hellmuth made a huge raise from the button to $15,000 with and Tang just called with in the first straddle before Alan Keating, holding in the second straddle, and Chamath Palihapitiya, with in the other straddle, called.

The flop came out , not exactly music to the ears of Hellmuth, but that didn’t stop him from continuing his aggression with a $25,000 bet. Tang then moved all in for $45,700 total, forcing Keating and Palihapitiya off the pot.

With action back on the “Poker Brat,” he was in an uncomfortable position, knowing he could likely only beat a draw, but perhaps priced in given it was only $20,700 more for him to call (6.5-1 on his money). He eventually did call and both players agreed to run it twice, neither of which improved Hellmuth’s hand. Tang took down the $155,000 pot, while the Poker Hall of Famer chewed himself out for betting the flop.

Hellmuth also lost a $72,000 pot to Stanley Choi when his pocket kings were cracked on the turn by pocket queens. Earlier in the session, he made a surprising fold with ace-king preflop when facing a $9,000 three-bet from HCL regular “J.R.,” who had pocket 10’s.

But the weirdest, and one of the most costly, hands of the day for the former world champion came against “J.R.,” who bet $20,000 on the river with on a board of and somehow received a call from Hellmuth, who had for nothing but king-high. Commentator Bart Hanson questioned if it was a misread and not some wild hero call.

We’ll let you be the judge.

Keating Doesn’t Like to Fold

For the entire session, Hellmuth raised a measly 8% of the hands he was dealt, far and away the lowest at the table. His VPIP (voluntarily putting chips in play) was just 31%. On the opposite end of the spectrum was Keating, whose VPIP was at 86%, a Hustler Casino Live record.

Keating has long been one of the most popular players on the show due to his apparent hatred for folding hands. He plays any two cards and is tough to bluff. But although he’s about as loose as they come, he also has the stones to pull off some six-figure bluffs.

Before the stream began, he said in a pregame interview that his goal was to stack Hellmuth. Not only did that not happen, but he finished the live-streamed portion of the game down $252,000, making him the biggest loser in the game by a wide margin.

Palihapitiya, who was playing for charity (as was Tang), was far and away the biggest winner. The billionaire venture capitalist and regular in Hellmuth’s home games bought in for $50,000 and finished the game with $406,500 in his stack, spinning up a $365,500 profit. No one else won more than $30,000 while on stream.

Hellmuth is scheduled to appear on Live at the Bike on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Robbi Jade Lew will compete in those games, making her live-stream return for the first time since the Sept. 29 alleged cheating incident on HCL.

The champions of PartyPoker‘s new trio of major tournaments were the online poker site’s biggest winners this weekend, with all three events proving popular. The Big Saturday, Sunday Party, and Sunday Carnival all saw solid turnouts this weekend. PartyPoker has decided to boost the guarantees Sunday Party and Sunday Carnival over the next couple of weeks; more on that shortly.

$150,000 Sunday Party Final Table Results

Some 1,450 players bought into the $150,000 Sunday Party for $109, and it was “Chunkayyy” that was the last player standing. According to the PartyPoker Blog, chunkayyy was the chip leader at the end of Day 1 with only 16 players remaining. They built on their impressive start to the tournament and clinched the title and a total prize weighing in at $17,016.

With bounties included, all nine finalists won at least $1,660 for their efforts. “Gregskaw” ($1,660), “SmudgeTh3Cat” ($1,843), and “loadrunner” ($3,234) were the first players to bow out, leaving only six players in the hunt to become only the second-ever Sunday Party champion.

The final six became five with the untimely demise of “riicko-Corleone” ($2,233), then four when “The Zone” crashed out ($3,747). Heads-up was set once “IIIIIIII” ($4,740) and “zadymiator” ($6,398) found themselves void of chips.

Chunkayyy and “AreYaWideSham2” fought one-on-one for the title and the final, chunky bounty. Both secured more than $8,800 from the main prize pool, but the last bounties were worth just as much. AreYaWideSham1 fell at the final hurdle and collected $11,740, leaving Chunkayyy to collect a total prize worth $17,016.

Do You Know The Fastest Way to Earn PartyPoker Cashback?

February 26 Edition of the Sunday Party Has $200,000 Guaranteed

There is a special edition of the Sunday Party running at 7:05 p.m. GMT on February 26. The buy-in remains at $109, but the prize pool will be at least $200,000, $50,000 more than usual. It is a brave move on PartyPoker’s part, not least because the inaugural event drew in 1,608 players, while this latest tournament missed the guarantee by 50 entries.

“c0c0b0ng0” Becomes the Sunday Carnival Champion

“c0c0b0ng0” probably danced the night away after turning their $22 investment into $5,165 and the title of Sunday Carnival champion. This weekend’s Sunday Carnival drew in 2,335, which, like the Sunday Party, resulted in a slight overlay.

All but three of the PartyPoker players that reached the nine-handed final table saw a four-figure prize land in their accounts. “Sherrell21” ($412) and “Vamo Baraio” ($744) were the first two sub-$1,000 winners. Sixth-place finisher “Kingsman41” ($769) was the other. Everyone else won at least $1,053 for their efforts.

The eliminations of “NarutoUzokraki” ($1,168), Kingman41, and “lovemiscou2” ($1,053) left the table short-handed, and the Sunday Carnival progressed into the heads-up stage when “tsuyoshi12” ($1,429) and “jrebel99” ($2,800) bowed out.

c0c0b0ng0 defeated “AAanddreams” one-on-one to add $2,289 worth of bounties to their $2,876 main prize pool payout, a total prize worth $5,165. The runner-up scooped $3,207 while no doubt enjoying a confidence boost, having almost become a poker champion at PartyPoker.

$50,000 Sunday Carnival Final Table Results

Delving Into PartyPoker’s Trio of New Weekend Majors

$75,000 Guaranteed in the Sunday Carnival For the Next Two Weeks

It is not only the Sunday Party that is seeing a guarantee boost because the February 19 and February 26 editions of the Sunday Carnival are having their prize pools boosted from $50,000 to $75,000. There are not many $75,000 prize pools awarded for a $22 buy-in, so the next fortnight of Sunday Carnivals are not to be missed.

“DeezNutzz4” Binks the Big Saturday

PartyPoker introduced The Big Saturday to bring some high-stakes action to the site on Saturday, where there was previously a gap in the schedule before the recent tournament schedule revamp. This week saw 148 players take to the virtual felt in the $215 buy-in $30,000 guaranteed Big Saturday, and it was “DeezNutzz4” that was the last player standing, and the recipient of $5,882 in cold, hard cash.

DeezNutz4 defeated “GoodKat” heads-up for the title and the lion’s share of the pot. GoodKat licked their wounds with a $4,104 consolation prize after falling at the final hurdle.

Big Saturday Final Table Results

PartyPoker Revamps MTT Schedule; Launches Two New Sunday Majors

Help Yourself to a PartyPoker Welcome Package

You’re going to need a PartyPoker account if you want to get your teeth into The Big Saturday, Sunday Carnival, or the Sunday Party tournaments. If you don’t have an account, download PartyPoker via PokerNews and deposit at least $10 to receive a 100% match up to $600 welcome bonus in addition to up to $30 worth of free play.

A $10 deposit yields $10 worth of tickets over the course of a week:

• Day 1: 2x $1 SPINS tickets + 1x $5.50 MTT ticket
• Day 2: 4x $0.25 SPINS tickets
• Day 4: 1x $3.30 MTT ticket
• Day 6: 4x $0.25 SPINS tickets

Increase your deposit to at least $20, and the following ticket package is yours:

• Day 1: 1x $5.30 MTT ticket
• Day 2: 2x $1 SPINS ticket
• Day 3: 1x $5.50 MTT ticket
• Day 4: 1x $5.50 MTT ticket
• Day 5: 3x $2.20 MTT tickets
• Day 6: 2x $3 SPINS tickets + 1x$3.30 MTT ticket

Residents of the United Kingdom enjoy a slightly different welcome from PartyPoker. Their deposit of at least £10 comes with a 100% match up to £400 first deposit bonus plus $10 worth of Party Dollars, which can be used in any of the site’s games, every day for six days.

To release the full Deposit Bonus amount, you must accumulate four-times the Deposit Bonus amount in loyalty points. Each time the player accumulates 10% of the Total Loyalty Points required, they will receive a 10% increment of the Deposit Bonus

The PokerStars European Poker Tour released their 2023 schedule last December, which saw the announcement that the EPT will be visiting two new destinations for the first time.

The usual jaunts to Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Prague fall in their traditional timeslots while the inaugural EPT Cyprus takes place in October.

However, just around the corner is EPT Paris, which runs from February 15-26. The spadie brand hosts its maiden EPT inside the French capital city and PokerStars is pulling out all the stops to make it one to remember for the players.

Player Experiences at EPT Paris

Throughout EPT Paris, there’s a plethora of player experiences to take advantage of. See all the sites of the City of Love with the daily city sightseeing bus tours, or if you’d prefer, you can get a 360-degree view of Paris thanks to the daily hot air balloon experiences.

If you’ve ever wanted to get to the top of the Eiffel Tower, that’s something you can do while EPT Paris is running as you can get tickets to the Eiffel Tower tour.

Foodies and culture vultures will also be pleased to know that on February 20 and 22, there will be French cheese and wine pairing afternoons which kick off at 1 p.m. local time.

For early risers, become a master of disguise with the Arsene Lupin Escape room. For those who think they can emulate the gentleman burglar then make sure to book your place on either February 17-18 and 24 at 10 a.m. local time.

And remember, this calendar of activities is compliments of PokerStars.

I Love Paris Players Party

All players are also invited to the “I Love Paris” Players Party. The celebration is hosted at the famous Parisian venue “Fouquets” on February 20 and runs from 8 p.m. till late.

At the party, there will be a live music band with Moulin Rouge dancers as well as a DJ set.

Shuttle transport from Barriere Casino to the party is also being organized.

Win the Ultimate Soccer Experience at EPT Paris

For those who have played at previous EPT stops, then you’re probably familiar with the PokerStars Wheel Spinner where epic prizes will be dished out to players.

Well, soccer fans will be delighted to find out that ten pairs of tickets for the Paris Saint Germain vs Lille match are just some of the goodies that can be claimed.

The big game kicks off on February 19 and while the game is on, there will be some extra special prizes up for grabs. PSG forward and PokerStars cultural ambassador Neymar has signed a few items and there will be PokerStars sports branded gifts as just some of the items that can be won.

“Ginormous” PCA Sets the Tone for 2023 Ahead of EPT Paris says Walsh

Join PokerStars for a $600 Welcome Bonus

Those of you who do not already have a PokerStars account can download the excellent software via PokerNews. Make your first deposit safe in the knowledge that PokerStars matches your deposit 100% up to a maximum of $600. In fact, your first three deposits in the first 90 days after creating your account are matched 100% up to a combined maximum of $600.

Editor & Live Reporter

Calum has been a part of the PokerNews team since September 2021 after working in the UK energy sector. He played his first hand of poker in 2017 and immediately fell in love with the game. Calum’s proudest poker achievement is winning the only tournament he has ever played in Las Vegas, the prestigious $60 Flamingo evening event.

Austrian superstar Thomas “WushuTM” Muehloecker added the $5,200 Titans Event title to his long list of poker-related accomplishments after he came out on top of a 71-strong field at PokerStars over the weekend. Muehlocker cut a deal with Brazilian sensation Pablo “pabritz” Brito Silva when heads up, before coming from behind to clinch the victory. Muehlocker’s reward? $81,905.

$5,200 Titans Event Final Table Results

*reflects a heads-up deal

Only the nine players that navigated their way to the nine-handed final table secured some of the $355,000 prize pool. Niklas “Lena900” Astedt busted in 11th, while Benjamin “bencb789” Rolle crashed out in tenth and popped the all-important money bubble.

“SerVlaMin” was the first of the nine finalists to fall by the wayside. Ninth place came with $11,067 in prize money. David “MissOracle” Yan ($12,671), fresh from his incredible performances at the 2023 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, finished in eighth, “Phemo” ($16,917) fell in seventh, with Gavin “gavz01” Cochrane ($22,586) seeing his tournament in in sixth place.

Fifth place and $30,155 went to Joao “Naza114” Vieira, Talal “raidalot” Shakerchi ($40,261) joined Vieira on the rail, before Canada’s “Stumpfed” ($53,753) exited stage left, sending the Titans event into the heads-up stage. Here, Muehlocker and Silva struck a deal to lessen the pay jump. Silva held the chip lead, as is evident by the difference in prize money, because Silva banked $85,680 despite busting in second place, with Muehloecker collecting a slightly lesser $81,905 and the title of champion.

PokerStars Announces the Dates for the 17th Anniversary Sunday Million

“malygan3310” Turns $50 into $40,507 and the 50/50 Series Main Event Title

The 50/50 Series concluded over the weekend with the $500,000 guaranteed Main Event. Some 11,841 players had bought in before late registration closed, resulting in a $538,173 prize pool.

Such a large prize pool for a $50 buy-in meant nobody at the nine-handed final table took home less than $3,127 for the efforts, with bounties included, while the top four finishers saw five-figure sums land in their PokerStars accounts.

German “otto1956” was the first recipient of a $10,000+ score; they banked $13,570 after falling in fourth. Third place and an impressive $20,694 went to Brazilian “Piquiii” before “malygan3310” of Lithuania defeated Romanian “J.Fullop.74” heads-up for the victory. The runner-up scooped $32,642 but the champion took home a cool $40,507, or 810-times their initial buy-in!

David Kaye “Blown Away” by Impact of PokerStars US Player Pool Merging

50/50 Series Main Event Final Table Results

Other PokerStars Results Worth $10,000+

“LendYurSex” was one of the biggest weekend winners at PokerStars courtesy of taking down the PKO Sunday Million. A field of 10,265 were left in the champion’s wake, as they collected $80,439 with bounties included.

Brazil’s Allan “allan sheik” Mello took down the $109 Sunday Fenomeno for $19,846, while Niklas “Lena900” Astedt helped himself to the $13,049 top prize in the $215 Sunday Supersonic.

*includes bounty payments