Esfandiari Involved in Epic Three-Way Cooler for Stacks on New High Stakes Poker Episode

Jon Sofen Senior Editor U.S.

Mar 07, 2023 4 min read

Esfandiari, Tilly, Sanchez Battle for $300k Pot
Perkins Doesn't Believe Esfandiari
Baldwin Moves All In
Past High Stakes Poker Recaps

High Stakes Poker Season 10 returned to the PokerGO app Tuesday night with Episode 7, and it was arguably the most entertaining show thus far in 2023.

The episode featured a wild flop that connected with three players in a major way among a few other interesting hands. At the table were the same cast of characters returning from Episode 6 �� Antonio Esfandiari, Jennifer Tilly, Bill Perkins, Bobby Baldwin, Roger Sippl, and Robert Sanchez �� all competing in a high-stakes no-limit hold'em game with straddles on.

Esfandiari, Tilly, Sanchez Battle for $300k Pot

jennifer tilly high stakes poker — Jennifer Tilly

There isn't much debate as to which pot was the "Hand of the Day" on the most recent High Stakes Poker episode. That classification goes to a pot played between Tilly, Esfandiari, and Sanchez in which all three players hit something big on the flop.

The straddled hand began with Tilly raising to $3,000 from the button with 2?2? and then receiving a call from Sanchez, holding K?9? in the small blind. Esfandiari, with J?J? then three-bet to $11,000 and both players called.

When J?9?2? appeared on the flop, all three of them caught a large piece of that board. Esfandiari, with top set, bet $14,000 and both opponents made the call to see the 10? on the turn.

The "Magician" bet out again, this time for $43,000 before Tilly, who had bottom set, moved all in for $115,000. That forced Sanchez and his pair with a flush and gut-shot straight draw to fold. But it didn't get Esfandiari to let go of top set, nor did it make him even consider folding. He quickly made the call and they each agreed to run the river just once, which was the 10?, giving both players a full house.

Esfandiari's boat was bigger and he took down the $305,800 pot, one of the largest thus far in Season 10.

Jennifer Tilly Pays Off Pocket Aces

Perkins Doesn't Believe Esfandiari

bill perkins antonio esfandiari — Bill Perkins

Every once in a while Perkins can be a bit stingy at the poker table. The author and hedge fund manager played a sizable pot against Esfandiari, who was catching cards early on in the session.

In this featured hand, Esfandiari raised to $1,000 with A?3? before his pal, Perkins, made the call with K?7? in the small blind. The flop was 4?3?3? and Perkins decided to lead for $1,000, which convinced his opponent to raise to $6,000 with trips. That didn't convince the under-the-gun bettor to fold king-high, however.

After both players took a glimpse at the 7? on the turn, action checked over to the preflop raiser, who fired out a wager of $10,000. With top pair, Perkins called and then called off another $20,000 on the 9? river.

Perkins also lost a $93,000 pot to Sanchez when his pocket nines couldn't catch up to pocket queens. Two jacks appeared on the flop in a four-way pot, none of whom had trips, and it checked through. Sanchez was able to get some value on the turn and river from Perkins when it became apparent to him that no one had a jack.

Baldwin Moves All In

Baldwin and Tilly have battled in quite a few sizable pots during Season 10. In Episode 7, they went at it again with the former actress hoping to catch her straight draw.

In our final featured hand of the week, Tilly raised to $3,000 with 9?7? before Perkins made an ambitious three-bet to $13,000 with 7?4? in the small blind. Esfandiari called from the straddle with A?K? and Baldwin, who had originally limped, put chips in the pot with 10?10?.

The flop ran out 2?8?6? and Baldwin, after two players checked to him, ripped off a bet of $40,000 with his over pair. Tilly, chasing an open-ended straight draw, decided to make the call while everyone else folded. But when the board paired on the turn with the 8?, she had to fold to a $116,000 all in wager and the 1978 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champion took down the large pot.

High Stakes Poker Season 10 returns next week on PokerGO at 5 p.m. PT with Episode 8.

Crazy High Stakes Poker Chop Pot