Robert Croak Goes Broke on High Stakes Poker


By TheNuts Staff - Mar 15, 2011

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The GSN cash game franchise “High Stakes Poker” rolled on over the weekend. Another player at the table, Silly Bandz creator Robert Croak, went busto and became the first person to walk away from the suite during Season 7. You can catch new episodes of “High Stakes Poker” every Saturday at 8:00pm ET and 11:00pm ET on GSN.

There were split pots aplenty during the first half of the hour-long episode. PokerStars pro Barry Greenstein called all-in for $56,000 with A-Q only to see retired businessman Bill Klein show A-K. Although Greenstein seemed destined to lose the pot, a board of 2-10-7-2-7 resulted in a chop. One hand later, Klein reloaded for another $300,000 and his struggles at the talented eight-man table continued.

In a rather peculiar hand involving Doyle Brunson, on a board of A-K-5-10-J with four hearts, Treasure Island Las Vegas owner Phil Ruffin and Brunson checked it down. When the cards were revealed, Brunson showed an ace and the six of hearts, telling the table that he had just a pair of aces. However, “The Godfather of Poker” quickly realized his slip-up and won the pot with a flush. Ruffin held A-K.

Then, Brunson looked down at just the ace of hearts and raised to $4,000. Seated directly to his left, Vanessa Selbst 3bet to $11,000 with Q-9 of diamonds and Brunson peeked down at his other hole card, the seven of hearts, and called. The action flop came J-10-K with two hearts, giving Brunson flush and straight draws and Selbst a king-high straight.

Brunson check-raised all-in for $191,000 and Selbst called. The turn and river were run twice and, in the first go-around, Brunson hit a heart on the turn to leave Selbst drawing dead. The second board ran out 5c-9c, giving the other half of the $406,000 pot to Selbst in a chop.

Croak’s witching hour came after betting $6,500 on a flop of A-J-K with A-J for top and bottom pair. Ruffin called with Q-10 for the nuts and the turn was an eight. Croak bet $11,000, Ruffin raised to $50,000, and Croak 3bet all-in for $121,900. Ruffin gingerly called with the best hand and the river was run only one time. A seven filled out the board and Ruffin scooped the $268,000 pot. Ruffin had over $900,000 stacked in front of him and Croak left the “High Stakes Poker” suite at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.

Croak’s seat was ominously empty for a few hands before Victory Poker pro Andrew “good2cu” Robl filled it. In the final major hand of the night, Ruffin called pre-flop with K-9, Klein called with A-Q, David “Viffer” Peat came along with Q-5, Brunson called out of the small blind with 8-6, and Selbst checked her option with A-6 to set up five-way action to a flop of 6-6-Q.

Two players had made trips and two had hit top pair, but despite the monster hands, the action was checked around to a four on the turn. Then, the gloves came off. Brunson bet $4,000 with trips, Selbst called with trip sixes and a better kicker, and Klein called with top pair, top kicker. Peat’s laydown of his own top pair brought a king on the river.

Brunson bet $15,000 on the final card and Selbst raised to $52,000. Klein abandoned ship and Brunson quickly followed suit and folded. On the impressive laydown, “High Stakes Poker” host and former “Saturday Night Live” cast member Norm Macdonald lauded, “The speed of that laydown shows you why Doyle Brunson has been revered for 50 years.”

Remember to watch new episodes of “High Stakes Poker” every Saturday at 8:00pm ET and 11:00pm ET on GSN.

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