High Stakes Poker Ep. 5 Recap: The Magician Is Back!
4 minutes
Last Updated: February 25, 2023
The latest episode of High Stakes Poker saw quite a few new faces join the fray, creating new dynamics and some interesting table banter to boot.
One of the players that many fans will be thrilled to see back in the mix is Antonio “The Magician” Esfandiari. It’s been a little while since we’ve seen Antonio mix it up in televised games, but it seems he hasn’t lost his touch.
Bill Perkins is another face that most will recognize, and Perky is always good for the game. The latest HSP session was no exception, as he was clearly having a blast.
Jen Tilly continued her appearance on the new season while the remaining seats were filled by Robert Sanchez, Roger Sippl, and the legend that is Bobby Baldwin, the man after whom the infamous “Bobby’s Room” in Las Vegas got its name.
As with most fresh lineups, we didn’t see many big pots as players were feeling each other out, but there were still a few interesting hands mixed into all the banter.
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Two HSP Returnees Kick Things Off
The latest episode saw the long-awaited return of “The Magician” and Bill Perkins to High Stakes Poker, and it was only fitting that these two would play the biggest pot of the night.
After exchanging a few jabs and playing a few smaller pots, both players picked up huge hands, and it was pretty clear that all chips would end up in the middle.
It was Perkins’ straddle, and he got dealt pocket queens – this is what some would call the perfect timing. To make things even better, Sippl started the action, raising to $3,000 with 9♦8♦.
“The Magician” then woke up with a monster of his own – A♣K♦ and came over the top for $10,000 even.
When the action finally got to Perkins, he peeked down at his cards for the first time and, finding Q♠Q♥ in the hole, he quickly made it $40,000.
Sippl got out of the way, and it was now down to Antonio to make his move. After a little while, he decided that the best course of action was to move all in for $169,000.
Despite having a big hand, Perky wasn’t thrilled to see Esfandiari commit his stack. He took his time before eventually making the call, and then the two decided to run it twice.
The first board brought no special excitement as it ran clean, and Perkins locked up half of the pot.
On the second runout, Antonio spiked two kings on the flop, followed by another one on the turn to give him quads. Then the river brought the Q♠ to give Bill the full house just for laughs.
So, after playing a massive pot, the two ended up chopping Sippl’s money, profiting $1,500 each.
Jen Refuses to Give Up
Jennifer Tilly may not be a hardcore poker professional, but she is definitely fun to watch. The unorthodox lines she often takes confuse the viewing audience and her opponents alike.
On the latest episode of High Stakes Poker, she took one such line, where she wouldn’t give up her ace-high hand despite Perky’s big over-bet on the river.
The two saw the flop of 10♦8♠7♣. Perkins had K♥9♠ for an open-ender, while Jen held A♦Q♦ for not much at all.
The flop checked through, and when the 10♥ paired the board on the turn, Bill came out betting $2,000, which Tilly quickly called.
The river fell the innocuous 4♣, and Perkins bet out once again – this time for $15,000 into the pot of under $9,000.
Jen was clearly confused by the bet and the entire hand, but she wasn’t going to just let Perkins take the pot away from her. After some back and forth, she put in the calling chips, and the whole table was elated to see her ace-high was good.
Of course, Antonio didn’t miss the beat and took the opportunity to call out for some bandages for Perkins, announcing they had a “bleeder in the house.”
More Action & More Banter to Come
The latest High Stakes Poker lineup is one that many long-time fans will appreciate. Antonio and Perkins are loads of fun at the tables, and they are not afraid to play big pots, either, so we have some high expectations for future episodes.
Sippl hasn’t shown much, but according to “The Magician,” he has two sides, and once he gets stuck, things can get crazy.
The whole new episode of High Stakes Poker is just around the corner, and with this lineup, it simply can’t fail to deliver, both in terms of poker hands and table banter!
