Top Stories of 2024 #9: PokerStars Big Game on Tour Returns to TV Screens

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Everyone loves a poker underdog story, which is one reason for the popularity of the PokerStars Big Game. The PokerStars Big Game pitted a rank amateur, known as the Loose Cannon, against five professional players and poker celebrities over 150 hands of high-stakes No-Limit Hold’em.

PokerStars staked the loose cannon with $100,000, with the amateur player keeping all winnings in excess of this initial amount. The highest-earning loose cannon at the end of each season won a North American Poker Tour (NAPT) passport worth $50,000. Unfortunately, the Big Game that we knew and loved ceased existing in 2011 following poker’s “Black Friday” and with the NAPT ceasing operation.

In October 2023, PokerStars announced it was relaunching the popular show under the name The PokerStars Big Game on Tour. The format changed slightly, with PokerStars staking loose cannons for $50,000 instead of $100,000 and the blinds reducing to a still nosebleed $100/$200.

PokerStars North America Vice President Steve Preiss was delighted to see the Big Game return to our screens.

“The Big Game was one of the most beloved poker programs of all time. As we continue our focus on creating the best poker content, re-imagining and re-launching The Big Game was a no-brainer. The Big Game on Tour will bring a level of play tat hardcore fans expect from poker content, but we also will capture the journey from start to finish of our Loose Cannon in a way that hopefully reaches new audiences as well.”

The Big Game on Tour Returns to Our Screens

The Big Game on Tour was filmed during the 2023 edition of the NAPT Las Vegas festival and aired on Fox Sports 1 in May 2024. The first episode saw Team Pokerstars’ Lex Veldhuis, 17-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth, Alan Keating, Jennifer Tilly, and actress Arden Cho battle it out with the Loose Cannon, Nikki Limo.

Limo is a podcast host and amateur comedian whose audition for the show was loved by the judges. Limo got off to a flying start, hitting a king-high straight on the river which Keating paid off, and Limo’s stack soared to $61,400.

Veldhuis was the first episode’s biggest winner, thanks partly to finding himself on the right side of a flush over flush scenario with Keating, and with Tilly unable to lay down her trips.

Episode 1 ended with the players having played 31 of the scheduled 150 hands, and with Veldhuis enjoying a $118,900 profit. Tilly was the next biggest winner with $66,900 followed by the loose canon with $27,200. Hellmuth posted a $4,300 loss, Cho lost a full $50,000 buy-in, while Keating was left nursing a $158,700 hole in his bankroll.

Six Things We Learned From The Big Game on Tour Episode 1

The Hellmuth Show

The second episode of The Big Game on Tour was all about Hellmuth. The “Poker Brat” played some excellent poker and made several tough calls, ending the episode with a $49,800 profit.

A chunk of that profit came from the loose cannon’s stack. Limo opened to $900 on the button with 9*♣8♥, and Hellmuth called in the big blind with J♦10♠. Hellmuth checked in the dark and the dealer fanned the 7♥5♣J♥* flop. Limo continued with a $500 bet before calling Hellmuth’s $1,200 check-raise. Hellmuth led for $2,000 on the 4*♠* turn, only for Limo to raise to $6,000. Hellmuth called, leading to the 4*♣* landing on the river.

After Hellmuth checked, Limo decided to fire another shot at the pot, making it $10,000 to go. Limo even correctly called out Hellmuth’s hand, stating, “I think you have jack-ten. Could I fold you off jack-ten?” The answer was no, as Hellmuth made another impressive call.

Phil Hellmuth Plays Near Flawless Poker on Episode 2 of the PokerStars Big Game

Lex Loses Big

Veldhuis went into Episode 3 having amassed $83,200 profit from 60 hands and looking like running away with the competition. However, what the Poker Gods giveth, they often taketh, too.

The Dutch star clashed with Keating in a massive pot that wiped out his entire profit in one fell swoop. Keating opened to $900 with pocket sevens, Hellmuth elected to call with his ace-king, and Veldhuis came along for the ride with K*♦4♦. The flop fell 2♣7♥3♦, Keating led out, Hellmuth got out of the way, but Veldhuis raised to $9,000 on a stone-cold bluff. Keating called with his top set, and the turn came the K♥. Veldhuis check-called Keating’s $19,000 bet only to see Keating jam all-in on the J♠* river, covering Veldhuis’ $103,900 stack.

“I said I was going to either win the biggest pot of my life against you, or lose probably.” The latter was true, as Veldhuis called and was shown a set, sending the $266,700 pot to Keating.

Veldhuis went from leading to ending the episode in a $130,000 hole. Limo, the loose cannon, found herself with just $300 profit with 88 hands and two episodes remaining.

Lex Veldhuis Loses Over $200k On Latest Episode of the Big Game

Tilly Crushes Keating

The fourth episode was dominated by a huge pot involving Tilly and the uber-loose Keating. Tilly raised with queen-jack, Cho three-bet to $3,200, and Keating called with K*♦10♦. Tilly put in calling chips, and the flop fell 9♦J♥3♥. Cho and Keating checked, Tilly bet $6,000 which folded out Cho but Keating raised to $24,000. Tilly called, and the dealer placed the 8♥* on the turn. Keating fired a $35,000 bet but couldn’t shake Tilly. The 2*♥* river put four hearts on the board, and Tilly held the Q*♥* Keating bet $82,000, which looked to have won the pot, but Tilly talked herself into a call. Keating looked on in disbelief as Tilly raked in a $292,500 pot, the largest of the Big Game on Tour so far.

Jennifer Tilly Crushes Alan Keating In The Big Game On Tour Episode 4

Limo Loses Her Stack

Episode 5 only had 22 hands scheduled, so Limo was running out of time to turn a large profit. She started the episode with $9,400 profit, and wasted little time in trying to run up her stack.

In a strange turn of events, Keating pulled out of the show while down $314,500. Griffin Benger replaced him for the final 22 hands, sitting down with $50,000.

Limo lost a chunk of her stack in a four-way pot where she fired a $25,000 bet on the river having turned a king-high flush only to correctly fold to Tilly’s shove; Tilly had an ace-high flush.

Limo and Tilly clashed again soon after, running it twice on a 6*♦Q♥7♥4♣* board, Tilly holding 6*♥5♥* and Limo Q*♦8♣*. The ladies ended up splitting the pot after catching cards on the river.

The loose cannon split another pot that she ran twice before getting her stack back up to a little more than $25,000. Limo got her stack in with K*♥10♦* against Tilly’s A*♣K♠*, and Tilly’s ace-high was enough to win the pot and eliminate the loose cannon.

Before Limo’s final hand, the largest pot of the season played out, one worth $399,200! Cho opened to $600 from under the gun, Benger three-bet to $2,200, Tilly called in the big blind, and Cho also called. The action folded to Benger on the 6*♥5♠4♠* flop and he bet $2,500, Tilly called, but Cho raised to $6,900. Cho’s bet folded out Benger, but Tilly stuck in another raise, this time to $30,000, which Cho called.

The 9*♣* turn saw both Tilly and Cho check, leading to the 5*♣* river. Tilly, who had 6*♦6♣* in the hole, which was now a full house, bet $35,000. Cho paused before moving all-in, which Tilly called. Cho turned over 5*♥5♦* for quads, and the gigantic $399,200 pot was hers.

Nikki Limo Ends Her Loose Cannon Run With A Big Gamble In The Big Game

A New Cast Takes to the Felt

Episodes 6-10 of The Big Game on Tour featured a new cast of players, including loose cannon Lily Newhouse. Team PokerStars’ Sam Grafton joined Newhouse at the table, as did Women in Poker Hall of Famer Maria Ho, Phil Laak, Las Vegas entrepreneur Dave Korsky, and actor and comedian Michael Ian Black.

Ho was forced to rebuy quite early on after she got her $50,000 buy-in into the middle with a set of fives, only to discover Black had flopped a set of nines. Ho won a chunk back against Laak but still finished Episode 6 at the bottom of the standings with a $33,500 loss.

The loose cannon also booked a loss, one of $29,000. Newhouse flopped top pair top kicker with her ace-king in a pot against Grafton, who had flopped a set of jacks. Newhouse improved to trip aces as Grafton filled up. Gratfon took most of Newhouse’s stack, leaving her with just $14,000, although she recovered slightly before time was called on proceedings.

Only Ian Black ($69,100) and Grafton ($25,800) finished in the green.

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The Krosky Show

Las Vegas furniture mogul Krosky stole the show on Episode 7 of The Big Game on Tour, overturning his $23,200 loss and finishing with $45,700 profit. Many of Krosky chips used to belong to Grafton.

Krosky completed a hat-trick of wins over the popular British pro. First, Krosky’s five-four backed into the nuts after Grafton had flopped middle set. Grafton would likely have been stacked had Krosky not tapped the table twice while considering his river bet size. Krosky’s actions were considered a check, and Grafton was let off the hook in an $11,800 pot.

In the next hand, Graton flopped middle set again, this time with pocket fives, only for Krosky’s suited five-three to turn a wheel. Krosky managed to get Grafton to pile the money in, and a $108,400 pot went to Krosky.

Ho then won a massive pot against Laak, who had turned a set of queens only for a king on the river to improve Ho’s ace-jack to a Broadway straight.

The episode ended with Ho top of the three with $50,800 profit from the two sessions. Loose cannon Newhouse clawed back some losses, but was still in a $17,100 hole.

Amateur Player Dave Krosky Steals the Spotlight in Episode 7 of The Big Game on Tour

Did Grafton Nitroll Newhouse?

Newhouse was involved in more big pots on the eighth episode of the series. Newhouse also revealed that she battled breast cancer in 2018, enduring 12 rounds of chemotherapy over five months. The experience has had a profound impact on her; she now follows her passions and dreams, which is one of the reasons she was hitting the Big Game on Tour tables.

The loose cannon raked in a $12,600 pot early doors but then lost a hand to Grafton in which the other players accused him of nitrolling; you decide. Newhouse opened to $700 with A*♣Q♣* and called when Grafton three-bet to $2,100 with A*♠A♦. On the K♦Q♠2♠* flop, Newhouse check-called a $1,700 bet before check-calling a $2,500 bet on the A*♥* turn. The 8*♠* completed the board and Newhouse led out for $5,500. Grafton went deep into the tank before making the call.

Grafton told the cameras behind the scenes that he felt she wasn’t bluffing and that if they thought it was a nit roll, he was guilty as charged.

Later in the session, Newhouse fired on all three streets of the K*♣Q♦3♦2♠7♣* board and received calls on the flop and turn from Grafton and Laak. Her $8,800 bet on the river with ace-king went uncalled, and Newhouse’s stack climbed to $49,300.

Loose Cannon Lily Newhouse Shares Her Cancer Survivor Story in Episode 8 of The Big Game on Tour

Grafton Forces Ho Off Aces

PokerStars’ Grafton ended the previous episode $3,100 down but finished Episode 9 $35,000 to the good. Much of Grafton’s profit came on the final hand of the night when he opened to $600 in the cutoff with 5*♦4♦. Ho three-bet to $1,800 with A♥A♣* on the button, Grafton called, and the flop came down K*♠10♣4♣. Grafton check-raised Ho’s $1,500 bet to $5,500, but Ho stuck around. He then led out for $7,500 on the 9♠* turn but couldn’t shake off Ho. The J*♣* river saw Grafton make it $20,000 to go, and that was enough for Ho to relinquish what was the best hand.

Can Sam Grafton Bluff Maria Ho Off Aces in The Big Game on Tour?

Loose Cannon Banks Largest Profit!

The final episode of the first season of The Big Game on Tour was one to remember for loose cannon Newhouse. After sitting down with an $8,700 hole in her stack, Newhouse ultimately finished with $105,800 in front of her, meaning she’d profited to the tune of $55,800, the most of any of her opponents.

Newhouse won a $23,700 pot with pocket sevens on a 9*♦9♣4♦J♠5♥* board after Krosky got a little too frisky with his A*♠3♥*. She also won a $1,000 bonus from Krosky after correctly predicting he would bet a small $300 on the turn as he had done several time in previous episodes.

A huge pot ensued late into the episode that propelled Newhouse to the top of the standings. It started with a $400 straddle from Newhouse, a call from Krosky in the small blind with 9*♦7♥, and a check from Newhouse holding 3♣2♣. Krosky flopped two pair on the 9♣6♦4♣* flop, and he bet $1,500, which Newhouse called. Krosky bet $5,000 on the 6*♣* turn, Newhouse raised to $12,500 and snap-called when Krosky jammed for $52,800.

The pair agreed to run the river four times, and Newhouse won all four runouts, and the $109,800 pot went to her.

Can the Loose Cannon Turn a Profit in The Big Game on Tour Season Finale?

Big Names Locked In For Season 2

Following the success of The Big Game on Tour’s returning season, a second season has already been filmed and is set to air in early 2025.

Four-time Super Bowl champion Rob “Gronk” Gronkowski was one of the first stellar names that PokerStars announced. Sports media personality Nick Wright, Mr VPIP himself Alan Keating, Team PokerStars’ Lex Veldhuis, and the one and only Antonio Esfandiari will join Gronkowski and the yet-to-be-announced Loose Cannons for another season of The Big Game on Tour.

As is usually the case, PokerNews is your one-stop shop for everything The Big Game on Tour related, so keep your browsers locked to our pages.

Matthew Pitt hails from Leeds, West Yorkshire, in the United Kingdom, and has worked in the poker industry since 2008, and worked for PokerNews since 2010. In September 2010, he became the editor of PokerNews. Matthew stepped away from live reporting duties in 2015, and now concentrates on his role of Senior Editor for the PokerNews.