One of the Largest Livestreamed Cash Game Hands
Antonio Esfandiari and Alan Keating were involved in a $2,441,000 pot during Day 2 of the $500/$1,000 no-limit hold’em Super High Roller Cash Game on PokerGO, creating one of the biggest and most nerve-racking hands ever seen on a livestreamed cash game.
The hand took place in a straddled pot between two players who both had more than $1.2 million in their stacks. Day 2 of the game, which featured a $2,000 big blind ante, produced a string of six-figure pots and saw multiple players exit the session early after suffering significant losses.
Esfandiari Returns for Day 2 With a Big Stack
Esfandiari, who is mostly retired from regular high-stakes play, did not participate on Day 1. He entered Day 2 with a large stack and had already built a sizable profit before tangling with Keating, who had lost more than $600,000 during Monday’s session.
Their clash quickly became the defining hand of the night.
Preflop Action Sets the Stage
The hand began when Andrew Robl raised to $20,000 from the small blind holding K♦Q♣. Esfandiari, acting as the first straddle, made it $58,000 with 9♠9♥. Keating then four-bet to $125,000 with 8♥7♦.
Robl folded, and Esfandiari called to take the hand heads up to the flop.
Flop Check-Jam Shocks the Table
The flop came 9♦8♣6♠, giving Esfandiari top set and Keating middle pair with an open-ended straight draw. Esfandiari checked, and Keating continued with a $75,000 bet.
After tanking for roughly two minutes, Esfandiari opted against a slow play. Instead, he check-jammed all in for $1,084,000, a move that immediately stunned PokerGO commentators Ali Nejad and Brent Hanks.
Keating Calls and Players Run It Twice
Keating went into a lengthy tank of his own before announcing “call,” drawing another shocked reaction from the broadcast booth. The players agreed to run the turn and river twice.
On the first board, the J♦ landed on the turn and the 5♠ completed Keating’s straight on the river. The second board did not improve Keating, allowing Esfandiari to secure the other half of the pot.
The result was a chopped $2.44 million pot, sparing both players from a seven-figure loss while delivering an intense sweat for viewers watching on PokerGO and PokerGO’s YouTube channel.
Cash Game Continues on Day 3
The Super High Roller Cash Game concludes with Day 3, the final session, which is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
