Dan Cates dominates Phil Hellmuth in a wild Home Game session

Televised cash game brings another swing filled episode

Dan “Jungleman” Cates became the main story of the latest Hellmuth’s Home Game episode after winning several key pots and leaving Phil Hellmuth with one of the roughest results at the table.

The show is airing on CBS Sports on Monday nights and was filmed at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada. Its format stands apart from many poker broadcasts because the action is built around table talk instead of standard commentary. Viewers hear the players react in real time, with Hellmuth, Cates and the rest of the table shaping the rhythm of the episode.

For BCPoker readers, this session was a clear example of how fast a cash game can turn. Cates began the episode in the red, but by the end he had built the biggest stack through timing, pressure and strong value spots.

The game was played with $25/$50 blinds and a $50 big blind ante.

Kelly Lucas exits after running into aces

Kelly Lucas opened the action from the cutoff with 8♣7♣, raising to $300. Erick Lindgren found A♠A♦ on the button and three bet to $900. The action folded back to Lucas, who called.

The flop came 6♥6♣5♠, giving Lucas an open ended straight draw. She moved all in for $2,350, and Lindgren called right away. The pot reached $6,725, and they agreed to run the board twice.

On the first runout, the turn was 8♥ and the river was 7♦. Lucas improved, but Lindgren’s aces still took the first half. The second runout brought K♥ on the turn and 5♦ on the river, which also kept Lindgren ahead.

Lucas left the game down $20,000. Before walking away, she wished the table good luck and said she would see them the next day.

Cates makes a full house against Lindgren’s flush

One of the biggest pots of the episode started when Xuan Liu raised to $300 on the button with K♥Q♣. Cates called from the small blind with 6♠6♣, and Lindgren completed from the straddle with J♦9♦.

The flop came 6♦A♦4♦. It was a dangerous board for everyone involved. Cates had flopped a set of sixes, while Lindgren had already made a flush.

After two checks, Liu bet $250. Cates check raised to $850. Lindgren then raised again to $1,800 with his flush. Cates called, creating a tense turn spot.

The 4♣ on the turn gave Cates a full house. He checked, and Lindgren moved all in for $5,725. Cates called immediately.

Lindgren had no outs heading to the river. The 2♣ changed nothing, and Cates took down the $16,300 pot. Lindgren then reloaded for $5,000.

Hellmuth pays off Jungleman with a worse straight

Cates later opened to $250 from the cutoff with A♣J♦. Hellmuth defended from the straddle with J♥10♣.

The flop came 5♦10♣K♣. Hellmuth checked and called a $200 bet after making a pair. The Q♥ on the turn gave Cates Broadway, while Hellmuth checked again.

Cates bet $1,000, and Hellmuth stayed in the hand. The river was the 9♣, giving Hellmuth a lower straight. After another check from Hellmuth, Cates fired $2,500.

Hellmuth called quickly, only to see the $8,025 pot pushed to Cates. It was another clean value spot for Jungleman and another painful moment for Hellmuth.

Cates stacks Hellmuth after flopping the nuts

Hellmuth’s session became even worse in a double straddle pot.

Jennifer Tilly limped under the gun. Hellmuth raised to $2,000 from the big blind with A♦6♠. Cates called from the double straddle with Q♣J♣, and Tilly folded.

The flop landed K♥10♠A♠. Hellmuth had top pair, but Cates had flopped the nut straight.

Hellmuth bet $1,200. Cates moved all in. Hellmuth called off his remaining $1,750 and immediately learned he was in bad shape.

They ran the $10,275 pot twice. Hellmuth failed to improve on either board, and Cates won the full pot. That result forced Hellmuth to rebuy.

Tilly misses twice with ace king

Jennifer Tilly later found ace king but could not beat Hellmuth’s pocket pair.

Cates raised to $250 from the hijack with Q♣9♦. Tilly three bet to $900 from the cutoff with A♣K♠. Hellmuth then shoved for $3,875 from the big blind with 9♠9♥.

The action returned to Tilly, who called and created an $8,175 pot. Hellmuth needed his nines to hold, and they agreed to run it twice.

The first board came 10♣Q♦5♥Q♥3♥. The second board came 6♦8♣3♠10♠2♠. Tilly missed both times, and Hellmuth won the full pot.

Jungleman ends far ahead while Hellmuth takes the biggest loss

Cates finished the episode with $62,475 in his stack and a profit of $32,475. That made him the clear winner of the night.

Jennifer Tilly also ended in profit with $22,825, good for a gain of $7,825. Phillip “P3” Hellmuth III closed with $13,900 and was up $3,900. Erick Lindgren had $13,025 and finished up $3,025.

Xuan Liu ended with $8,000 and a $7,000 loss. Kelly Lucas finished with no chips in play and a $20,000 loss. Phil Hellmuth closed with $4,775 and was down $20,225.

Cates controlled the biggest moments of the episode. He won the full house over flush pot against Lindgren, got paid in a straight over straight hand against Hellmuth and stacked Hellmuth again after flopping the nuts. Hellmuth managed one double through Tilly, but it was not enough to undo the damage.