Poker Night in America – Season 2 Episode 12 Recap – Empire State Triumphs

The location hasn’t changed, but the faces around the table have. A new group sits down around table and we also get watch the final table of the Empire State Hold’em Championships (with Poker Night in America’s Travell Thomas making the final table).

Playing in the cash game this week are:

• Travell Thomas
• Phil Hellmuth
• Jennifer Tilly
• Gina Fiore
• Richard Roeper
• Igor Kurganov
• Jacob Balsiger
• Andy Frankenberger
• Antonio Esfandiari

There are some big name players sitting around the table and in the first hand, we already get a huge exciting hand.

In the first hand four players get in on the action: Jacob Balsiger (A♦ 9♣), Antonio Esfandiari (8♣8♦), Phil Hellmuth (A♣Q♠) and Jennifer Tilly who bets blind, not looking at her cards. The flop is 5♥ 6♠ J♥ and still Tilly bets blind, throwing $500 in the middle. Balsiger wasn’t helped by the flop and so he folds, Antonio calls, thinking his pair of eights will hold. Hellmuth has some high cards but tosses them away, leaving just Tilly and Antonio.

The turn is a 3♠ and Tilly checks. Antonio bets $1,050 and Tilly decides it’s finally time to check her cards. She has 4♦ 5♠ which gives her a pair of fives and a possible straight draw; so she raises to $3,000. Antonio calls and the river is a 5♦, giving Tilly a set. Tilly bets a monster bet, $6,000 and after a little hemming and hawing, Antonio calls, giving Tilly the $20,225 pot.

Poker Night at the Movies: Stripes

In this installment of Poker Night at the Movies, the crew reaches into the back of the vault and pulls out a classic, the 1981 comedy “Stripes”. The scene they dissect is where John Candy teaches/cheats new army recruits. Chris Hanson introduces the movie by quoting film critic (and former colleague of Richard Roeper), who called the film, “A slob movie, a celebration of all that is irreverent, reckless and foolhardy.”

Phil Laak loves the scene, but in terms of poker, it’s so outrageous and unbelievable that you can’t help but laugh. He knows that it’s “purposely wrong on every level, but that’s the way it works.”

Jennifer Tilly praises John Candy’s character is such an “affable hustler.” The comedic acting in the scene is perfect and she loves everything about it.

Film critic Richard Roeper laments that we lost John Candy and Harold Ramis too early and goes on to praise the scene.

• Phil Laak gives it Q♦ A♣
• Jennifer Tilly gives the scene 4♣ 5♣ 6♣ 7♣ 8♣
• Richard Roeper gives it a full house, 10s and Kings.

So in the end, it’s a unanimous praise for John Candy, aka Mr. Vegas, and the film Stripes.

Teaser:

Jennifer Tilly wins blind while Stripes cracks up the Poker Night at the Movies.