Poker Night in America – Season 2 Episode 18 Recap – Three Rivers, Two Zombies, and One Vendetta

Sitting down on day one of the cash game is:

• Shaun Deeb
• Phil Hellmuth
• Jennifer Tilly
• Tom Schneider
• Matt Glantz
• Asher Conniff
• Linda Kenney Baden
• Gavin Smith – as a zombie courtesy of makeup artist Tom Savini (twitter)
• Greg Mueller – as a zombie courtesy of makeup artist Tom Savini (twitter)

Zombies aside, this is the first episode to feature Asher Conniff, one of two players to win their spot in the cash game by winning an 888poker tournament. You can read more about winners Asher Conniff and Andrew Hanna’s experience by clicking here.

In the first hand of the episode, we learn that Jennifer Tilly has is out for Phil Hellmuth, but instead settles for going head-to-head with Shaun Deeb. After the flop of Q ♠ 10 ♦ 3 ♠ , Jennifer Tilly bets $300 with her K ♣ J ♥ and Deeb calls with his 7 ♦ 3 ♣ but both Tom Schneider and Phil Hellmuth decide to bow out. The turn is a 4 ♥ and both players check with $2,550 in the pot. Deeb at this point is leading with a pair of threes. Deeb bets $1,700 and Tilly calls, pushing the pot up to $5,950. Deeb’s lead doesn’t last to the river though, as a 9 ♣ is flipped over giving Tilly the straight and the hand. She bets $3,000 and Deeb takes a long, hard look at his hand and after a few moments decides that he’s going to fold.

A new target

In another doozy of a hand, Jennifer Tilly faces off against Tom Schneider. The hand starts off with four players paying to see the flop of 3 ♠ 10 ♠ 2 ♦ . Jennifer Tilly is the first to act with her 5 ♠ 3 ♣ and bets $350 and Schneider raises to $800 with a pair of aces (A ♣ A ♥ ) and that knocks Matt Glantz and Shaun Deeb from the hand. With $2,225 in the pot, the turn is a 9 ♣ , which hurts Tilly’s chances, but she doesn’t act like it, betting $1,200. Sensing his chance, Schneider raises to $2,800 and she quickly senses that Schneider has the nuts and tosses her cards to the muck. As Tom is organizing the $6,225 in chips, Tilly announces, “New target: Tom Schneider.” She goes on to explain that her number 1 target is still Phil Hellmuth, but Shaun Deeb is no longer the second target, now Tom Schneider is. Tom’s reaction? A humble, “There you go,” which seems like he isn’t too worried.