Venetian Poker Live is the latest addition to the vibrant world of live poker streams. The new show joined the likes of Hustler Casino Live and Poker at the Lodge just weeks ago and is already making waves with some electric games.
Like any newcomer, the show will be looking to compete for its share of the market and outperform its competitors in one way or another. Venetian Poker Live has quite a few things going for it, from its high-end production to its partnership with PokerGO and its Las Vegas location.
Following the latest big game on the show, which featured some super high-stakes cash game action, we look into how Venetian Poker Live is doing right now and what it can do to compete for the top spot among live poker streams in the future.
High-Stakes Action Erupts in the Venetian Poker Room
It has only been a few weeks since Jean Robert Bellande and Brian Okin have been hosting their high-stakes game on Venetian Poker Live, and it has already become one of the best regular poker productions out there.
This Saturday, the game hosted Peter, Britney, and Pi Pi, three Asian poker players known for bringing the action to any game they play in. The result, of course, was more than $1,000,000 on the table and massive swings in each direction.
These players were joined by JRB and Okin, along with a few other Las Vegas locals who were looking to mix it up with the high rollers.
Unlike many regular cash games in Las Vegas, this game had a ton of action. Much of it was created by Peter, a player who has seemingly been involved with every major poker show in recent months.
As Peter tangoed with the locals, Pi Pi followed suit and took every creative line in the book to make the show fun for the viewers at home.
The game featured a “squid game,” which is a side bet that incentivizes players to play hands and punishes those who don’t win a hand in a little while.
Overall, the producers at the Venetian found every way they could to make the game as entertaining as possible, which resulted in one of the most epic live poker streams we’ve seen in a long time.
The Pots Are Getting Big on Venetian Poker Live
Saturday’s game saw the players play many six-figure pots, but one stood above all others, as it broke the record for the biggest pot played in the show’s short history.
Peter, Isaac, and Okin were involved in a $362,100 pot, as the Chinese businessman finally made a big hand, only to be one-upped by Isaac.
The hand started with the $800 straddle on and Peter opening it up to $2,400 with his 5♠4♠. Isaac came along with his 7♦6♦, Okin decided not to squeeze with K♥10♦, and Nick also saw the flop holding 10♠9♥.
The dealer put out an action flop of 5♥4♦3♥, giving Peter top two pair, Isaac the nut straight, and Okin a strong flush draw.
As you would expect from this group of players, the betting started right away, with Peter betting out for $8k, and both of his opponents making the call.
The turn brought the K♦, which further improved Okin’s hand, while also giving Isaac a flush draw to go with his nuts.
Known for his wild reputation, Peter kept on betting for $40k, expecting his opponents not to give him credit for a hand as big as he had. Isaac decided to wait no longer and pushed all-in for over $164k, putting Okin in a difficult spot.
With just a flush draw and a pair that’s likely beat, Okin got out of the way, while Peter snap-called with his two pair. The businessman was drawing slim as the two players agreed to run it twice.
The river cards brought the 3♠ and the Q♣, sealing Peter’s fate and making Isaac the winner of the biggest pot we have seen on the show to date.
What’s Next for Venetian Poker Live?
This week, Venetian Poker Live proved it has what it takes to compete with the likes of Hustler Casino Live and become a truly iconic poker show.
To date, Venetian Poker Live has only 5.4k subscribers on YouTube, but it is growing at an exponential pace, and its presence on the PokerGO channels allows it a lot more exposure than it would normally have.
The show has a few things going for it that no other show does. The PokerGO production level is unparalleled in the poker world, which makes the quality of the streams truly unmatched. The fact that the games are played in Las Vegas also brings them a special allure, as Sin City is widely considered the gambling capital of the world.
Following this week’s stream and the nosebleed action we saw, it is more than likely that many big players will become interested in the game. This includes both the pros and the amateurs, all of whom may be looking for a seat in next week’s game.
If JRB and Okin can continue to put together lineups like the one we saw on Saturday, Venetian Poker Live is destined to explode and fight for the title of the best poker stream within a year or two.
Knowing JRB’s history for hosting massive games like this one, we can only expect to see the action swell up even more, as more high rollers join the fray and make Venetian Poker Live a show poker fans will not want to miss.
