Sponsored by PokerStars, The Big Game was one of the biggest and most popular poker shows ever shown on TV. Back in 2010, the show was all the rage, and it brought us some of the most unforgettable moments in TV poker history.
One of the most memorable hands of all time happened very early in the show, just as the first-ever “Loose Cannon” took his seat to play with the big guns, including none other than Phil Hellmuth, widely respected as one of the best tournament poker players in the world.
Known for his brash reactions and often somewhat disrespectful remarks made toward his opponents, Hellmuth was always a player who made games interesting, as you never know what to expect next from him.
In this epic hand, Hellmuth out flopped his amateur opponent by miles, but got extremely unlucky on later streets. What made things even more interesting was the presence of Phil’s nemesis Tony G, and his long-time friend Daniel Negreanu at the table, as both did their best to needle Phil and celebrate the amateur’s good fortune.
The hand demonstrated a few key concepts for the viewers at home. For one, it showed that even an amateur can get lucky against the pros, but more importantly, it demonstrated the kind of emotional fortitude it takes to really make it in the game of poker.
Hellmuth Hits Big and Gets Paid Even Bigger
One of the most memorable hands in TV poker history started with a group of professional poker players playing against one amateur at the table. The amateur was staked in full by PokerStars, dubbed “The Loose Cannon,” and could only take home the profits he made in the game.
This incentivized The Loose Cannon to play fairly loose and aggressive, and the first-ever player to take this position, Ernest Wiggins, took this task seriously. With the blinds already at $200/$400, Wiggins put on the $800 straddle and got lucky to look down at K♠K♣.
To make things even better for him, the table was playing splashy, and the late Doyle Brunson, a legend of the game, raised it up to $2,800 holding 6♥5♥. Next to act was Tony G, who wasn’t going to fold his J♠10♥, and the action got to Phil Hellmuth himself.
The Poker Brat decided his opponents were weak, so he could go for a re-raise and try to steal the pot holding nothing but A♥9♦. For Wiggins in the straddle, this was great news, but as inexperienced as he was, he opted to just call. This opened the door for the other two players to come along.
To Hellmuth’s incredible fortune, the flop brought 10♠9♠9♥. He led out with a c-bet, and Wiggins raised it up nearly instantly to $36k. Phil only had about $80k to start the hand, but he decided to tank for quite a while before putting it all in.
When the cards were revealed, it was clear that the amateur was in trouble, and some of the players at the table begrudged Hellmuth for the time he took to move all in, considering The Loose Cannon had already committed himself.
Be as it may, the two were now playing a pot worth just under $200,000, a fortune for The Loose Cannon, but a big pot for Phil’s standards as well. What came next was a minute of poker that will last forever.
Hellmuth and Wiggins Run It Four Times
If you’ve ever watched Phil Hellmuth play cash game poker on TV, you will have noticed he loves to make deals and hedge his bets whenever possible. In this particular situation, he suggested to the loose cannon that they run the remaining cards four times, which would give him some chance of getting at least a quarter of the pot.
With only 15% equity in the pot, Wiggins accepted the offer, which was quite fair from Phil to make, as it did give the amateur a reasonable chance to get some of his money back. On the other hand, Phil was quite sure he was ending this hand with at least some profits in his pocket.
The first board brought the J♥ and the A♦, which meant the poker legend would scoop up the first quarter of the pot.
The second run, however, was a lot more interesting. The turn card immediately brought the K♥, giving Wiggins new life. The inconsequential 3♣ on the river secured a quarter of the pot for Ernest.
What's better than one sick beat? Multiple sick beats. 👇
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You voted @phil_hellmuth vs Ernest Wiggins as the Sickest Bad Beat in PokerStars history.
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The third run was where things got interesting. The dealer put out the [invalid notations] and 8♠ on the turn and river, which meant Wiggins had a flush. Another quarter of the pot went his way, and the other players at the table could hardly hide their excitement.
As the final board was about to be dealt, Hellmuth was already steaming. The turn card was the Q♣, which gave Wiggins a few additional outs. When the river brought the last remaining King, the K♦, the table erupted with excitement, as Tony G, Daniel Negreanu, and Phil Laak all took to celebrating with The Loose Cannon.
Hellmuth has since questioned the etiquette of the players who were actively celebrating his loss in a big pot, but Negreanu and the other pros rightly pointed out that this moment was massive for The Loose Cannon, and just another hand of poker for The Poker Brat.
A Lesson in Etiquette and Tilt Management
There are a few important lessons to take from Hellmuth’s epic showdown with Wiggins. On the one hand, Phil was right to point out that celebrating his loss was somewhat out of line. The other players should not have celebrated so much, but Phil simply made it too easy for everyone back in the day.
Regardless of how anyone feels about The Poker Brat, he was in the right, and his opponents absolutely stepped out of line with their reaction. However, it’s important to remember that this hand was played on a TV show, and everyone in the studio was doing their best to make the show as memorable as possible.
More importantly, the unlikely turn of events and the way Hellmuth lost three-quarters of the pot in this hand also showed us just how brutal poker can be. Even as an 85% favorite, Phil was able to lose three of the four runouts, a very unlikely outcome.
Yet, this is just the way things go in poker sometimes, and there was nothing for Hellmuth to do but accept the loss and keep playing. As a professional poker player, being able to accept beats like this and keep playing your best game is the difference between winning and losing in the long run.
And while Phil Hellmuth may often go berserk in the way he acts and talks at the table, his game rarely reflects his tilt, which has been a big part of the secret to his longevity and success in the competitive poker world.
