Jason Koon Makes Work of Phil Hellmuth in ‘High Stakes Duel’ Poker Game
Published on: December 8, 2022, 7:09am.
Last update: December 8, 2022, 7:09am.
Daniel Negreanu, Tom Dwan and Antonio Esfandiari are just a few of them poker pros who have faced Phil Hellmuth at PokerGo’s High Stakes Duel and fallen However, the Poker Brat was kicked off his perch Wednesday night by first-time Jason Koon.
Hellmuth has repeatedly used his Jedi mind tricks to outwit his opponents in head-to-head poker battles, but not this time. Going into last night’s battle, he was 9-1, with his only loss coming against Tom Dwan in August of last year.
As the stakes have increased, so has the level of play. Now up for a $1.6 million pot last night, Koon, a WSOP bracelet holder who is worth more than $40 million in live poker, bested Hellmuth with little trouble.
The cards fall badly
Hellmuth had a hard time finding favorable cards last night, but that wasn’t the only problem. Koon, who volunteered to fill in for Scott Seiver after he retired in August, picked up on his opponent’s style quickly and never let go.
The defending champion came out aggressive and was able to clear a couple of smaller pots via bluffs, but Koon adjusted and took command. when Hellmuth he tried to harass through a pot while holding a Q-6, his stack and ego deflated.
Koon was holding pocket rockets, and Hellmuth was suddenly down 2-1 in chips. As the Poker Brat tried to fight back, he found some minor wins but could never get back on track.
After an hour after they started to sweat, Hellmuth had a horrible run that would have had Wild Bill Hickok shot in the living room. Koon repeatedly started with A-high hole cards, while Hellmuth got nothing.
The repeated hits took their toll and Hellmuth became more frustrated as he couldn’t find any pot. He tried to trick himself through a partner, which also failed miserably.
Koon’s coup de grace was when he forced his 16-time WSOP winner to fold with a better hand. Holding pocket twos against Hellmuth’s 7-7, Koon got Hellmuth to fold, a sign he was on the ropes.
After only three hours, the shortest High Stakes Duel still, Koon finished off Hellmuth. The eventual winner had a 10-1 lead when Hellmuth thought he had hit pay dirt. Sitting on AK against Q-8, they moved all-in. However, Lady Luck returned once more for Koon, who scored a Q on the flop for the win.
Time for a rematch
If Hellmuth wants to, he can look for a rematch against Koon, but it will cost him. Now he would have to shell out $1.6 million for a game worth twice as much. His loss last night cost him $1.35 million, which he had accumulated up to that point thanks to consecutive wins.
Give maximum credit to @Jasonkoon, played some great poker in our “High Stakes Duel.” Congratulations on the win Jason, you are a class act and a great player and everyone knows it. I enjoyed playing the first 11 games of the HSD, finishing 9-2 #POSITIVITY pic.twitter.com/DuTIj9GDG0
— phil_hellmuth (@phil_hellmuth) December 8, 2022
If he doesn’t want to continue, Hellmuth leaves empty-handed. However, this is not the tantrum-throwing Poker Brat poker fans love to hate.
After Hellmuth lost to Dwan, the two got back together last January for a rematch. Hellmuth came out on top that time and hasn’t let up since.
Not likely to go down without a fight. With more than $26 million in lifetime poker earnings, he might be willing to open his wallet to save his reputation. If not, there will be others ready to take their place at the table.
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