With 2,300 invested four ways, the Q♥9♣4♠ flop was checked through to the 8♣ turn. It checked to Ian Bradley and he made it 10,000 to go. No call followed and the Brit claimed the pot uncontested. After entering late, he has already made some profit in the hour he has played so far.
Down to the last 6,200, Quan Zhou was all-in with the A♠Q♦9♠8♣. He was up against an opponent with the A♥10♥9♦8♦ and the 5♠4♦2♥K♠K♥ board ensured that ace-queen high was good enough for the double.
With 14 bracelets and nearly $50 million in tournament earnings between the four of them, there's no denying that Shaun Deeb, Josh Arieh, Daniel Weinman and Matt Glantz are poker crushers. But with resumes that include a $1 million bounty pull, a body fat prop bet victory worth nearly the same amount and a win in the biggest World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event in history, it's clear the group of close friends also have luck on their sides.
The four American poker players have branded themselves as "Team Lucky" — a name that Deeb may have come up with, though they aren't certain — as a way of consciously embracing and owning their good fortunes while fighting back against the jaded cynicism all to common in the poker world.
But Team Lucky is about more than once-in-a-lifetime bounty binks and turned two-outers leading to $12 million scores. As PokerNews learned during brunch with its four members, is more about friendship, camaraderie, and shared values than a good run of cards.
On the tail end of a J♥5♥9♠3♥2♥ board, Shawn Stroke bet the pot for 18,400. His only remaining opponent by then sigh-called and Stroke tabled the A♥6♥4♠3♠ for the ace-high flush, which also blocked any possible straight flush.
"Everyone thinks I am bluffing" Stroke said while two other players on the table remarked they had flushes. Even the caller exposed the K♥9♥.
"Because you bluff a lot," another player replied before Stroke concluded "don't worry, I will give back some later" to the player that had just paid him off.
Michelle Chin opened to 1,500 for Robert Cowen to call, Kevin Allen also came along in the big blind. They checked the 9♣5♠3♣ flop to the 3♦ turn on which Allen check-called for 1,800 when Cowen bet. No action followed on the 4♦ river and Allen tabled Q♥9♠9♦5♥ for nines full of treys to win the pot.