The players have gone on a 60-minute dinner break.
Play will resume at 8:40 p.m. local time.
Joseph Hertzog: 7♠2♣/3♣10♠7♥10♦/8♣
Dekel Balas: XxXx/Q♦K♠6♦3♠/Xx
Nikolay Fal: XxXx/K♥A♦2♥9♦/Xx
Nikolay Fal completed and then called after Dekel Balas raised. Joseph Hertzog also came along to generate three-way action.
Balas bet on fourth and fifth streets, each time receiving a call from Fal and Hertzog.
Sixth street saw Hertzog bet out. Neither of his opponents went anywhere, instead choosing to flat.
No more money went into the middle on the river and it was Hertzog who emerged best with his two pair to scoop a massive pot, leaving Balas with just a couple of antes heading into the dinner break.
| Joueur | Jetons | Progression |
|---|---|---|
|
5,500,000 | |
|
3,750,000 | |
|
3,100,000
1,000,000
|
1,000,000 |
|
||
|
2,900,000
-200,000
|
-200,000 |
|
100,000 | |
Action was picked up on fifth street as the other players at the table were talking about dinner break.
Kenneth Kemple: XxXx/Q♣7♥6♣8♦/Xx
Christian Roberts: XxXx/3♥K♦3♠7♣/Xx
Roberts checked over to Kemple who bet and Roberts responded by raising, which Kemple called.
On sixth street Roberts bet and Kemple called, resulting in both players checking seventh street.
Kemple turned over A♥Q♠9♠ for a pair of queens which was good for the pot.
| Joueur | Jetons | Progression |
|---|---|---|
|
|
3,100,000
1,100,000
|
1,100,000 |
|
|
2,100,000
1,780,000
|
1,780,000 |
|
|
||
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.
Kenneth Kemple called with a 4♦ and Nikolay Fal completed with a 4♣. Christian Roberts raised with an 8♥ and both Fal and Kemple called.
Nikolay Fal: XxXx/4♣3♦5♠2♣
Christian Roberts: XxXx/8♥7♥Q♦4♠
Kenneth Kemple: XxXx/4♦K♦ (Folded on fourth street)
Kemple checked over to Fal who bet and Roberts raised, folding out Kemple and Fal called.
Roberts checked on fifth street and called a bet from Fal.
On sixth street, Roberts checked and Fal bet once more, sending Roberts into the tank.
"Flush is good if you make it," Fal said.
"I don't have a flush draw," Roberts responded as he contemplated his decision. Eventually he tossed what he implied was a set of eights into the muck and Fal showed him 6♥2♠ for a straight as he added to his lead.
| Joueur | Jetons | Progression |
|---|---|---|
|
|
6,300,000
1,200,000
|
1,200,000 |
|
|
3,200,000
-900,000
|
-900,000 |
|
|
||
Christian Roberts: XxXx/A♠5♥K♣6♥
Kenneth Kemple: XxXx/5♣7♦K♠J♣ folded sixth street
Christian Roberts completed and Kenneth Kemple chose to play along.
Roberts continued his aggression with bets on fourth, fifth and sixth streets. Kemple flatted on the first two occasions but could not find a call on sixth street, opting to lay his hand down to preserve his remaining stack.
| Joueur | Jetons | Progression |
|---|---|---|
|
|
4,100,000
700,000
|
700,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
2,000,000 | |
Joseph Hertzog completed with an A♥ up and Christian Roberts called with a 6♦.
Joseph Hertzog: XxXx/A♥3♠J♠K♥/Xx
Christian Roberts: XxXx/6♦3♣8♦10♦/Xx
Hertzog bet on fourth street and Roberts called.
Both players checked through on fifth and sixth street.
On seventh street, Hertzog bet and Roberts called.
"I got it," said Hertzog and he turned over 5♦4♦2♠ for a wheel, good for both low and high.
| Joueur | Jetons | Progression |
|---|---|---|
|
|
3,400,000
-300,000
|
-300,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
3,250,000
900,000
|
900,000 |
Life Outside Poker is a new podcast for PokerNews hosted by Connor Richards that seeks to pull back the curtain on poker players and allow viewers and listeners to get to know them on a personal level.
In the tenth episode, Connor speaks with health and life coach Tyler Todt, a longtime poker player who made seven figures in early online poker days before taking a job in the banking industry and eventually leaving that to become his own boss and a health influencer.
Todt talked about online poker pre-Black Friday, bum hunting Tom Dwan, the benefits of a balanced life, avoiding the pitfalls of Las Vegas, being bullish on humanity and his favorite non-fiction books.
This interview was filmed at the 2024 World Series of Poker (WSOP) inside Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas.
The Life Outside Poker podcast is available on major streaming platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and iHeartRadio. You can also watch the interview with Tyler Todt by heading to the PokerNews YouTube channel.
Christian Roberts: 5♦4♣/6♥9♠8♦6♣/10♥
Joseph Hertzog: A♣5♣/2♦8♣10♣5♥/J♥
Christian Roberts completed and Joseph Hertzog made the call.
Roberts bet on fourth and fifth streets, both times receiving a call from Hertzog.
Neither player chose to inflate the pot any more on sixth street or the river with Roberts winning the hand at showdown holding a pair of sixes.
| Joueur | Jetons | Progression |
|---|---|---|
|
|
3,700,000 | |
|
|
||
|
|
2,350,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
Nikolay Fal completed with a 6♠ and Christian Roberts called with a 4♥.
Nikolay Fal: XxXx/6♠A♣3♣4♦/Xx
Christian Roberts: XxXx/4♥3♦3♥5♦/Xx
Fal bet on fourth street and Roberts called.
On fifth street, Roberts checked over to Fal who bet and Roberts called. The same action repeated on sixth and seventh street.
Fal turned over 6♦5♣3♠ for sixes and threes with a six-five low. Roberts flashed A♣7♥5♣ for inferior fives and threes with a seven-five low and he relinquished the chip lead to Fal.
| Joueur | Jetons | Progression |
|---|---|---|
|
|
5,100,000
1,300,000
|
1,300,000 |
|
|
3,700,000
-1,000,000
|
-1,000,000 |
|
|
||
