How I Got Kicked Off of High Stakes Poker
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- Опубліковано 25 лип 2024
- What’s it like to play on High Stakes Poker with Daniel Negreanu, Phil Hellmuth, and more poker legends? What’s it like to be KICKED OFF High Stakes Poker? This is the story of how I got to play (and how I got kicked off) High Stakes Poker.
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Like most poker players in the mid-2000’s, High Stakes Poker was my favorite TV show (I had watched every single episode, of course).
So when I got the invite to play from Mori Eskandani through my friend Tom Dwan, I knew I had the chance of a lifetime: I might get to play days of poker with my poker heroes (legends of the game both then and in 2023!)
Still, nothing could have prepared me for what it was like to sit down with Sam (Sammy) Farha, Eli Elezra, Jamie Gold, Phil Hellmuth, Jennifer Harman, or Daniel Negreanu (though Brandon Adams and I had battled plenty playing high stakes poker online ⚔️).
No, the high stakes didn’t bother me at all.
I’d spent plenty of time playing against the best online poker players in the world at $200/$400 and $300/$600.
What made me uncomfortable was playing poker on television, and the SPEED at which it happened.
Why - I get into it later in the video, but let’s just say I didn’t expect to be sitting in this situation, with these poker legends, so quickly.
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00:00 How I Got Kicked Off of High Stakes Poker
01:45 Hand 1 - Pocket Queens
04:29 Nits in the Game
06:58 Hand 2 - 10-7
07:26 Tom Dwan taking over HSP
09:36 Hand 2 - 10-7
11:17 My Experience on HSP - Ігри
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I'll never forget you throwing that hand away as it was your first live (non online) game and thinking, that's the kind of thing I might do too. (were I on TV)
I think Hellmuth calling you a nit is hilarious. lol
I literally went to the comments immediately to see if someone said anything 😂😂
It's a freaking crime
Nits don’t want to play against nits
Phil buys in for the smallest as he possibly can, And people want to see him, not because of his play, to see him blow up, He should be banned from playing on tv, period
Love it!!
I remember watching this back in the day. There was no feelings of "this guy is nervous" or "what a nit". I didn't even remember that you mucked half the pot. All I remember was being inspired that a 22-year-old self-made guy could be playing for hundreds of thousands vs legends. That was mind-boggling to me at the time. Guys like yourself and Dwan undoubtedly inspired a generation of future professional poker players. You guys are legends!
Awesome to hear that!! Thank you for sharing your impression from that time. It honestly didn’t enter my mind that a viewer might see me that way.
@@PhilGalfond Yeah this was the truth. Def don't remember thinking you were a nit, as someone who has watched every episode like 10x 😂
Also prob inspired a generation of broke losers sitting in a gamblers anonymous meeting. Poker is a hard way to make an easy living.
@@gnarlymcgnarlson6952 Speak for yourself. I have been playing professionally for over a decade 👍
@@PhilGalfond I remember watching these. And all I was thinking was the rest of the players were playing super loosely and badly.
it is very good to see people we admire showing moments that did not go exactly as expected, life is like that for everyone, sometimes we forget that when all people share are the moments that everything went well.
Myself and all my poker mates have always thought you were a superstar anyway Phil. I'm talking all the way back to those early online days too. You were who we wanted to play like
You wanted to play boring poker and muck the winning hand? lol
@@JohnSmith-su3ze Calling Phil Galfond's play boring is pretty hilarious.
@@matthewwestcott9138 The producers thought he was boring, which is why they didn't invite him back
Go and take it up with them lol
@michaelhoey9001 I was about to write this myself!
@JohnSmith-su3ze Except it isn't boring play. They were in a game of whales gambling and he was card dead. So yeah, your comments retarded.
The fact that Dwan felt you were a good enough person (personality/integrity/skill-wise) to be your friend back then and still be your friend today... just shows how great of a person you are and how great of a friend you are.
Thanks for being vulnerable in this episode.
but bad for tv
It's a big club and you ain't in it.
I guess you can join Doug in the "out" crowd....ur no Berkey
LOL Tom Dwan is NOT a good person, weird comment about "great person"
@@peterlohnes1 It's a big club and Tom Dwan is in it......
This is great. I've always wanted to hear you talk more about this.
Awesome. Glad you enjoyed it!
There's nothing wrong with how he played those first few hands. You play to win, not to feed into this reality TV poker atmosphere that involves entertaining the viewers by donking.
@@RobbieStacks90 except if you want to keep getting invites to juicy tv games or these days juicy streamed games you should to some degree play to be entertaining and gamble more than you would otherwise.
phil fully acknowlegedes this and says he didn't get it at the time.
put it this way you make way more playing decent while you're gambling and being entertaining over a lot of sessions than you would by being anti social boring to watch and playing great poker for one session to never be invited back again.
This is great content, Phil. Keep it up! You are currently one of my favorite content creators.
Always keepin it real, this is why you’re a role model to so many of us young grinders
Relax you're 49 years old and not considered young
@@ParissaKhoury I'm 27 lmao
Exactly the kind of content I was hoping for! Insights into the old days, background knowledge on poker pros, etc. Love it man. Thanks for the video, keep up the good work.
Awesome! Love to hear when I hit the mark. Thank you.
It's more riveting than HSP itself. They should get every pro to relive their moments.
I heard about this back when it happened, but because of your really great story telling, it felt like I was learning about it for the first time. Love seeing you in the poker content streets.
Awesome, man. Thanks so much ♥️
What an amazing reflection of your experience at the table. You got some real courage to open up to the public and share your thoughts on what happened.
99% of us would have done no better than you with such a line up and in front of the cameras.
Mad respect for this video bro
Kudos to you for making this video. I always felt that you were among the most admirable poker pros and the humility with which you approach a postmortem like this is also admirable.
Thank you so much 😊
I remember this well. Was (and still am) a big fan of yours and it was sad to see the heat you took!
❤
@@PhilGalfondKeep up the good work Champ🎉
Very cool that you can address this time so honestly and modestly.Makes me feel a lot better about some poor decisions I've made, based on lack of experience. Many Thanks. Max Credit to You!
Thank you so much!
Thanks for being willing to share your experience and elaborate. Some of us are afraid to try anything out of shame and fear of looking foolish. You're a great ambassador man.
Hi Phil. Takes a lot of guts to share this but i am so glad you did. So many times one’s nerves get the better of themselves, especially at such a stage. Took me a while just to get the live poker, forget live poker on live television. What i take away from this is that once we sit down to play anywhere, forget the cameras and the attention and just focus on trying to play your game without worrying about looking stupid. :) i think it gets worse if we worry about it .
Really appreciate you sharing something like this. Sobering reminder that for every person that achieves their wildest dream, thousands just barely fall short. Luckily things didnt turn out so bad for you anyway!
Love this. I’ve watched High Stakes Poker from start to finish at least 5-6 times and have always wondered what players thought in the moment/what their experience was like.
Would love other players to do this, obviously it might be hard to remember for some but would love to see Dwan to give it a go!
Ivey famously mucked a winning hand in a high-leverage moment. Everyone makes mistakes. More impressed by the fact that you were on a show like this at a time when most people are getting their first job.
I find this self reflective "behind the scenes" content very inspiring. It's not easy to share this in a world where everybody only wants to show off their best pictures. Respect and thank you for sharing this!
A watch a lot of UA-cam Poker stuff and this was the most interesting thing I have seen in a long time. I loved your honesty and really enjoyed this. Glad you learned from it and glad you continued playing and became a great player.
This is a Great video, Ur honesty goes really far to give us poker enthusiasts some really deep insight to the thought processes of a situation like this, A situation I have no doubt alot of us have imagined ourselves in and wondered how we would stack up. You are of course an incredible player, and to hear your honesty on how tough this was for you I personally found very educational, and entertaining. Keep up the good stuff man.
Thank you for your behind-the-scenes look at HSP; one of my favourite shows. Your modesty is refreshing, and the fact that you were crushing at 22 speaks for itself!
Fantastic video phil! It would be awesome to hear you talk through hands from other tv shows such as the big game with the loose cannons
I liked how friendly Jamie was there, right at the start. Probably had no idea that Phil was 100 times better than him, but he was 100% cordial.
Respect for posting this Phil. I would love to see the current version of you at that table. In the end it just comes down to experience.
I love the behind the scenes stuff! Thank you for sharing. Pretty awesome moment nonetheless
Your honesty and sincerity really shine through in your content. Keep up the great work.
Appreciate the video, Phil.
There is such a huge difference between the two that it's often hard, and rarely helpful for learning, to watch rich folk play poorly, win or lose. When I heard Gabe Kaplan's on air retirement announcement, I heard him exasperatingly (relatively, it was Gabe), trying to explain player's actions using poker knowledge, during play that had become inexplicable. The chasm has not faded, and I prefer a Triton Event to an HCL et al stream. I feel ya.
Great video, Phil! Loved the insight.
I remember even when I first watched this episode of HSP and I didn't know a lot about you, I thought Gabe Kaplan was being a little unfair, especially about the QQ on the Kxx diamonds board that you folded. Your play was pretty standard as you said. The commentary felt like a combination of results-oriented and narrative-driven. Easy to use it as a marker of you being just some online kid out of your element in the "big leagues" -- even though if a beloved live pro played the hand exactly the same as you the commentary would have been entirely different. I guess that's the name of the game, but it bugged me then and still a little bit now.
And I think for a lot of us this video represents such a relatable feeling, whether in the world of poker or outside of it. You know you're good enough at something, maybe even far better than most, but everything just goes wrong and you end up looking bad. Good reminder that it happens to the best of us, and it's just another obstacle on the road to success!
Phil, you may not have known you were famous, but even back then you had a following. Thanks for so many years of great grinding and content.
This was probably my favorite video of yours I've seen! Very interesting.
I remember you being on the show and was very empathetic. You were considered one of the best players in my mind at the time and I thought you were going to school them on HSP. The cards don’t always fall our way and it was a letdown…but such is life. Great to look back at a time when Poker was at such heights. Miss those lucrative poker days.
Edit: just fyi, you’re just a good dude Phil. I like and respect you even more today than I did back then. It’s obvious why everyone trusts you as a person.
Thank you for this behind the scenes, Phil!
You’re such an interesting and thoughtful person. Thank you for sharing these stories
You're a superstar to me. Your posts on 2+2 were so important for my growth and eventual slowdown in poker.
I remember watching you. Awesome clip for you to explain that. Thanks Phil.
Well done, Great insight! Good to hear your thought process
Thank you so much!
Thanks man. You’re easily my favorite poker coach, content creator.
thanks for the video. and at least you learn from the experiences. way to many online grinders still don't get it when they play live. granted playing on tv/stream is different but at the end of the day they should be fun for their customers to play with.
this was a really interesting time to be in poker but a lot of the older players really didn't understand how much they actually didn't know about nl strategy. but the younger players didn't get poker is best as a social game.
i also can't believe how young you look- i'm only a couple of years older than you and seeing this makes me feel old as hell!
Well put about how each side didn't understand the other at that time (and about how young I look!)
Great comment! So true that there are so many players that just aren't fun to play with, both good and bad. It's certainly better played as a social game and a much better watch that way. We knew Sammy was a fish, but he was fun to watch! Laak was smart enough to be entertaining while he was nitting it up, making it seem like he was more action.
@@PhilGalfond It's also interesting you were nervous b/c you were on tv (which I can understand) and not bc of the stakes. I remember watching and thinking it was the money that had you nervous not knowing you played bigger online.
Andrew Robl also looked super nervous playing on TV around that time and really looked like scared money. Meanwhile today he basically plays 1 car/ 2 car NL.
Much respect! Thank you for sharing.
Much appreciated! You're very welcome.
And again, Phil ur my absolute favorite player by far. The genuinity, the ability to elaborate ur thoughts clearly and concisely, and the mind set. Fucking amazing video
Because of my enthusiasm for that series and poker in general, this is awesome insight into some of the thought processes and the behind-the-scenes production. Would love to hear more!
And btw, my name is Phil too, but mine is indeed spelled n-i-t…
Awesome. Thanks, Phil!
What aspects would you like to hear more about? Just more stories of my career experiences and what it was like for me?
A v open, honest & humble assessment of your younger self there Phil. I enjoyed watching the vid, you're obviously a refreshingly genuine person
More content please Phil. Love the honesty. Thank you.
You got it
Phil you’re videos are great man. Always enjoy watching them.
sammy farha my favorite player back then, true legend
Mine too!
Huge fish he was
Phil, you’re a poker superstar to me, and to many. You were my idol growing up from 18-21, and you still are my idol now! Thanks for all you do!
Phil galfond has a channel, just wow. You are one of the most gifted poker players I've ever seen.
Galfond got that drip. Cargo shorts, scuffed up dad shoes, water jug.. Swag 😎
😂
It was a "poker show" indeed. I remember even Dwan was very silent and he was just sitting there, playing his game. What worked for dwan was his insane play style that put everyone on their toes. He was raising like crazy (which is pretty common in modern poker today) and bluffing like a boss. I like your insight, it came really unexpected and it changed the way I look at that show.
Great video, I was always curious how these young online guys who were barely 21 felt about being on this show.
My favorite part is you bringing the jug of water, as if there weren't going to be any water bottles or drinks available lol
I have to say since you bring it up in this video, that we will probably never see such masterclass/ownage again in this kind of lineup that Dwan executed in that season. Just unreal performance really.
Phil Galfond always has been a class act. I enjoyed watching you play on high stakes poker :)
Very cool insight Phil. Would have loved to see you on the recent HCL cash game!
I am very impressed by this video. Very real and I connected. Thanks for putting yourself out there.
I watched it at the time. I had already heard of Galfond online as one of the most "mathematically correct" player of the new generation so i was a little surprised by the performance in the show.
This makes this video reeeally cool to me to understand your state of mind then. I didn t even imagine how stressfull and heartbreaking the situation were to you.
Glad you went on and kept it real untill today.
This explains a lot, considering some of the plays you made on season 6. I remember you tried to bluff negreanu with 10-2 saying “I was trying to impress Doyle”
It's crazy to see how the legends look so young here and they still look great but it's crazy how I used to watch this show that didn't seem so long ago.. Thanks for sharing this Phil, stay blessed and kick a$$
LOL walking on set with that jug of water it looks like they just went outside and flagged down a cab driver to come sit in... great video man you're the best
haha everyone is like "is this guy here to work on the electrical outlets or something???"
Kudos to you bro, Takes a man to just be as honest, and comfortable in himself.
What a special era that was! Thanks for sharing.
Very well said. We were all doing the best we could, in that moment, with the awareness we had at that time.
That was awesome to watch! Inside info.. humility and interesting.
I was so excited when I see you playing high steaks poker I wanted you to win so much , I was disappointed that you didn't but I always thought you were down a bit , to hear you say it wasn't a losing session is great news.
Love this video. Very interesting getting Phils take. There's definitely something to be said to be playing IRL vs live cash pros when you're mostly an online player. Many young players can make fun of these older players and how corny they can be, but they've been playing cards IRL for most of their lives and it does have an affect on you if you're used to playing behind a screen.
Appreciate this perspective coming from you, Phil.
Nowhere near the stakes you play, but I happen to be in a “poker club” with a similar vibe. I try to entertain and be friendly to not alienate myself, but I’m not exactly the core of the club by any means and could see myself booted out if I’m not on their wavelength. Would you have any advice how to maintain a lasting relationship, if you will?
All checks out. You did the best you could with the information you had at the time and it didn't work out. Happens to all of us; the rest of us are just lucky that it doesn't happen in front of a million people.
Loved the video.
Nice video. You should make a follow up on how you got invited back for the last season at the Bellagio. The hand vs. Bill Klein was a doozy!!
You are a natural in front of a camera Phil. Only just discovered this channel, and I'll be checking your content regularly.
cool video, feels high production value with all the clips! Sometimes the cards just dont fall your way, to me you were and are very entertaining. Keep the stories coming! For example, are you someone who likes to bet on events? Of what crazy bets have you heard?
I remember knowing you from Tom Dwan's challenge, excluding you from it, thinking to myself what a legend this PHIL GALFOND must be, and later watched your bluefire videos with your signature soothing voice,
Unfortunately things didn't go your way on high stakes poker, but happy you're a blessed man overal,
🍀
Thank you so much! Yep, I'm very lucky in life. This was a valuable lesson for me. No complaints.
Appreciate you sharing this @phil . . . .
Bad TV or not, man, your roll and game speak for themselves. I stepped away from the game for about 10 years and still remember your name, so I guess joke's on HSP. They missed out, you're one of the greats.
great video, I think retelling old stories would be a great format for you.
Can totally relate.. nowhere near your stakes, but been booted from live stream games after becoming a regular for being too nitty and unentertaining. Thanks for sharing
My pleasure. Thanks for commenting!
Great content Phil !!! This type of video is why you show more integrity, intelligence and self awareness than 70% of this field. DO YOU brotha. Remember, If your taking flak, that means your over the target 👍
You're a sincere person dude. Thanks and cheers
I can totally understand it. If I’m any of those players I don’t want you at the table Phil, I bet you were a massive favorite against them and they knew it. It’s one of the few times being too good at your job hurts you.
Yeah, I completely understand it as well. I didn't know enough at the time.
@@PhilGalfond Your conclusion hit the mark. It was a TV show. They wanted "personalities".
They also wanted the feel of a "home game" or of a "local game". Most of these players knew each other from Vegas and of course had three seasons behind them. So there was a bit of table banter between them. A quieter player could it in but it's a hurdle.
There is no way a single one of those other players considered themselves to not be the favourite.
@@jakecooper5855 BS
Actually, it's not true. Due to the dynamics of the table playing GTO; or A.B.C poker is probably minus E.V.
Phil all your videos r great work. Your poker hand analysis and thinking process r elite. WWPD is what all poker players should ask themselves
Defiantly can see Galfond's PLO play style in this episode. All poker derivatives have a certain style that needs to be played to optimize RoI. Everyone has a their comfort level of risk too.
You are good TV now ❤️ and you have always been very good for poker overall ❤️❤️
Thank you very much. Means a lot coming from you!
Such a great personal reflection - very humble.
You're very eloquent with your speech. I always remember back in the day how highly everyone, including Dwan, spoke of you and that's how I found out about you. You were the first person to really make poker interesting with your analysis.
This is why there's a million and one clips of Phil Hellmuth being the heel and losing his temper. It's kept him on TV for like a decade. This was not at all the answer I would have expected clicking on the video, but a very powerful insight into the make believe of most TV shows we watch, whether it's drama, sports, or news. Cheers, Phil.
Phil Ivey mucked a winning pocket 8s in the WSOP main event one year. It's been aired multiple times. You're in good company brother.
Watched this show and never even realized you were on it wow! And I’ve never watched your videos - know you from Polk. All I can say is your candor is admirable. I see why you were very successful from very young in poker.
Thank you so much for the kind words. Welcome to the channel!
Never thought you were "bad" for TV poker as implied. When i saw the episode aired, I found your appearance more inspirational and intriguing to me seeing a young player making it to play the best. You, dwan, elky, lex and others stuck out from the online crowd from your appearance being so young then and your names continue to be relevant today. Actually if you didnt show up to the show, you could have passed by the wind in poker like Hac Dang and others who werent fortunate enough to ever get invited.
I'm really impressed by the thoughtfulness in Galfond's commentary. Had no idea he was like this.
Appreciate your honesty and humility. When we're young, we just don't know what we don't know.
Thank you for sharing this, especially for not cutting out your errors. It's a shame they cancelled you after 1 episode. I think a lot of people enjoyed seeing a new face in high stakes poker not just the same familiar old pros. I certainly did. Plus you deserved at least the one full day to prove yourself. I don't even think your mistakes were bad especially considering the pressure of being on TV in a game every poker player dreamed of playing in. It's not like you lost a massive pot making a bad error.
Thanks for sharing your story.
I remember watching the episode back when I started out around 2011 on YT.
It was cool to see you, one of the new generation of online players getting live table time on the show.
I didnt expect you to be goofing like Hellmuth or schmoozing like Sammy Farha wasnt the producers had that aspect already.
Everything works out in the end! I don't blame you for being out of your element on that show, I think it would be intimidating for the vast majority of players.
Yes! I was upset for a while, but I came to understand it later. It's all good and everything has worked out!
I for one enjoyed seeing you in those games. Like I said before, I have been following your career from those days. 👍
Thank you 😊
Would love to hear the perspective from some of the others at that game, given that you are one of the greats now and respected for your play.
Perspective is probably the same. No fun playing with a robotic nit that doesn't carry any conversation. Doesn't mean that Phil isn't one of or possibly the best in NL and PLO HU, but he just wasn't fun to play with at that time.There's a reason why it is a separate skillset utilized to get invited into certain games.
Well even if it didn't go as planned back then, you still had a hell of an experience that only a handful of people in the world ever got or will get, so be proud of that! And hey, from what I can tell, things didn't turn out half bad for you in your life. :)
Thank you for sharing with us!
You’re very welcome!
Great story. Thanks for sharing!
You’re very welcome!
I remember this episode, was watching the show recently. But I remembered that you made a returned in later seasons, and had an interesting hand against
Klein if I am not mistaken.