Exit anti-hero Dan Bilzerian on “Poker After Dark” as it was time to move on to “Watch Your Step” featuring WPT champ Frank Stepuchin on PokerGO.
Stepuchin’s action-inducing ways helped create some big pots in the $50/$100 game, but he wasn’t the only force helping the game trend that way. The players also agreed on a $200 per head seven-deuce bounty, and boy did it play a role as nearly everyone at the table took their chances playing the rags one way or another. It worked better for some than others, as you’ll see.
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First Hand Fireworks
On the first hand shown — and apparently the first dealt as well, according to the commentary — investor Ilyas Abayev limped with 
, Alex Ding made it $400 with 
, Stepuchin called with 
in the small blind and big blind Marle Cordeiro came along with a hand that contained the 
. They were playing with a $200 per player bounty on winning with seven-deuce.
On the 
flop, action checked to Ding and he bet $400 again. Only Stepuchin continued, calling another $1,500 on the 
. He came out betting on the 
river with $3,200. Ding shoved all in for $7,700 and Stepuchin quickly called with the second-best hand.
Ship the $20,900 to Ding.
Roller Coaster Hand Plays Out Perfectly for Stepuchin
Stepuchin picked up the under the gun and made it $300. Cordeiro called with 
on his left, as did big blind Ronnie Bardah in the big blind with 
.
Everyone liked the 
flop and Stepuchin’s $500 c-bet was met with a call by Cordeiro and a raise to $1,900 by Bardah. Both of his opponents continued to the 
turn. Bardah bet on the small side with $2,800. Stepuchin called. Cordeiro thought a bit and called as well.
“Were these decks set up?” Bardah wondered.
“How many jacks are in the deck?” someone else asked.
The river: 
. Bardah moved in for his last $4,900, Stepuchin reshoved and Cordeiro found the fold. It was a $24,950 pot to Stepuchin.
Another Cooler for Ding
Stepuchin raised to $300 second to act with 
and got action from Cordeiro on his left with 
and Ding in the big blind with 
.
Stepuchin flopped the best of it on 
and bet $300, with everyone continuing to the 
turn. Ding checked, Stepuchin bet $1,100, Cordeiro folded and Ding made it a check-raise to $3,000. Stepuchin peeled to the river, which came a 
.
Ding potted it for $8,000. Stepuchin couldn’t find the fold and Ding collected a $23,950 pot.
All in for Stacks Preflop
With a straddle to $500 on, Cordeiro made it $1,600 first to act with . Alan Richardson called with 
in the next seat, and Bardah moved all in from the big blind with 
. Cordeiro quickly called for less and Richardson got out of the way.
With $14,850 in the pot, they agreed to run twice.
Bardah paired up right away on 
. He held up on the 
turn but got some unfortunate overkill on the , killing one of his outs to get a scoop. Cordeiro got a friendlier board of 
the second time to they each scooped in a bit of profit thanks to the dead money in the pot.
Cold Four-Betting the Worst Hand
Cordeiro opened under the gun for $300 with 
, Richardson called with and Abayev raised to $600 with . On the button, Ding woke up to 
but decided that was a good spot to cold four-bet it to $1,700.
Everyone folded back to Ding, who showed his rags with a grin. Everyone tossed over $200 with a groan.
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Photos courtesy of PokerGO.