The PokerListings Daily 3-Bet is a quick set of sit-ups, a brisk walk to the bodega and an alarmingly fast heartbeat reading on the afternoon poker news FitBit.
Got a tip for a future 3-Bet? Drop us a note about it in the comments.
Today in the 3-Bet we find Phil Ivey battling the best friend a Hobbit can have, Phil Hellmuth pounds some pavement and the bleeps come off on EPT Not Live.
1) Ivey vs. Astin on Shark Cage 2
Unphased by Hobbit.
We've shamefully fallen behind on our Shark Cage Season 2 viewing but after catching Episode 12 this week we're very intrigued to see how this season plays out.
With just one seat left at the final table the star attraction in this heat was Phil Ivey, who rarely participates in these things but given the free $1m up got grabs likely found the value too good to resist.
Joining him in his heat (which was filmed at the EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo this Spring) were Vanessa Selbst, Artem Litvinov, Faraz Jaka, a Russian qualifier and the surprisingly solid Sean Astin.
Astin you might know as either:
- a) Samwise Gamgee from the Lord of the Rings
- b) Rudy from, err, Rudy
- c) Mikey from The Goonies
All three are pretty delightful ways to recognize him.
We won't spoil it for you but the winner will join Daniel Negreanu, Jen Shahade, Maria Ho, Antonio Esfandiari and Andre Akkari in the $1m finale.
Griffin Benger won Season 1 of the Shark Cage for that cool million, btw.
Watch the episode below:
2) Hellmuth on Running: Seems Weird
So Phil Hellmuth has got it in his head that running - as in the actual physical placing of foot after foot in accelerated motion - is good for his bankroll and has taken to the streets of Northern California in pursuit of said activity.
While we'd give plenty of our own bankroll to watch his efforts from a distance, it does seem like it's paying off for Phil in a few ways:
Ran for 30 mins (happy), cept when I fell down and rolled 5 mins in, in front of a busy stoplight and MAX people! #GuessILikeABigAudience— phil_hellmuth (@phil_hellmuth) November 26, 2015
Ran 30 mins: my 3rd workout in last 5 days. Won $80,900 after my 2nd workout on Monday. Why didn't I run Tuesday (lost $19,200)? #Doh!— phil_hellmuth (@phil_hellmuth) November 26, 2015
Made it 30 mins for my run today (happy)...amazing how little I eat--comparatively--when I run consistently, seems weird. #LosingWeight— phil_hellmuth (@phil_hellmuth) December 1, 2015
Just finished a run in the Nor Cal rain: made it 30 mins (happy). Working out for #Longevity #ClarityOfMind, oh and #RunsHelpMeWinMoney— phil_hellmuth (@phil_hellmuth) December 4, 2015
Will Phil's newfound habit hold all the way until the 2016 WSOP, thus ensuring bracelet #15? We can't wait to find out.
3) Enjoy EPT Live? Try It With More Swearing!
With the massive 128-event Prague Poker Festival now underway we can't help but turn our minds to the upcoming EPT Main Event and its accompanying live stream.
The poker, of course, is usually scintillating but for some (us included) its the spirited, self-flagellating banter of hosts James Hartigan, Joe Stapleton, Matt Broughton et al. that take poker streaming to the next level.
Like EPT Live but on Cinemax
It's not for everyone, as Stapes is repeatedly told on Twitter, but for our money it's the best thing going in poker entertainment. At least until Hip Hop Hold'em is resurrected.
If you feel the same and want more of that A-game repartee - except with added cuss words - have we got the opportunity for you.
You probably already know about it, but still. Hartigan and Stapes are now 28 episodes in to the "offline" version of their EPT Live streams and, as expected, it delivers the same high-quality poker noodling we've come to expect.
It's funny, it's informed and it affords a steady diet of pleasurable potty talk. What more can you ask for? This week's guests/topics include Vanessa Selbst, the new Kid Poker documentary and more.
