PokerStars Big Game is Back with Doug Polk, Tony Hinchcliffe & More

The PokerStars Big Game, once a popular poker show on the American TV network FOX, is back! Although it now airs on a much smaller platform, the official PokerStars YouTube channel, fans of the card game will again be able to enjoy the classic format.

It is a six-handed, high-stakes No Limit Hold’em cash game. The twist is that there is a “loose cannon,” an amateur who is being staked by the show for entertainment purposes. This season, which started airing on Sunday, November 8th under the name PokerStars Big Game on Tour, poker fan celebrities were also featured on top of the loose cannon. They were comedian Tony Hinchcliffe of the popular Kill Tony Podcast, and reality TV star Princess Love.

Some big poker names were also in the mix. 3-time WSOP gold bracelet winner, online heads-up NLHE specialist, and poker content creator Doug Polk was at the table. So was Antonio Esfandiari, another 3-time WSOP bracelet winner, who was also a recurring feature on classic poker shows such as Poker After Dark and High Stakes Poker back in the day; as well as Esther Taylor, who was a frequent player on Poker Night in America.

Hinchcliffe is not a complete stranger to poker, as he has developed a friendship with Doug Polk who, in turn, is exploring a side career in comedy. The two have been coaching each other in their respective fields.

Just like Hinchcliffe, this season’s loose cannon also comes from the comedy world: he is comedian and show host Scott Gaughan. As per the original rules, he will have to be in the black after 150 hands in order to cash out his stack for himself.

What Happened on the New Season of PokerStars Big Game?

The most talked about hand took place between Doug Polk and loose cannon Gaughan.

Polk bet $15,000 into a pot of $20,000 on the river holding ♠9♦9. The board ran out ♣4h7♦2 ♣3 ♠5, meaning that he was holding an overpair. His opponent, however, was holding an even higher pocket pair, ♠K♣K.

Controversially, Hinchcliffe — who was probably not familiar enough with poker rules — correctly guessed what Gaughan had, calling his hand as pocket Kings. It was impressive, but also illegal during a live hand in most poker rooms in the world.

Polk, capitalizing on the very unusual table talk that was allowed to stand, told Hinchcliffe, ‘If he doesn’t have an Ace [for a straight], he should probably just fold’. Most likely, he realized that his bet was actually a bluff and not a value bet after he had received a nonverbal confirmation from his opponent that he did in fact have Kings in the hand.

The amateur Gaughan ended up folding, and the pro Doug Polk collected the pot.

The PokerStars Big Game originally aired on FOX between 2010 and 2011. It returned on the PokerStars YouTube channel in 2024, and has been streaming new episodes there since.