Hellmuth's Home Game returned for its second episode of season 2, and the headline hand was a rare one: Dan "Jungleman" Cates turned a wheel straight flush on the river and collected a $36,725 pot from Ethan "Rampage" Yau. The episode, recapped by PokerNews, also featured a cooler for host Phil Hellmuth, a runner-runner flush that wrecked a Cates bluff, and a rapper at the table who turned a set into a big double-up.
If you want to know what happened, how the hands played out, and what recreational players can learn from them, this recap covers it all.
Where to watch and how the show works
The show airs on CBS Sports on Monday nights. It is presented by Poker Night in America and sponsored by BetRivers. It was filmed at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada, and it has no commentary, only table talk. The stakes are $25/$50 blinds with a $50 big blind ante. For more ways to find poker on television and streaming, see our poker on TV guide.
The lineup for this episode was a mix of professionals and personalities: Phil Hellmuth, Dan "Jungleman" Cates, Ethan "Rampage" Yau, DJ Washburn, Steven Jones Jr., the rapper 24kGolden, and Phillip "P3" Hellmuth III. The format is a cash game, so the stacks swing quickly, and the lack of commentary lets the personalities and table talk carry the story.
The five key hands
1. P3 vs. 24kGolden
24kGolden shoved with pocket nines, and P3 called with pocket queens. The board missed 24kGolden on both runouts, and P3 won the $5,300 pot. A pocket pair against a higher pocket pair is a classic situation in which the underdog needs to hit a set, and here it did not.
2. 24kGolden flops a set
Later, 24kGolden had pocket nines again, this time on a K-9-9 flop. He check-raised all in against Steven Jones Jr.'s two pair. The river was safe, and he doubled up to $7,175. Flopping top set is about as good as it gets in no-limit hold'em. The check-raise was a strong play against a hand like two pair that would struggle to fold.
3. Cates's straight flush
The big hand of the episode saw Cates turn a wheel straight flush on the river. Rampage had flopped two pair and later improved to aces and jacks. Rampage took several minutes before calling the final bet, and Cates collected the $36,725 pot.
Straight flushes are extremely rare, and getting paid on one is rarer still. Rampage's long tank suggests he was weighing whether Cates had the nuts, but his own hand was strong enough that he felt he had to call. This kind of situation is known in poker as a cooler: both players hold strong hands, and one of them simply has a better one. Nothing Rampage did was clearly wrong, although in hindsight a fold would have saved him a large sum.
4. Hellmuth loses to Broadway
Hellmuth had top pair with A-J on a Q-10-A flop. 24kGolden made a king-high straight on the river, and Hellmuth called a $2,000 bet to lose the $5,350 pot. It is a classic example of how a strong-looking hand can become second-best on a draw-heavy board. On a Q-10-A flop, many straight draws are possible, and a river that completes a draw can change the picture.
5. Cates's bluff backfires
Cates bet a ten-high straight on the river, but Jones made a runner-runner flush and raised to $6,000. Cates called and lost the $17,275 pot. "I shouldn't have bet," Cates said as he hit the tank. This was a rare mistake from a player who is widely regarded as one of the best in the world. Betting a ten-high straight for value is reasonable on many boards, but a flush on the board made the hand vulnerable, and the raise put him in a tough spot.
The results
PokerNews recorded the following changes for the episode:
| Player | Net change in the episode |
|---|---|
| P3 | +$6,925 |
| 24kGolden | +$4,500 |
| Ethan "Rampage" Yau | +$2,950 |
| Steven Jones Jr. | +$1,800 |
| Phil Hellmuth | -$9,650 |
| DJ Washburn | -$21,150 |
Cates's stack moved from $31,175 to $33,300 in the episode, a gain of $2,125, and he is ahead by $13,300 since the start of the series. The reported figures for starting and ending stacks for some players differ in ways that are hard to reconcile, so treat the exact totals with care. The overall picture is that Washburn took the heaviest loss, while the younger Hellmuth and 24kGolden were the biggest winners relative to their stacks.
What recreational players can learn
Home game-style televised cash games are entertaining, but they also offer teaching moments. Here are some takeaways.
Respect the board
Cates's bluff-bet with a ten-high straight failed because the board allowed a flush. Whenever you value-bet a straight, check whether the board has three cards of one suit or a pair. A strong hand in the abstract can be weak in a particular spot. For a review of how hands rank and how they interact with the board, see our poker hand rankings page.
Think about your opponent's range
Hellmuth's A-J on a Q-10-A flop is a good hand, but the river completed a possible straight. When a betting line from your opponent points to a strong holding, consider whether your hand beats enough of it. Calling $2,000 to win a $5,350 pot may look like a good price, but the real question is how often you are ahead. Our poker odds and what is pot odds explainers can help you work out whether a call is profitable.
Do not bluff a hand with showdown value
Cates's river bet with a ten-high straight was meant as a bet for value, but it created a difficult situation when Jones raised. Sometimes checking behind and accepting a smaller pot is the better choice. Our how to bluff guide explains when to bluff and when to avoid it.
Know your table
With pocket nines, 24kGolden shoved against P3's queens, and later flopped a set to win a bigger pot. At a table with a mix of pros and amateurs, aggressive plays may be more effective against some players than others. Reading your opponents is a skill that develops with experience. Check our poker tells page for more.
Why poker on TV matters
Hellmuth's Home Game is part of a wider trend. Television and streaming have made poker accessible to a broad audience, and the format of a no-commentary home game gives viewers a different perspective. The stakes are large enough to create drama, but the setting is relaxed enough to produce banter and personality.
For viewers, the show is also a good way to learn. Watching how professionals handle pots, tanks, and reads can teach you more than a textbook can. If you want to play the game yourself, our Texas Hold'em guide covers the rules and basic strategy, and the cash games page explains where to find games online.
The sponsorship by BetRivers is another sign of the crossover between poker and sports betting. If you are interested in sports betting options, our sportsbooks hub compares the sites we review, though always check what is legal in your area before you play.
Final thoughts
Season 2, episode 2 of Hellmuth's Home Game gave viewers a rare straight flush, a heartbreaking river for Hellmuth, and a surprising error by one of poker's best. The main lesson is a familiar one: in no-limit hold'em, strong hands are never safe, and the river often changes everything. For anyone who watches poker to improve, the best habit is to pause on each big hand, ask what you would have done, and compare your answer with what the players chose.
Tune in on Monday nights on CBS Sports to follow the rest of the season, and check our poker on TV page for schedules and other shows.