Pot Limit LOLmaha – Bankroll Challenge Day 22
Day 21 of the Bankroll challenge saw Doug Polk fighting in the NL10 streets for a second session in a row. After being (understandably) bored of full ring, he decided to take a stab at Heads Up Cash.
Heads up cash wasn’t good to Doug in the past, he decided to show all of us who doubted him how he made it to the highest stakes.
We begin Day 22 with seven extra buy-ins for NL10 and the bankroll at $237.
The Return of Twitter Strategy Segments (and Tournaments)
Doug started the day saluting the audience, as he always does, and announcing the return of the Twitter strategy Q&A segment.
The segment has been missed by fans since the Bankroll Challenge’s return and the Twitch chat was delighted at the opportunity to ask Doug their poker questions. Get involved by tweeting your questions to @DougPolkPoker the minute it’s announced.
He decided to go back to tournaments, starting with the appropriately named ‘’Bankroll Builder Freeroll’’ and a $5 tournament. He also registered a handful of $1-$10 buy-in tournaments, resisting the temptation to register a $20.
As tournaments popped up on the screen Doug got into a big pot in the freeroll with pocket Kings against a… strangely played hand.
WSOP.com Freeroll, Blinds 25/50
Doug is dealt 
in the SB
UTG1 limps, MP limps, Doug raises to 225, only MP calls
Flop (550) 
Doug checks, MP checks
Turn (550) 
Doug bets 425, MP raises to 1825, Doug shoves all-in, MP calls
River (6370) 
MP wins with 
“Alright, he limp/called and checked back the flop. This is some goddamned poker being played here.’’
Busting from Tournaments and Chatting with Twitchers
Doug’s freeroll hopes ended soon after losing with his Kings, but the grind continued on. About 1 hour into the stream he was four tabling 4 tournaments with buy ins ranging from $1-$10. The $5 tournament was going well, with Doug in third place and only 14 players left.
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Doug asked his audience for ideas for future YouTube videos. The Twitch chat responded with several ideas:
- Vlogs
- Poker lifestyle videos
- Specific Poker strategy segments (which Doug deemed too valuable to give away for free)
- Recording his live high stakes poker games (which turns out is illegal)
- Make porn (which was probably the most requested idea)
- While the suggestions kept pouring in, the 14 players became
As the ideas flowed in, Doug bursted the final table bubble of the $5. He apparently didn’t even noticed he was he on the FT bubble.
Doug battled throughout the final table, at one point even holding the chip lead with five players remaining (Top 3 spots get paid).
Aces no good!
But that wasn’t enough to win and he bubbled the tournament in 4th after a bad beat. The bankroll was down $40 on the day (at $197).
After busting out of a $10 SNG, and noting that another freeroll was coming, he decided to play a $10 6-max PLO tournament.
30 minutes later Doug was four tabling tournaments and, by all accounts, crushing it. He got involved in a crucial hand against WSOP.com player KevinJMatter.
WSOP.com $10 PLO, Blinds 30/60
Doug is dealt 
on the Button
UTG raises to 120, HJ calls, CO calls, Doug calls, BB calls.
Flop (630) 
BB checks, UTG bets 120, HJ calls, CO calls, Doug calls
Turn (1110) 
UTG bets 1110, HJ calls, CO calls, Hero calls
River (5550) 
UTG checks, HJ checks, CO bets 840, Doug raises all-in, CO calls 1300 more
CO shows 
Doug wins 9830 chips
- Right after the hand, someone asked Doug if who would he consider to be a bigger fish, Phil Hellmuth or Gus Hansen.
Doug’s answer: Gus is the better player, but Hellmuth never plays in games in which he will get crushed. You can’t say the same for Gus.
The Great Game of Pot Limit Omaha
By the third hour, focus had shifted to the PLO tournament. Doug single tabled as he waited for his final 2 other tournaments, the Big Buck began and $5 turbo rebuy, to begin.
After all the buy-ins and rebuys were over, the bankroll was at $180.
Doug still had a chip lead in the PLO tournament with only 11 left between him and first place.
Doug reached the final tables of both the $5 rebuy and the $10 PLO and preceded to go on an epic heater. Within a span of 30 minutes:
- Doug picks up 99 in the $5 rebuy and adds a chunk to his stack.
- The money bubble bursts in the PLO tournament.
- The money bubble bursts in the $5 rebuy.
- Doug picks up JJ and flops a set in the $5.
- Doug hits a strong straight in the PLO.
- Doug makes it to heads up in the $5 rebuy.
Doug was stacking chips left and right and his opponents were falling like flies. It happened so fast that it almost needed to be seen to be believed. If that wasn’t enough, Doug got a pretty reasonable flop after checking his option from the Big Blind with 92o.
‘’I believe this qualifies as a pretty cool goddamned flop.’’
Doug gave some of that karma back when he lost the heads up match a few hands later, but the Bankroll was still up for the day at $306.
He busted out of the Big Buck, but soon after he was heads up in the PLO final table. lucky for Doug this is the most valuable tournament out of the three.
Doug reached heads up and closed it out after just 1 hand. That’s what happens when it’s nuts vs 2nd nuts only 25 BBs deep.
The amazing session was over and now the Bankroll is now at $480.
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