Tom Marchese Bluffs Phil Hellmuth at the Final Table

Tom Marchese and Phil Hellmuth were the last two Americans to face off against the German contingent at the final table of Event #2 of the Poker Masters on PokerGO. They got tied up in a hand where Marchese bluffed Hellmuth and then showed it to him for a Hellmuthian reaction.

Tom @BigCheese_poker Marchese makes @Phil_Hellmuth‘s head spin and the #PokerMasters blowup continues… Watch LIVE: https://t.co/lpfTRdR3bF pic.twitter.com/9DcpboAZES

— PokerGO (@PokerGO) September 15, 2017

“He just min-raised from the cutoff, the small blind called and I called from the big blind with deuce-three suited, which is fine,” Marchese said. “I flopped a flush draw with two clubs, it checked around and the turn was a four so I had a gut shot and flush draw. There’s two flush draws on the board, I lead out, Hellmuth calls and Fedor folds.”

“The river is an eight and I have the worst hand possible,” Marchese said with a smile. “At that point I felt obligated to bluff so I bet about two-thirds of the pot and he folds. With Hellmuth, you always have to show and give him the needle.”

Hellmuth stood up from the table and said, “What the fuck are they doing? Wow – how do I not catch that? You guys play so differently than I do, I wish I could I play you guys every day.”

Holz clapped back, “We wish the same.”

On the break following the hand, Marchese said that there wasn’t much history between them but showing his cards was a strategic move. “Phil is one of those guys that try to berate people into playing tight against him,” he said. “You just try not to fall into that and play your own game against him and you’ll be fine.”

Marchese is normally a more reserved player at the table but he had a noticeable grin at Hellmuth’s reaction. “Yeah, I enjoyed it,” he said. “I mean, I still try to stay focused and play my game, but it’s good to take part in the table talk and enjoy yourself at the tables.”

Watch the final table unfold live on PokerGO as another player gets a step closer to the Poker Masters Purple Jacket™. Each day’s replay is available under Event Replays within a few hours of when play ends.