WPH #536: She Has POCKET ACES & He Is BLASTING Off!!!!

#pokerstrategy #highstakespoker #thelodgecardclub


Xuan Liu is playing in a massive high stakes poker game at The Lodge Card Club, with not one but two straddles on! She sees a raise in front of her from the loose Tesla before she looks down at the best starting hand in poker, the beautiful pocket aces. She must already be thinking about how she can get all of Tesla’s chips! However, everything changes when Tesla puts in the rare double check-raise before finally shoving on the river. But nobody can work out if this is a value bet or a bluff! What do you think?

When playing against a player you regard as very loose, you should look to use larger bet sizes with your strong value hands. Their calling range becomes inelastic to bet size as they generally decide whether to call or fold to a bet with their specific hand and disregard the size of the bet. Be careful when doing this that you do not use a size that is above their calling threshold, many players can get overly scared of bigger than pot sized bets so you must figure out who these opponents are and adjust accordingly!

Xuan Liu is a Canadian professional poker player with over $2,300,000 in live tournament earnings. Her largest cash of $600,000 came in 2012 when she finished 4th in the $10,000 buy-in Pokerstars Caribbean Adventure (PCA). 888poker sponsored her from 2010 to 2015. Xuan has played over 30 times in live streamed cash games at different venues and is down over $200,000.

James, also known by “”Tesla”” is an American amateur poker player and entrepreneur who lives in Panama City Beach, Florida, USA. This was his first appearance on The Lodge Live Stream. James is currently down over $740,000 from 3 live streamed cash games and has only played at The Lodge Card Club.

In early 2022, poker professionals Doug Polk, Brad Owen, and Andrew Neeme joined forces to acquire a controlling stake in The Lodge Poker Club & Card Room, which happens to be the largest poker establishment in Austin, Texas. This exclusive poker club, accessible only to its members, boasts an impressive array of amenities, including over 80 poker tables of cash games and tournaments, operating around-the-clock. Additionally, The Lodge provides an inviting ambiance with 40 large-screen TVs, allowing poker club members to enjoy sports entertainment while playing poker or while relaxing in the cozy waiting area. The live poker stream includes commentary from Skull Mike and Slick Rick, who have been long-time regulars at The Lodge. They provide viewers with strategic insights, complemented by a perfect blend of humor. Lodge Card Club has bought San Antonio’s largest poker room, Rounders Card Club, which opened in July 2024. The new Lodge Card Club San Antonio will relocate to a larger space to host bigger tournaments and events. Chaz Gill, known as Big Daddy Chaz, will join Doug Polk, Andrew Neeme, and Brad Owen as a partner to help meet the local poker community’s needs. There will be the same top-tier tournaments, cash games, and service that Lodge Card Club is known for.

There is also a Lodge Live Stream that has had a variety of different poker players coming to play on stream, these include; Doug Polk ‘WCGRider’, Alex Foxen, Dan Cates ‘Jungleman’, Ben Lamb, Bill Perkins, Brad Owen, Andrew Neeme and Nik Airball.

🔍 Preflop:
With a $200 double straddle on, Tesla raises to $900 from the cutoff with KQo. Xuan Liu 3-bets to $2,500 from the button with pocket aces. After the small blind and big blind fold, Tesla calls with his two broadway cards.

💸 Flop – Qd Th 6h:
Tesla checks after flopping top pair with a backdoor straight draw and backdoor flush draw. Liu puts out a continuation bet of $2,500 with her overpair, backdoor straight draw and a backdoor flush draw. Tesla raises to $6,000 with his pair of queens, which Liu calls with her pocket rockets as they both head to the turn.

💣 Turn – Td:
A board-pairing ten of diamonds on the turn introduces a second flush draw. Tesla chooses to check after not picking up any backdoor draws to go with his top pair. Liu, also without any backdoor draws, fires out a bet of $6,000. Tesla then executes the extremely rare double check-raise, making it $19,000. Liu makes the call and they head to the river.

🌊 River – 6d:
A double board pairing 6 of diamonds on the river completes the backdoor flush. Tesla bets $24,400, putting Liu all-in. Will Liu be able to call with the American Airlines? Will Tesla ‘get paid’ with this thin value bet or did he turn his hand into a bluff? Stay tuned to the end of the video to find out!

Jonathan Little analyzes live poker hands from TV poker shows such as Poker After Dark, Hustler Casino Live, The Lodge Poker Club & PokerGO. He also analyzes popular poker vloggers such as Rampage Poker, Brad Owen, Jaman Burton, Ashley Sleeth, Wolfgang Poker and others!