Season 13 of High Stakes Poker got underway Monday on PokerGO with one of the more entertaining openers we’ve ever seen from the iconic poker cash game show.

There were a couple of popular mainstream poker players at the table — Andrew Robl and Jennifer Tilly. Dr. Sean Dempsey, Japanese poker vlogger Masato Yokosawa, Justin Gavri, and Bo Brownstein would join in on the $200/$400 ($400 big blind ante) no-limit hold’em game. But this episode was all about a newcomer — financial industry executive Sameh Elamawy.

Elamawy is the CEO and founder of Scratch, a modern day loan servicer that “gives the borrower the first experience,” as the poker player explained in a YouTube video. In the first episode of the new High Stakes Poker season, he convinced Robl to make some poor financial decisions.

High Stakes Poker Newcomer Tries to Bluff Robl

On the first hand of the brand-new season, Elamawy raised on the button with 7*♥4♦, and only Robl called with his Q♠6♥. After both players checked the J♣K♦K♥* flop, Robl led for $10,000 on the 10*♦* turn.

That didn’t convince Elamawy, who was in position, to fold. The river was the 8*♠*, and surprisingly queen-high was still good. Robl checked and then folded the best hand to a $22,000 bet. And just like that, Season 13 was off and running.

On the following hand, Tilly found herself facing a tough river bet. She’d called the flop and turn with Q*♦J♠* on a board of 10*♦Q♣6♦5♠* against Masato, who was chasing a draw with 9*♣8♣. The river was the 3♣*, which didn’t complete the draw. But the Japanese vlogger bet $20,000 with nine-high, about two-thirds the size of the pot. Sitting on top pair, Tilly went into the tank for a bit before correctly making the call.

Robl Getting Owned by the HSP Newbie

After Elamawy showed the bluff on the first hand, Robl declared war on his opponent. But he’d again lose a battle to the High Stakes Poker newcomer in another pot.

Action began with Tilly raising from early position to $2,000 with J*♥7♥. Elamawy called in position with 5♣3♣* before Robl, in the big blind with A*♦7♦*, three-bet it to $14,000. That forced Tilly off the hand but Robl’s nemesis wasn’t going anywhere.

The flop came out 2*♣6♣K♥, creating a straight flush draw for Elamawy. Robl continued telling a story of a big hand despite having just ace-high with a $8,000 bet. His opponent made the call and then paired up on the 5♠* turn.

This time, the high roller cash game legend checked, but Elamawy made it $17,000. An unconvinced Robl check-raised to $65,000 and received a quick call. The river was the 8*♥*, no improvement to either player. Robl checked once again, and then folded to a $120,000 all in wager. Elamawy came to play.

Dempsey Takes from Elamawy

Elamawy was playing some sound poker, but this game can be cruel sometimes no matter how well you play. The CEO would battle it out with an anesthesiologist for the first six-figure pot of the new High Stakes Poker season.

The hand began with Elamawy raising to $2,500 with A*♣K♠, and Tilly and her 6♠3♠* called. Dempsey, the aforementioned medical professional who specializes in anesthesia care, made it $11,000 with J*♦J♣. Gavri, on the button with 10♦10♣*, four-bet it to $26,000. Elamawy and Dr. Sean called, while Tilly sent her cards into the muck.

When the flop came out 9*♦J♥4♠, action checked to Gavri. He bet $16,000 and both players opted for a call. The turn was the K♣*, a bad card for Elamawy as it gave him top-top, but he was drawing dead to the doc’s set.

Action checked around and the three players then saw the uneventful 8*♠* appear on the river. Elamawy didn’t appear all that confident in his top pair, so he checked. But Dempsey fired out a bet of $71,000. Gavri was done with the hand at that point, so it was up to the Scratch founder to pay him off, which he did after some thought. Dempsey took down the $272,400 pot.

But this episode, at least to this point, was all about a recreational poker player bullying a poker legend. Shortly after the six-figure pot loss, on a board of Q*♣Q♦5♣9♣K♣, Elamawy would check K♠Q♠* for a full house. Robl, who had the A*♣* in his hand, sniffed it out despite holding the nut flush and checked it back and lost the $90,000 pot. But it could have been worse for Robl, who made a brilliant check on the river.

Oddly enough, Dempsey and Elamawy would play another massive pot with JxJx versus AxKx, but this time the former would catch a king on the river to win the hand, which had $222,000 in the middle. The episode would end with Gavri pulling off a bluff with five-high to get Elamawy, who only had ace-high, off the hand on the river.

High Stakes Poker Season 12 Episode Recaps

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