Mystery Cash Challenge Episode 5: Ho Takes Down Another Bomb Pot
Here we go! Round five of the PokerStars Mystery Cash Challenge aired over the weekend. For the preliminary rounds of this fifth installment, Maria Ho was granted the power to pick a player each hand who would be forced to limp.
This new poker show from PokerStars pits six players against each other in a EUR25/EUR50 Texas Holdem cash game. For nine hands, the game proceeds as normal. However, every tenth hand is a EUR100 ante bomb pot.
Only players that have won at least one preliminary hand can enter the bomb pot, and whoever wins the bomb pot pulls a bonus envelope (containing cash prizes, cheeseburgers, or EPT seats) and a challenge envelope containing forfeits, special powers, and exciting challenges.
Alexandra Botez had won all the bomb pots until last week when Ho was able to break the Botez streak. Ho pulled the EUR250 bonus and a challenge that will allow her to choose a player at the start of each hand for a forced limp this week.
Botez was the big winner going into episode five, with Parker Talbot and Griffin Benger showing a small profit, Sam Grafton and Ho down a few grand, and Fabiano Kovalski riding a EUR22,225 cold streak.
Standings at the Start of Round 5
| Rank | Player | Stack | Profit | Bounties |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alexandra Botez | EUR35,600 | +EUR25,600 | EUR1,500 cash & a EUR5,300 EPT ticket |
| 2 | Parker Talbot | EUR11,675 | +EUR1,675 | - |
| 3 | Griffin Benger | EUR17,250 | +EUR1,500 | - |
| 4 | Sam Grafton | EUR9,925 | -EUR2,075 | - |
| 5 | Maria Ho | EUR8,525 | -EUR5,475 | +EUR250 |
| 6 | Fabiano Kovalski | EUR9,900 | -EUR22,225 | - |
Shuffle Up and Limp
As always, James Hartigan and Joe Stapleton present the show, announcing a start to the action for episode five.
Hand #1 saw Grafton forced to limp under the gun with 42. Benger raised with 53, Ho three-bet with AJ, and Talbot made it EUR1,100 total with 109. Everyone folded, ensuring that Talbot-who had to skip the bomb pot last week-didn't miss the bomb pot again.
On Hand #2, it was Benger's turn to limp under the gun, but he got lucky with the AQ. Talbot raised, and Kovalski raised pot with pocket jacks.
Benger hit an ace on the flop, and Kovalski managed to get away from the hand on the turn.
Kovalski made it to the river on Hand #3 but was able to get away from his pair once again after Ho hit her flush.
On Hand #4, Kovalski hit yet another second-best hand. He picked up the middle pair on the flop, only to have Benger hit a flush. Kovalski got out of the way, but Grafton attempted to win a jack-four game that no one else was playing with a bluff on the turn.
Botez Is Back In Action
After a mostly quiet first half, Botez rejoined the action on Hand #5, calling a small raise in the small blind with 74. The board of 6424 on the turn gave her two pair, allowing her to take the pot down uncontested with a small raise.
Out of pity, Ho let her rolling forced-blind skip Kovalski, hitting Grafton for Hand #6 in which Botez tangled in another big pot against Benger.
With hands running out, Kovalski and Grafton were still not qualified for the bomb pot by Hand #7. However, Kovalkski picked up jacks again and was outflopped again, this time by Ho's AQ. He managed to get away from the hand, and Ho won the hefty EUR6,775 pot.
Hand #8 went to Botez, leaving Grafton with just one hand to earn his bomb pot ticket. But Botez blocked him with another victory in Hand #9 after she flopped two-pair.
Bomb Pot
Once again, four players received their cards and the flop for the EUR100 ante bomb pot. Kovalski and Grafton put their EUR100 in, and then both got to put their feet up.
| Position | Player | Hand |
|---|---|---|
| Small Blind | Maria Ho | 96 |
| Big Blind | Parker Talbot | A7 |
| Sitting Out | Fabiano Kovalski | - |
| Sitting Out | Sam Grafton | - |
| UTG | Griffin Benger | AK |
| Dealer | Alexandra Botez | KJ |
The starting hands for the bomb pot were mostly strong, and after the dealer laid out a flop of 673 Ho had middle pair, Talbot had top pair, and Botez and Benger both had overcards.
Talbot bet EUR400 and got three calls, seeing the 8 turn give Ho a straight draw and both Benger and Botez flush draws.
Unsurprisingly, things kicked off. With the pot at EUR2,200, Benger bet EUR1,400. Botez and Maria called while Talbot-the favorite at that point-laid his hand down.
The river was the 5 giving Ho the best hand. She checked, and her opponents followed her lead.
Ho won the EUR6,400 pot and drew her envelopes.
Standings at the End of Round 5
| Rank | Player | Stack | Profit | Bounties |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alexandra Botez | EUR39,650 | +EUR29,650 | +EUR1,500 cash & an EUR5,300 EPT ticket |
| 2 | Maria Ho | EUR15,750 | +EUR1,750 | +EUR250 & an EUR5,300 EPT ticket |
| 2 | Parker Talbot | EUR10,850 | +EUR850 | - |
| 3 | Griffin Benger | EUR15,450 | -EUR300 | - |
| 4 | Sam Grafton | EUR9,550 | -EUR5,950- | |
| 6 | Fabiano Kovalski | EUR10,000 | -EUR26,000 | - |
What To Expect In The Season Finale
Ho managed to draw the remaining EUR5,300 EPT ticket bonus envelope, adding some value to her small profit. There was only one challenge envelope left.
This envelope one allowed her to choose a player to be on a five-second shot clock for the first nine hands next week. Ho chose Benger to face the shot clock.
You can see how Benger fares under time pressure by checking out the PokerStars Central or PokerStars UK Youtube channels on October 15th at 3:00 p.m. CEST for free.
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