very interesting to compare Galfonds HSP season 4 (or 3 or 5) with season 7.
He was very unknown when he first went on, and played a super tight game, let eli elezra bully him.
Then in season 7 he comes on a lot more confident, everyone knows who he is, makes tons of huge bluffs and 3 bets.

Danny was running real bad. I just watched the pot where he had 98 and Mike had KK and the flop was 9K9. With how tight mike was playing I could see a fold after mike reraised his raise but still a tough fold. That guy runs bad.


season 6 episode 10 or 11 I think


and phil galfold is splashing around. He also is running bad.

I think that those players would play just as many, or nearly as many, trash hands, if they were playing in somewhere like Bobby's room. The main difference is that not so many hands would get to showdown.

Players don't want to get bluffed on tv. If you ever rail a high stakes online cash table, you will see a lot of betting/re-raising, a lot of folding, not much calling and few hands where the hole-cards get shown (unless Scout is playing lol).

There's a lot of factors going on.
- It's a live game and playing 20/18 in a live game is a lot more boring than online
- It's televised, so they can cultivate a loose image not just at the table, but worldwide.
- They are deepstacked and playing "speculative hands" in a deepstacked game is good, because while playing the hand would be bad in a 100bb cashgame would be a mistake, if your implied odds are potentially 500+ bb it might not be a mistake.
- Related to the third point: If there's (a) fish at the table playing looser preflop becomes more profitable because the fishes postflop mistakes will be both absolutely and relatively bigger...

EDIT: just saw that I named almost the exact same 4 points as post #2, that's what happens when you grunch...

exactly.
it's the implied odds when playing so deep that make play with almost ATC possible (i.e. David 'Viffer" Peat). and even better with suited and or connected cards.
When playing suited connectors (or even non suited), 1/2 gappers etc., you need very good implied odds to make it profitable over the long term, and when you are over 200BB's deep, your are getting those implied odds.
It's can also be easier to play those hands postflop (esp. if you are a good reader like most of the pros on HSP). either you hit the flop hard, or you let it go if you encounter any real resistance.

I often see people in tournaments call or raise with hands like 89s, 9Ts, JT, 68s, 69 etc.. etc... and that is just a mistake when the effective stacks are less than 20BB's. there is no way those type of hands will be profitable in the long run with such shallow stacks.

if you are learning and don't understand implied odds or effective stacks, then look it up (or ask)

one thing I think is overlooked... they are also playing shorthanded... that opens up the range considerably.
They are also playing against opponents they know well, making the pyschological game much stronger.

true about the short handed play opening up ranges... but they still have to have huge implied odds to make the speculative cards worthwhile.

in some cases, they don't know some of the other players (esp. in later episodes of HSP, when they bought in businessmen and online pros.)

Deeper stacks mean they can play looser than normally. Would some play as loose with 100bbs? Also, these guys have excellent post-flop skills.

You also have to remember that they have to fit hands into a 45 minute show, they aren't going to show one person raising and everyone else folding.

They want publicity and to market themselves - earn deals etc.

I've never seen HSP with less than 9 people, unless a few were being dealt out...

You must have been counting the dealer, waitresses, etc. It never had nine playing.

The skipping hands thing in the post above is a good point. They edit out the raise and take 'em hands. Antes, deep stacks, spots in the line-up (both wanting to play against him and wanting to play against the guy who is in because he wants to play against him, etc), and tv all come into play like mentioned as well.

You must have not watched HSP. High Stakes Poker and the Aussie Millions Cash Game are full ring tv cash games with 9 players. Poker After Dark and The Big Game are shorthanded tv cash games.

Don't be an ass.

Want to wager on that? We're talking High Stakes Poker...Gabe Kaplan, Game Show Network, etc. I'll wager you whatever you'd like it wasn't 9-handed. Nice mouth though.

For whatever its worth i recall them playing 8-handed a huge amount of the time.

He's sure enough of himself to swear at a stranger he should be sure enough of himself to lose some money.

Yep. 8 was a full ring. 1 seat across from the dealer had a camera in it's place.