The new Poker After Dark roared back Monday night exclusively on PokerGO with a $100,000 buy-in cash game which featured Tom Dwan’s return to US poker. There was over $2 million in play with Daniel Negreanu, Antonio Esfandiari, Jean-Robert Bellande, Bill Klein and Lauren Roberts at the ARIA Resort and Casino.

The $200/$400 blinds began with a super (two) ante, later reduced to one straddle, and Dwan won a near $700,000 pot for the biggest action of the night. Bellande played the role of affable host and the table played fast and aggressive, with five-figure pots every orbit during the six-hour session.

Klein put it best by saying, “they’re all nice people, like visiting a petting zoo to see the cow. But then they go to the steakhouse for dinner.” He also likened the experience as “an animal in a petting zoo.”



Rewatch Monday’s episode to hear about the six different charities Klein donates his poker winnings. (Photo: Poker Central)

Klein’s best story of the night was from when he played in a Pro-Am golf event in a grouping paired with Donald Trump. On the back nine, Trump took liberties with the scorecard – which Klein reported at the end of the round.

Klein didn’t want to win any prizes from the fudged scores and tournament officials responded, “Oh, he cheats every year and still can’t win anything.” The table came to a consensus that you can tell a lot about a man if he cheats at golf.

The hand of the night came when Dwan was dealt aces, Esfandiari kings and Negreanu queens. But more important is what happened prior to the hand. Bellande, Negreanu and Esfandiari talked about how many times they’ve folded kings preflop in their lifetime.

Negreanu claimed twice, won once and Bellande was there to see it years ago. Esfandiari said he’d done it five times in his life and his “folding days were over.”



Tom Dwan six-bet shoved all in with pocket aces. (Photo: Poker Central)

A pre-flop raising war saw roughly $700,000 go in the middle after Dwan six-bet shoved all in, Negreanu mucked and Esfandiari looking to run it twice. Esfandiari blanked both boards, Dwan took a large lead and Esfandiari reloaded a bit later.

That hand proved to be the turning point for Esfandiari on the night. He had a hard time gaining any traction after the beat and was visibly struggling to reign in tilt. Something he learned how to do when bridging the gap of magician to poker player in the newest installment of Pokerography on PokerGO.

“It was one [a night] for the record books,” Esfandiari said when the game concluded. “The poker gods were against me tonight. It was a downward spiral and there was nothing I could do to get out of the way.”

Ali Nejad was on point with live, solo commentary, giving way to the table talk at nearly every opportunity. Drea Renee provided sideline interviews from each player at the table after the game ran past 2 am ET.



Antonio Esfandiari couldn’t wait for the torture to end. (Photo: Poker Central)

The table is set for night two with Doyle Brunson and Andrew Robl joining the game Tuesday night at 8 pm ET only on PokerGO. Dwan returns with the chip lead, Klein finished well above his buy-in and Bellande finished up and Roberts took some beats alongside Esfandiari.