High Stakes Poker Season 15 has already been described (by this writer) as the holiday gift that keeps on giving. Through the first 11 episodes, the action has come thick and fast – and shows no signs of slowing down. If you haven't yet, check out PokerOrg's recaps of Episodes 1-5, 6-8, and 9-11 and then head on over to PokerGO to finish off the rest of the latest season.
In Episodes 12-14, Andrew Robl, Justin Gavri, Sameh Elamawy, Sean Dempsey and Steve Swedlow rejoined the game as holdovers from previous lineups this season, while Hollywood scream queen Jennifer Tilly made her season debut and Jon Isaac registered his first appearance on the show.
With the stakes set at $200/$400 (plus a $500 big blind ante) and straddles regularly in play, the stage was set for an action-packed game.
Episode 12: Jennifer Tilly and her 'personal nemesis'
About two-thirds of the way through Episode 12, Tilly appeared in a cutaway interview.
"Well, I'm really happy to be back on High Stakes Poker," she began. "Andrew Robl puts together some lively games and nobody is livelier in the game than Andrew Robl. You can say what you want about him, but you can't say he doesn't give action."
And then Tilly gets to the good stuff.
"Andrew Robl is my personal nemesis," she continued. "He's my paralysis sleep demon. When I wake up in the middle of the night and I'm having a terrible nightmare it's usually about Andrew Robl check-raising me with nothing. Yes, I have to get over my supernatural fear of Andrew Robl because he's just a man, right? He puts his legs in his pants one leg at a time.
"That's really my lifelong dream, is to beat Andrew Robl repeatedly in pots. I'm working towards that goal, I'm working towards it slowly. But anytime Andrew Robl calls me for High Stakes Poker, I will always be there."
In the very next hand, Tilly ran into Robl's pocket aces. Isaac kicked off the action with a raise to $3,300 from the button with 
. Tilly called from the small blind with 
before Robl peeled 
with the $1,600 double straddle live in front of him and three-bet to $15,000. Isaac wisely passed on the spot, but Tilly made the call.
On the 
flop, the action went check, check to bring in the 
on the turn. With her nines and sevens, Tilly opted to take the betting lead, firing $15,000 into the $35,000. Robl made the call and the 
completed the board. In the face of a check from Tilly, Robl bet $30,000.
Tilly hemmed and hawed for a moment, but eventually made the call – only to see the bad news.
"No! No! How can you have aces again? It's not fair," she said. "So annoying...so annoying."
Episode 13: 'Happy Jen is back'
In Episode 13, Tilly took her revenge on Robl.
With the $800 straddle live in front of Swedlow, it was Robl who raised first – making it $2,000 to go with . After a litany of calls from most of the players at the table, Tilly and her 
included, Swedlow decided to step out of line with a three-bet squeeze to $16,800 with 
.
Robl and Tilly came along while the rest of the speculators fled the scene.
"Alright, let's get him, Jen. We've known each other for a long time, we just met this guy," Robl said. "Let's chop him up."
With $56,900 in the middle, the 
flop saw Swedlow take an unlikely lead with second pair, but Tilly had the real hand with an open-ended straight draw. When the action went check, check in front of him, however, Robl seized the initiative with a bet of $15,000. Both Tilly and Swedlow made the call to see the turn – gin for the only player in the room with an Oscar nomination.
With another round of checks in front of him, Robl bet $80,000 into the $101,900 pot – now armed with a flush draw and a gutshot straight draw. Tilly wasted no time in moving all-in for her remaining $84,600, forcing Swedlow to relinquish his holding. Robl wasn't thrilled about the spot, yet had no choice but to call. Both players agreed to run two river cards.
After bricking the first river, Robl altered his expectations.
"I just want a quarter. Give me a six, six of hearts," he told the dealer. "A quarter is fair."
Instead, the second river offered no help either, and Tilly scooped up the entire $271,000 pot.
"Yay! Happy Jen is back, yes!" Tilly said.
Episode 14: A Robl family affair
In Episode 14, Tilly ran into a cooler spot as she flopped middle set on a 
board, but found her hand second-best to Dempsey's 
. When the money went in on the river, she couldn't convince herself to fold. In the aftermath, she took her leave.
"Alright, guys, this is it for me," she said as she slid her stack to the dealer. "I wish I could say it's been a pleasure, but aside from the fabulous wine, it has not been a pleasure. A funereal silence descends on the room."
With Tilly's departure, the game had a seat open. And, lo and behold, Robl had a ringer waiting in the wings for just such an opportunity: his dad.
We've jokingly referred to Season 15 as the Robl Show before, but now there's no denying it.
Tim Robl, armed with $100,000 courtesy of his son, took his seat in the game.
"This is like if my Dad was in the stands at the Super Bowl and, all of a sudden, a wide receiver gets hurt and they call you in from the stands. 'Come in the game! Come and play! No pressure, no pressure,'" Robl said, drawing a big laugh from the table.
While the elder Robl didn't mix it up too much in his brief appearance, we have a feeling there's more to come from him in later episodes.
Images courtesy of Antonio Abrego/PokerGO
