The latest episode of PokerGO's No Gamble, No Future reunited one of poker's famed duos – Phil Laak and Antonio Esfandiari – for a $100/$200 cash game. Laak and Esfandiari were joined by NGNF regulars Eric Hicks and Matt Hanks while 2024 GPI Breakout Player of the Year Rania Nasreddine, Josh Greenly, and Vinny Lingham made their debut appearances.
Hanks, Hicks, and Esfandiari each sat down with $100,000 in front of them while the rest of the table started with $50,000 stacks.
Laak's one-of-a-kind table talk
In the early goings of the episode, audiences were given a taste of Laak's unique table presence as he chattered away throughout the action. It was a multi-way pot to start as Nasreddine picked up four callers when she raised to $500 with 
. Hanks started the party, coming along with 
, inviting Lingham and Esfandiari in from the blinds with 
and 
respectively.
Laak, meanwhile, was entertaining the table with a reference to Highlander.
With $2,200 in the middle, the dealer spread the 
flop. While Nasreddine and Hanks whiffed, both Lingham and Esfandiari picked up decent draws. Despite her lack of connection, Nasreddine fired a $1,000 continuation bet – just trying to take down the pot. Hanks surrendered his cards, but Lingham made the call from the small blind. Esfandiari, however, opted for the aggressive route and raised to $5,000.
For Nasreddine, the jig was up, but Lingham matched the raise to bring in the 
on the turn. Esfandiari continued with his aggressive line, firing $7,000 into the $13,200 pot. Lingham, now with gutshot outs to a straight to go along with his flush draw, made the call one again.
"Vinny, Vinny – what you chasing?" Esfandiari inquired.
On the 
river, neither player improved to a made hand and Esfandiari's king-high holding remained best. Still, he couldn't know that and when Lingham checked to him, Esfandiari slid a stack of chips across the betting line – enough to put his opponent all-in. Lingham, left with just six-high, had no choice but to relinquish the pot.
"Vinny, it's gonna hurt if that was the 
, but he's capable. He's a sick crocodile," Laak said.
"I promise you it wasn't ," Esfandiari assured Lingham.
$100K in the middle, seven cards to fade
It all started with a $200 limp from Hanks up front. Then, one by one, nearly the entire table came along for $200 until Esfandiari looked down at 
in the small blind and spoilt the party with a raise to $5,000. Nasreddine, next to act in the big blind, peeled 
and made the call which invited the callers behind to speculate.
The 
flop didn't connect strongly with anyone and Esfandiari's overpair remained best. With $25,400 in the middle, he continued for $12,000. Nasreddine – the only player to pick up a draw of any kind with her gutshot – made the call. The turn 
changed nothing and Esfandiari moved all-in for Nasreddine's remaining $27,200.
"Whatever you do, do the right thing," Esfandiari told her.
As soon as the words left his mouth, Nasreddine slammed a stack of chips into the middle – calling it off with just ace-high and a gutshot. With the dead cards, she had only seven outs against Esfandiari's pocket pair.
"This is what The Magician does, nobody believes him," said Brent Hanks from the commentary booth.
Esfandiari insisted they run it once. "I said it earlier that if it's under $200K, I'm going one time," he explained. "If it's over $200K, I'll go twice. I'm a reasonable human being."
"I'll go up to four times at any point. Four times is fun, more action," Laak informed his tablemates.
As the players awaited the river card, Nasreddine asked, "Am I supposed to say 'nice hand'?"
"You can say whatever you want. You might have the nice hand at the end," came the reply from Esfandiari.
With $103,800 in the middle, the dealer rolled over the 
river – delivering the nice hand to Nasreddine.
