Phil Hellmuth’s first look of the week on Reside on the Bike didn’t transfer the needle because the longtime Los Angeles poker live-streaming present once more couldn’t hold tempo with close by Hustler On line casino Reside.
Reside on the Bike closely promoted “Hellmuth Week,” which runs August 24-26, throughout varied social media platforms. However the promoting merely isn’t working, at the very least not but, as evidenced by the 600 or fewer concurrent viewers throughout most of Wednesday’s session.
Over at Hustler On line casino, nonetheless, the year-old money sport present, operating its personal high-stakes week, had over 13,000 concurrent viewers all through a lot of the five-hour stream.
Why the Viewership Disparity?
Since its inception in 2005, LATB had been the premier live-streamed poker present within the US proper up till HCL launched in August 2021. It’s now a one-sided rivalry.
Regardless of having over 200,000 YouTube subscribers, there weren’t many tuned in to catch Hellmuth compete in a principally short-stacked $50/$100 no-limit maintain’em money sport Wednesday night that included LATB common Eric Hicks and little star-power past the 16-time WSOP bracelet winner.
Most gamers purchased in for properly beneath 100 massive blinds. Solely Hicks, who began with $50,000, had an enormous stack when the stream started at 4 p.m. PT. That’s a stark distinction to Hustler On line casino Reside the place the minimal buy-in ($100,000) was about equal to all chips in play when LATB’s session kicked off.
Throughout the first hour of the LATB stream, round 1,200 concurrent viewers had been tuned in, which was truly decrease than the variety of individuals ready for the HCL stream to start at 5 p.m.
Shortly after Hustler On line casino Reside’s $100/$200/$400 sport started, Reside on the Bike’s viewership dropped considerably.
Though Hellmuth is without doubt one of the hottest poker gamers ever, and likewise among the finest, it’s clear he alone couldn’t carry the stream for a poker present struggling to draw viewers today. What’s the root reason for Reside on the Bike’s declining viewership? There are a variety of potential causes, beginning with having a close-by competitor — HCL — that has taken over the live-stream poker scene the previous yr.
Past that, these within the chat throughout LATB streams and on social media typically complain concerning the manufacturing high quality since Bally’s Interactive took over the present. Many declare the “darkish” background is a turn-off that retains them away from watching the present. That isn’t the case for Hustler On line casino Reside. Co-owners Nick Vertucci and Ryan Feldman, each beforehand affiliated with Reside on the Bike, have created a present that poker followers rave concerning the manufacturing high quality.
Hellmuth Takes a Loss
The motion within the Reside on the Bike sport additionally couldn’t compete with Hustler On line casino Reside’s sport, which had quite a few six-figure pots. No participant on LATB Wednesday night time misplaced greater than $15,000 and nobody gained greater than $21,000.
Hellmuth took a $10,500 loss thanks largely to at least one cooler hand he misplaced with 
on a flop of 
towards “JD,” who was holding . The “Poker Brat” was stacked in that hand after which rebought for one more $5,000, the equal of simply 50 massive blinds, par for the course at that desk.
Hellmuth will return to the Bicycle On line casino in Los Angeles at 4 p.m. PT on Thursday and Friday for 2 extra high-stakes video games. The lineup ought to be extra intriguing with LATB and HCL legend Garrett Adelstein and Hellmuth’s new rival Eric Persson scheduled to compete earlier than the tip of the week. Maybe, that can assist herald some further viewers.
“Wes Facet” Wesley Fei “Overplays” Hand
Wesley Fei, who started enjoying poker in January, turned one of the entertaining and fashionable gamers on Hustler On line casino Reside months in the past. Just a few months again, he needled Adelstein for “overplaying” his hand following a large pot the 2 performed. On Wednesday, it was “Wes Facet” Wesley who, as HCL commentator David Tuchman acknowledged, overplayed a hand.
Fei had raised to $2,000 preflop with 
and obtained three callers, one in every of whom was Charles, a daily on the present, who was holding 
. The flop got here out 
and Fei continued for $3,000, which satisfied two gamers to fold. Charles known as, nonetheless, and noticed the 
on the flip, giving each gamers a straight.
Fei once more wager, drawing solely to a chop at greatest, this time for $7,000 earlier than being check-raised to $21,000. Then got here a three-bet to $45,000, adopted by an all-in for $105,000 from Charles. The cryptocurrency millionaire couldn’t discover a fold and known as to search out out the dangerous information. They agreed to run it twice, each rivers full blanks, and Charles shipped your entire $2230,000 pot. Fei determined to take a prolonged break in the future after struggling a $90,000 loss at Hustler On line casino, however did return later within the stream.
When all was mentioned and executed, Stanley Choi was the most important winner with a $139,000 revenue. GGPoker Crew China ambassador Andy “Stacks” Tsai took the biggest defeat ($272,000). Adelstein profited $65,000, though he was up twice that quantity at one level. Fei completed the stream down $95,000.
Japanese leisure participant Ryusuke, who has turn out to be a fan favourite on HCL of late, booked a $106,000 win, one in every of his largest ever. Aaron Zang, who gained the $1 million Triton Tremendous Excessive Curler in 2019 for over $16 million, additionally had a stable session and ended the stream up round $74,000.
Hustler On line casino Reside returns at 5 p.m. PT on Thursday for one more high-stakes affair with Mikki Mase, Eric Persson, Fei, Krish Menon, Alan Keating, and Jean-Robert Bellande within the sport. We’ll see if Reside on the Bike can shut the hole a bit with Day 2 of Phil Hellmuth Week.
