People News: Hellmuth claims first round of High Stakes Duel III; Galfond Challenge vs. Brandon Adams underway; Mike Postle avoids payment; Veldhuis ties the knot; Trailer for “The Card Counter” released

In this column, we deliver you the latest and most interesting news and gossip from our favourite poker people.

Hellmuth claims first round of High Stakes Duel III

Poker’s most reputable tournament player Phil Hellmuth is taking his heads up game to a different level having claimed yet another win this time against new contender Nick Wright. The first round of his third High Stakes Duel challenge went down last Wednesday at the PokerGO Studio at ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas and ended up with Hellmuth once again topping the match. The fifteen-time bracelet winner bagged $100,000 for his seventh consecutive victory in the High Stakes Duel series and will now proceed to wait on Wright’s decision whether to proceed to Round 2.

The exciting match lasted nearly six hours with the lead extending back and forth between the two. While Wright is clearly the underdog between the pair, the Fox Sports host put up a valiant fight to take on one of the best players in the industry. The concluding hand came after both players turned a flush in a limp pot and led to all the chips going in on the river. Having called off Wright’s check-jam on the river with an eight-high flush, Hellmuth secured the final win after beating his opponent’s seven-high flush.

“It was a tough battle, honestly, I felt like he was going to give me a lot of trouble, and he did give me a lot of trouble. It’s not easy to make the adjustments because I’m playing against guys that think one way. I’m not going to say he has a better chance to beat me than Daniel but, I mean, maybe, because he’s going to do more unorthodox things”, Hellmuth commented to PokerGO after the victory.

Following his loss, the ball is now in Wright’s hands if he wishes to challenge Hellmuth to another duel for an even bigger $200,000 stake. Whether or not round two proceeds, the Poker Brat appears to be confident enough to take on a next opponent, be it either Tom Dwan or Phil Ivey.

You were great throughout. I was great for the first 2 hours, pretty damn good for the last 2 hours, and just awful for the 90 minutes in the middle.

It was a pleasure. I’ll decide on if I’m re-challenging in the next 48 hours.

Related: Any poker pro wanna stake me $100K??? https://t.co/5CvAGQMCM7

— nick wright (@getnickwright) July 29, 2021

Galfond Challenge vs. Brandon Adams underway, Galfond in the lead for $50K

Heads up matches are all the rage nowadays with iconic characters taking up the spotlight left and right. The Galfond Challenge involving Run It Once founder Phil Galfond, entails a series of high stakes matches between Galfond himself and a variety of challengers. Previous opponents include established pro Chance Kornuth, high stakes regular Bill Perkins (whose match remains at a standstill), and online crushers Venividi and ActionFreak, three of which Galfond emerged victorious. Continuing on to his fifth opponent, the match against Brandon Adams finally went underway last July 26 for a live game of Pot Limit Omaha at stakes $100/$200 held in the newly opened Resorts World Las Vegas. The pair is due to play up until the 30th for a total of 40 hours.

At the moment, Galfond stands in the lead for exactly $50,000 after 26 hours of play. While the latest match is much shorter than that of the others, an agreed condition to have a rematch online with more hands played has been agreed upon should Adams win the live duel. A side bet of Galfond’s $150,000 to Adams’ $100,000 is also in place, making the challenge more exciting for both individuals.

Alleged poker cheat Mike Postle avoids payment

Stemming from one of the biggest cheating scandals that hit poker news headlines, alleged cheat Mike Postle is in for more legal trouble following whistleblower Veronica Brill and Todd Witteles’ victories in separate Anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) cases. The motions came as a result of Postle’s initial $330 million defamation lawsuit of which he later withdrew, leading to an automatic win for both Brill’s and Witteles’ file for charges.

Postle is currently due to pay Brill $27,745 and Witteles $26,982 for a total of $54,727. Attorneys for both parties have since filed motions for involuntary bankruptcy against Postleallowing courts to seize his assets in order to pay the following judgments. While Postle’s refusal to pay may be due to being short on funds, the success of the latest filed motions could ultimately leave him with no choice but to reap the consequences of his actions.

Lex Veldhuis ties the knot

While notable pros are bringing home six-figure scores, Dutch pro Alexander “Lex” Veldhuis is celebrating a different kind of victory. In his social media account, the PokerStars ambassador shared with Twitter followers his recently married status and plans on spending the next two weeks in France.

Married man! We had an amazing weekend with the people closest to us. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with Myrthe😍

We'll be spending the next 2 weeks in France and I'll be back streaming August 15th for a marathon poker session. pic.twitter.com/stGzbb8Fd9

— Lex Veldhuis (@LexVeldhuis) July 28, 2021

Trailer for new poker movie “The Card Counter” released

Another poker/ gambling movie is in the works, this time featuring stars Oscar Isaac, Tiffany Haddish, and William Defoe. The Paul Schrader-production entitled The Card Counter looks to be a highly thrilling film judging from the recently released trailer.

Expected to be out this coming fall, poker consultant for the movie Joe ‘Stapes’ Stapleton welcomely invites the community to give it a go.

Alright, my babies. Last year I worked on a movie as a poker consultant. This here…is the trailer. It would really mean a lot to me if you’d give it a watch, and if it seems interesting, maybe…dare I say….a retweet? https://t.co/uqXAw9nKec

— Joe “Legacy Blue” Stapleton (@Stapes) July 27, 2021