Rapper 24kGoldn played poker with Phil Hellmuth on the show Hellmuth’s Home Game

Famous rapper 24kGoldn took part in the second season of the poker show Hellmuth’s Home Game on CBS Sports. Find out more about the unique format of the show.

The second season of Hellmuth’s Home Game, airing on CBS Sports on Mondays, is once again drawing the attention of poker fans. The legendary Phil Hellmuth serves as both the organizer and host of the home game, with Poker Night in America (PNIA) and BetRivers as project partners. Filming takes place at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada. The show’s format is unique: there are no traditional poker commentators, and the atmosphere is built around live table talk between Phil Hellmuth and invited pros and friends, creating a truly intimate and friendly vibe. Stars at the Table: 24kGoldn Visits Phil Hellmuth In the second season of Hellmuth’s Home Game, the list of celebrity guests was joined by well-known rapper, singer, and songwriter 24kGoldn. The artist rose to fame with the single “Valentino” (2019), which first entered the Billboard Hot 100, achieved double platinum status from the RIAA, and led to a contract with Barry Weiss' Records (Columbia Records). In 2020, his track “Mood” (featuring Iann Dior) reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, and his debut album El Dorado (2021) peaked at number 22 on the Billboard 200. The show has previously featured celebrity guests, such as Jennifer Tilly, but the appearance of 24kGoldn was one of the highlights of the second season. Game Format and Starting Conditions The episode opens with a cash game format, featuring $25/$50 blinds and a mandatory $50 ante from the big blind. The table includes both professional players and invited guests, ensuring an interesting dynamic and plenty of exciting hands. Here are some of the key participants in the episode: Phil Hellmuth — 16-time WSOP bracelet winner, host and organizer of the home game. Dan “Jungleman” Cates — one of the most famous cash game players. 24kGoldn — guest star, rapper, and hitmaker. Steven Jones Jr. — contestant on Squid Game: The Challenge. DJ Washburn — regular in the home game. Phillip “P3” Hellmuth III — Phil Hellmuth’s son. Key Hands of the Episode “Invited Just to Lose”: 24kGoldn’s Bad Luck Against Hellmuth In the 10th hand of the episode, 24kGoldn, in early position, raises to $300 with A♦K♥ . Dan “Jungleman” Cates calls from the small blind with 4♣3♣ . Phil Hellmuth, in the straddle, finds A♠A♣ and reraises to $900. 24kGoldn decides to play aggressively and shoves all-in for $4,000. Cates folds, and Hellmuth instantly calls. 24kGoldn is surprised by the strength of Hellmuth’s hand, and Hellmuth suggests running the board three times to reduce variance. However, on none of the three boards does 24kGoldn manage to beat Hellmuth’s pocket aces. After the hand, 24kGoldn jokes, “I was only invited here to get beat,” and rebuys at the table. River Bluff by Dan Cates In the 14th hand, a $200 straddle is in play. Hellmuth limps with K♦K♣ , 24kGoldn calls from the button, Steven Jones Jr. joins with Q♦J♣ from the small blind, and DJ Washburn enters with 6♥5♥ from the first straddle. Dan Cates, in the second straddle, checks with 7♥2♥ . Five players are in the hand. The flop comes 7♠5♦A♠ . After three checks, Hellmuth bets $400, 24kGoldn calls with two pair, and Cates also calls with a pair of sevens. On the turn K♠ , Cates checks, Hellmuth now has a set but checks as well. 24kGoldn bets $400, both opponents call. The river brings the 10♠ , putting four spades on the board, but none of the players hold a spade. Dan Cates makes a big bet — $3,500, representing a flush. Hellmuth and 24kGoldn quickly fold, and Cates shows the bluff, drawing smiles around the table. Double Bad Beat for P3: Two Aces on the River Two hands later, Hellmuth limps with K♥8♥ , Jones limps with A♠J♥ from the cutoff. Phillip “P3” Hellmuth III on the button gets Q♠Q♦ and raises to $400. Dan Cates calls with J♣8♣ from the big blind, Hellmuth also calls. Steven Jones Jr. shoves all-in for $3,625, P3 quickly calls, and the others fold. The players agree to run the board twice for a pot of $8,225. In the first run, the flop 2♦6♥8♠ and turn 9♥ change nothing, but the river A♣ gives Jones half the pot. In the second run, the flop 7♦5♠5♥ and turn 9♦ are also safe for P3, but once again the river brings an ace — A♦ , and P3 loses half the pot on the river again. Jones apologizes with a smile for such an unfortunate outcome for his opponent. Quads and Royal Flush: Rare Hands in One Session In the 63rd hand, DJ Washburn, in the first straddle, gets A♦A♣ and limps. Dan Cates, having double straddled for $200, raises to $600 with J♠7♠ . Washburn calls and checks the 4♣K♠A♠ flop, making trips. Cates checks with a flush draw. On the turn A♥ , Washburn makes quads and checks again. Cates bets $500, Washburn calls and checks dark on the K♦ river. Cates doesn’t improve and checks, and the $2,325 pot goes to Washburn. In another hand, Washburn limps with A♣K♥ from the hijack, Cates raises to $400 with A♠Q♠ . Washburn limp-raises to $2,000, Cates calls. Washburn shoves all-in for $3,250 in the dark. On the flop K♠5♦10♠ , Washburn has top pair, Cates has a flush draw. The players agree to run the board twice. On the first run, the turn 2♠ gives Cates a flush, and the river 10♦ changes nothing. On the second run, the turn 7♥ brings no change, but the river J♠ gives Cates a rare royal flush, and he scoops the entire $10,725 pot. Results and Payouts At the end of the episode, Poker Night in America provided the final results table (according to PokerNews): Player Result ($) Dan “Jungleman” Cates +14,300 DJ Washburn +6,000 Steven Jones Jr. +1,200 Phillip “P3” Hellmuth III -2,500 24kGoldn -5,000 Phil Hellmuth -14,000 Hand Analysis: Explanation of Key Poker Terms Cash game — a poker format where players play for real money, not tournament chips. You can rebuy or leave the game at any time. Blinds — mandatory bets posted by the two players to the left of the dealer to build the pot. Straddle — a voluntary blind bet, usually twice the big blind, posted by the player after the big blind to increase the pot size and game dynamics. Raise — increasing the size of the current bet. Re-raise — raising after a previous raise. All-in — betting all your chips. Call — matching the previous bet. Check — passing the action without betting, if no one has bet before you. Bluff — betting or raising with a weak hand to make opponents fold better hands. Bad beat — losing with a strong hand to a weaker one due to an unexpected card on the turn or river. Quads — four cards of the same rank, one of the strongest hands in poker. Royal flush — the strongest hand in poker: a straight flush from ten to ace of the same suit. Run it twice — an agreement between players to deal the board twice to reduce variance; the pot is split between the winners of each board. Features of the Hellmuth’s Home Game Format The show stands out from classic televised poker by having no commentators and focusing on live table talk. This allows viewers to see the real dynamics between players, their emotions, discussions, and even jokes. This approach makes the show closer to the home game format popular among poker enthusiasts worldwide. The presence of well-known personalities, both professional players and celebrities, adds intrigue and variety to playing styles. For example, 24kGoldn’s aggressive play and willingness to go all-in with a strong but not the strongest hand contrasts with Phil Hellmuth’s more cautious style. Dan Cates once again proved his reputation as a cash game master, showing off several impressive bluffs and winning big pots. What This Means for PPPoker Club Players For PPPoker club members, this episode of Hellmuth’s Home Game offers several practical lessons. First, even the strongest hands, like pocket aces or queens, don’t guarantee victory — it’s important to control the pot and be ready for unexpected river outcomes. The double bad beat episode for P3 clearly shows how variance can affect results even with solid play. Second, an aggressive strategy like Dan Cates’ can be successful if you can read your opponents and pick the right spots to bluff. However, such moves require experience and an understanding of table dynamics — you shouldn’t blindly copy the pros’ style if you’re not confident in your skills. Finally, the home game format, where not only the cards but also the table atmosphere matter, is perfectly realized on the PPPoker platform. Here you can create your own clubs, invite friends and well-known players, and experiment with formats and limits. This approach makes the game not only profitable but also truly enjoyable, just like on Hellmuth’s show.