Hand Reviews — Poker Streamer Arlie Shaban

Hand #1 – “That was disgusting.”

We have all heard that there is no right way to play pocket jacks, but in this hand, Arlie shows us the absolute worst spot to be with them.

We pick the hand up post flop of an eight-handed, $20 buy-in tournament that is part of the Sunset Series – Arlie had raised pre-flop from the button and got the small blind, and two middle position players to call.

The flop was checked to Arlie who c-bet 6 BB into a 15.3 BB pot. The small blind called – but then the first to act post-flop raised it up to 17.7 BB – only to see the last player in the hand to check-shove 96.4 BB! Arlie with an identical stack called with top set – only to see EVERYONE ELSE CALL! It’s now a four-way all in with – get this – three sets and an over-pair!  Could pocket jacks hold?? The photo – and Arlie’s reaction – says it all.

We have chosen hands in the past to break them down and attempt to see what was going on – in this case, we chose it because it was an unbelievable hand with an even crazier ending. 

Some dubbed this the craziest bad beat of 2023 – and it’s up there but that label might be a bit much. While Arlie was in total control of the hand, he did have to fend off 4 outs twice – 2 queens, 1 eight and one 3. It’s not quite the same as losing to a one-outer, or thin runner-runner, but that doesn’t make this one hurt any less.

Hand #2 – 100X Spin N Go!

For those that frequent the Spin n Go streets on your favorite poker site, you’ve probably dreamt of hitting that massive multiplier and getting a chance to play for huge money. Arlie got that chance last year in a $25 Spin tournament that hit the 100X multiplier – putting up $3000 to the three players involved. Playing for a huge multiplier can change how one plays a poker hand – because one mistake now becomes much more costly.  Let’s look at a key hand in that tournament:

Arlie is on the button with 10 9 and a stack of 38 BB.  The big blind sits with 23 BB and the small button have 14 BB.  Arlie min-raises and gets called by the big blind only.  The flop brings a donk bet by the blind for 2.5 BB – to which Arlie quickly calls with second pair.  The turn is a dream, giving Arlie trips – and causing Arlie to freeze like a statue! 

The blind again fires, 4.5 BB this time, to which Arlie elects to flat.  The river is the J , completing a possible straight. The blind slows down, but Arlie does not, sending 11 BB into the middle of an 18 BB pot. The blind calls – and mucks as Arlie scoops a massive pot.

We didn’t get shown what the big blind had but looking at how this hand went, it feels like they had to have had a king – it’s not impossible to think that they could have had a 2 but with the stakes involved, that seems rather unlikely that they would have check-called the river. They didn’t put Arlie on the 10 , and were clearly prepared to call off their stack, only leaving a few big blinds back. 

This hand illustrates though that one cannot change their approach to calling a pair in a spin n go -regardless of the multiplier.  Arlie’s flop call netted him the hand, and a massive stack which clearly had him razor focused – and maybe a little stunned!

Hand #3 – It’s Always Coming Seven!

We are staying with this 100X Spin as there was another hand shortly after the big blind from hand 2 busted.  Arlie now has 32.16BB and again on the button with his opponent sitting with 17.83 BB. 

Arlie finds pocket sevens 7 7 and raises to 3 BB, getting called.  On a K J 4 , two spade flop the big blind donks on Arlie, but only for 1 BB. Arlie decides to continue to the turn with odds to call, where again the big blind donk bets 1 BB again on an 8 card. 

Arlie getting 9 to 1 calls with his third pair.  The river rewards him masterfully with the 7 .  Note that the runner-runner club flush does get there, and again the blind donks 1 BB. Arlie bumps it to 6 BB and the blind calls – and again mucks a losing hand.

They say it always comes seven, and that river card cemented the hand – and eventually the win – for Arlie. But, if you were in Arlie’s spot, are you calling the flop and turn if the blind had bet more?

The thing about this hand is that we are almost certain again that the blind had a king.  Arlie may have thought that the blind could be on the draw – straight or flush – but the turn and river were bricks for both of those hands. Given that the blind was ONLY betting one big blind, the price was there for Arlie to continue, with a possibility of turning his hand into a bluff on the river depending on what card came.

It feels like the blind was attempting to value bet their king, while Arlie was given the odds to continue in the hand. The betting line feels odd given the stakes in play and the fact that their hand was vulnerable to several outs – just goes to show that if you have the odds to continue, you should continue, and good things could happen!

Hand #4 – You Have…

We jump to a Winter Series $100 buy-in tournament that Arlie played in December of 2024 where he shows off more of his uncanny abilities at the poker table!  We pick up this hand on the turn – Arlie has K J off-suit in middle position against a player immediately to his right. 

The flop and turn have brought Arlie top pair and an open-ended straight draw with his opponent betting into his, 10.5 BB into a 29 BB pot.  Arlie sits with 75.8 BB – roughly half of his opponent’s stack, and Arlie calls the turn bet. The river is a pure brick – the 2 – and his opponent checks.  This gives Arlie a moment to ponder what his opponent could have and arrives at the Q J – which gives Arlie the green light to fire 26 BB into the 50 BB pot, to which his opponent calls – and mucks – Q J !

Arlie evaluated this hand in his head and kept shrinking the opponent’s range down and down to the point where he was convinced that his opponent had the Q J and calls it as he bets 26 big blinds. His confidence of exactly knowing how his opponent plays, and what they are willing to call in this spot is the level of detail that the online pros have that amateurs need to strive to get to play profitably at higher stakes.  Understanding Arlie’s thought process on his streams could prove to be a free course for those looking to read opponents as well as he does!

Hand #5 – They folded?

We wrap up our hand review of Arlie with a Spin N Go that will leave your head spinning. 

In this 3X Spin, Arlie is on the button with a 40 BB to 10 BB lead over his opponent and finds the Doyle Brunson – Ten-Two of clubs and limps. The blind checks and they see an Ace-Queen-Queen two club flop. The blind fires 1 BB and Arlie decides to chase the flush. 

When the turn brings the Queen of Hearts, and the blind again fires 1 BB into a 4 BB pot, Arlie elects to call again. The river brings the fourth and final club, to which the blind min bets a third time. Arlie, not believing that this player knows what he has, shoves – and gets a fold!

In my opinion, this hand is more unbelievable than the set over set over set over over-pair hand we reviewed earlier – only because there is no conceivable reason to fold here!  Arlie recognized that either his opponent was not paying attention, or was simply not skilled enough, and did not recognize that Arlie holding an ace in this spot still chops the pot. 

The fact that Arlie shoved here is not the surprise – but you see this a lot in pots that will be chopped, and players who are playing more tables and not fully paying attention will see Arlie’s shove, look at their hand, and not take the moment to analyze the situation.  This is a great tip for players playing online – recognize who is multi-tabling and use that against them in spots like this!

Arlie Shaban is one of the most entertaining poker streamers you will find these days – and one skilled in his craft.  He is not shy of taking on any challenge and any tournament, regardless of who the opponent is, or how big the tournament may be.  His outgoing personality and dedication to his game is unparalleled and will leave you with more poker knowledge than you came with, and he is always good for a laugh or two.