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Daily 3-Bet: Razavi Reigns, Phil Storms Off, RIP Lil Holdem

Daily 3-Bet: Razavi Reigns, Phil Storms Off, RIP Lil Holdem

Daily 3-Bet: Razavi Reigns, Phil Storms Off, RIP Lil Holdem


The PokerListings Daily 3-Bet is a shared love, a fond remembrance and a communal afternoon poker news tribute to a legend of the game.

Got a tip for a future 3-Bet piece? Drop us a note in the comments.

Today in the 3-Bet we find Sam Razavi continuing his dominance on the APT, Phil Hellmuth does, well, a Hellmuth and poker pros pay tribute to online legend Chad Batista.

1) Razavi Wins 4x at APT Cebu

Think British poker pro Sam Razavi has figured something out about the Asian Poker Tour other poker pros haven’t?

The three-time APT Player of the Year just put his stamp on yet another event by claiming four tourney wins at APT Cebu.

That matches Polish young gun Dzmitry Urbanovich’s mind-bending 4x turn at last year’s EPT Malta.

He’s not making a fortune at these events mind you – his collective take this time around was barely over $10k – but still. Winning is winning.

He’s clearly got the winner’s photo down, too:

Good deed done for the day after I took Trophy No. 4 under my wing and sheltered it from the rain and cold #APTCebu pic.twitter.com/ogBI4xfrrG— Sam Razavi (@Sam_Razavi) August 19, 2015

2) PokerNightTV Stream Gets Heated; Hellmuth Walks

Following in the wake of the big-time Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open Big Four the $25/$50 Poker Night in America cash game has been equally entertaining.

Yesterday in particular was a highlight as it involved Phil Hellmuth dropping $15,000 and storming off the set:

I’m playing NLHold’em now LIVE on @Twitch http://t.co/Eb9957Ic86 Hoping I don’t lose it today! Stormed off the set yesterday, sigh…— phil_hellmuth (@phil_hellmuth) August 21, 2015

They’re back at it again today, Phil included, and things have already gotten testy with a quasi-slowroll.

The inimitable Phil Laak, 888poker pro Jessica Dawley and WSOP November Niner Josh Beckley are also notably in the game. Check the live feed below:

3) Remembering Lil Holdem

Online poker pioneer Chad “lilholdem954” Batista tragically passed away at the age of 34 yesterday.

A true legend of the online game Batista had drifted away from the felt over the past few years and fallen into ill health but his impact on many who remain in the game is clear from the outpouring of remembrances on Twitter today.

RIP Chad Batista. An online tournament legend. Came from nothing to become one of the best of his time.— Christian Harder (@realcharder30) August 21, 2015

RIP LilHoldem. We came up together in south Florida. We were like the odd couple running the poker streets in 2005. Gonna miss him.— Adam Levy (@Roothlus) August 21, 2015

RIP Chad Batista, one of my first friends in poker. He was a troubled soul, but had a big heart. A natural talent! pic.twitter.com/kO9WXw6tUO— Jared Hamby (@TWKftw) August 21, 2015

One time I chopped Super Tuesday with lil holdem and another dude and chad somehow ended up getting more than first place money. RIP— Chris Klodnicki (@SLOPPYKLOD) August 21, 2015

I never met Chad Bautista. But he challenged me immensely whenever we clashed online with his abstract, ingenius mind. A true phenom. RIP— Griffin (@GriffinBenger) August 21, 2015

RIP Chad Batista. “Unique” is too big an understatement. Ur upbringing led to a rough exterior but under it u were truly one of #TheGoodGuys— Matt Stout (@MattStoutPoker) August 21, 2015

RIP lilholdem, one of the first guys I followed in online tournaments as a railbird :(— Greg Merson (@GregMerson) August 21, 2015

RIP to Chad Batista. Undoubtably one of the true OG’s of online poker.— Sorel Mizzi (@sorelmizzi) August 21, 2015

Rip Chad Batista aka Lil holdem…one of the original online legends…kid turned 3 betting into an art…true pioneer…RIP brother!!!— Tommy Felice (@TbonePoker) August 21, 2015