2010 marks the second running of the PokerStars SCOOP, which debuted last year amid much fanfare. In 2009, a total of $38 million was given away and the total number of player buy-ins approached 200,000. The inaugural SCOOP boasted 22 world-class poker events across three buy-in levels and players from the United States walked away with $20.6 million to lead all countries. Germany and Canada sat in second and third, respectively, on the money leaderboard with $3.3 million and $3.2 million.

It took 136 hands of play for Williams, a World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner, to best the star-studded final table. He outlasted UB.com pro Eric “basebaldy” Baldwin heads-up. In the final hand, Baldwin shoved his 20 big blind stack with A-5 of hearts and Williams tanked before calling with pocket deuces. The flop came A-7-6, giving Baldwin top pair and leaving him in a prime position to double up. Then, disaster struck. A deuce hit on the turn, improving Williams to a set, and Baldwin was drawing dead.

The show hit television airwaves following the Vancouver Canucks’ 6-4 win at Los Angeles in the NHL playoffs. “Poker2Nite” co-host Joe Sebok was feeling under the weather, so Scott Huff flew solo during the 30-minute episode. Discussion began with the PartyPoker Big Game IV, which was filmed in London last week sans mystery Swede Isildur1, who backed out just before the event started. David “Viffer” Peat recorded the largest profit in Big Game history at ₤147,000.

Early on, Team PokerStars Pro member Bertrand “Elky” Grospellier led out for $11,000 on a flop of 2-3-3 with two clubs holding 6-4 of spades for a straight draw.David Benyamine made the call with 8-6 of clubs for a flush draw and the turn was the four of diamonds. Both players slowed down and the action went check-check to the four of clubs on the river, giving Grospellier a boat. He checked and Benyamine fired out a bet of $16,000 with a flush. Grospellier raised to $56,000 and Benyamine called, shipping the mammoth $153,600 pot to Grospellier. “High Stakes Poker” commentator Gabe Kaplan noted, “I think in all of our seasons of ‘High Stakes Poker,’ that’s the first misstep David Benyamine has made.”

The first session with a brand new slate of players aired over the weekend on “High Stakes Poker.” Tom “durrrr” Dwan and Phil Ivey each bought in for $500,000, the most of anyone at the table, and the latter made his presence known early and often. Ivey raised to $4,000 pre-flop with 10-5 and received a call from Negreanu, who held just 4-2, and Doyle Brunson, who had 6-3 of clubs. The flop came 4-9-5, giving Ivey middle pair, and he bet $10,000. Brunson was the lone caller and a queen hit on the turn. Brunson check-called a bet of $26,000 from Ivey and the river was another five, improving the “Tiger Woods of Poker” to a set and missing Brunson’s straight draw. Brunson checked, Ivey bet $60,000, and “Texas Dolly” got out of the way.