A controversial moment took center stage in Episode 3 of High Stakes Poker Season 15 after Sam “Senor Tilt” Kiki appeared to initiate a bet—only to pull his chips back once he sensed his opponent might call. The hand, played against Darin Feinstein, immediately ignited discussion about whether Kiki should have been held to the wager.
The situation drew comparisons to the infamous “joke bet” from Live at the Bike, where Armenian Mike shoved chips forward after missing a draw, received a snap-call, and then attempted to retract the bet. While Kiki’s move wasn’t nearly as blatant, it still landed squarely in a gray area that poker fans love to debate.
A Controversial Start to Episode 3
The hand opened the episode on PokerGO. Kiki kicked things off with a raise to $2,000 holding pocket sevens, only for Feinstein to three-bet to $8,000 with ace-king. Kevin Hart joined the action from the small blind with eight-six suited, and Kiki called as well.
The flop landed king-high, giving Feinstein top pair. After he bet $16,000, Hart folded, while Kiki called. The turn brought the eight of clubs, adding straight and flush possibilities for Kiki. After another check, Feinstein fired $20,000, prompting Kiki to check-raise to $65,000 as a semi-bluff. Feinstein quickly called.
The river bricked out, improving neither hand. Sensing trouble at showdown, Kiki grabbed a stack of chips—roughly $90,000—and appeared ready to fire one last bluff. Feinstein then commented that he’d “probably fold” to a bet. Kiki’s hand crossed the betting line and touched the felt before he hesitated, looked at Feinstein, and pulled the chips back.
Both players laughed it off, and Feinstein clearly wasn’t upset. Still, Poker Hall of Famer Nick Schulman questioned the move from the commentary booth, noting how close it appeared to a binding betting motion.
A Tough Night for Senor Tilt
The controversial hand set the tone for a difficult episode for Kiki. Shortly afterward, he tangled with Feinstein again on a dry runout where neither player had much. Feinstein fired a $60,000 bluff into a $67,500 pot with jack-high, and Kiki folded his small pair, surrendering another sizable pot.
Kiki then ran into Kevin Hart, who launched a $100,000 bluff after missing a straight draw in a $177,500 pot. Despite holding top pair, Kiki eventually folded under pressure, sending more chips across the table.
He managed to claw some of them back later by winning a $111,000 pot with a rivered straight, but overall, Feinstein came out well ahead in their exchanges during the episode.
All 17 episodes of High Stakes Poker Season 15 are now streaming exclusively on PokerGO, with Episode 3 already giving fans plenty to argue about.
