What’s more, you’re likely to get more of their chips, as wild pro Jean-Robert Bellande demonstrated in this hand from the World Poker Tour’s $10,000-buy-in Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic at Las Vegas’ Bellagio in 2010. With blinds at $150-$300 plus a $25 ante, Bellande limped under the gun with J-8 of spades.
- The playboy poker amateur is a regular at games arranged by Bellande, and the story was blown wide open again this week when Eli Elezra stirred the pot Hey @brokelivingjrb. I heard Blitz had.
- The latter was playing solid poker during a majority of the session and was up almost $150,000, before he suddenly went on monkey tilt producing the punt of the year 2019! Watch this insane hand as well as the full episode below! Jean-Robert Bellande meets his nemesis. In the respective hand Yu Liang raised UTG to 6k and got two callers.
Dan Bilzerian dropped a bombshell about a popular poker player – Jean-Robert Bellande. The social media playboy claims JRB has been cheating in a high-stakes home game, a potential reputation-damaging allegation.
Poker cheating scandals are becoming more prevalent these days. Mike Postle, an accused cheater, escaped legal action, both criminal and civil. But most of the poker community still believes in his guilt.
Postle allegedly had access to his opponent’s hole cards during dozens of Stones Live streams. The accusation is that he played near-perfect poker and thus must have been cheating. That, however, hasn’t been definitively proven.
The same can be said for Bellande, who was accused of cheating by both Bilzerian and hedge fund manager Bill Perkins, both of whom he considers close friends.
All three of them play in the highest stakes private home games you’ll find in Las Vegas. Bellande, who previously played almost daily at Aria, hosts the games. He’s one of the only pros in the games and typically invites recreational players and wealthy businesspeople such as Perkins.
Did JRB cheat?
Bilzerian, a social media icon, claims to have earned his wealth playing high-stakes poker cash games, although that claim has never been verified. He made a bold accusation about Bellande following a recent game they played, a game that JRB actually lost for six figures. Bellande shared a text conversation of the chat with Bilzerian on Twitter after Bilzerian outed him on his Instagram page, which has over 32 million followers.
According to the chat, Bilzerian said he won “only” $287,000 in the $50/$100 game played in Las Vegas. And he straight up called JRB “a cheat,” but didn’t go into details as to the evidence he has to prove cheating occurred. The social media playboy referred to Bellande as “such a f—–g sack of s–t for bringing me to that game.”
“I didn’t lose, I’m not trying to b—h about paying, I have no dog in this fight,” Bilzerian texted.
Bellande defended bringing Bilzerian to the game with the comment, “I thought you’d enjoy.” He then said of Bilzerian’s cheating accusations, “You could never believe that. Very not cool for you to say.”
Perkins, who was also in the game, took to Twitter to pile on. The hedge fund manager and avid poker player polled his audience.
You're the host of a poker game you get paid time/rake and you also play in the game. You have 50 percent of 2 or more players in a sometimes 8/7/9 player game. As the host should you make non staked players aware of the economics? #Poker
— Bill Perkins (Guy) (@bp22) October 5, 2020
Bilzerian is so confident that Bellande cheated that he offered to bet that JRB is lying via a lie detector test. JRB hasn’t responded to that side bet. But he did defend his reputation on social media.
loosing 400k+ this week (only 80 in that game) and having my friend, @DanBilzerian turn on me = rough week. funny thing is, i think those guys were only showing off to impress him. i’m super bummed right now. (and would still vouch for that game). #brokeandbummed
— Jean-Robert Bellande (@BrokeLivingJRB) October 5, 2020
“loosing 400k+ this week (only 80 in that game) and having my friend, @DanBilzerian turn on me = rough week. funny thing is, i think those guys were only showing off to impress him. i’m super bummed right now. (and would still vouch for that game),” Jean-Robert Bellande wrote on Twitter.
Bellande’s reputation is important given his strategy for making money from poker. He hosts private games and if his reputation isn’t in tact, he’ll have a hard time convincing anyone to join his games.
Featured image source: Instagram
Jean-Robert Bellande just can't get any respect.
For sure, the Bodog pro's live tournament results aren't exactly the stuff of legend.
It's rare, though, to find a player who invites such overwhelming vitriol and ridicule from forum trolls, fellow pros and the poker community at large.
'It's amazing how much joy my misfortunes seem to bring folks,' Bellande wrote on the 2+2 forums. 'Each time I feel pain, smiles are made all over the world.'
JRB Making Waves in High-Stakes Poker
Lately, Bellande has made waves on the poker scene by accepting a high-stakes heads-up challenge that proves just how little regard the community has for the Survivor-starring former nightclub owner.
He took up online pro Jarred Harrington's offer to play heads-up Pot-Limit Omaha this week at the Commerce Casino - with Harrington spotting the big guy a fifth hole card.
The challenge, which blew up the forums as the WPT's Los Angeles Poker Classic was getting under way, actually began online.
'Jared and I have played a little heads-up on Bodog,' Bellande said. 'He actually challenged me to play PLO heads-up giving me 15 to 20% back, which I absolutely have to take from anybody. I mean, the kid plays pretty good, but I don't think he's any kind of favorite to win in that spot.'
Harrington wound up a winner in the online battle and, his confidence high, challenged Bellande to increase the stakes live.
'So he decided he was going to offer me five cards,' the former WPT Bad Boy of Poker said. 'And I'm going to play anybody in the world if it's five cards. I don't care if it's Phil Ivey, Barry Greenstein or Daniel Negreanu.'
Lofty words from a man not known for his Pot-Limit Omaha prowess, but Bellande felt the edge was just too good to pass up.
Harrington jumped out to an early lead and Bellande appeared perilously close to adding another chapter to the history of a man who has too often been a laughingstock.
But eventually, he made some adjustments, beating Harrington for about $20,000.
'He won't be giving me five cards again,' Bellande said.
Still, it wasn't long before other sharks began to circle.
Mixed-game demon Chau Giang offered a 15% rebate on any losses sustained in a $100k buy-in, $1k/$2k H.O.R.S.E. game.
'I don't think he's a big enough favorite over me to fade that edge,' Bellande said, 'but coming up with that buy-in would be difficult.'
Jean Robert Bellande Poker
Difficult, sure. If you haven't heard, Bellande is broke again.
'I live the lifestyle of any of the big-time players,' he says, 'but I'm just really bad at bankroll management.'
Tentative Poker TV Pilot in Works
However, Bellande has a plan to capitalize on his financial difficulties, and it doesn't involve just sitting around and waiting for online whiz kids with oversized egos and wads of cash to challenge him.
Instead, the Survivor star is shooting a TV pilot, tentatively titled Broke and Living like a Millionaire.
'There are parts of the poker world that you don't really see on TV, on Poker After Dark or anything, but they're a very real part of this world,' he said about the show, which will focus on the life of a poker player on the road, with his own ailing bankroll as the central thread.
Part of being a professional gambler is looking for that edge, which is why, after passing on Giang's proposal, Bellande jumped at an offer from Justin 'BoostedJ' Smith, who offered him the button every hand heads-up.
'He obviously feels he might be able to win if he's giving me that spot, but I love that game,' Bellande said. 'I'm going to take spots like that from anyone.'
Bellande and Smith have already played a few hands, and he remains confident in his advantage.
Meanwhile, the big guy is enjoying the increased action that comes when everyone thinks you're a mark.
'People talk and they hear about you getting an edge so they figure you must be a donkey,' he said.
John Robert Bellande Poker
With that in mind, he's definitely willing to entertain more offers, like the 50% money-back guarantee offered by 2+2 user tcorbin16 for 10,000 hands of four-tabled $25/$50.
'Oh yeah. Spot me, money back, shoot, I'm there,' Bellande said. 'I don't think I could play four tables like these other guys, but I'm happy to play. I'm listening to offers, so bring them on.'