He Ran $23K Up to $500K — Then Lost a $738K Pot to Mariano Grandoli

Jae Cusick went from rags to riches and back to rags — all in one night — during a wild high-stakes session on Hustler Casino Live. As reported by PokerNews, the newcomer eventually lost a $738,000 pot to Mariano Grandoli, one of the show’s most respected crushers. Commentators have described Cusick’s dramatic rise and fall as one of the wildest rides ever seen on the HCL stream.

Mariano Grandoli

A regular force at Hustler Casino Live, Mariano Grandoli has built a reputation as one of the most feared and respected high-stakes cash game players in the scene. With over $2.4 million in net profit on HCL alone, and $2.76 million across all livestreamed cash games, he ranks among the top winners in streamed poker history. He’s also a successful poker vlogger, offering insights and hand breakdowns to his large YouTube following.

Jae Cusick

Jae Cusick made a dramatic first impression on Hustler Casino Live by turning a $23,000 short stack into a towering $500,000+ stack — before losing a massive chunk of it in a single hand against Grandoli. While little is known about his overall poker background, this high-stakes debut showcased both fearlessness and flair. His wild ride captured the attention of viewers and commentators alike, marking him as a potential new personality in the streamed poker scene.

The game was playing with a $400 straddle, and Jae Cusick opened the action on the button to $3,000 holding 7♦ 7♣. In the big blind, “Jeff the Cash” 3-bet to $10,000 with K♦ 9♦. Then came Mariano Grandoli, sitting in the straddle, who looked down at A♦ Q♠ and responded with a cold 4-bet to $30,000.

Cusick made the call. Jeff folded.

Flop: Q♥ 6♣ 4♣

Grandoli hit top pair. He led out for $20,000. Cusick, holding just pocket sevens, decided to raise to $50,000, likely trying to define his hand or apply pressure. Grandoli called.

Turn: Q♦

Grandoli improved to trip queens. He checked, trapping Cusick, who fired $80,000.

Mariano then moved all-in, covering Cusick’s remaining $203,600.

Cusick entered the tank for several minutes, thinking aloud:

“Aces no way, kings no way, ace-queen... why not just let me bluff?”

Eventually, he called — and saw the bad news. Grandoli had him nearly dead, and after running it twice, both rivers bricked out.

Grandoli scooped the $738,000 pot, while Cusick was left with nothing.

Cusick had turned $23,000 into over half a million in chips during a wild hot streak — but it all vanished in a single misstep. He ended the session down $144,000 overall, despite the earlier surge.

This hand is already going down in HCL history as one of the most dramatic — a reminder that no lead is safe when the stakes are this high and decisions this costly. Looking back, calling a 4-bet out of position with sevens — then continuing through two barrels on a board that favored Grandoli’s range — was always going to be high variance. In this case, the gamble didn’t pay off.