Alan Keating received the most important pot ever on Excessive Stakes Poker Monday evening, good for simply over $1.4 million. However it actually wasn’t the one monster pot within the iconic poker present’s historical past.
Excessive Stakes Poker, which originated in 2006 on the Sport Present Community, has produced a few of the most memorable palms ever seen on TV. Gus Hansen turned a one-outer for quads to crack the set Daniel Negreanu had flopped in a $575,000 pot in Season 2. Brad Sales space, who not too long ago appeared on PokerNews’ Life Exterior Poker podcast, pulled off one of many sickest bluffs you will ever see in opposition to Phil Ivey throughout the identical season.
Whereas these palms had been epic and will likely be talked about for years to return, the pots considerably grew when PokerGO introduced the present again to life in 2021 after a 10-year hiatus. Not one of the aforementioned palms had been as large, when it comes to cash within the pot, as the next 5 palms that every one occurred since Season 8.
#5: Monetary Business CEO Cracks Robl’s Kings Twice ($981,300)
Sameh Elamawy was the star of the present throughout Season 13. The CEO of Scratch who hadn’t beforehand appeared on any mainstream poker exhibits received numerous monster pots and pulled off some epic bluffs. The leisure participant confirmed no worry and did not again down from Robl, a high-stakes money recreation legend.
Robl and Elamawy would battle in a lot of large pots, however one was so large that it made the checklist of 5 largest pots in Excessive Stakes Poker historical past. Episode 5 is when the hand happened.
Robl picked up Okay♠Okay♣ on the button and raised to $2,000. Brandon Steven referred to as from the small blind with J♥10♣ earlier than Elamawy, holding A♣Okay♥ within the large blind, bumped it as much as $10,400. Robl then four-bet to $35,000, forcing Steven to get out of the best way.
Elamawy, who began the hand with round $490,000, went for a five-bet to $150,000, just for his opponent to return again excessive all in. A name was made, making a pot of $981,300. Each gamers agreed to run the board twice.
The primary board got here Q♦9♦A♥7â™ 8♦, making certain the newbie would gather at the very least half the pot. He’d get all of it when one other ace hit on the second board for the double suckout in what’s presently the fifth largest pot in Excessive Stakes Poker historical past.
#4: Robl Wins This Time ($982,000)
Robl makes one other look on the Prime 5 checklist, however this time it wasn’t for a foul beat. The poker legend tangled with Charles Yu, an everyday on exhibits akin to Hustler On line casino Reside, for the most important pot of Season 11 in 2023 throughout Episode 6.
Jean-Robert Bellande opened it as much as $11,000 from an early place with Q♥6♥. Robl then three-bet it to $40,000 with an actual hand – A♥Okay♣. Yu, maybe seeking to recoup his losses from the earlier hand, made a four-bet elevate to $200,000 with the very same hand he’d simply misplaced an enormous pot with – Aâ™ 7â™ .
Robl then jammed all in and had his opponent, who had $484,000 whole, nicely lined. Yu was pot dedicated and nearly pressured to name, so he put his chips in far behind Huge Slick. The flop got here out 4♠6♠9♣, giving the weaker hand some hope with a flush draw.
When the 8♥ appeared on the flip, it added a straight draw to the flush draw. Yu had 18 outs heading to the river, which was the Okay♥, and the primary run out went to Robl.
On the second board, the flop of Okay♦5♥8♦ all however ensured Robl would take the total $982,000 pot. When the ten♥ confirmed up on the flip, it sealed the deal. Yu, who began the episode with practically $700,000, was out of chips.
#3: Dwan Scoops a Three-Means Pot ($985,000)
Tom Dwan hasn’t appeared on Excessive Stakes Poker the previous few seasons, however he is one of the legendary gamers on the present. Who may probably neglect the six-figure bluff he pulled off with prime pair to pressure Barry Greenstein off pocket aces and Peter Eastgate to fold journeys throughout the Sport Present Community period?
The previous Full Tilt Poker professional often known as “durrrr” by no means performed a bigger pot on Excessive Stakes Poker than he did within the fifth episode of Season 8, the primary season on PokerGO (2021). The hand started with Rick Salomon elevating the $1,600 straddle to $4,000 with 5♣3♣. Brandon Steven simply referred to as with A♦J♦, as did Dwan with Qâ™ Q♣ on the button.
Lynne Ji got here alongside for the experience within the large blind with Q♥10♥ earlier than Bellande, the straddler, three-bet to $11,000 with A♣Okay♣. Salomon and Steven referred to as, however Dwan was carried out disguising the energy of his hand and made it $54,000 to go. Ji, who had $163,000 earlier than the hand started, determined to make a play and moved all in.
Bellande, an everyday on Excessive Stakes Poker, then went all in for $399,000. Dwan, who had each gamers lined, tanked for a bit earlier than opting to name.
There was $514,000 in the primary pot and $471,000 within the aspect pot, totaling $985,000. If Dwan had been to scoop the whole pot, it will have been the biggest in Excessive Stakes Poker historical past on the time. However the gamers agreed to run the board 3 times, giving “durrrr” low odds for a full scoop with queens.
The primary board ran out J♣9♠9♥4♥10♠, about as terrible as Ji may think about given lots of her outs had been lifeless. Dwan took the primary board, after which would take the second, which got here Q♦J♥3♠7♠A♥, earlier than scooping the whole pot after the ultimate board confirmed 5♦5♠5♥7♥7♦.
#2: Santhosh Brings the Warmth ($992,000)
We might wish to welcome Robl again to the Prime 5 checklist for a 3rd and closing time. The next hand occurred within the ninth episode of Season 12 (2024), and it concerned a newcomer to the present, Santhosh Suvarna, a two-time World Collection of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner.
Robl, within the small blind with 5♣4♣, raised the straddle to $16,000. Suvarna, sitting on A♣Okay♥ within the straddle, made it $54,000, not sufficient to persuade his opponent to fold.
The 4♠4♦2♠flop smacked Robl within the face, leaving Suvarna in serious trouble. After Robl checked, he’d name a wager of $45,000 earlier than seeing the Okay♦ on the flip, a glimmer of hope for Santhosh. Surprisingly, each gamers checked.
However the Okayâ™ on the river accomplished the runner-runner suckout. Robl, nonetheless, wasn’t involved he was up in opposition to a king, so he made a large wager of $300,000, to which Suvarna moved all in for $395,000 whole. It was solely $95,000 extra to name, that means Robl was pot dedicated. He would make the decision, after which found he’d misplaced a $992,000 pot, the most important in Excessive Stakes Poker historical past … for about 11 months.
#1: Keating Dodges the Flush Draw ($1,412,500)
Suvarna’s file fell earlier this week throughout the tenth episode of Season 14, and it concerned Alan Keating and Peter Wang, each identified to play unfastened and aggressive.
The now greatest pot in Excessive Stakes Poker historical past places to disgrace all the opposite palms on this checklist, and it is the primary ever on the present to crack $1 million. Not solely did it surpass the seven-figure mark, it utterly obliterated the earlier file.
Motion kicked off within the double-straddled pot with folds round to the button, Keating, who determined to only name for $4,000 with Okay♦Okay♣. Peter picked up A♠3♠within the large blind and went for a elevate to $14,000. Keating then made a pleasant three-bet to $69,000, not sufficient to persuade his Hustler On line casino Reside foe to fold.
The two♠J♠Okay♥ flop was about as juicy because it will get. Peter checked the nut flush draw, however Keating, who not too long ago launched a brand new YouTube channel, wager $70,000 with prime set.
A check-raise to $200,000 would ensue, adopted by a name from the button. The flip was the A♦, giving Peter prime pair to go together with his flush draw. He rapidly moved all in for $434,000, to which Keating snap-called. That created a pot of $1,412,500, making it the biggest pot in Excessive Stakes Poker historical past assuming there could be no chop following two runouts.
The primary river was the A♣ and the second the J♣, neither helpful to Peter, that means Keating now holds the file for the most important pot within the 14-season historical past of essentially the most iconic poker present on the planet.
Keating additionally scooped a $911,000 pot throughout the sixth episode of the present season in opposition to Peter by making an excellent name that had the poker neighborhood speaking.
Previous Excessive Stakes Poker Season 14 Episode Recaps
To look at previous episodes of Excessive Stakes Poker, go to PokerGO.
*Photos courtesy of PokerGO/Antonio Abrego
