The Playground Poker Club, located near Montreal, and recognized as Canada’s largest cash-game poker room, has set a new global record for the most substantial bad-beat jackpot ever awarded. On a recent Wednesday, the players at a $1/$2 No Limit Hold’em table partook in a game that resulted in a CAD $2,590,185 ($1,937,645 USD) jackpot.
The Evolution of the Record
This remarkable achievement shattered the previous world record of CAD $2,228,425, established in June 2022 at the same location. Situated on the Kahnawake Reserve just south of Montreal, this renowned room is known for crafting and promoting oversized bad-beat jackpots. The qualifying hands for these jackpots are often set higher than those in most other poker rooms, such as needing quad aces to be beaten if the jackpot has recently been hit. The standard for a losing hand may decrease gradually, but never falls below losing with quads. Contributing $2 from each raked hand at the eligible tables allows the jackpot to grow rapidly.
The Details of the Record-Breaking Game
The jackpot that set the record easily met the quad-deuces threshold, which had been the standard for several weeks. Although the identity of the players was not disclosed, the player who suffered the bad beat, and subsequently won the majority of the jackpot, landed an almost unbeatable quad tens on a flop of 8♦ T♥ T♦. The player that won the hand held 6♦ 9♦, giving them a gutshot to a ten-high straight flush, and the arrival of 7♦ on the turn completed the hand, ensuring a jackpot-qualifying pot.
The Distribution of the Record Jackpot
The celebration of the historic jackpot was felt throughout the room, and the news was swiftly shared on Playground Poker’s social media account, extending congratulations to all the players involved. According to the poker room’s official bad beat jackpot rules, the player whose quad tens were bested received 40% of the prize. The fortunate player with the ten-high straight flush collected 20%, while another 20% was shared among the other players at the table. The remaining fifth of the jackpot was distributed to those playing at other eligible tables within the room. All winnings were subject to a compulsory 5% deduction, intended as a gratuity for the staff of the establishment.
Rekindling the Flame: The Bad-Beat Jackpot Reborn
Even amid the celebrations, Playground Poker was swift to announce the reseeding of the bad-beat jackpot at just over $700,000. This rapid return to action epitomizes the relentless drive and appeal of bad-beat jackpots within the poker community. It showcases the perpetual cycle of the game, where one record is scarcely settled before the next challenge is laid out, encouraging players to continue striving for the next big win.
Other Famous Bad Beats from History
It may seem counterintuitive, but bad beats are a frequent occurrence in the realm of poker. Unlike positive outcomes or good-beat stories, which are often overlooked, the most notorious bad-beat incidents tend to be ingrained in the collective memory of poker enthusiasts around the globe. Here is a look at two of the more infamous bad beats in poker history.
The Matt Affleck vs. Jonathan Duhamel Debacle: It was the 2010 World Series of Poker, with just 15 players remaining and a prize pool of $68,798,600. The hand began with Jonathan Duhamel holding J♥ J♣ and raising 575k. He was met with a re-raise of 1.55 million from Matt Affleck, who had A♠ A♣. As the board showed 10♦ 9♣ 7♥ Q♦, and with 18.45 million chips already in the pot, Affleck was favored to win by 79%. After some back-and-forth, he went all-in for another 11.6 million. Duhamel made the call, and with all eyes fixed on the table, the river revealed an 8♦. Duhamel made the straight, winning the pot of 41.71 million, leaving Affleck crushed and exiting the tournament. This moment, which was widely regarded as the most devastating bad beat to this point in poker history, propelled Duhamel to eventually win the 2010 WSOP Championship.
The Connor Drinan vs. Cary Katz Catastrophe: In the $1,000,000 WSOP Big One for One Drop event in 2014, Connor Drinan and Cary Katz both held pocket aces, leading to one of the most unforgettable hands in poker history. The hand began with Katz raising to 225,000 and Drinan re-raising to 580,000, with Katz making a 4-bet worth 2,000,000. The flop came as 2♦ K♥ 5♥, and the 4♥ on the turn gave Katz a 20% chance of winning with a flush. The tension reached its peak as the river card was revealed as 2♥, allowing Katz to make his flush. This hand resulted in Drinan’s dramatic exit from the tournament.