Every poker player likely has that one memorable hand that they can't forget – a monumental pot that either significantly increased their bankroll or led to a devastating loss. In cash games and tournaments alike, there are moments when immense amounts of chips are contributed to the pot, and you're either on the winning side or the losing one. poker bankroll Let’s dive into some enormous poker pots from both live and online games and analyze how these thrilling encounters unfolded.
An Eye-Popping Pot at Nosebleed Stakes
Table of Contents
- Live poker pots
- Online poker pots
- Ivey's Full House Makes a Major Impact
- Isildur1 Gets Some Back Against Ivey
- Antonius Scoops Another Massive Pot
- Tom Dwan Rakes a Half-Million
- No compilation of significant poker pots is complete without featuring a hand that took place a few years ago between Phil Ivey and Tom Dwan during the Million Dollar Cash Game in London in 2010. Dwan started this hand with $538,500 in chips while Ivey had over $1.1 million. Patrik Antonius was also part of the action, as the table had whittled down to just three players after nearly 20 hours of play.
Live poker pots:
Dwan versus Ivey for a Million Bucks
With blinds at $1,000/$2,000 and a $500 ante, Dwan called from the button position holding 7♥6♥, while Ivey opened the action with a raise to $23,000 with A♣2♦. Dwan decided to go along with the call, leading to a heads-up situation where the flop revealed J♣3♦4♣. Both players found themselves with straight draws, prompting Ivey to place a bet of $35,000 into a pot of $49,500.
Dwan called the bet, and the turn brought the 5♥, giving Ivey a lower straight compared to Dwan's winning hand. Ivey then led out with a substantial bet of $90,000, which led Dwan to take some time to deliberate. After a few minutes, he raised by an additional $142,000, expanding the pot to $442,100. Ivey pondered for a moment before deciding to go all-in themselves.
The board completed with an unhelpful J♥, and Dwan scooped a staggering pot of $1.1 million. all-in , and Dwan made an easy call. The river At that moment, this became the largest pot ever seen in a televised poker game, with commentator Robert Williamson III exclaiming, “You just witnessed a piece of poker history unfold tonight.”
Tom Dwan seems to often find himself in the midst of enormous pots, and in this case, he again walked away a winner. In August 2017, he participated in PokerGO's “Poker After Dark,” a $200/$400 cash game that set the stage for big action.
Dwan Strikes It Again
In a hand, Antonio Esfandiari was dealt K♥K♣ and initiated a raise. On the button, Negreanu held Q♦Q♣ and opted to three-bet to $3,500. Dwan, holding A♠A♣, then made a four-bet to $14,000, prompting Esfandiari to five-bet to $41,000. buy-in of $100,000.
Negreanu made the call, but Dwan pushed all-in for his remaining $328,000. Folding Kings felt like an impossible decision for Esfandiari, leading him to ultimately call. Negreanu chose to fold his queens, observing the hand with a sense of frustration. They proceeded to run the hand twice, yet the outcome was unfavorable for Esfandiari, resulting in Dwan clinching a pot worth $697,100. big blind In another high-stakes match from a few years back, Jamie Gold faced a devastating blow against Patrik Antonius. Antonius opened with A♠J♦, making a raise to $4,000, while Gold, holding K♠K♦, raised to $14,000 amidst his suspicions that Antonius could be holding aces.
The flop came down 3♠Q♦10♥, prompting Gold to bet $15,000, which Antonius called as he needed either an Ace or a King to take the lead. The turn brought K♥, giving Gold trips; however, Antonius secured a Broadway straight.
The Gold Standard
Commentator Gabe Kaplan remarked, “That’s just unfortunate timing for Jamie.”
The flop The bet swelled to nearly $106,000 as Gold eventually pushed all-in for his last $341,500, leaving stacks of cash on the table. Antonius swiftly called, bringing the total pot to $743,500. Gold was left in disbelief, knowing he'd need to rely on the board pairing to complete a full house. straight Both players agreed to run the river three times, with nearly $250,000 on the line each time.
In a twist of fate, Gold managed to hit a Queen on the river, winning the first run and a 3 on the second hand for a substantial pot of $500,000. However, Antonius scored a minor victory with a 10 on the final run.
Antonius then led out with a $45,000 bet, raising the pot This intense hand unfolded in 2018 during the Triton Poker Super High Roller cash game in Jeju, South Korea, where the buy-in was set at an impressive $1 million. Swapping bets in Korean Won, this high-octane game saw significant cash exchange hands.
Once again, Tom Dwan was involved in the action as the game reached nosebleed levels (check around the 3:42 mark in the corresponding video). full house In this particular hand, blinds were at ￦3 million/￦6 million with a ￦6 million ante, and ￦12 million in action. Dominik Nitsche, holding K♥Q♣, initiated the round with a raise to 30 million, only to be met by a substantial re-raise to 120 million from Dwan, displaying A♠Q♥. His comfortable stack allowed for the larger bet.
Phua Ships $2.5 Million
Paul Phua then escalated the stakes even further by raising to an impressive 320 million with his A♥A♣, pushing the pot to a staggering total of $431,000. However, this time Dwan found himself in a tough spot and eventually went all-in after a few minutes of contemplation, receiving an immediate call from Phua.
With a mountain of chips accumulating in the pot, the total was nearing $2.5 million. The flop revealed 7♥K♣4♥, followed by a turn of 3♥ and a river card of Q♦ that did little for Dwan's hand. Following this heavy defeat, he stood up, opting to exit the game. straddle This thrilling hand also took place on the renowned show “High Stakes Poker” a few years back, just as the day's session was nearing its conclusion. Gus Hansen raised the stakes with Q♣6♦ to $4,200, and after a few folds, Eli Elezra entered the fray with 9♣5♣, joined by Phil Ivey with 9♠9♦. Jason Mercier raised significantly to $22,100 with A♥4♥.
Ivey was the only player to call, building the pot to $55,000. The flop unveiled 2♠3♦7♥, and Ivey appeared to be in a solid position. Mercier then bet $28,700, prompting a raise of $50,000 from Ivey. Mercier deliberated before going all-in, raising the pot to $107,000.
After thoughtful consideration, Ivey stated, “If you’re holding an overpair, you’ve got me beat,” before deciding to call for a total pot of $425,400. Mercier had a mere 32 percent chance to win, needing either an Ace or a 5 to complete his straight. Although Ivey opted for just one run, Mercier found no assistance on either the turn or river, resulting in an 8♣ and Q♠ being unveiled. Ivey saw through the bluff and claimed an enormous pot.
Ivey Makes a Huge Call for the Win
On another occasion, a significant pot unfolded, this time featuring two legends from televised poker – Patrik Antonius and Daniel Negreanu. Hansen opened with 5♦5♣ by raising to $2,100, while Negreanu responded with a three-bet to $5,000 using 6♠6♥. The action folded back to Antonio Esfandiari, who opted to fold his A♦Q♣. under the gun The flop ignited a flurry of excitement as both players connected
when the dealer revealed 9♣6♦5♥. Hansen checked his hand, only for Negreanu to bet $8,000, prompting Hansen to raise to $26,000, leading Negreanu to make the call. However, the arrival of the 5♠ on the turn put Hansen way ahead with quads, while Negreanu found himself with a full house that would likely lead to his downfall.
After a moment's consideration, Hansen placed a bet of $24,000, giving Negreanu plenty of time to weigh his next step carefully. Hansen maintained a calm demeanor as Negreanu deliberated his response. Eventually, Negreanu decided to call, unaware of the difficult position he was in, relying solely on needing the last 6 in the deck for assistance.
Quads Create a Cooler
High Stakes Poker produced another monster Following this, the river dealt an 8♠, and intriguingly, Hansen opted to check his hand, hoping to entice Negreanu into a big bet. When Negreanu bet $65,000, Hansen moved all-in for an additional $167,000. Negreanu, recognizing the weight of the situation, stated, “You might have the nuts,” but ultimately chose to call. The final results were staggering, with Hansen securing a win of $575,700 in the pot. This turn of events was a double-edged sword for Negreanu while showcasing impressive luck for Hansen.
"It’s an enormous pot,\" noted legendary poker player Doyle Brunson, audible in the background after the final hand. \"But I’ve seen bigger.\" While that may be true, very few pots could rival what has been observed here. trips Poker continues to grow in popularity, with many players eager to step into these high-stake games. However, it certainly requires a hefty bankroll along with nerves of steel.
An Eye-Popping Pot at Nosebleed Stakes slow-playing Patrik Antonius and Viktor \"Isildur1\" Blom have emerged as two of the most prominent figures in the poker world today. Both have accumulated millions in winnings, both online and in live settings. Blom is known for his aggressive play, often multi-tabling against some of the world’s finest players. In 2009, during a heated heads-up cash game, one of the largest pots in poker history would unfold between the two.
Playing Pot Limit Omaha with blinds set at $500/$1,000, both players were well-stocked with chips. Heavy betting ensued pre-flop, culminating in Antonius making a five-bet holding A♥K♥K♠3♠. The flop revealed 5♣4♠2♥, and both players committed their chips to the pot, creating a staggering $1,356,946 showdown. Antonius was ahead with a wheel straight while Blom revealed his hand of 9♠8♥7♦6♦, chasing an open-ended straight draw. As the turn presented the 5♥, adding a flush draw for Antonius, Blom held on only to see a river outcome of 9♣ that failed to help him. Consequently, Antonius secured a historic pot - the largest ever encountered online. cooler Just days later, Blom managed to reclaim some of his chips in another momentous hand against Phil Ivey during a heads-up PLO match at the same stakes of $500/$1,000. Ivey ignited the action with a raise to $3,000, while his Swedish rival three-bet to $9,000. Ivey responded with a four-bet to $27,000, leading to a call from Blom. The flop came down J♠K♠J♦, and both players checked for the moment.
On the turn, with the 10♦ in play, Ivey made a bet of $41,000, only to see Blom raise it to $177,000, making Ivey decide to call. The river revealed the 5♦, and with Blom starting the hand with $638,457 in front of him and Ivey holding $563,977, Blom took the opportunity to bet $408,000 after evaluating the river. Ivey, however, opted to call and revealed K♦K♣5♥4♦, having completed a full house on the flop. Ivey's cards were shown the door as Blom claimed a massive pot worth $1,127,955. poker hands Just a week prior to the historic clash between Blom and Antonius, they had engaged in yet another significant hand. Again contesting in a $500/$1,000 PLO cash game, Blom started the betting with a raise to $3,000, while Antonius replied with a call. On the flop, 5♥7♥Q♠ emerged, and Antonius opted to check with Blom betting $5,000, followed by Antonius raising to $21,000, leading to a call from Blom.
Online poker pots:
888poker examines eleven of the largest poker pots ever recorded, both in live settings and online, analyzing the sequence of plays that led to each outcome. Join us to discover which players struck it rich and who faced a major defeat in these monumental pots!
888poker evaluates six of the biggest poker pots from history, detailing how each unfolded. Stay tuned to learn about the players who achieved significant wins and those who faced significant losses at the tables!
Exploring the 11 Largest Poker Pots Ever - Both Live and Online
Isildur1 Gets Some Back Against Ivey
Two poker enthusiasts with an enormous stack of chips
Each player has that one unforgettable hand—a massive pot that either significantly increased their bankroll or led to a devastating loss. In cash games or tournaments, there are instances when a large number of chips go into the pot, and you're either the luckiest one or dealing with a tough blow.
Antonius Scoops Another Massive Pot
Let’s dive into some monumental poker pots, both in live settings and online, and see how the action unfolded.
A Seven-Figure Pot at Nosebleed Stakes
Tom Dwan Rakes a Half-Million
Ivey’s Full House Pays Out Significantly
No discussion of monumental poker pots could be complete without mentioning the iconic showdown a few years back involving Phil Ivey and Tom Dwan. This notable hand took place during the Million Dollar Cash Game in London in 2010. At the start, Dwan had $538,500 in front of him, whereas Ivey held slightly over $1.1 million. Patrik Antonius was also present, making it a three-handed showdown after some players exited following an exhausting 20-hour session.
With blinds set at $1,000/$2,000 and a $500 ante, Dwan made a call from the button with 7♥6♥, while Ivey raised the stakes to $23,000 with A♣2♦. Dwan matched the bet, leading to a heads-up showdown on a flop of J♣3♦4♣. Both players were drawing to straights, and Ivey made a bet of $35,000 into a pot of $49,500.
Dwan called, and as luck would have it, the turn brought the 5♥, which gave Dwan the nut straight, while Ivey ended up with a lower straight. Ivey increased his bet to $90,000, prompting Dwan to take some time before ultimately raising by an additional $142,000, pushing the pot to $442,100. After contemplating his options, Ivey moved all-in.
A meaningless J♥ appeared on the river, and Dwan emerged victorious, securing a pot worth $1.1 million.