Poker is a game of skill, strategy, and bravery. It also happens to be a game that yields immense prize pools, with some of the world’s biggest poker tournaments now worth eight-figure payouts for the winner. Whether it’s the World Series of Poker (WSOP), the European Poker Tour (EPT), or some of the biggest online tournaments, there’s big money waiting to be won, defining the careers of poker icons and establishing poker unknowns as new legends.
Through the decades, there have been some jaw-dropping hands witnessed at the tournament tables. From heart-pounding bluffs to courageous calls, these moments have not only changed the course of these monstrous live events but have also defined the careers of many players. Below, we celebrate the most memorable and historic hands in poker history.
Johnny Chan’s Historic Main Event Win in 1988
Johnny Chan is one of the GOATs of Texas Hold’em poker. He landed back-to-back WSOP Main Event titles in 1987 and 1988. He then capped his historic feat by overcoming Erik Seidel in 1988. The winning hand saw Chan hold Jack-9 of clubs, with Seidel holding Queen-7 of clubs.
The duo came to the flop which showed Queen-10-8. It handed Chan a straight and Seidel holding top pair. It got all the way to the river card when Chan went on the defensive, making a nervy check to Seidel. He took this as a sign of weakness, deciding to move all-in which Chan called immediately to take down the pot and the Main Event championship in downtown Las Vegas, that’s notorious for its scorching-hot desert summers.
Chris Moneymaker’s Epic Bluff of Sam Farha in 2003
Chris Moneymaker is still revered for his ability to win the 2003 WSOP Main Event as an amateur. Moneymaker qualified via an online satellite event, securing his place at the $10,000-buy-in tournament for less than $50. In his final heads-up battle with seasoned pro-Sam Farha, Moneymaker pulled off a gutsy river bluff to take charge.
Moneymaker held the King of Spades and the 7 of Hearts. Farha called with the Queen of Spades and the 9 of Hearts. The flop comes with 9 spades, 2 diamonds, and 6 spades. The turn comes as an 8 of spades. At this point, Moneymaker has flush and straight draws. However, the River 3 of Hearts is a brick for Moneymaker, leaving him with little alternative but to bluff and move all in. After putting Farha’s tournament life on the line, the poker veteran decided this wasn’t the time to risk it all and folded in what many have labeled the “bluff of the century.”
Joe Hachem’s Flopped Straight for Main Event Victory in 2005
The chant “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi!” is now synonymous with the world of poker thanks to the WSOP Main Event. Joe Hachem landed the 2005 Main Event title after flopping a straight against heads-up opponent Steve Dannenmann. Dannenmann had Ace-high and a straight draw until pairing his Ace on the river.
At this point, Hachem moved all in to take down the final pot and earn himself a place in poker folklore.
The Brutal “Cold Deck” at the 2009 Main Event
If you’re looking for one of the most unfortunate bad beats in poker history, look no further than the 2009 WSOP Main Event. With the tournament down to the final seven players, Darvin Moon and Billy Kopp went heads-up in hand. Both players had diamonds, with Kopp holding 5-3 and Moon holding Queen-Jack.
The flop came Queen-9-8, with the latter two diamonds. Kopp had a flush draw, and Moon had a top pair and a flush draw. The turn card was the 2 of diamonds, completing the flush for both players. Unfortunately for Kopp, Moon had the higher flush. Kopp moved all-in only to watch Moon snap-call in great shape. Moon won the pot and eventually finished second.
Antonio Esfandiari’s One-Drop Miracle in 2012
The One Drop Foundation was launched in 2012, with the aim to raise funds for water initiatives across Africa, Latin America and beyond. The $1 million buy-in Big One for One Drop was founded in the same year, becoming the biggest buy-in poker tournament on the planet for some time. Antonio Esfandiari went on to win the inaugural event in dramatic fashion, taking home over $18 million.
Esfandiari’s winning hand saw him flop three-of-a-kind fives while his heads-up opponent, Sam Trickett, flopped a flush draw, keeping both players interested. Trickett completed his flush on the turn, putting Esfandiari in bad shape. However, a miraculous five on the river card gave him a rare four-of-a-kind, the third-strongest hand possible in the poker rules, which platforms like PokerStars say is commonplace across all poker variants like Omaha and Seven-Card Stud. Esfandiari’s quadruple fives left Trickett’s flush crushed, and Esfandiari landed the biggest payout in poker history at the time.
All of these iconic poker hands go to show that, no matter how much skill is involved, fate still plays a huge role in the outcome.
