Elements such as versatility, emotional control, and decision-making make poker much more than just a simple card game.
It is these and many other elements, along with the weight of the financial factor, that have been creating a unique atmosphere over the decades, even across different venues around the world.
I’m referring to combinations that border on the impossible, accurate reads players make on their opponents, and naturally, unforgettable comebacks.
Are you curious to know what some of the most epic hands ever played in poker history were? Then follow along with us.
The Unknown Player Who Took $2.5 Million Home
It was only the beginning of poker in the digital world, but it was through one of the new casino sites of the time that Chris Moneymaker, until then a recreational player, found a way to participate in the Main Event of the WSOP 2003 and have his life changed.
Without being able to afford the buy-in of $10,000, Chris registered on an online satellite for only $86. Upon crowning himself champion, he earned a spot for the prestigious competition in which he was about to make history.
Against all odds, Chris kept advancing and managed to eliminate renowned figures, like Phil Ivey and Dan Harrington, until reaching the heads-up against Sammy Farha.
In the grand final, one of the most legendary moments was when the debutant bluffed having only a king high and forcing Farha to fold, which became one of the most memorable moments on his path to victory.
The Play that Inspired a Movie Scene
In the Main Event of the WSOP of 1988, Johnny Chan, back-to-back champion and considered by many the best in the world, faced Erik Seidel, who until then disputed his first official tournament, in a duel that would serve as inspiration for an iconic scene of the movie Rounders.
In the flop that decided the game, a queen appeared, an eight, and a ten. Seidel, who had a queen and a seven in the hand, formed a good pair. When the river brought a six after a two surfaced on the turn, the elements for the epic moment were prepared.
Chan checked, leading Seidel to believe that he possessed the best hand. Confident, the young player went all-in. What Seidel did not imagine was that Chan held a jack and a nine. That is to say, a straight from the start.
Upon paying the bet in an almost immediate manner, Chan revealed the nuts, confirmed the world title, and claimed the prize money of $700.000.
The Famous “Doyle Brunson Hand”
You must agree that winning a world title holding 10-2 is something quite improbable, correct? And what would you say, then, if I told you that a player won not only one, but two consecutive world titles holding those same cards, besides reaching exactly the same combination? Well, it was exactly what happened with the legendary Doyle Brunson in the Main Event of the WSOP in the years of 1976 and 1977.
The First Title
In the year of his first title, Doyle faced Jesse Alto in the heads-up. Jesse was considered a great player, but he was also known for not responding well under pressure. Exploiting this this, in a certain moment of the game where Alto lost a considerable number of chips, Doyle raised preflop even holding the two cards that were about to become legendary.
The flop came ace, jack, and ten. At the moment, Doyle had only a pair of 10s. Alto, on the other hand, with an ace and a jack, held a two pair. A deuce surfaced on the turn to improve Brunson’s hand. In an unexpected move, Doyle went all-in, and his opponent quickly called. When everything seemed lost, the river brought one more 10, completing a full house for Doyle and granting him the prize of $220,000.
A Legendary Repeat
A year later, Doyle Brunson returned to the competition with status of champion and behaved as such, dispatching some big names along the way and building a big stack. In the heads-up, his adversary was Gary Berland, who would come to help create the scenario for the inexplicable to happen.
The flop took to the table a 10, an 8 and a 5. Brunson held his 10 and 2, while Berland, with an 8 and a 5, formed two pair. However, instead of betting, he simply checked. On the turn, a 2 surfaced and Berland decided that it was time to go all-in. However, just like in the previous year, the river again brought a 10 to the table to give a full house to Brunson, immortalizing the 10-2 as the famous “Doyle Brunson Hand.”
