The 4 Craziest Hands in the History of Poker

Poker is one of the oldest games in the history of gambling and continues to be a significant draw today. Looking back at history, several big hands have been played over the decades, some of which are too good to be true. While some of these hands were played at the World Series of Poker (WSOP), the rest were recorded at the Old West shootout.

Poker is the most exciting to watch when two players with similar hands are locked in a head-to-head battle for supremacy. They’re spurred into wagering by the air of superiority and confidence in the cards dealt. The only poker rule is to comprehend your opponent’s hand and outsmart their next move.

However, it’s possible to disregard everything else in the heat of the moment. Sometimes, players tend to be so full of themselves that they end up getting knocked out of the game by an opponent’s freak hand. When four Kings aren’t enough to win a hand, you can be sure that a great match is underway.

On that note, let’s walk you through some of the craziest hands in the history of poker.

Andrew Robl vs Toby Lewis

Andrew Robl - Craziest Poker Hands

This one takes the cake hands down for being one of the most exciting matches in the game’s history. Andrew Robl and Toby Lewis are locked in a duel with Pocket 9s and Queens, respectively. They’re both in a strong position.

This belief is further strengthened after the Flop. Unfortunately, Robl’s faith is misplaced as a Nine and two Queens enter the game. Robl’s hand is no match for Lewis’ Four of a Kind despite having a Full House.

Robl can’t win the hand, but there’s no way for him to know this. Unwittingly he makes the mistake of betting $18,000. Yevgeniy Timoshenko, with Pocket 2s, folds at this point, but Lewis raises the stakes to $42,000.

While this should have raised the red flag for Robl, he decides to bet after some consideration. Following a 5 on the table, Robl chooses to check but meets a sizeable $63,000 bet to call. It’s a challenging situation for the American as nobody would think about betting against a Full House in their right senses.

That’s not the end of the story as the fourth 9 appears on the River. By the time Robl realized the grave mistake, he had gone all in, betting $149,000. It’s one of the rudest ways a player got knocked out of a tournament.

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Phil Ivey vs Tom Dwan

Phil Ivey - Craziest Poker Hands

Phil Ivey and Tom Dwan broke the record for the largest pot in televised poker at the time. While Ivey is dealt 2 of Diamonds and Ace of Spades, Dwan has the six and seven of Hearts. After the Flop, they both have Flush, and all they need is a four.

Ivey bets $35,000, and Dwan calls. Unfortunately for Ivey, despite having a Straight when a four is dealt, his hand is no match for his opponent’s. However, there is no way for him to know that. So, after betting another $90,000, Dwan raises a whopping $232,600.

Ivey fails to fight the urge and goes all in, creating an insane $1,108,500 pot. Ivey can’t believe his luck once Dwan shows his hand.  His lower value Straight is no match for Dwan’s high-value cards.

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Tim Flanders vs Achilleas Kallakis vs Donnacha O’Dea

Tim Flanders - Craziest Poker Hands

A nasty beat follows an exciting Flop as Donnacha O’Dea wins against Achilleas Kallakis. Tim Flanders is baffled by the stroke of bad luck, and you can’t blame him for feeling this way.

O’Dea starts with Pocket 3s, Flanders with a 4 and 5, while Kallakis has a 5 and 9 of Spades. After the Flop, all three players have strong hands. While O’Dea gets a Three of a Kind, Kallakis has a Flush.

Despite landing a Straight, Flanders’ hand is no match for his opponents. All three players are confident about their hand being the best, and O’Dea bets $6,000. After a King lands on the Turn, Flanders raises $20,000. His opponents call.

You had to feel sorry for the guy as he had no clue he was being led. The drama doesn’t end there as O’Dea, with a stroke of luck, lands a Four of a Kind thanks to another three on the River. Flanders takes the hint and folds when O’Dea raises $40,000. Unfortunately, Kallakis decides to soldier on and is visibly shocked when O’Dea reveals his hand.

Top 4 Poker Hands Ever Played at an International Tournament ᐉ CasinoCanada Blog video preview Help us to 100K Subscribers - http://goo.gl/Bvsafo If you are reading this, comment... ● Watch other Videos: ► Bluffs Gone Wrong - https://youtu.be/ffawyLHW4fY ► Phil Ivey Wins $2,200,000 - https://youtu.be/GvSFls_LtkA ► Top Straight Flushes - https://youtu.be/XEe3LCL34Tg ► Best Poker Quads - https://youtu.be/NaA4CsAzdNM

Chris Walker vs Javier Gomez vs Marc MacDonnell vs Ilkan Savalan Amirov

Ilkan Savalan Amirov - Craziest Poker Hands

While this one is evenly matched, the outcome is rather strange. Chris Walker goes all in with $985,000 on Pocket Jacks, followed by Marc MacDonnell with an 8 and 9 of Diamonds. Ilkan Savalan Amirov follows suit after some consideration and Pocket Kings but is soon forced to raise when Javier Gomez raises $2,580,000 on Pocket Queens.

With $3,460,000 in his pocket, Amirov is safe from eliminating whether he wins the round. But if he wins, the others are instantly eliminated. A 6, 9 and Ace of Spades appear on the Flop, and MacDonnell joins the others with his pair. However, Gomez needs another Spade for his Flush.

The Turn reveals a 2 of Diamonds, and Amirov has the best odds of winning at 59%. The 6 of Diamonds appears in the River, giving each player Two Pairs. Amirov takes the win with two Kings and sends the others packing. However, MacDonnell and Gomez had a potent chance of coming out on top with Flushes. However, a stroke of luck pushed Amirov to the top.

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Conrad Brennan
Former Author
University of Toronto
BA of Business and Marketing
Expert in:
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Reviewed by Head of Content:
Dmitry Rogalchuk
Last updated on: 06.03.2024

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