WATCH: PokerStars’ Top 5 WTF Moments
Some moments at the poker table leave you thinking, "Did that really just happen?!" Others garner the typical eye roll or head scratch, but these instances from the poker world leave us wondering, WTF was that?!
Here are the top five, courtesy of PokerStars.
5. Don’t Always Trust Your Instincts
Taking it back to Copenhagen in 2007, Theo Jorgensen went all in with A♣A♦. Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier folded, and Richard Toth did exactly what Jorgensen wanted and called, holding Q♥9♥.
Toth went with his instinct and it proved him wrong. However, it came back in his favor on the turn and the river, giving him a flush and knocking Jorgensen out of the tournament.
The board: 10♣4♥7♦J♥10♥
Jorgensen should have been careful with what he wished for. He asked for a pair on the board but didn’t think about the pair and the heart Toth needed.
4. Deep Breathing Exercises
Gilles Bernies and Dzmitry Urbanovich were heads up at EPT Dublin. Urbanovich raised with 8♠5♠. Bernies three-bet 575,000. Urbanovich called with 1.17 million in the pot. The flop brought 8♥J♠K♠.
Bernies bet 625,000. Urbanovich raised to 1.475 million. Bernies decided to go all in and Urbanovich immediately called. Bernies revealed a 4♦2♠.
And…it…just…doesn’t…make…sense.
The turn brought the 7♣. Bernies was drawing dead. A six on the river couldn’t save him. Urbanovich regained the chip lead and Bernies called himself out as a fish.
3. A Great Mind Overthinks It
In the PokerStars Big Game, Vanessa Selbst held J♦7♦ and Prahlad Friedman had A♥A♦. Selbst, possibly thinking that Friedman was messing with her, got into a raising war that resulted in her putting in a sixth bet prefop for $106,200.
Friedman went all in. A disgusted Selbst called, knowing exactly what she was up against but getting the right price. They decided to run it three times.
The first run: K♥4♦5♣9♥10♥
The second run: 8♣K♦5♦5♥3♣
The third run: 4♣6♥K♣2♠9♦
Selbst decided not to rebuy and Friedman scooped the largest pot in the history of the Big Game.
2. All in or Notkin?
At the 2014 final table of the Canada Cup, Robert Notkin had K♣K♥ under the gun and Notkin raised. Justin Miller moved all in with Q♥K♠. Vincent Jacques reshoved with A♥10♦. Ryan Rivers, with 8♣8♥, went all in.
Notkin called, putting the others at risk.
The board: 3♥7♦7♥5♣
This online qualifier knocked all three of them out in one hand, claiming the title and $366,000.
1. Timeout on the Timeout
At the 2010 World Cup of Poker, Darus Suharto had K♦K♥, Sascha Cornils held A♣A♥ and Luca Pagano had 6♦2♣. Pagano raised to 4,000. Cornils re-raised to 8,000. Suharto went all in for 76,100.
Pagano got out of the way, and Cornils inexplicably called timeout with his pocket aces. After a minute laughing with his teammates, Cornils returned to the table and called.
The reactions were just as you'd expect.
The aces held up for Cornils, who later apologized to the Canadian team by taking them out for beers.
