Gross $1 Million Runner-Runner Suckout on High Stakes Poker

Jon Sofen Senior Editor U.S.

Apr 22, 2024 4 min read Last updated Jul 28, 2024

Tang Gets in on the Early Action
Robl Cracks Aces
Tides are Turned
Past High Stakes Poker Season 12 Episode Recaps

Following a one-week hiatus, High Stakes Poker returned to PokerGO Monday where viewers witnessed the largest pot in the show's history, and the hand just so happened to also be one of the biggest bad beats in televised cash game poker history.

The ninth episode of Season 12 saw numerous six-figure pots, one of which nearly hit $1 million. When play began, the table was a bit short-handed with only five players in the game — Andrew Robl, Brandon Adams, Stanley Tang, Nikhil "Nik Airball" Arcot, and Santhosh Suvarna. Initial stack sizes in the $1,000/$2,000 ($2,000 big blind ante) no-limit hold'em game were as follows:

Player	Chip Stack
Andrew Robl	$500,000
Brandon Adams	$500,000
Stanley Tang	$500,000
Nik Airball	$500,000
Santhosh Suvarna	$500,000

PokerGO didn't air High Stakes Poker last week due to the U.S. Poker Open.

Tang Gets in on the Early Action

Play began with Tang, who co-founded the DoorDash app, raising it up with A♣Q♥ and getting action from the 7♣5♣ Adams held. An ace flopped, as did a 7, but after hitting two pair on the river, Tang’s bet forced his opponent off the pot, and he scooped an $85,000 pot right off the bat.

With Suvarna, who had 10♠8♥, straddling on the next hand to $4,000, the action picked up quickly. Airball started things by raising to $10,000 with Q♣8♣, and then Adams called on the button with 5♦5♣.

Robl, seated in the small blind with A♠Q♦, three-bet to $60,000, and everyone folded to the high stakes cash game legend.

“Would you have called an all in?” Tang, who had 3♣3♦ in the big blind, asked.

“No,” Robl answered.

“S**t!” Tang responded.

Charles Yu, a regular on Hustler Casino Live then joined the game, buying in for just over $500,000.

Robl Cracks Aces

Few have run hotter than Robl on televised poker shows in recent years. Shortly after taking down a decent preflop pot, he engaged in some action with Suvarna, who is no stranger to big games such as this one.

The hand started with Santhosh raising to $6,000 with A♠A♣, and only Robl, in the big blind with Q♦5♦, making the call. The flop came out 2♥5♣Q♣, giving Robl a suckout at least momentarily with two pair.

With no reason to believe his pocket rockets were no good on the flop, Suvarna bet out $7,000. But his opponent raised it up to $30,000, and received a call.

When the 7♠ appeared on the turn, Robl bet $70,000 and again his opponent made the call. After the J♦ landed on the river, no improvement was made to either hand, Robl went for blood, betting out $150,000, and Suvarna could not find a fold, which cost him a $515,000 pot.

On the ensuing hand, Tang and Adams played a $183,000 pot that neither player seemed interested in winning. With both holding Jx10x and no pair on the river, they checked it back and chopped it up with jack-high each.

Tides are Turned

It appeared that Robl was about to win another big pot against Suvarna. But the tables were turned in what was quite the sick suckout.

Robl, in the small blind with 5♣4♣, raised the straddle to $16,000. Suvarna, sitting on A♣K♥ in the straddle, made it $54,000, not enough to convince his rival to fold.

The 4♠4♦2♠ flop once again smacked Robl in the face, leaving Suvarna in deep trouble. After Robl checked, he’d call a bet of $45,000 before seeing the K♦ on the turn, a glimmer of hope for Santhosh. Surprisingly, both players checked.

But the K♠ on the river completed the runner-runner suckout. Robl, however, wasn’t concerned he was up against a king, so he made a massive bet of $300,000, to which Suvarna moved all in for $395,000 total. It was only $95,000 more to call, meaning Robl was pot committed. He would make the call, and then discovered he’d lost a $992,000 pot, the biggest in High Stakes Poker history.

The show concluded with another cooler and a huge pot. Yu, who has been running bad recently on livestreams and televised poker shows, was finally the recipient of a coller.

He’d get it all in preflop with K♠K♦ against the Q♥Q♦ in Tang’s hand. With $631,000 in the middle, the wealthy investors agreed to run it twice, and both boards went to the pocket kings.