Poker Player Hits Royal Flush on Runner-Runner

In Hold'em, the royal flush is one of the rarest hands in poker. The odds of completing this hand with the last two cards are 1 in 30,939. This hand took place during Joe's Game, the signature game of the recent Venetian Poker Live broadcast.

Early in the broadcast, a regular player known as Howard was dealt A ♥ K ♥ on the button. After three players limped, Howard raised to 400 dollars, and small blind Dee Arrr called. Two more players, Ironman and Chuck Chuck, decided to stay in the hand. The pot reached 1,700 dollars.

The flop came Q ♥ 9 ♦ 5 ♦. Howard bet 1,350 dollars, and Ironman moved all in for 13,200 dollars. Howard called, and the pot grew to 9,500 dollars. According to the Card Player odds calculator, Howard's chance of winning was about 21.5 percent. The J ♥ on the turn raised that to 32.4 percent.

When the 10 ♥ landed on the river, commentator Remko Rinkema shouted with excitement. Howard stayed calm, and the game continued for several more hours. Howard closed the session with a profit of 6,500 dollars, while Ironman lost 4,400 dollars.