Connor Drinan has officially become the victim of the worst loss in tournament poker history. The incident played out during the World Series of Poker’s Big One for One Drop, a showdown that weeds out all of the small players in the game with it’s $1 million buy-in. The winner of the event wins $16 million, not bad for a day’s work.
What unfolded for Drinan is downright gut-wrenching. Connor was facing Cary Katz in a one-on-one game when each player was dealt pocket aces, the best possible starting hand in Texas Hold’Em. Naturally, both of the plays thought they had the game on lock. After some pre-flop raises and taunts from Katz, they both went all-in. Only Drinan was at risk for elimination, but was holding an “Ace of Diamonds” and an “Ace of Clubs.” Pretty much unbeatable right?
The only way for either player to win was a by a flush, a 2% chance of occurring. Otherwise, the duo would split the pot 98% of the time. Of course, a flush is what occurred.
Veteran ESPN poker commentator Lon McEachern called Drinan’s loss to the unlikely flush “the worst beat in the history of tournament poker.” As a result, Drinan was knocked out of the tournament, placing 18th, and walked away with nothing but the worst poker story of all time.
