With the 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP) hitting the three-week mark, there has been no shortage of crazy hands at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas.
Among the wildest was Adrian Mateos making a straight flush in the $25,000 High Roller after opponent Jovan Kenjic confidently declared, “I block a straight flush.” Spoiler: he didn’t.
There was also a brutal beat for Artur Martirosian as the Russian had pocket aces cracked twice on the stone bubble of the $100,000 High Roller, while a bizarre hand between Per Hildebrand and Ryutaro Suzuki in the 2-7 Lowball Championship left the entire table laughing.
Adrian Mateos Always Has It
Public Service Announcement: If you think Adrian Mateos doesn’t have it, he probably does.
Jovan Kenjic learned that lesson the hard way on Day 1a of the $25,000 High Roller after running into a brutal straight flush over nut flush cooler against the Spanish superstar.
The action began on a K♥7♥5♥ flop. Kenjic checked, Mateos fired 2,500, and the Serbian responded with a check-raise to 7,000. Mateos called.
When the 6♥ hit the turn, Kenjic led for 6,000 and Mateos called again.
The 4♠ river completed the board, and Kenjic bet 8,000. Mateos raised to 42,000 in position, prompting a three-bet to 85,000 from Kenjic. Mateos then moved all in for 157,000 total.
As he considered the shove, Kenjic flashed a wry smile and remarked, “I block a straight flush,” before making the call with A♥9♥ for the nut flush.
Technically, he was right.
Unfortunately for him, he was blocking the wrong straight flush.
Mateos tabled 4♥3♥ for a straight flush, sending Kenjic to the rail and adding another absurd hand to his growing collection of WSOP highlights.
Martirosian’s Pocket Aces Cracked Twice on Stone Bubble of $100k High Roller
There are bad beats, there are bubble beats, and then there’s whatever happened to Artur Martirosian in the $100,000 High Roller.
Fresh off winning the $25,000 Six-Handed High Roller for $1.2 million just three days earlier, Martirosian looked set to waltz into the money when he picked up pocket aces against Christopher Nguyen on the bubble of one of the WSOP’s biggest buy-in events.
Nguyen got his last chips in with K♠Q♠, but rivered two pair to crack Martirosian’s rockets and leave the Russian four-time bracelet winner with just a few big blinds.
Surely it couldn’t happen again.
Just moments later, Martirosian shoved his final 495,000 with A♥A♣ over a raise from Teun Mulder, who called with J♠10♠. With a min-cash worth $201,754 hanging in the balance, Martirosian could be heard on the WSOP livestream muttering, “Not twice.”
Unfortunately for him, twice was exactly what happened.
Mulder rivered a straight on a board of 8♦Q♥6♥6♣9♦, cracking aces for the second consecutive hand and sending Martirosian out as the bubble boy in one of the cruellest exits of the summer.
Martirosian’s Aces Cracked TWICE to Bubble 100K High Roller
Suzuki’s Cruise Control Falters
Deep in the $10,000 2-7 Lowball Championship, a bizarre hand between Ryutaro Suzuki and Per Hildebrand left the entire table laughing.
The action began when Suzuki raised to 150,000 from the cutoff before Hildebrand moved all in for his last 385,000 from the small blind. Suzuki took a moment before making the call, and Hildebrand asked for one card. Suzuki drew two, and the hands were tabled.
Hildebrand showed 8x6x5x2x for his tournament life, while Suzuki revealed 8x7x4x, needing help from his two draw cards.
What followed was not the help he was looking for.
Hildebrand burst out laughing as he peeled an 8x to make a pair, but the rest of the table reacted with disbelief when Suzuki turned over a 7x, followed by another 7x, to make trip sevens.
In a game where players are desperately trying to avoid making hands, Suzuki somehow managed to improve all the way to trips, while Hildebrand’s pair of eights was enough to secure the double-up. Even Suzuki couldn’t help but smile as the pot was pushed across the table.
Eliot Thomas
Editor, Poker & Casino