Cary Katz v Connor Drinan - The Big One for One Drop

"Save your money, kid. You can't win every pot."

When a poker hand makes it into the mainstream one day after being televised, you know it's pretty special, but The Big One for One Drop is no ordinary tournament. The million dollar buy-in gets you within sight of the headlines, and losing with pocket aces against pocket aces does the rest.

Satellite winner Drinan has a career-best cash of a little under $400,000, while the $1.3m min-cash probably meant more to the young pro than it did to high-powered CEO Katz. Both players had 2% equity when the money went in pre-flop, but sometimes that 2% comes through.




Davidi Kitai v Tony Ruberto - WSOP Event 15

"Wow! He called with queen-high!"

You'd think Davidi Kitai was already well recognised in the poker world, but that didn't stop Phil Hellmuth calling him a 'crazy Frenchman' who has 'never won a tournament before'. Kitai may be famously Belgian rather than French, but he needed the occasional crazy play to see off Hellmuth and others to earn his second career bracelet.

The most notable hand came against American pro Ruberto during three-handed play. Kitai limped from the button with queen-four suited and called bets from Ruberto with a flopped gutshot that turned into a combo-draw on the turn. The board paired on the river, leaving the Belgian with just queen high, and when his opponent came out betting for a third time many would have folded without much fuss. However not only did Kitai call, but it took him barely 20 seconds to commit the chips and confidently flip over his hand, which had Ruberto's eight-high flush draw crushed all the way.




Olivier Busquet v Sven Reichardt - EPT Barcelona Super High Roller

"So you're saying there's a chance?"

Olivier Busquet would probably laugh at Cary Katz's 2% equity against Connor Drinan, considering it huge compared to the <1% next to his name in this hand against German newcomer Reichardt after being flopped pretty much dead.

A relatively standard three-bet shove with A2 suited looked to be a case of bad timing, as Reichardt woke up with kings and flopped a full house. One player at the table called for running eights, with Scott Seiver - who was also at the table for the infamous Katz-Drinan hand - optimistically piping up with "…or ace-ace." Somehow Seiver's crystal ball was bang on, with the table stunned by the runner-runner win. After that, it was almost inevitable that the New Yorker would go on to win the tournament and the $1.2m first prize.




Scott Seiver v Tobias Reinkemeier - The Big One for One Drop

"Sometimes there's just nothing you can do"

Sometimes it isn't just about having the best hand. Those denying that poker is a game of skill could do a lot worse than watch this hand between two of the world's best high-stakes players, which took place with the added pressure of the millions of dollars on the line.

The standard in this year's Big One for One Drop was ridiculously high, and this hand is a perfect illustration. Reinkemeier played aces very craftily, just calling a raise pre-flop and flatting Seiver's continuation bet. The American's overbet shove on the turn took some cojones, and was enough to force his German opponent - top of his country's all-time money list with close to $10m in lifetime earnings - to lay down the best hand.