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The other day someone pointed something out to me that I missed this past summer at the World Series of Poker in 2008. During one of the early days of the Main Event, Justin Phillips and a player by the last name of Mabuchi were involved in a big pot. Mabuchi bet out on the river with a board showing Ah-9c-Qd-10d-Ad. Phillips raised and then Mabuchi moved all-on a “gamble”.

Mabuchi thought he was reeling in Phillips for a big pot but when Phillips called the bet, he flipped over Kd-Jd for a Royal Flush. Mabuchi slammed his cards down in disgust to reveal two black aces. He had hit quads on the river.

I know a lot of us have taken bad beats in the past, but that is one bad beat that “deserves” a story. Many of us have had to endure the 45 to 1 long shot that is a 1 outer hitting on the river. However, in this case, the odds that someone would have a Royal Flush the same time that he had quads were 1 in 2.7 Billion.

To quote Norman Chad, “THAT’S a bad beat.”