An unreal scenario recently unfolded, but still ended up as a win for the ultimate loser
A massive bad beat jackpot worth over CAD2.2 million (US$1.81 million) was triggered this week at Playground Poker Club in Quebec, Canada, when a Royal Flush defeated a Straight Flush in a $1/$2 No-Limit Hold’em cash game. The hand resulted in one of the largest payouts in the venue’s history, distributing US$1.8 million across players at the table and beyond.
The hand began with two players chasing big draws. One held A♣ K♣ and the other 9♣ 8♣. The flop came J♣ 3♥ Q♣, giving both players strong flush possibilities. When the 10♣ hit the turn, the player with ace-king completed a Royal Flush, while the suited connectors completed a Straight Flush. Despite the 7♣ on the river being irrelevant, both players had already qualified for the bad beat jackpot under Playground’s rules, which require a losing hand of quad deuces or better using both hole cards.
Playground’s payout structure spreads the jackpot broadly. The player with the losing hand — in this case, the Straight Flush — walked away with 40% of the total prize, or approximately CAD882,000 (US$644,000). The winner of the hand earned 20%, receiving around CAD441,000 (US$322,000). Another 20% was split among the remaining players at the table, while the final 20% was shared with players at other tables in the poker room at the time.
Playground is no stranger to enormous bad beat jackpots. It previously paid out a CAD2.6 million (US$1.90 million) jackpot in October 2023, the largest in its history. The room collects $2 from qualifying pots to fund the progressive jackpot, which has now reset to just over CAD530,000 (US$388,000) with a new qualifying threshold of quad aces.
This latest payout reinforces Playground’s reputation as one of the premier spots for unforgettable poker moments.
