A Penticton poker player is over $370,000 richer after landing the jackpot in an online poker match.
The British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) explained in a release that it’s exceptionally rare to lose a poker hand with quad 10s, four of a kind, but by losing his hand, Penticton’s Chaudhary Irshad scored the biggest poker win of his life.
Irshad landed the $377,948 Bad Beat Jackpot.
Playing against seven others in online PlayNow.com poker, Irshad had pocket 10s, and the flop gave him two more. However the river, an eight, and turn, a seven, had him considering the small chance one of his opponents had a straight flush.
“It was almost impossible to beat quad 10s, and after the turn I raised all-in and felt confident,” said Irshad. “I wasn’t expecting a straight flush and expected my opponent to fold.”
However his opponent hand, a six and a nine, gave them the straight flush needed to take the hand, however Irshad’s losing hand scored him the Bad Beat Jackpot prize, which grows from every raked hand across PlayNow.com in B.C., Manitoba and Quebec, until it is won.
Irshad said his luck still hasn’t sunk in.
“It took a couple seconds, but it showed I had won the Bad Beat Jackpot for $377,948 and I was so excited,” he said. “It’s such a huge prize and it hasn’t quite sunk in yet.”
The Penticton local has been playing online, a change of scenery from his regular venue, Cascades Casino, every since casinos temporarily closed due to COVID-19.
He hasn’t yet decided what he will do with his winnings, however he said he would like to take his poker friends on a vacation overseas once travel restrictions are lifted.
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