Having pocket Aces cracked in poker will always be one of the toughest types of pain a player can endure, but it's even worse at the World Series of Poker. And for Texas poker pro Han Feng, he was dealt one of the worst imaginable blows at the worst possible time during the 2026 World Series of Poker Main Event. With five players remaining in the action and a $10 million payday for the eventual winner, Feng was dealt pocket Aces, and the chaos came shortly after.
To make things even better (pre-flop) for Feng, 3-time WSOP bracelet winner Greg Mueller picked up pocket Jacks, while Lauri Saaskilahti was dealt pocket nines. Following a raise from Feng and a three-bet from Saaskilahti that would put Feng all-in, Mueller opted to fold his pocket Jacks in the
big blind.
The two players flipped over their cards, with Feng holding an 80/20 advantage with his Aces over the 99 of Saaskilahti. Then things really got off the rails.
The flop came down with 3d 10d 8d, and Feng held the Ace of diamonds, while Saaskilahti was diamond-less, making the former a 93% favorite to win the hand. The turn was the Jack of hearts, giving Saaskilahti life with a straight draw and a 16% chance now, having seven outs, but he'd have to avoid a diamond.
As you can see from the moment below, the Queen of spades completed the miracle runout for Saaskilahti's and made for the ultimate poker dagger and a miserable bad beat for Feng.
Following a flop that left Saaskilahti drawing dead, with Feng looking great for a double up, the poker world instead witnessed a moment that has a strong case for being the worst bad beat of 2026. Considering the stakes, the prize atop the tournament, and the flop, it's an easy argument to make.
If there is a "bright side" for Feng, it's that he walked away with a cool $2.25 million for fifth place. As for Saaskilahti, he'll play heads up against Lucas Jumalon for the $10 million first-place payday. Heading into heads-up play, Jumalon holds a chip advantage of 328 million (109 big blinds) to the 225 million (75 big blinds) of Saaskilahti.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: The 2026 WSOP Main Event delivered a $2.25M river nightmare and the bad beat of the year
