PokerGO’s Sickest 2026 Fold: Rec Player Saves $291K With Second Nuts Laydown

When Sameh Elamawy rivered the second-nut flush at a $500/$1K table full of pros, everything pointed to a massive pot. Instead, he did something almost nobody would: he folded for $291K more. Here's how a recreational player pulled off one of the sickest laydowns of 2026.

Published 2026.01.29
3 min read
Author Mark
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PokerGO insane fold Sameh Elamawy's $500/$1K Super High Roller Cash Game - Fold of the Year candidate

Have We Just Seen Fold of the Year?

Sameh Elamawy just saved $291K with a laydown at PokerGO’s $500/$1K Super High Roller Cash Game that left the table speechless. The Jan 26-28 event packed Andrew Robl, Jason Koon, Nacho Barbero, and serious high roller money into PokerGO Studio.

The Complete Hand Breakdown

Straddle on. Elamawy limps K♣ 10♣. Wasserson calls 6♥ 4♠. Gavri raises $8K holding A♣ 9♣. Sofer defends. Four-way to the flop for $30K+.

4♥ 8♣ 2♣ board. Wasserson pairs sixes. Double flush draws behind. Gavri fires $20K c-bet, Elamawy snaps second-nut draw, Wasserson calls top pair. Pot explodes past $100K.

7♠ turn blanks. Checks to Gavri who check-raises behind monster equity. Free river looms large.

J♣ river completes both flushes. Elamawy leads standard $50K with second-nuts. Wasserson folds. Gavri tanks with stone-cold nuts, then raises $250K.

“Is He Folding Number Two?!”

Elamawy grimaces, groans “I would call Wass.” Brent Hanks loses it: “Oh my god, is he folding number two?!

Shakes his head. Says “Nope.” Mucks $291K equity instantly. Gavri tables the nuts. Table erupts in stunned silence.

Why This Laydown Wins

Pot screamed call. SPR perfect. Every range story checked bluff boxes. Elamawy clocked the tank timing. Felt the $250K sizing. Knew the player.

Discipline beat equity. Saved his stack. Earned pro respect.

Elamawy’s Proven Edge

Sameh Elamawy high stakes poker player portrait - Scratch CEO & PokerGO regular

The $500/$1K Super High Roller Cash Game ran three straight days at PokerGO Studio with $250K minimum buy-ins and pots routinely hitting six figures. Egyptian-born entrepreneur Sameh Elamawy moved to San Francisco after earning his Stanford MBA, then built Scratch Services into a billion-dollar loan servicing powerhouse.

He’s no stranger to pressure poker. Shipped a record $817K bluff pot against Humboldt Mike on High Stakes Poker S13 Episode 9—firing triple-barrel 10-high into massive river action. Regularly posts $400K+ stacks across PokerGO nosebleeds and recently bagged top-10 chips in Triton Million events.

Consistent deep runs in WSOP Main Events ($22.5K cash last summer) and WPT Championship final tables prove he’s built for big money spots. This PokerGO laydown fits his pattern: fearless aggression balanced by ice-cold discipline.

Cash Game Grinder Takeaways

  • Live reads beat solvers when stakes turn life-changing
  • Opponent history > hand strength at nosebleed levels
  • $250K pro sizing = monsters, not bluffs
  • Discipline compounds while hero calls evaporate roll

These sessions give serious edges when you’re grinding $100/$200+ online cash games. Our high stakes poker sites guide breaks down the best platforms.

Catch the Moment

How does he make that laydown? You need to see this moment if you’re playing any stakes that actually matter.

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