The Playground Poker Club has made a habit over the years of paying out massive seven-figure sums to “unfortunate” souls who lose a hand in the most devastating fashion.
Last night, while the Canadian Poker Championship was underway, two players — Bill K and Darin H — faced off in a $1/$2 No-Limit Hold’em cash game and ended up in a showdown you couldn’t script.
Both held straight flushes, but one of them was about to get a nasty surprise. The cooler was as brutal as it gets.
Darin H held 9♣ 8♣ and Bill K was drawing with 4♣ 3♣.
Bill started off best on a board of 4♦ 5♣ 6♣, but the 7♣ turn flipped the script and cruelly gave Bill a straight flush at the same time.
Importantly, both players were now using both of their holecards; essential for meeting the requirements for the Bad Beat jackpot.
The result was a staggering CAD $1,595,087 ($1.14 million USD) paid out in an eruption of joy that spread across dozens of tables.
The largest share of 40% (Approx. CAD $640,000) went to the unlucky loser, Bill K. Darin H received around CAD $320,000 for his “winning” straight flush, and the remaining 40% of the pool was split among players at the table and throughout the room.
A Tradition of Monster Jackpots at the Playground
A Tradition of Monster Jackpots at the PlaygroundThe Playground is Canada’s most famous cardroom, and also known for a series of historic Bad Beat Jackpot payouts.
Only a couple of years ago, Playground rewrote the record books when a CAD $2,590,185 ($1.9M USD) Bad Beat jackpot was awarded for quad tens losing to a straight flush — again in a game of $1/$2 NLH.
These record-breaking Bad Beat jackpots are no accident and all game operators should take notice: At Playground, every eligible hand puts $2 into the jackpot, rapidly building enormous prize pools!
The qualifying criteria are notoriously tough. Right now you are required to lose with quad aces in NL Hold’em.
Playground’s 2023 jackpot payout of CAD $2.6 million still stands as the largest in live poker history, and already the new jackpot has been reseeded with $170,000 in the kitty.
Playground may dominate headlines, but it’s not the only Canadian venue paying out huge sums.
In April 2025, Casino du Lac-Leamy in Gatineau awarded the second-largest ever Bad Beat Jackpot of $2.5 million.
Their rules require quad tens or better to lose, and the payout percentages mirror Playground’s approach: 40% for the loser, 20% for the winner, and the rest for other players in the room.
🚨 Bad Beat HIT during the @msptpoker Canadian Poker Championship! 🚨
At 11:29 PM on Table 19, a straight flush beat a straight flush in a $1/2 NLHE game…
💰 $1,515,332 exploded across the room.
It always seems to happen when the spotlight’s on. 👀 pic.twitter.com/qDC2E3gsiJ— Playground Poker (@PlaygroundPoker) October 14, 2025
Win Big on GGPoker’s Bad Beat Jackpot
If a trip to Canada is out of the question, then you’ll probably now be looking for the best Bad Beat Jackpot either local to you or online.
If online poker is your thing, then you need to see what GGPoker has to offer.
The GGPoker Bad Beat Jackpot is integrated into select No-Limit Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha, and Short Deck tables. Every time you sit at a qualifying table, you’re automatically eligible for the jackpot.
GGPoker Bad Beat Jackpot Qualifying Hands
- Hold’em & Rush & Cash Hold’em: Lose with aces full of tens or better. For quads, you must hold a pocket pair.
- Omaha & Rush & Cash Omaha: Lose with quad deuces or better, with a pocket pair if hitting quads.
- Omaha5 (PLO5): Lose with quad eights or better, pocket pair required for quads.
- Omaha6 (PLO6): Lose with quad jacks or better, pocket pair required for quads.
- Short Deck (6+): Lose with quad sixes or better, pocket pair required for quads.
GGPoker’s Bad Beat Jackpot is uniquely instant and fully automated. As soon as a qualifying hand unfolds, a portion of the jackpot goes to the “bad beat” loser (the player with the superior but beaten hand), a share goes to the winner, and smaller slices go to the remaining players at the table.
With tens of thousands of players logged on at all hours and a steady stream of rake contributions, the prize pool grows rapidly, making every session a potential ticket to instant Bad Beat Jackpot glory.
Sign Up to GGPoker and Win a Slice of the Bad Beat Jackpot
If you want to play poker where every hand is a potential BAd Beat Jackpot winner, then use the GGPoker bonus code VIP-Grinders to get access to our exclusive benefits.
Choose between a 100% first-time deposit bonus up to the value of $600 or $100 in free play rewards (except in the UK).
