MGM National Harbor Player Wins $2.6 Million Face Up Pai Gow Jackpot

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May 20, 2026 2 min read

For one casino-goer, his hand just kept getting better and better. So much, in fact, that it secured him a $2.6 million payday.

One Prince George's County resident, known as Michael, secured the win earlier this week playing Face Up Pai Gow at MGM National Harbor. His straight flush 3♣4♣5♣6♣7♣8♣9♣ saw him secure maximum bonuses for a Seven Card Straight Flush, netting him the seven-figure score.

Big Wins Throughout May

Michael's win wasn't the only massive win secured at MGM National Harbor in the month of May. So far this month, five players have reeled in 5+ figure paydays on a variety of casino games.

• Player: Won $500,010 on Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em.
• Player: Won $63,169 on Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em.
• Player: Won $57,004 on Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em.
• Player: Won $32,315 on Super 4 Progressive Blackjack.

Face Up Pai Gow Explained

Face Up Pai Gow Poker is a popular variation of traditional Pai Gow Poker, played with a standard 52-card deck plus one joker. The game's primary twist is that all seven of the dealer's cards are dealt face up before the players set their own hands. This gives players complete information on what they need to beat.

Additionally, Face Up Pai Gow is a commission-free game. In traditional Pai Gow, the house takes a 5% commission on winning player hands. In Face Up Pai Gow, that commission is eliminated. Instead, the house gets its edge via a specific rule: if the dealer has an exact "Ace-High" seven-card hand, all player hands automatically result in a push (a tie).

Because of the rarity of being dealt a Seven-Card Straight Flush, Pai Gow jackpots can grow to sizeable amounts. In January 2023, one player won $6.4 million while playing at the Flamingo in Las Vegas. And just last year, another player won $2.8 million playing at Caesar's Palace.

However, both of these winners utilized the joker card in their Seven Card Straight Flush - which sets Michael's win at MGM National Harbor apart.

Based in the United Kingdom, Will started working for PokerNews as a freelance live reporter in 2015 and joined the full-time staff in 2019. He now works as Managing Editor. He graduated from the University of Kent in 2017 with a B.A. in German. He also holds an NCTJ Diploma in Sports Journalism.

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