Top 5 Largest Pots in High Stakes Poker History

Jon Sofen Senior Editor U.S.

Apr 02, 2025 9 min read Last updated Apr 08, 2025

Alan Keating won the biggest pot ever on High Stakes Poker Monday night, good for just over $1.4 million. But it certainly wasn't the only monster pot in the iconic poker show's history.

High Stakes Poker, which originated in 2006 on the Game Show Network, has produced some of the most memorable hands ever seen on TV. Gus Hansen turned a one-outer for quads to crack the set Daniel Negreanu had flopped in a $575,000 pot in Season 2. Brad Booth, who recently appeared on PokerNews' Life Outside Poker podcast, pulled off one of the sickest bluffs you'll ever see against Phil Ivey during the same season.

While those hands were epic and will be talked about for years to come, the pots significantly grew when PokerGO brought the show back to life in 2021 after a 10-year hiatus. None of the aforementioned hands were as big, in terms of money in the pot, as the following five hands that all occurred since Season 8.

#5: Financial Industry CEO Cracks Robl's Kings Twice ($981,300)

Sameh Elamawy High Stakes Poker — Sameh Elamawy

Sameh Elamawy was the star of the show during Season 13. The CEO of Scratch who hadn't previously appeared on any mainstream poker shows won countless monster pots and pulled off some epic bluffs. The recreational player showed no fear and didn't back down from Robl, a high-stakes cash game legend.

Robl and Elamawy would battle in a number of big pots, but one was so big that it made the list of five largest pots in High Stakes Poker history. Episode 5 is when the hand took place.

Robl picked up K♠K♣ on the button and raised to $2,000. Brandon Steven called from the small blind with J♥10♣ before Elamawy, holding A♣K♥ in the big blind, bumped it up to $10,400. Robl then four-bet to $35,000, forcing Steven to get out of the way.

Elamawy, who started the hand with around $490,000, went for a five-bet to $150,000, only for his opponent to come back over the top all in. A call was made, creating a pot of $981,300. Both players agreed to run the board twice.

The first board came Q♦9♦A♥7♠8♦, ensuring the amateur would collect at least half the pot. He'd get it all when another ace hit on the second board for the double suckout in what is currently the fifth largest pot in High Stakes Poker history.

#4: Robl Wins This Time ($982,000)

Robl makes another appearance on the Top 5 list, but this time it wasn't for a bad beat. The poker legend tangled with Charles Yu, a regular on shows such as Hustler Casino Live, for the biggest pot of Season 11 in 2023 during Episode 6.

Jean-Robert Bellande opened it up to $11,000 from an early position with Q♥6♥. Robl then three-bet it to $40,000 with a real hand – A♥K♣. Yu, perhaps looking to recoup his losses from the previous hand, made a four-bet raise to $200,000 with the exact same hand he'd just lost a big pot with – A♠7♠.

Robl then jammed all in and had his opponent, who had $484,000 total, well covered. Yu was pot committed and almost forced to call, so he put his chips in far behind Big Slick. The flop came out 4♠6♠9♣, giving the weaker hand some hope with a flush draw.

When the 8♥ appeared on the turn, it added a straight draw to the flush draw. Yu had 18 outs heading to the river, which was the K♥, and the first run out went to Robl.

On the second board, the flop of K♦5♥8♦ all but ensured Robl would take the full $982,000 pot. When the 10♥ showed up on the turn, it sealed the deal. Yu, who started the episode with nearly $700,000, was out of chips.

#3: Dwan Scoops a Three-Way Pot ($985,000)

Tom Dwan hasn't appeared on High Stakes Poker the past few seasons, but he's one of the most legendary players on the show. Who could possibly forget the six-figure bluff he pulled off with top pair to force Barry Greenstein off pocket aces and Peter Eastgate to fold trips during the Game Show Network era?

The former Full Tilt Poker pro known as "durrrr" never played a larger pot on High Stakes Poker than he did in the fifth episode of Season 8, the first season on PokerGO (2021). The hand began with Rick Salomon raising the $1,600 straddle to $4,000 with 5♣3♣. Brandon Steven just called with A♦J♦, as did Dwan with Q♠Q♣ on the button.

Lynne Ji came along for the ride in the big blind with Q♥10♥ before Bellande, the straddler, three-bet to $11,000 with A♣K♣. Salomon and Steven called, but Dwan was done disguising the strength of his hand and made it $54,000 to go. Ji, who had $163,000 before the hand began, decided to make a play and moved all in.

Bellande, a regular on High Stakes Poker, then went all in for $399,000. Dwan, who had both players covered, tanked for a bit before opting to call.

There was $514,000 in the main pot and $471,000 in the side pot, totaling $985,000. If Dwan were to scoop the entire pot, it would have been the largest in High Stakes Poker history at the time. But the players agreed to run the board three times, giving "durrrr" low odds for a full scoop with queens.

The first board ran out J♣9♠9♥4♥10♠, about as awful as Ji could imagine given many of her outs were dead. Dwan took the first board, and then would take the second one, which came Q♦J♥3♠7♠A♥, before scooping the entire pot after the final board showed 5♦5♠5♥7♥7♦.

#2: Santhosh Brings the Heat ($992,000)

Santhosh Suvarna PokerGO — Santhosh Suvarna

We'd like to welcome Robl back to the Top 5 list for a third and final time. The following hand occurred in the ninth episode of Season 12 (2024), and it involved a newcomer to the show, Santhosh Suvarna, a two-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner.

Robl, in the small blind with 5♣4♣, raised the straddle to $16,000. Suvarna, sitting on A♣K♥ in the straddle, made it $54,000, not enough to convince his opponent to fold.

The 4♠4♦2♠ flop smacked Robl in the face, leaving Suvarna in deep trouble. After Robl checked, he’d call a bet of $45,000 before seeing the K♦ on the turn, a glimmer of hope for Santhosh. Surprisingly, both players checked.

But the K♠ on the river completed the runner-runner suckout. Robl, however, wasn’t concerned he was up against a king, so he made a massive bet of $300,000, to which Suvarna moved all in for $395,000 total. It was only $95,000 more to call, meaning Robl was pot committed. He would make the call, and then discovered he’d lost a $992,000 pot, the biggest in High Stakes Poker history ... for about 11 months.

#1: Keating Dodges the Flush Draw ($1,412,500)

Suvarna's record fell earlier this week during the 10th episode of Season 14, and it involved Alan Keating and Peter Wang, both known to play loose and aggressive.

The now biggest pot in High Stakes Poker history puts to shame all the other hands on this list, and it's the first ever on the show to crack $1 million. Not only did it surpass the seven-figure mark, it completely obliterated the previous record.

Action kicked off in the double-straddled pot with folds around to the button, Keating, who decided to just call for $4,000 with K♦K♣. Peter picked up A♠3♠ in the big blind and went for a raise to $14,000. Keating then made a nice three-bet to $69,000, not enough to convince his Hustler Casino Live foe to fold.

The 2♠J♠K♥ flop was about as juicy as it gets. Peter checked the nut flush draw, but Keating, who recently launched a new YouTube channel, bet $70,000 with top set.

A check-raise to $200,000 would ensue, followed by a call from the button. The turn was the A♦, giving Peter top pair to go along with his flush draw. He quickly moved all in for $434,000, to which Keating snap-called. That created a pot of $1,412,500, making it the largest pot in High Stakes Poker history assuming there would be no chop following two runouts.

The first river was the A♣ and the second the J♣, neither beneficial to Peter, meaning Keating now holds the record for the biggest pot in the 14-season history of the most iconic poker show in the world.

Keating also scooped a $911,000 pot during the sixth episode of the current season against Peter by making a brilliant call that had the poker community talking.

Past High Stakes Poker Season 14 Episode Recaps

To watch past episodes of High Stakes Poker, visit PokerGO.

_{*Images courtesy of PokerGO/Antonio Abrego}

What is the largest pot ever in poker history?

The largest ever pot will likely remain unknown as nosebleed cash game players rarely discuss such matters. That said, Tom Dwan once went on record to say he lost $20 million in one pot he played in Macau.

What is the most money won in a single poker session?

Again, players who request the highest stakes cash games tend not to talk about biggest wins and losses as the games are private.

What is the most money lost in a single poker session?

Players who lose a lot of money are not usually forthcoming with talking about it. However, in 2004, billionaire Andy beal lost $16 million to Phil Ivey over the course of two days.

What is the highest stakes poker game?

Some of the cash games in Macau are said to have blinds of $20,000/$40,000 in No-Limit games. The aforementioned Andy Beal played $50,000/$100,000 fixed limit hold'em against The Corporation.

What is the highest buy-in poker tournament?

Several tournaments commanding a $1 million buy-in have ran over the years. The Big One for One Drop was the original $1 million buy-in event back in 2012. Since then, The Big One for One Drop has run a few more times, while the Triton Poker Super High Roller Series has also hosted $1 million buy-in tournaments.