Monster Pot and Drama to Match It

Jose Miguel Espinar has the button.

He opens the action with a raise to 250,000. Alex Brenes thinks for just a moment before moving all in with his full stack of new white chips. Quickly, Espinar makes the call and we have all of the chips in the middle of the table. As a crowd gathers around the players, the cards are turned face-up:

Brenes: {A-Clubs}

Espinar:

Finally, the spectators have the big pot they have been waiting for. The two men stand and exchange a few well-wishes as the chips are counted down. When the final numbers are in, it is Espinar who is all in and at-risk, covered by just 40,000 chips.

As flash bulbs pop and cheers erupt from the crowd, the dealer burns and spreads the flop. It miraculously comes out {9-Clubs}

. The nine right in the door vaults Brenes into the lead and puts Espinar on the very brink of extinction. There are still two cards to come though.

Turn: {10-Hearts}

The tide turns quickly once again, and it is Espinar who catches back up, pairing his kicker to retake the lead. By this point, the crowd is going absolutely ballistic, barely believing what they are witnessing.

The river is the {5-Clubs}