button in SafariClose Encounter of the Fur Kind
Poker player Michael McQuaid was walking his dog last month when a "huge" and aggressive raccoon startled him, causing him to stumble and leading to a shoulder injury requiring surgery.
The Washington, D.C. native with $75,916 in live tournament earnings not only lived to tell the tale, he went on to win a poker tournament later that evening.
McQuaid told PokerNews the story of the not-so-friendly furry mammal, which may be the wildest lead-up to a tournament victory we've heard, at the 2026 Potomac Summer Poker Open at MGM National Harbor — the same place he won the tournament.