Mariano Grandoli experienced every poker player’s dream scenario Friday night. He had not one, but two players all-in with kings against his pocket aces. Both players had huge stacks, and he had both covered.
After the dust settled, the popular YouTube vlogger with more than 21 million views had picked up a pot worth $788,400.
The hand, which you can watch below, went down during a $100-$200-$400 no-limit web-streamed session of poker on Hustler Casino Live.
The action started with a raise by ‘Double M’ to $1,000 from under-the-gun with K K. Two players called the raise in middle position before ‘Yang’ three-bet to $6,000 on the button with K K.
It folded to Mariano in the straddle, who looked down at A A. He four-bet to $16,000, and Double M decided to just call. The other two players folded A Q and Q J, respectively, and Yang five-bet to $55,000.
It was now Mariano’s turn to call, which prompted a shove from Double M behind him for $259,800.
“What is happening?” asked a bewildered Mariano, who must have only been expecting one customer instead of two.
Yang then went into the tank, and Mariano, seemingly trying to ease ‘Double M’s impending suffering, revealed to him that he indeed had aces. This did not sit well with Yang, who couldn’t hear the conversation and was wondering what was said between the two players.
With the language barrier and some confusion, Yang ended up all in himself, and Mariano made the quick call to set up a $788,400 three-way all-in.
“We’re dead,” remarked Double M, who realized that Yang’s tank-call meant his outs were gone.
“Can we please go twice?” Mariano asked.
Perhaps he was being friendly because of the huge cooler, or maybe he thought one them had the other two aces and didn’t want to deal with the wrong side of variance. Regardless, according to the Card Player Poker Odds Calculator, Mariano was a massive 97% to win.
Double M and Yang were looking for unlikely flushes or straights, which never came on either board, and Mariano scooped the monster pot.
According to TrackingPoker.com, Mariano is now the game’s second biggest winner ever just behind Garrett Adelstein.
Adelstein has been absent from the game since September of last year after accusing Robbi Jade Lew of cheating him out of a pot worth $269,000. Despite an independent investigation finding numerous holes in the Hustler Casino Live’s security, the livestream has opted to not welcome Adelstein back to the game. Adelstein has since responded, essentially saying he didn’t want to play anyway.
