One of the most exciting and surprising events on the Las Vegas strip over the weekend was a local player winning the largest progressive jackpot of the year. The winner won a whopping $6,443,401 on a Pai Gow poker game.
In fact, it was the first major jackpot to hit the Strip since the beginning of the year. The prize was six times larger than what was won by a casino patron in October, when the $3.5 million Pai Gow jackpot hit Harrah’s.
It took a bit of luck to win the largest jackpot of the year, but this lucky local nailed it. He played the game for around three hours and then won the prize, which was split up between him and a lucky guest. After the win, the security appeared beefed up on the floor.
One of the best ways to get the most bang for your buck is by hitting the progressive jackpot. Fortunately, that’s not a problem for this Las Vegas local. His lucky hand was a straight flush with a joker. And, he won with one $5 chip.
The jackpot was the result of a side bet in the poker room. The lucky player was playing the Face Up Pai Gow Poker game, which involves betting a side bet of $5 to earn the chance to win a progressive jackpot. This is the largest jackpot of its kind in the history of Pai Gow.
As a poker player himself, Thomas Zanot knows a thing or two about the jackpot. He’s earned more than $1 million in live tournament cashes, and he’s cashed in over 60 WSOP events. But, he’s still looking for his big break. Until then, he’s mostly focusing on low and mid-stakes poker events. So, he was surprised by his big win.
The Flamingo is the home of the infamous “The Elvis Presley Movie,” which was partially filmed there. Other headliners have included Tom Jones, Wayne Newton, Ella Fitzgerald, and more. Among recent performers are Donny and Marie Osmond.
Earlier this year, another lucky local won a $288,024 jackpot at the Flamingo. However, his luck was not as good as it was this weekend. That lucky guy won when he played the Crazy-4 poker game.
The casino didn’t release the identity of the winning player, but he did say he was a frequent visitor to the city. Another unnamed lucky winner won $288,024 in the same game in October.
The winning hand was a royal flush. It’s not the easiest to find, but it’s a very rare combination. For instance, seven-card straight flushes are hard to come by in Texas Hold’em.
While the jackpot isn’t the largest of the year, it’s probably the most lucrative. With the right strategy, you can win a lot of money. Just don’t expect to hit the gold bracelet, though.
Thomas Zanot is a professional Las Vegas poker player from Arizona who focuses on low and mid-stakes tournaments. When he’s not playing poker, he’s working on his golf game.
