Atlantic City, NJ – June 11, 2010; John Bazela, of King of Prussia, PA was in the winning seat last night at Trump Taj Mahal’s Poker Room around 7:45 p.m., when he hit the “Bad Beat Jackpot” which was up to an all-time record of $672,115. Suddenly, it felt great to have a losing hand.

A “bad beat” is poker terminology used when a poker player is dealt a strong hand (such as 4 of a kind or better) but an opponent is dealt yet a better hand, resulting in the bad beat. To qualify for the jackpot, the losing hand must be a four of a kind or higher, and both the winner and loser must use both their hole cards to make the hand.

Mr. Bazela watched his four sevens bet beaten by another player’s four aces—resulting in the entire 9-player table getting a share of the $672,115 payout—the largest Bad Beat Jackpot ever won at any U.S. Casino. Bazela’s payout was 50 percent of the pot or $336,057.  The player with the winning hand of four aces was awarded $168,028 and the remaining players each received $24,000.

“We’ve been watching it grow for weeks, generating more and more excitement as the numbers climbed,” said Tom Gitto, Director of Poker at Trump Taj Mahal. “Players from all over the tri-state area were coming in to play, in hopes of getting a piece of it” Gitto added.

The previous record jackpot in Atlantic City was $553,958, which was won at Caesars Atlantic City in January 2010. Bazela said he’d give his share of his winnings to his 55-year-old daughter.

The Trump Taj Mahal Poker Parlor is one of the largest poker rooms in Atlantic City with games that include:  7 Card Stud, Omaha and the game that has taken the nation by storm, Texas Hold ‘em. Players can enjoy table-side food service, free poker instructions for beginners and an exclusive high-limit section.

For information on all Trump Taj Mahal events and promotions, visit www.trumptaj.com. All play is subject to New Jersey Gaming Commission Regulation and Trump Taj Mahal Rules. Bet with your head, not over it.
# # #

Share