The greatest poker hand ever played took place in Las Vegas in 1955. The hand was decided by a jack of diamonds on the end, the same final card that later appeared in the poker movie, “The Cincinnati Kid.” However, while the movie depicted a poker hand with a straight flush beating a full house, the greatest poker hand ever played was won with a simple one pair.
One pair of jacks took, in 1955, what was then the biggest poker pot in the history of the game. Who says nothing is not a cool hand?
The poker game was five-card stud, and the principals were Nick the Greek Dandalos and The Grand Old Man Johnny Moss. It seems that Nick the Greek Dandalos, who at that time was known as one of the biggest gamblers in the world, he came to Las Vegas. The Greek had been to Las Vegas before, he had gambled in Las Vegas and shot craps with Arnold Rothstein in New York and played dice with Dutch Schultz in Chicago and blackjack with the automaker Citroen in Cannes, and he had also broken the bank in Monte Carlo at the game of roulette. But when Nick the Greek came to Las Vegas in 1955 he wanted to play poker, and so he issued the challenge that he would play against any man in no limit poker until one of them went bust.
Now Benny Binion had recently opened a sawdust joint on Fremont Street called Binion’s Horseshoe casino, and he said he would spread that game on condition that it be held in full view of the public. Nick Dandalos agreed, and then Benny Binion put in a call. He phoned his boyhood friend Johnny Moss, who had been up three days in a row playing poker in Odessa, Texas. Johnny Moss put down the phone and drove the two days straight to Las Vegas, walked into Binion’s Horseshoe casino and sat down to play poker with Nick the Greek.
They hadn’t been playing for more than four days straight when the hand developed, and it started innocently enough. Johnny Moss received two nines wired, back-to-back, and Nick the Greek showed a seven. Five card stud is dealt one card down and one up to start, with the last three cards dealt face up, one by one. Four betting rounds, and at this first opportunity Johnny Moss bet on his nines and was called by Nick the Greek. Johnny Moss drew an eight and the Greek drew a deuce. Again Moss bet and was called by the Greek. On the fourth card, Johnny drew a three, and the Greek caught a four. Moss’ two nines beat any hand the Greek could have had and he made a large bet, called again by Nick the Greek.
Moss didn’t help with a deuce at the last, but Nick the Greek caught a black jack. The Greek bet and Moss moved in on him, all his chips. Nick the Greek looked at Johnny Moss and said, “Mr. Moss, I do believe I have a jack under here.” Johnny Moss replied, cool as can be, “Greek, if you got a jack you’re liable to win yourself one hell of a pot.” And Nick the Greek flipped over the jack of diamonds and took down a poker pot that had over one million dollars in it. Nick Dandalos paid all that money to hit a jack on the last card. You can forget all your other bad beat stories, because this one involved all the money.
After that hand, Johnny Moss went upstairs to get a few hours sleep. And then he came back down and they started playing again. They played for three more months in Binion’s Horseshoe Casino, nearly round the clock. People drifted in and out of that game but the whole time there was Nick the Greek and Johnny Moss. And at the end of three months it was Nick the Greek who looked at Johnny Moss and said these famous words in a small voice, “Mr. Moss, I’m going to have to let you go.” Nick the Greek might have hit one jack on the end, but it was Johnny Moss who broke him for over five million dollars.
What makes this the greatest hand in the history of poker? It was two great men, one astounding bad beat, and the largest poker pot ever built at that time. And it provides the ultimate proof that though poker has luck in its individual moments, it truly is a game for the long run. Now that’s something to think about on your next bad beat.
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