Historic Poker Hands

Some win, some lose, but what about the most amazing hands?

Poker history is packed with anecdotes and unforgettable moments that have made this almost two-century-old card game one of the most exciting, challenging and fun one around.

Many films have in fact been inspired by it, and legendary figures have also become its trademarks, like Mr. Bond himself.

There is no need, however, to turn to fiction to evoke the thrill of poker. So here are some of the most memorable moments in real life poker history, up to this very day.

Perhaps it would be fair to start with the first winner of the WSOP, Johnny Moss, also because he and Stu Ungar are the only ones to have ever won three times at the Main Event.

Although the event was not famous yet - it was the first edition that was celebrated at Binion's Horseshoe in 1970 - Moss was. In 1949 he played against Nicholas Andrea Dandolos (aka Nick The Greek) in a legendary five month long "heads up" poker marathon that allegedly inspired the WSOP (the former was also organized by Benny Binion).

At the end of the game Dandolos said to Moss what was to become one of the most famous sentences in poker history: "Mr. Moss, I have to let you go".

Turning to the World Series of Poker, however, there are uncountable stories worth telling, although that of Chris Moneymaker might be among the most renowned. He was the first player to have ever become a champion at WSOP after qualifying at an online PokerStars tournament.

Little did he know that the $86 that he invested in the game, and which opened the door for him to the 2003 World Series, would turn into $2.5 million after playing the famous hand in which he bluffed an all in with King high against Sam Farha. That day Moneymaker, who was an accountant and amateur player, instantly became a poker celebrity.

As far as great online poker moments go, finish poker pro Patrick Antonius is the one who set the stakes high. This heads up specialist is remembered for many hands, although his victory against another online star, Viktor Blom (known as Isildur1) on November 21, 2009 at an online game is by far the most memorable. Antonius won an unprecedented pot of $1,358,447, setting a new record for online poker that remains unbeaten to this day.

We should mention at least one Daniel Negreanu hand since we're here, considering he's possibly the most famous poker player around. At the 2010 European Poker Tour London Main Event, while playing against Angel Shlomi, the Canadian star attempted to guess his rival's cards.

Shlomi folded. Negreanu then told Shlomi that he had just told him what he thought he had, and not that he could beat him. Shrewdly played, this hand shows how psychology works in the game and that is what has made it so famous.

So either at a live tournament, an online site or at a casino, history's most remarkable hands are partly responsible for making poker even more appealing, and at the same time for reminding us about all the elements that come together to make a hand legendary.