Bad Beat Poker Jackpot Hit At The Trump Taj Mahal For $336,057
June 7, 2010 8:33 amThe Trump Taj Mahal Resort In Atlantic City had been enjoying an influx of poker players over the past couple of weeks, after announcing that their ‘Bad Beat Jackpot’ was at an all time high.
That jackpot had then continued to rise to a staggering $672,115, before finally being hit on Sunday by 84 year-old Montgomery County, Pennsylvania resident John Bazela.
A ‘Bad Beat Jackpot’ is offered by many casinos to reward a player who is ‘unfortunate’ enough to lose a poker hand holding four of a kind. The progressive jackpot rises at a rate of $1 per hand until being hit, with 50% share of the progressive jackpot then going to the losing hand, 25% to the winning hand and the remaining 25% to the other players seated at the table.
The Trump Taj Mahal casino director of poker Tom Gitto, explained that usually the jackpot is hit once every 92,000 hands, but on this occasion 670,000 hands had passed without a winner. That was until Bazela had his four 7’s beaten by his opponent’s four aces, automatically qualifying the 9 person table to a share of the prize.
John Bazela received $336,057 for his losing hand, while the winner was awarded $168,028, and the rest of the table collected $24,000 each for just being there.
Whilst the champagne and cake was being handed out as part of the casino celebrations for “the largest bad-beat jackpot ever,” one player was far from cheerful after returning to witness the scene of jubilation taking place.
Beverly Joskowitz, of Bayonne, Hudson County had been playing at the exact same table when she left twenty minutes earlier to grab something to eat. Had she stayed she would have been guaranteed at least $24,000 or more but instead had to swallow her misfortune.
“My stomach went to the floor,” she said. “It’s still there. I haven’t picked it up yet.”