Three Cracked Aces at BSOP Winter Grand High Roller: When Holding the Best Hand Isn’t Enough

The BSOP Winter Grand High Roller saw a memorable run from Léo Rizzo on Saturday. In a matter of hours, Rizzo sent three different opponents to the rail while holding the best possible starting hand in poker – pocket aces. The phrase “Tudo do Oitavo!” echoed through the high roller area of the WTC Sheraton as Rizzo stacked chips and broke AA in three consecutive all-in confrontations.

The sequence was reconstructed by fellow player Yucatán Cervo, who was seated at the table. In the first hand, Rizzo’s opponent held AA and called a shove from Rizzo, who had 9-6 offsuit. The flop brought a nine, and the river a six, giving Rizzo two pair. In the second hand, the opponent again had AA, while Rizzo held J9 of clubs. He hit a jack on the flop and completed a flush draw on the turn. The third hand saw Rizzo with KQ suited against an opponent’s AA. The flop came 10-high, giving Rizzo a straight draw. The turn gave the aces a set, but the river fell a ten, giving Rizzo a straight.

Key facts

The sequence became a topic of conversation at the table. Rizzo himself struggled to recall the exact order, but Cervo provided the details. The high roller event, with a buy-in of R$ 15,000, had already attracted more than 100 entries by the end of Saturday.

What this means for tournament players

The episode highlights a well-known truth in live poker: even pocket aces can be cracked, especially when an opponent is willing to shove light. The three hands all involved pre-flop all-ins where the aces were ahead but the flop, turn, or river brought a better hand for the caller. The takeaway is not that aces are bad, but that variance is a constant factor in tournament poker. The article that reported the session included a practical tip: if you hold AA and face a shove from Léo Rizzo, it might be time to stand up and pack your bag. That advice is partly in jest, but it reflects the reality that aggressive players can create difficult spots even for the best starting hand.

Hand-by-hand breakdown

The first hand: AA vs. 96o. The button opened with AA, the small blind flat-called, and Rizzo shoved from the big blind. The aces called. The flop came nine-high, and the river brought a six, giving Rizzo two pair.

The second hand: AA vs. J9 of clubs. Rizzo hit a jack on the flop and had a flush draw. The turn completed the flush, leaving the aces drawing dead.

The third hand: AA vs. KQ. The flop came ten-high, giving Rizzo a straight draw. The turn gave the aces a set, but the river ten completed the straight for Rizzo.

All three hands played out quickly, and Rizzo’s stack grew accordingly. The tournament continued with a field that included several other high-profile players.

Source limitations

This report is based on a single source – the Mundo Poker coverage of the BSOP Winter Grand High Roller. The hand details were provided by a fellow player at the table and have not been independently verified. The exact stack sizes, blind levels, and the eventual outcome of the tournament for Rizzo are not yet confirmed.

Source: Mundo Poker, “BSOP Winter: Léo Rizzo faz estrago no Grand High Roller e quebra três AA em all ins pré-flop; confira” – https://mundopoker.com.br/noticias/bsop/bsop-winter-leo-rizzo-faz-estrago-no-grand-high-roller-e-quebra-tres-aa-em-all-ins-pre-flop-confira/