Artur Martirosian Bubbles $100K WSOP High Roller After Aces Cracked Twice

A devastating turn of events saw high-stakes poker professional Artur Martirosian bubble the prestigious World Series of Poker (WSOP) $100,000 High Roller event. The Russian crusher, who had recently won the $25,000 Six-Handed No-Limit Hold’em for over $1.2 million, saw his hopes of a consecutive high-roller title dashed in a brutal fashion. Martirosian was eliminated just short of securing a payday of $201,754 after his pocket aces were cracked twice in quick succession.

The dramatic exits occurred at the Paris feature table, marking one of the most painful ways to bow out of a major tournament. Martirosian, a four-time WSOP bracelet winner, was aiming to add another significant title to his impressive summer haul, but fate had other plans.

First Cracking of the Aces

The first instance of Martirosian’s aces being cracked came during a hand against Christopher Nguyen. Nguyen, from the hijack seat, raised to 160,000. Martirosian, in the big blind, responded with a three-bet to 680,000. Nguyen then utilized a time bank before moving all-in for his stack of 3,480,000. Martirosian quickly called, tabling A♠ A♣, holding the best pre-flop hand against Nguyen’s K♠ Q♠.

The flop of 5♠ 2♠ 7♥ gave Nguyen immediate flush draw outs. The turn, the K♥, provided further possibilities for Nguyen, increasing his chances against Martirosian’s aces. The river card, the Q♦, completed Nguyen’s hand, giving him two pair and cracking Martirosian’s aces, leaving the chip leader severely short-stacked on the tournament bubble.

Second Cracking and Elimination

Despite the crushing blow, Martirosian still held a chance to navigate through the bubble. In a subsequent hand, Teun Mulder raised from the hijack seat to 160,000. Martirosian, now with a significantly smaller stack of 495,000, moved all-in from the big blind. Mulder made the call.

Martirosian once again revealed A♥ A♣, a hand he hoped would hold this time. However, Mulder showed J♠ 10♠. The broadcast captured Martirosian expressing a premonition, muttering, “not twice.” His fears were realized as the board ran out 8♦ Q♥ 6♥ 6♣ 9♦. Mulder rivered a straight, once again cracking Martirosian’s pocket aces in the cruellest of circumstances.

With no further time banks remaining, Martirosian collected his belongings and departed the feature stage, becoming the bubble boy for the $100,000 High Roller. The remaining 18 players advanced to contend for the first-place prize of $2,841,432.

Key facts

This development is significant for video poker enthusiasts as it highlights the unpredictable and often dramatic nature of high-stakes poker tournaments. While not directly video poker, the strategic and psychological elements of this high-roller event resonate with players who appreciate the skill and variance involved in poker. The story serves as a stark reminder of the thin margins in professional poker and the immense swings that can occur, even at the highest levels.

Source: PokerNews – Martirosian’s Aces Cracked TWICE to Bubble 100K High Roller – https://www.pokernews.com/news/2026/06/martirosian-s-aces-cracked-twice-to-bubble-100k-high-roller-51516.htm