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Bluffing Gone Wrong: The Most Expensive Mistakes in Poker History

Bluffing Gone Wrong: The Most Expensive Mistakes in Poker History
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Clinton Machoka Pokerlistings Author
  • Fact Checked by: PokerListings
  • Last updated on: March 26, 2025 · 6 minutes to read

Bluffing is essential for an unpredictable poker player. However, poor judgment or bluffing in the wrong situation could be detrimental. Nevertheless, players tend to make the wrong bluff from time to time, losing hundreds of thousands of dollars in the process. And yet, this is what makes the game fun, complex, and enjoyable to watch.

Below are some moments of bluffing gone wrong in poker history.

Eric Persson vs Patrik Antonius: $1,970,000 Pot

The biggest pot ever streamed in a U.S. poker cash game happened on PokerGO in February 2023, and it caused a huge stir. The action was on the No Gamble, No Future live stream of “Cash of the Titans.”  

The blinds were $1,000/$2,000 with a $2,000 ante, and Eric Persson opened the action with a raise to $7,000, holding Q 9 . Rob Yong decided to call with A 2 . Patrik Antonius then 3bet to $30,000 with A K , and both Persson and Yong called, building a pot of $94,000.

The flop read 3 3 8 , giving both Persson and Antonius flush draws. Antonius bet $40,000

And Persson raised it to $140,000. Yong folded, and Antonius 3bet to $250,000, sitting on the nut flush draw. Persson was also on a flush draw and called; the pot grew to $594,000.

The A landed on the turn, giving Antonius the top pair. Antonius fired a $150,000 bet, and Persson decided to be bold and moved all-in for $692,000, turning his missed flush into a bluff. Antonius tanked but finally called, putting the pot at a record $1,978,000.

The river card was J , and Antonius took down nearly a $2 million pot, delivering a brutal blow to Persson’s chip stack.

Before making the call, Antonius asked, “What do you have?” but it made no difference. His hero call was one of the most epic moments, and Persson’s bluff was the biggest mistake in poker streaming history.

Matt Hanks vs Eric Persson: $830,000 Pot

This second hand features Eric Persson again, but he won this time.

In No Gamble, No Future, Matt Hanks attempted a daring bluff, turning the middle pair into a $280,000 river shove in a massive $830,000 pot. Eric Persson, however, did not have it.

The blinds were $200/$400 ($400 big blind ante), and Adi Chugh opened the action with a raise of $4,000 from UTG with J 2 . Eric Persson responded with a 3bet to  $16,000 from UTG+1 holding K K and Matt Hanks calls from the Small Blind holding 10 7 , Cugh folds.

The flop came Q 4 7 , and Hanks flopped a middle pair; however, Persson was relentless and kept the pressure on, betting $16,000. Hanks check-called. The turn card was 6 , completing a potential flush. Unfazed, Persson continued barreling with a $25,000 bet. This time, Hanks saw an opportunity.

There was $268,000 in the pot when the 6 river paired the board. Hanks shoved his last $280,000 to get Persson to fold because he knew that was the only way to win. Persson, nonetheless, snap-called with his kings to grab the biggest pot of the season: $830,000.

Viktor Blom vs Munns

Viktor Blom, an eighteen-year-old suspected to be behind the screen name “Isildur1,” was causing a stir at the World Series of Poker Europe Main Event in 2009. He appeared unstoppable with an impressive 192.5BB stack at 600/1,200 blinds (200 ante).

But No-Limit Hold’em is unforgiving, and one mistimed bluff would cost him dearly.

Blom from Sweden opens the action with a raise to 2.5 big blinds, holding K 2 . Munns, an amateur from England sitting on the button with a 245.8BB stack, reraised to 7.5BB  holding A 7 . Blom, undeterred, calls, and the flop comes to A A 3 .

Disaster for Blom as Munns flops trip Aces, while Blom has absolutely nothing. Blom checks and Munns decides to make 7.5 big blinds c-bet. Now, Blom could choose to fold, but that’s not his style. Instead, he check-raises to 48.3 big blinds with air.

Munns re-raised to 96.7 big blinds, showing he will not fold. Most players would have given up, but not Blom, who makes a daring bluff with a 192.5 big blinds shove. After tanking, Munns calls and turns over A 7 .

Blom? His K 2 is on view for everyone. The 10 lands on the turn, and Blom is drawing dead. The river card is irrelevant. The 402BB pot slid to Munns as he chuckled, realising Blom didn’t even have a flush draw. A fearless but mistimed bluff mistake had cost the young sensation his entire tournament life.

Ema Zajmovic vs  Patrick Serda: The WPT Final

Serda entered the heads-up battle with a slight chip advantage, having 80.75 big blinds against Zajmovic’s 78.375 large blinds. With only a few hands exchanged before the pivotal time, the initial action between the two was quiet.

Emma tried a risky 4bet bluff with K 9 in the exciting WPT final, but Patrick made a hero call with 7 5 , giving him the $300,000 win.

The blinds were 100,000-200,000 with a 200,000 big blind ante. Ema Zajmovic, holding K 9 , raised to 2.5 big blinds from the button. Patrick Serda, with 5 7 , responded with a 3bet to 8 big blinds. Undeterred, Zajmovic 4bet to 19 big blinds. Serda called. The flop read 7 6 10 , giving Serda a middle pair and Zajmovic a flush draw, and both players checked.

The A landed on the turn. Serda checked for a second time. Zajmovic seized the moment, firing a bet of 15 big blinds, and Serda called. The 3 fell on the river, and both players bricked, and Serda checked for the third time.  

Zajmovic, with only king-high, saw her chance and made a bold 42.5 big blinds all-in bluff, representing a strong overpair. Serda tanked and stared at the board with no straights, flushes, and just a single pair of sevens. He made the hero call, catching Emma’s bluff and clinching victory.

Doyle Brunson vs  Antonio Esfandiari: $500,000 Pot

The famous “Godfather of Poker,” Doyle Brunson, will make history when he sits at the table. He pulled off one of his boldest bluffs in a high-stakes cash game against Antonio Esfandiari, but things didn’t go as planned.

Phil Ivey opened the action with a raise with 4 2 . Antonio Esfandiari, sitting in the small blind, chose to flat-call with A A and Doyle, in the big blind, also called with J 9 . The flop came 3 7 8 , giving Doyle an inside straight draw while Antonio’s pocket aces remained ahead. Seizing the moment, Doyle led out with a $10,000 bet.

Ivey had nothing and quickly folded, but Antonio had other plans, raising $28,000. Doyle fired a $88,000 re-raise, and Antonio called to see the turn.

The A landed on the turn, giving Antonio the top set, and Doyle decided to check. The 4 fell on the river, an irrelevant card that did not affect the board texture. Doyle realized this was his final chance to grab the pot and moved all in with a towering $110,000 bet. 

Antonio made the call and showed his A A after tanking. Doyle, who only had a J-high, watched as a massive $500,000 pot moved from him to his opponent. 

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