AA suffers two dramatic reversals, his hopes dashed! Artur Martirosian misses out on the WSOP $100,000 High Roller prize pool.

Martirosian was just one step away from the top prize pool when he met a cruel fate.

One of the most anticipated high roller events of the 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP) – Event #38:$100,000 High Roller No-Limit Hold'emDay 2 unfolded into an incredible, bubbly drama.

Russian top professional poker player Artur Martirosian was just one step away from the money, twice holding pocket aces, but was reversed by his opponents both times, ultimately becoming the bubble player of the event and missing out on any of the more than $12 million in total prize pool.

This dramatic elimination became one of the most talked-about topics at the WSOP that day.

103 participants create a super high-stakes feast

This year's $100,000 High Roller event attracted 103 entries, with a total prize pool of $9,888,000.

Only the top 16 players can enter the prize pool.

The champion will receive over $2.1 million in prize money and a WSOP gold bracelet.

The lineup of participants is nothing short of dream-like, including:

• Ren Lin
• Jason Koon
• Nick Petrangelo
• Alex Foxen
• Stephen Chidwick
• Bryn Kenney
• David Peters
• Artur Martirosian

And the world's top high-stakes professional poker players.

The first AA was reversed

Martirosian remained competitive after the bubble phase began.

However, the first major blow came soon after.

At that time, he was holding A♠A♦ and his opponent flipped over to go all-in.

Martirosian initially held a significant advantage against a weaker starting hand.

However, the community cards ultimately helped the opponent complete the comeback.

This hand caused Martirosian to lose a significant number of chips, dropping him from his previous mid-to-upper position into the short-stack zone.

Even so, he still has a chance to turn things around.

The second AA was broken again.

Incredibly, not long after, Martirosian got pocket aces again.

This would normally be an excellent opportunity for any professional poker player to double up.

So he once again chose to put all his chips into the pot.

However, fate played another cruel joke on him.

The opponent once again caught up after the flop and completed the comeback.

Within a few tens of minutes, Martirosian was defeated twice with the strongest starting hand in Texas Hold'em: AA.

Many professional poker players at the scene found the result unbelievable.

Martirosian becomes the biggest victim when the bubble bursts.

With his second loss of AA, Martirosian lost his last scoreboard.

He was ultimately eliminated in 17th place.

This tournament only pays out prize money to the top 16 finishers.

This means that this superstar, who has four WSOP gold bracelets and more than $20 million in live prize money, left the arena without scoring a single point.

For any professional poker player, becoming the bubble player in a $100,000 High Roller tournament is extremely painful.

Being eliminated after being reversed twice makes this defeat all the more cruel.

After the match, many players even referred to it as:

"One of the most dramatic bubble stories of this year's WSOP."

Ren Lin successfully advanced to the final table

While Martirosian was unfortunately eliminated, Ren Lin, a renowned Chinese high-stakes player, continued his winning streak.

This star player, who has been active in the Triton Super High Roller series in recent years, has once again demonstrated his formidable strength.

After the bubble burst, he successfully entered the next stage with a large number of scoreboards.

Ren Lin has earned over $19 million in live tournament winnings throughout his career, but has yet to win a WSOP gold bracelet.

Therefore, this $100,000 High Roller event is also seen as an important opportunity for him to win his first career title.

High Roller Stars Continue to Compete for the Championship

Besides Ren Lin, several other world-class players also successfully entered the prize pool.

include:

• Jason Koon
• Nick Petrangelo
• Alex Foxen
• Sean Winter
• Mikita Badziakouski
• David Peters

Regulars in high roller tournaments still have a chance to win the title.

With the bursting of the bubble, all remaining players have secured at least a six-figure prize.

Each subsequent elimination will directly affect the final champion.

AA is still not 100%

Texas Hold'em players all know that AA is the strongest starting hand.

Even so, it has never been invincible.

In multiplayer tournaments, AA's actual win rate is usually around 80%.

This means that in every five all-in confrontations, there is still a possibility of being reversed once.

However, cases like Martirosian's, where he was defeated twice in a row during the bubble, remain extremely rare.

This also serves as a reminder to all players:

Poker is not only a contest of skills, but also a competitive sport in which probability and luck play a role.

Highlights of the 38th event

Martirosian suffered two defeats in the AA tournament.

Twice he went all-in with his strongest starting hand, and both times he was overtaken.

Bubble Players Emerge

Martirosian ultimately finished in 17th place, becoming the bubble boy in the prize pool.

Ren Lin continues to move forward

China's top high-stakes player has successfully advanced to the next stage.

The battle for the High Roller title heats up.

Several of the world's top professional poker players still have a chance to win the championship.

Want to change Texas Holdem from "can understand" to "can win"?

If you want to learn more about Texas Hold'em, you can continue reading：

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Texas Hold'em Starting Hands Strategy Guide: Which Hands to Play?
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How to play Texas Hold'em? Complete rules and a hand's flow (Preflop / Flop / Turn / River)

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