International news

  On August 11, 2026, PokerNews shared a rare poker championship story during the Potomac Summer Poker Open. Washington D.C. player Michael McQuaid encountered two large raccoons while walking his dog last month, one of which chased him. During the escape, he fell and dislocated his shoulder, requiring emergency treatment. However, that same evening, he went to the MGM National Harbor to participate in a poker tournament and ultimately won. According to PokerNews, McQuaid currently has $75,916 in live tournament winnings. Compared to his other achievements, this approximately $3,000 championship may not be the largest prize of his career, but the series of events that preceded the victory made it one of his most memorable tournaments. The encounter with the two large raccoons occurred on a sunny Wednesday morning. McQuaid was walking his brindle pit bull on the boardwalk of Theodore Roosevelt Island. Suddenly, the dog stopped and barked at a nearby tree. McQuaid looked to the side and discovered two rather large raccoons in the tree. One of the raccoons then began to move towards the foot of the tree. McQuaid realized a potential conflict between his dog and the wild animal, so he immediately ran along the boardwalk with his dog. He recalled that he sprinted forward at almost top speed, hoping to create distance. While running, McQuaid looked back to check if the raccoon was still chasing him. This action caused him to lose his balance instantly, falling forward and dislocating his shoulder. McQuaid immediately went to the emergency room for treatment. Medical personnel anesthetized him and repositioned his dislocated shoulder. Normally, after such an accident, most people would go home to rest; McQuaid had a different idea. His reason was quite simple: there was nothing else to do that day. After leaving the emergency room, he headed to MGM National Harbor. After completing his treatment, McQuaid decided to go to MGM National Harbor. That evening, the venue was hosting a Wednesday tournament with a buy-in of $200, and he chose to enter directly. Despite his shoulder having just been reset, McQuaid stayed at the poker table, ultimately making it to the final stages of the tournament and winning the championship via a chop, taking home approximately $3,000. What happened to Michael McQuaid that day? The incident occurred in the morning while walking his dog on Theodore Roosevelt Island. He encountered two large raccoons, one of which he chased. While looking back, he lost his balance and fell, completely dislocating his shoulder. He was taken to the emergency room and underwent shoulder reset under anesthesia. That evening...