Five of the most classic hands at this week's WSOP! Kessler suffers a heartbreaking river knockout, while Pärssinen's double-kill blowout amazes the entire audience.

Exciting hands continue to unfold at the WSOP.

The World Series of Poker (WSOP) produces champions every day, but what poker fans truly enjoy talking about are often those dramatic and classic hands.

PokerNews recently compiled a list of the five most memorable hands of the week, including jaw-dropping bad beats and pivotal confrontations that could have changed the course of the championship.

From Allen Kessler's brutal elimination to Eelis Pärssinen's spectacular double win in the 50K PLO High Roller event, these hands became the hottest topics of discussion at this week's WSOP.

Juha Helppi was eliminated instantly after doubling his score.

The first selected classic moment comes from Event #57: $1,500 Five-Card Pot-Limit Omaha.

Finnish star Juha Helppi was in a short-code crisis at the time, but he successfully used pocket Ks to defeat Daniel Perkusic's AA to double up, and at one point saw hope of returning to the competitive ranks.

However, fate played a cruel joke on him.

In the very next hand, Helppi once again got KK, while his opponent Ravi Shankar had two Aces.

Both players eventually hit a set and formed a full house on the turn, but Shankar's full house was bigger, eliminating both Helppi and Perkusic at the same time.

From doubling up to being eliminated in just one hand, it became one of the most heartbreaking stories of the week.

Allen Kessler experiences the brutal Bad Beat of Razz

If we were to choose the most brutal elimination hand of the week, Allen Kessler would be the undisputed winner.

In the Razz phase of Event #52:$3,000 Nine Game Mix, Kessler had already made an extremely strong 7-5 low hand:

• A-2-3-5-7

Meanwhile, their opponent, Danny Noam, was clearly lagging behind.

However, what happened next was nothing short of miraculous.

Noam hit perfect low cards on both 6th and 7th streets:

• 3
• 2
• A

They ultimately achieved an almost impossible reversal.

Kessler was unable to improve his hand and could only watch helplessly as his opponent took the pot, ultimately being eliminated in 43rd place.

This hand quickly became one of the most talked-about bad beats of the week at the WSOP.

Pärssinen eliminated two players single-handedly.

Eelis Pärssinen, one of the hottest PLO players at this year's WSOP, also contributed a classic hand.

In the later championship-winning $50,000 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller, there were still 11 players left on the field.

Flip the card:

8♣ 7♥ 3♦

The three players formed a huge pool.

in:

• Chongxian Yang holds a flush draw.
• Barrett Threadgill has taken the lead.
• Pärssinen possesses the potential to both form straights and flushes.

After the river card dealt the 10♦, Pärssinen successfully turned the tide and won the huge pot.

More importantly, this hand resulted in immediate elimination:

• Chongxian Yang (11th place)
• Barrett Threadgill (10th place)

He completed a stunning double kill that shocked the entire audience.

Pärssinen used this to establish a huge advantage and eventually won the championship and a prize of $2.16 million.

Four of them, but he only called? The whole audience was stunned.

Another hand that sparked heated discussion came from Youness Barakat.

After a four-of-a-kind is formed on the river, most players' first reaction is to raise to extract maximum value.

However, Barakat made an unexpected decision.

Faced with his opponent's bet, he ultimately chose to simply call, without raising further.

This choice immediately sparked discussion on-site and on social media.

Some believe he missed an opportunity, while others believe it was the best decision against a particular adversary.

Regardless, this hand has successfully made it onto the list of the most controversial hands of the week.

Jouhkimainen miraculously eliminated four players.

The craziest hand of the week undoubtedly came from Finnish player Joni Jouhkimainen.

In a one-on-one multi-player all-in match, five players participated simultaneously.

After the final cards were dealt, Jouhkimainen successfully took all the score cards.

result:

One hand eliminated four opponents.

Such a scene is extremely rare even in major sporting events.

The audience erupted in cheers, creating one of the most visually striking and memorable moments of the week's WSOP.

The most fascinating thing about poker is its unpredictability.

From Kessler's brutal bad beat to Pärssinen's double kill, and Jouhkimainen's miraculous elimination of four players, these hands once again showcased the most fascinating aspects of poker.

Even the world's top professional players cannot completely control the outcome.

It is this charm of the interplay between skill and luck that makes every day of the WSOP full of stories.

As the 2026 WSOP enters its second half, we can expect to see even more unforgettable classic hands emerge.

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