Three-card surprise: Poker hand shocks at tournament

One would think that in a high-stakes $5,300 buy-in poker tournament, the most dramatic moment would involve a royal flush or some gigantic bluff.

But during Day 1b of the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open Championship, also part of the $3 million guaranteed series, an even stranger twist happened.

Out of a total of 889 entrants and just 292 survivors scheduled to return, the spotlight fell on a single hand that had everyone in the industry talking.

The strange hand unfolds

Niall Costigan raised from an early position holding an ace of spades and a king of clubs. Corey Harrison called with an ace of clubs and a jack of spades, but in the big blind, Daniel Cove peeked at a king of hearts and a jack of clubs.

With the flop came a 10 of spades, an 8 of clubs and a king of spades, hitting all three players. Cove had the top pair, Costigan nudged ahead with a stronger kicker, and Harrison's straight draw folded.

The turn brought an 8 of diamonds, pairing the board. A check, a 12,000 chip bet, and a call followed.

On the River, the queen of hearts missed everyone, but it would have given Harrison a straight had he not folded the flop. Cove checked, and Costigan slid in a hefty 52,000 chip bet, which was just over the pot, targeting what he'd believed was the bottom two pairs.

"F**k!" he exclaimed, as the realisation hit him late and hard. He thought that he held pocket Kings, which would have made for a full house. "I only saw two kings," he said before throwing his cards on the table.

The aftermath: Rules, reactions, and a ruined stack

Shock rippled through the table as one player said, "Wow, he’s got three cards." Other players questioned whether Costigan had knowingly blurred the lines. Costigan insisted the extra ace was "stuck to the bottom."

He even asked to speak to the manager, but the ruling remained the same. It was a dead hand.

It was Cove who walked away with the entire pot worth over 75 big blinds, while Costigan was left with a diminished stack and a bruised ego. Although Costigan put up a fight that the pot should be split and that Harrison should get his chips back. Costigan also asked why he's being punished for playing well.

According to the Tournament Director’s Association (TDA) rules, once substantial action happens, including multiple bets and calls, a misdeal can’t be declared even after the fact. Thus, the hand must be killed.

The player must always ensure they have the correct number of cards. In Costigan’s case, that responsibility fell on him, even if the error came from the dealer.

Opinions were mixed as some players at the table were sympathetic, while others showed doubt and considered this a poker bluff. Veteran tournament player, Steven "Cuz" Buckner said, "I've never seen that happen."

Brian Green, who was at the table, was also not convinced Costigan was innocent. "There's no way he didn't know he had that card," he said.

Protect your hand

This wild moment can be used as a learning experience for beginners and even veterans. Poker regulars on Reddit also commented that “players are responsible for protecting their hand. This includes notifying the dealer if an error has been made.”

That's because once called, the bet stands, and the hand is dead.

Because if an extra ace sneaks into your tight grip and you don't see it until the River, you might just lose more than you have bargained for.