Jordan Ludwick let out a raw scream of disbelief after a brutal river card knocked him out of the 2026 PokerStars Open Philadelphia Main Event. Just two spots from the money on Day 1A, the New Jersey sports betting creator saw his deep run end in a three-way all-in pot. The viral video of his reaction has poker fans buzzing online.
Ludwick shoved his 180,000-chip stack on a flop of queen of diamonds, seven of clubs, and three of diamonds. He held ace of diamonds, seven of diamonds for top pair and a flush draw.
Michael Ciarlante called with ace of clubs, king of spades. Angel Lopez jammed with ten of diamonds, nine of diamonds, chasing the same flush.
The turn brought the jack of clubs, adding a straight draw for Lopez. Then the river nine of clubs paired Lopez’s ten and nine for two pair.
Ludwick was a big favorite on the flop. One pot away from a monster stack and likely top-five finish.
Pocket Kings Shattered Twice
Bad beats piled up earlier. Ludwick picked up pocket kings twice in three hands.
First time, king-queen rivered a queen to crack them. Second, ace-queen spiked an ace on the river.
Those coolers left him crippled near the starting stack of 30,000 after 10 hours.
He stayed calm and chipped up slowly.
Grinding the Long Day
Day 1A drew 125 entries at Live! Casino and Hotel Philadelphia. Play lasted 13 hours into Level 16.
The soft money bubble loomed with 16 spots paid. Ludwick battled back to 180,000, eyeing Day 2.
Friends at the table knew his grit. He played solid post-beats.
One short stack bust early. Tension built as players eyed the pay jumps.
Ludwick Shares His Story
After the hand, Ludwick yelled, “Oh my god. Did that really just happen again? I’m supposed to have four hundred and fifty thousand dollars!”
He later explained the grind. “It was 13 hours of battling right on the bubble. I would have gotten top five or top three.”
No hard feelings with Lopez. They played all day and stayed cool.
Ludwick plans to fire again in later flights. His east coast fans cheer the comeback kid.
A recent runner-up at Borgata Summer Poker Open netted him $28,000. That form fueled hope here.
Tournament Leaders Bag Big Stacks
Abel Gebeyehu dominated Day 1A with 992,000 chips, over 165 big blinds.
Angel Lopez, Ludwick’s killer, bagged 651,000 in second.
Here are the top 10 chip counts:
| Rank | Player | Chips |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Abel Gebeyehu | 992,000 |
| 2 | Angel Lopez | 651,000 |
| 3 | Aaron Shapiro | 470,000 |
| 4 | Casey Hatmaker | 433,000 |
| 5 | Joseph Grodowski | 382,000 |
| 6 | John Machen | 329,000 |
| 7 | Donald Himpele Jr. | 255,000 |
| 8 | Alberto Sabogali | 247,000 |
| 9 | Steven Christopher | 227,000 |
| 10 | Percy Abraham | 200,000 |
Louis Lu burst the bubble in 17th when Gebeyehu flopped a straight.
- 16 players advance to Day 2 with min-cash locked.
- Total guarantee hits $500,000 across flights.
- Buy-in $1,100 with unlimited re-entries.
Poker fans know these bubbles test nerves. Ludwick’s fire shows the passion that hooks players.
This bustout hits home for grinders chasing that first cash. It reminds everyone poker mixes skill, luck, and heartbreak. Ludwick’s story sparks hope he runs hot next time.
