Hand Histories: Bad Beat Costs Joseph Cheong Millions on PokerGO

Joseph Cheong’s career is best known for his third place result in the 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event. Cheong scored over $4 million for the result but a bit of salt remains inside of him eight years later. With two tables left, Cheong led the pack as a dominating chip leader until a brutal beat sent him spiraling toward the middle.

In this edition of Hand Histories on PokerGO, Cheong breaks down the biggest hand of his life and why it cost him millions despite his eventual third-place result.

Cheong utilized an aggressive, but not reckless, playing style to accumulate his stack throughout the Main Event and had to fade a brutal runout versus Italian pro Filippo Candio. The two battled frequently on Day 8 but an all-in shove combined with a loose call led to the largest pot of the tournament.

Pocket aces failed Cheong at the worst possible time and Candio’s appropriate celebration after the suckout became an internet sensation right away.

A candid Cheong describes his disrespect for Candio’s game and why the hand was worth effectively at least second-place money. $4.1 million four months later propelled Cheong’s career to the place he finds himself now ranked in the top-50 on poker’s money list.

Poker players carry a sense of what-if from bad beats and even a result as grand as Cheong’s lingers. Cheong explains his side of the story in full detail and breaks down what makes the Main Event a one-of-a-kind event. The difference between $4.1 and over $9 million burned in front of Cheong thanks to an unreal river.

Not as devastating as Daniel Negreanu’s knockout, Cheong’s disappointment still resides as he tells his version of Hand Histories.

Subscribe to PokerGO to watch all Hand Histories including Bryan Piccioli’s miracle two-outer from the 2017 Main Event. While you’re there, catch up on the latest week of Poker After Dark with “Solve for Hollywood” now available on-demand.