The poker professional Thomas Evans Zanot, who is based in Las Vegas, won a massive jackpot on Pai Gow this week as he turned his poker instincts into $6.4 million at the felt. The drama all took place at the Flamingo on Saturday night amid crazy scenes, just a few months on from another big win in the gaming format in Las Vegas.
Zanot Hits Magical Seven
The jackpot may already be the biggest one that Las Vegas sees all year. It’s that big. Winning at Pai Gow is not something that is easily done, and just three months on from a similar win in Pai Gow at Harrah’s in Las Vegas for $3.5 million, Thomas Zanot went even further. Winning $6.4 million at Flamingo, the poker pro placed money on a side bet and ran it up on a seven-card flush for the incredible score.
In Texas No Limit Hold’em, scoring a five-card flush with two cards in your hand is difficult enough, with the odds of getting a flush by the river (five cards out of seven being in the same suit) being around 6%. Imagine the odds of hitting all seven cards and you’re about where Zanot was when he hit his magical jackpot.
Of course, the odds of flopping a flush (easier than Pai Gow in any form) is 1 in 122, meaning the progressive jackpot in Pai Gow is incredibly difficult. Like, ‘forget about it’ tough. Zanot, who hails from Arizona, could hardly believe his luck given his stake – just five dollars.
Who is Zanot in the Poker World?
Zanot is by no means a small player in poker, although he is not a name known around the world – at least until this week. With over $1.1 million in live poker tournament earnings according to The Hendon Mob, that does not account for any cash game winnings he may have raked in. This is a seven-figure poker boss, and his fluke of catching a seven-figure score in Pai Gow has more than been paid for by time at the felt.
Generally playing lower or mid-stakes tournaments, Zanot will certainly have the opportunity to move up the stakes after this astronomical bonus to his bankroll. Just last month, he took on the WPT World Championship, like so many thousands of others. While it was Eliot Hudon who ended up becoming champion, winning over $4 million Zanot did not disgrace himself, finishing in 33rd place for a solid score of $99,600.
Zanot may have missed out on six figures by the barest of margins in that event, but he’s having a better month than most, and certainly better than Russell Crowe, whose latest movie, Poker Face was panned by critics and fans alike this week.
Zanot Describes the Victory
As you might expect, the aftermath of the Pai Gow win saw Zanot’s Twitter explode. When asked Matt Salsberg what he was in for, Zanot, who cashed 10 times at the WSOP last summer in Las Vegas, replied: “Played 11 hours, probably 300-400 hands, was -$375.”
As Jeremy Ausmus commented, that’s a “decent hourly” rate. Holding 8-9-T-J-Q-A of spades, the joker counted as the king of spades, giving Zanot the incredible seven-card victory.
In one amazing hand of Pai Gow, Zanot has won more than he might have if he spent a lifetime playing poker at the tournament felt. It seems he won’t be stopping any time soon, however, looking for buying and selling action in the aftermath of the win.
For just a single $5 chip, Thomas Zanot changed his life at the progressive Pai Gow table. It’s not only the first really big jackpot hit in Las Vegas in 2023… it might end the year as the largest too.
