Famed WSOP grinder Allen Kessler sent the poker world into a frenzy late on Monday night when he scored a jaw-dropping $1.2 million jackpot on his latest trip to Thunder Valley Casino and Resort in Lincoln, California.
Kessler, who was on hand for the collection of mixed games featured at the latest RunGood Poker Series stop, shuffled down to the casino to chase the progressive jackpots after his poker day ended.
As a regular slot player, Kessler is known for chasing big prizes and stacking up comp points. This time he was at a Buffalo machine, buying bonus rounds for $125. With a little over $2,000 left on his balance, Kessler struck it rich with a win of $1,210,108.
"I still haven't processed it yet," Kessler said to PokerOrg on the day after his win. "I've hit a few 100K jackpots, but they were years ago."
'Did that really happen?'
News of the jackpot spread quickly on social media, along with the video of Kessler's reaction.
"I can't even believe that!" Kessler shouted in the video he shared on Twitter/X. "Oh my god! Did that really happen? Oh my god!"
It was an uncharacteristic display of emotion from "Chainsaw" — a man who is not normally screaming with delight in the middle of a casino floor.
"12 hours I've been sitting here," he said to an onlooker. He later told his followers that he was down around $12,000 at the time of the jackpot.
"I wasn't chasing the 1.2m," he later told PokerOrg. "I got stubborn and I was chasing the Mega which was really high."
The win is a big rebound after Kessler lost six figures at the 2024 WSOP. PokerOrg caught up with him just last week at the WSOP Circuit stop at Choctaw and he lamented his summer of suffering:
The big question
The next step for Kessler is to decide how he'd like his payout.
"Aristocrat sent me a proposal with a lump sum vs. a 20-year annuity and I haven't been able to open that on my phone yet," Kessler told PokerOrg. "It's a complex decision."
Typically, lump sum payments for casino jackpots are between 50-70% of the total win. Other options are available to Kessler, as well, like selling off his annuity to a third party. So, what will Chainsaw do?
"I haven't made that decision yet. I'm about to go to the office center to print out the options."
Later in the afternoon, Kessler emerged on social media with the details of his offer.
Would you take the annuity payment? What is your buyout number? Join PokerOrg and tell us in the comments below.
