Hand of the Year: Jesus' Heads-Up Miracle

THE EXPRESSIONS ON THE FACES of those in the crowd had to be the same as those in Dodger Stadium when Kirk Gibson hobbled to the plate and crushed his World Series home run, in the Orange Bowl when Doug Flutie completed his Hail Mary pass, at the Tokyo Dome when Buster Douglas slobberknocked Mike Tyson.
Phil Hellmuth, meanwhile, was rendered prostrate on the floor. He had been the victim of a miraculous suckout in Game Two his best-of-three final with Chris “Jesus” Ferguson in NBC’s National Heads-Up Poker Championship.
Hellmuth, who easily took the first game, was holding Ah-3s. Ferguson had 9h-2c, and aggressively bet before the flop. Hellmuth called, and the flop came 2h-5h-9c, giving Ferguson two pair to Hellmuth’s gutshot straight draw. Ferguson again bet hard, and Hellmuth called. The 4h on the turn made Hellmuth’s straight and gave him the nut flush draw. Ferguson check-raised. Hellmuth went all in. Then he went all to pieces.
Hellmuth was a 91-percent favorite, but the 9d spiked on the river to fill up Ferguson’s hand and send Hellmuth to the floor. Ferguson evened the series on the very next hand, but to Hellmuth’s credit, he regained his composure and clinched the tournament in Game Three. Source: www.allinmag.com