INSANE! Negreanu, Ivey, and Antonius Collide in the Sickest Flop Ever Seen
The Stage Was Set
In poker, there are hands you forget the moment they’re over, and then there are hands etched into history—moments that fans replay for decades, moments that leave even the best in the world shaking their heads in disbelief.
On this night, the table was stacked with living legends: Daniel Negreanu, the heart-on-his-sleeve superstar. Phil Ivey, the stone-faced assassin known as the greatest natural talent in poker history. And
Three titans. One hand. And a flop so outrageous, so action-packed, that even the commentators could barely believe their eyes.
The Super Action Flop
The dealer spreads the flop: 5 – 9 – 10.
It looks like just another board… until you realize the carnage it created.
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Patrick Antonius hit bottom set with his pocket fives.
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Daniel Negreanu connected perfectly with a set of nines.
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Phil Ivey? He landed top set with tens.
Set over set over set.
Hands like this aren’t supposed to happen. Not on television. Not between the best in the world. But here it was, unfolding live.
Patrick fires $5,000 into the pot, confident he’s got the goods. Daniel just smooth-calls, a glint in his eye, knowing he’s already ahead of Patrick. And then Phil Ivey, with the best of all three, simply calls as well.
Nobody at the table—or watching from home—could breathe.
The Turn That Changed Everything
The dealer peels off the turn card… another 10.
Gasps erupt around the room. Phil Ivey has now turned quads, the single strongest hand possible on this board.
This is the dream scenario for Ivey. But instead of leaping out of his seat, instead of blasting chips into the pot, he does something that only Phil Ivey would do:
Patrick Antonius, still thinking his full house is invincible, pauses. He doesn’t bet either.
And then Daniel Negreanu, holding his own full house, senses weakness. He slides $26,000
Phil, in classic Ivey fashion, just calls. Cool. Calculated. Deadly.
Patrick? He just calls as well, still convinced he’s ahead.
What’s happening here is more than just a poker hand. It’s a psychological war—each legend trying to trap the others, each one balancing between brilliance and disaster.
The River Pressure Cooker
The river comes blank. No flushes. No straights. Just raw carnage waiting to be unleashed.
Daniel sees this as his moment. He fires again, this time
Phil Ivey sits frozen. He’s got quads—the unbeatable hand—and yet he doesn’t snap. He doesn’t raise. He doesn’t show emotion. He goes into the tank, weighing every possible angle, every story his opponents could be telling.
For minutes, the entire table holds its breath. Finally, in a decision that stunned fans around the world, Phil Ivey folds his quads face down.
Yes, you read that right. Phil Ivey, the man many call the GOAT of poker, laid down the single best hand possible.
It was an escape act so insane that it instantly became poker folklore.
Antonius Moves All-In
With Ivey out of the way, all that remained was Negreanu and Antonius.
Daniel, still confident, stared across at the Finn. Antonius took a deep breath… and shoved all-in.
To Patrick, his full house looked like a monster. Against most players, in most spots, it would be. But across from him sat Daniel Negreanu, one of the greatest hand-readers the game has ever known.
Daniel tanked. He replayed every street. He searched for tells. And then, with the weight of the pot pressing down on him, he made the unthinkable choice: he folded.
Antonius, shocked, flipped his hand over. He thought he had the best hand. But Negreanu’s fold saved him a fortune.
And as the dust settled, fans around the world sat stunned, knowing they had just witnessed one of the wildest multi-way battles in televised poker history.
Why This Hand Lives Forever
Moments like these remind us why poker is more than just cards and chips. It’s about psychology, discipline, instinct, and courage.
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Phil Ivey’s fold of quads was as baffling as it was brilliant—proof that even the best in the world wrestle with doubt.
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Patrick Antonius’s shove was pure confidence, fueled by a hand that looked like the nuts.
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Daniel Negreanu’s fold showed the razor-sharp discipline that has defined his career.
Three poker giants. One unforgettable clash. And a reminder that in this game, sometimes the cards don’t matter as much as the minds behind them.
The Legacy of the “Super Action Flop”
Years from now, when fans debate the greatest televised hands of all time, this one will always make the shortlist. It wasn’t just about money. It was about pride, instinct, and the willingness to make impossible decisions under the brightest lights.
For Negreanu, Antonius, and Ivey, this was more than just another pot. It was a showcase of why they’re considered legends.
And for the rest of us? It was a front-row seat to the purest form of poker magic—the kind of hand you might see once in a lifetime.
What do you think? Did Phil Ivey just make the greatest fold ever—or the worst mistake of his career?
🔥 Negreanu Sparks Firestorm: Has Phil Ivey Lost His Poker GOAT Crown to a New Era of Killers?
Who Is the Poker GOAT of the Modern Era? Negreanu, Ivey, Mizrachi… or Someone New?
Poker has never lacked heroes. From the smoke-filled rooms of Binion’s Horseshoe to the million-dollar buy-ins of Las Vegas ballrooms, every generation has crowned its own “Greatest of All Time.” But when Daniel Negreanu posed a deceptively simple question —
Nearly 350,000 views, 250 replies, and countless heated debates later, the court of public opinion had spoken. Yet the answer isn’t nearly as simple as the vote count suggests.
The Ghost of Chip Reese
To understand the debate, you have to go back to where it started: with Chip Reese. Doyle Brunson himself once declared him “without a doubt the best poker player that ever lived.” Reese, who was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame at just 40, epitomized the golden age of poker — a man whose instincts were sharper than any solver and whose calm command of a room full of killers was legendary.
Negreanu, who knew Reese well, echoed the reverence: “Chip Reese was unanimously regarded as the GOAT of his era. If you factor in the lack of tools available to him compared to today, arguably the greatest poker mind to have ever lived.”
Reese’s passing in 2007 left a vacuum. And in that vacuum, one man stepped forward as the new king.
The Rise of Phil Ivey
When Chip Reese died, the torch passed — not formally, but spiritually — to Phil Ivey. Known simply as “The Tiger Woods of Poker,” Ivey dominated every format. Online poker? He crushed the toughest lineups. Live tournaments? Ten WSOP bracelets. Cash games? The highest stakes in the world, from Vegas to Macau. Mixed games? He excelled in every variant, every night.
For a time, there was no debate. Ivey wasn’t just the best — he was untouchable. His aura was so fearsome that opponents often claimed to feel “played” even when he folded a hand.
So why, then, in 2025, are people daring to ask if the GOAT crown still belongs to him?
The Question That Shook the Poker World
Negreanu’s post wasn’t a dig at Ivey. In fact, it was the opposite — a tribute. But his phrasing made waves. He asked who the GOAT of this era is, noting that comparing across decades is nearly impossible.
“When Michael Jordan is asked who the GOAT NBA player is, he says it’s unfair to compare eras,” Negreanu wrote. “Bobby Fischer said the same about chess. Chip Reese was the GOAT of his era. When he passed, that torch went to Phil Ivey. Who holds it now?”
The thread lit up like wildfire. Some took offense at the past tense: “Has Ivey retired?” one fan asked. No — Ivey is still active, but these days he mostly plays private games, far from the spotlight.
And in an era where public visibility often determines legacy, that absence matters.
The Challenger Voices
Jesse Lonis: The Self-Proclaimed GOAT
One of the boldest replies came from Jesse Lonis, who didn’t hesitate to crown himself. Ranked #1 in the world, Lonis declared: “I’ve dominated every buy-in and all field sizes. The only reason I’m not in the biggest cash games is because they’re private and political.”
Lonis even invoked Cristiano Ronaldo: “If you don’t believe you’re the best, you will never achieve all that you are capable of.”
It was a gutsy statement — one that earned him headlines, but only two actual votes.
Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi
With four WSOP bracelets, two Poker Players Championship titles, and a reputation as one of the most fearless competitors alive, Mizrachi came in strong with 12 votes. Few embody the word “grinder” more. For many, his mix of resilience and flair makes him the closest heir to Ivey’s throne.
Jesse Lonis: The self-proclaimed poker GOAT.
Daniel Negreanu Himself
Kid Poker wasn’t spared from the ballots either. With seven votes, Negreanu remains a fan favorite, beloved not just for his success but for his visibility and advocacy for the game. His ability to read souls at the table is still unmatched.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
When the dust settled, the tally was clear:
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Phil Ivey — 23 votes
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Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi — 12 votes
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Daniel Negreanu — 7 votes
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Phil Hellmuth — 5 votes
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Nick Schulman — 4 votes
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Stephen Chidwick — 2 votes
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Martin Kabrhel — 2 votes
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Jesse Lonis — 2 votes
Ivey still stands atop the mountain, even if some whisper that his crown shines less brightly than it once did.
Phil Ivey hasn't retired but is he still the poker GOAT?
Why the Debate Matters
Poker is more than cards and chips; it’s myth and memory, rivalry and respect. Every generation needs its icons, its giants to measure against. Negreanu’s question forced fans to reckon with something uncomfortable: greatness doesn’t last forever.
Chip Reese once seemed immortal at the table. Then Phil Ivey redefined the game for a new century. Now, with Ivey spending more time in private rooms than public ones, the stage feels open again.
Is Mizrachi the new GOAT? Could Lonis actually grow into the role he claims? Or will someone unexpected — perhaps a Chidwick or a Schulman — write the next chapter of poker history?
The Verdict
For now, the people have spoken. Phil Ivey remains the GOAT of the modern era. Twenty-three votes don’t just represent fandom; they represent respect for a legacy built across formats, continents, and decades.
But make no mistake: the throne is no longer untouchable. It wobbles. The whispers are louder. The challengers are hungrier.
And poker, as it always does, will find its next legend in the unlikeliest of moments.
Until then, the crown still rests on Phil Ivey’s head — a little heavier, perhaps, but still his to wear.
