Poker is a brutal game. Every player knows it, but when it happens it can still leave them stunned and speechless. Popular streamer Mason “pyefacepoker” Pye had just such a moment recently in a massive spot in a massive game. It was a spot so stunning that both Felix Schneiders and Randy Lew stood up in sympathy with Pye.

To set the stage, Pye was deep in the $25,000 WCOOP 34-H with $3 million guaranteed on August 30, a game way above the streamer’s usual buy-in. There were 22 players left with 15 paid spots, and Pye was on the short stack in middle position.

When the streamer woke up with ace-queen of diamonds, it was clear his 10 bigs were going in. “Please,” he said just before shoving it in.

The rollercoaster began when the player to Pye’s left reshoved with kings. Pye shook his head in disgust when he saw the kings, but managed a quiet “wow” when he flopped two pair on an all-club ace-jack-queen flop. It looked like he might get the double when another ace turned him a boat, but the ten of clubs hit the river like a gut-punch to Pye, giving his opponent’s king of clubs the royal flush.

It was a crushing moment for a player on the verge of a huge score in an event well above his bankroll. No one really likes a bad beat story, and in the end kings just beat an ace-high, but the run of the cards can certainly deliver pain and punishment, and there are cases that deserve some sympathy.

Catch the heartbreaking moment below, and watch just how brutal the emptions of poker can be.

Phil Hellmuth's run in heads-up matches this year has been stellar, but it finally came to an end against one of the most enigmatic players in the game. After three wins against Antonio Esfandiari last year, and three more against Daniel Negreanu earlier this year, Hellmuth booked his seventh heads-up win recently against Nick Wright.

That opened the door for enigmatic pro Tom Dwan to step up and renew a very old rivalry. Dwan famously busted Hellmuth in the first round of the 2008 NBC Heads-up Championship when his pocket tens turned a set against Hellmuth’s rockets, which set off a predictable tirade from the poker brat.

That tirade ended with a simple offer from Dwan—”Pick your stakes heads-up.“ It’s taken 13 years for the challenge to be met, but Dawn and Hellmuth recently got at it again to renew their heads-up rivalry.

While Hellmuth’s record to this point has been amazing, it seemed clear it would end eventually, but the way it came to an end against Dwan was a bit eerie. Back in 2008, the final hand began with Hellmuth limping aces against Dwan. In 2021, the final hand began with Hellmuth limping aces against Dwan.

Dwan was playing a different hand this time around, and the rest of the action went quite differently, but aces seem to be the Achilles Heel for Hellmuth against Dwan heads-up. In this case, the money went in on the flop with Hellmuth well ahead of Dwan’s flopped pair of threes, but once again, it was the turn that did Phil in.

Dwan turned two pair with a nine to take the lead, and the river was a brick to send the round to Dwan. Hellmuth’s new-found maturity showed through at the end of this one—there was no tirade against Dwan this time around, just a quiet handshake to seal the game.

Watch the Poker GO highlights of the epic match below, and watch history repeat itself, nearly. Thirteen years later, Dwan was once again able to get there on the turn against Hellmuth’s limped aces for all the money, ending Hellmuth’s storybook run in his recent heads-up matches.