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Without realizing it, a poker player hits a royal flush and wins $192,000.

In Texas Hold'em, the chances of getting a royal flush are 639,739:1, or roughly once every 650K hands.  It is possible for even the most devoted poker players to go their entire lives without receiving one. However, a Chilean poker player just did it without even realizing it.
This past Wednesday, a man and his wife traveled to the Monticello casino outside of Santiago from a city in southern Chile. The unnamed player joined a game of poker that already had three players at the table while he was in town on business. His wife left to go play at the slots.

The man played against the others diligently as the cards kept flying. He initially had little success. 

But it didn't take long for his spur-of-the-moment choice to stop by the casino to prove to be a wise one.

The man was playing his third hand when he noticed a friend from the same southern city entering the casino. As the dealer dealt the flop, turn, and river, they greeted one another and started conversing.

While chatting with his friend, the player glanced at them without paying much attention. He eventually noticed the board had dealt him a straight when he looked down at his cards. Then, when he revealed his hole cards, reality struck. It was a royal flush rather than just a straight.

The table started to cheer after a few moments of stunned silence, not just because of his luck but also because of the pot. The player had just won CLP150 million (US$192,000) as part of the casino's promotion with a sizable prize for getting a royal flush.

The player didn't make a big deal out of the victory. He admitted to the casino that he doesn't frequently lose his cool under pressure.

Divvying Up the Wealth

The man went to his wife to tell her the good news after winning, but she didn't believe him. Instead, she mistook him for a prank and started a mini-tirade.

He led her over to the table, where the other players were still seated, to show her. They started praising him once more. That is when she understood it to be accurate.

He told the others about his good fortune as they were leaving. He left a CLP1 million ($1,260) tip for each player at the table and a CLP2 million ($2,520) tip for the casino staff.

Players in Texas Find Luck

The poker player from Chile is not the only one who has had some luck this week. According to Poker News, players who were wrongfully detained by Texas police last year won't be charged.

On the advice of a district attorney (DA) who was unaware of local laws, police raided the Watauga Social Lounge Poker Club in October of last year. Police unexpectedly visited the club while a poker tournament was in progress, making several arrests and fining players.

The poker room was charged by the DA with operating an illicit poker game. However, as long as the house doesn't take a rake, Texas law does not forbid organized poker. This prompted the development of social poker rooms that demand membership; this is how they remain open.

Over the years, the practice has faced a number of challenges, but almost all of them have been dismissed. 

A judge granted the district attorney's request to dismiss the Watauga poker room case, in which up to $200K was illegitimately seized during the raid. Consequently, 46 people will have their names cleared, despite the fact that three more previously accepted plea agreements that are now officially recorded.

One of the people who was detained desired a jury trial. Steve Nichols, the man, wrote on Facebook that the DA's office's decision to "cower in the face" of those who resisted it was vindication.

The $360 in fines paid by the 46 people will be returned to them. The $200K's future is still up in the air, and they will now fight to have that money returned as well.