Straightstta.king Flush vs. Ace

Have you ever folded an ace-high flush on an unpaired board? We didn't think so. But that's because you aren't Mihai Niste, who did just that last week as he somehow got away from a monster hand with 28 players left in the Luxon Pay Grand Final of the Mediterranean Poker Party (MPP) in Cyprus.

The hand took place at the end of Day 2 of the $2,200 buy-in event at the all-inclusive Merit Royal Diamond Hotel and Spa in Northern Cyprus. PokerNewswas on-site live reporting the action, which ended with Russia's Ivan Bryksin winning the trophy and $375,000.

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Find Out More About the MPP in Cyprus!

Can Mihai Niste Fold the Nut Flush?

With blinds of 150,000/300,000/300,000, Romania's Mihai Niste kicked off the action with an early position raise holding A♥10♠as fellow Romanian Sebastian Ionita defended his big blind with A♥10♠.

The flop of K♥Q♥2♥gave Ionita the second nut flush and he checked as Niste bet 500,000 with his nut flush draw. Ionita chose to slow-play and called.

The 10♥turn was the action card of all action cards as Niste improved to the nut flush, while Ionita had his opponent drawing stone dead with a straight flush. Ionita once again check-called as Niste sized up to 850,000.

"This might be the first for me ... I don't think I've had straight flush against nut flush before," one of the commentators said in disbelief.

Ionita checked once more on the 8♦river and Niste bet 4.4 million. Ionita responded by moving all in for 6.1 million and Niste moved his time banks in front of him as he went deep in the tank. Niste didn't believe his opponent could be bluffing and decided to fold his monster hand to be left with just seven big blinds.

Niste smiled as he folded face-up and Ionita let out a laugh as he revealed to his opponent that it was the right move.

It was the last hand of the night so both players had plenty of time to think the action over as they bagged up their chips and prepared for the next day of action.

Niste ended up finishing in 28th place for $16,700, while Ionita rallied to a third-place podium finish worth $177,000.

Watch the full hand play out on YouTube.