The Crown Royal Poker Room at Dover Downs Hotel & Casino produced Delaware’s largest Bad Beat Jackpot to date on Dec. 18. The jackpot netted $184,393, and was divided incrementally among nine players at the table. This is the largest BBJ to hit in Delaware, well above the second and third largest jackpots, which also hit at Dover Downs Hotel & Casino.
Lee Merkle of Camden, Del., walked away with a check for $92,196.50, 50 percent of the state’s record BBJ, for his hand of quad 5s.
Craig Storton of Pasadena, Md., received a check for $46,098.25 for his high hand of quad aces. The unconventional, top-prize pay out to the player of the second-highest, “losing” hand is what the Bad Beat Jackpot represents. It is a consolation prize for being beaten when holding an otherwise rare, high hand. The other lucky seven players on the table each received a pay out of $6,585.46, representing the final 25 percent of the $184,393 jackpot.
Unique to Dover Downs Hotel & Casino is the very high starter amount on the Bad Beat Jackpot, which was reset at $109,000 following Sunday’s pay out. Dover Downs Hotel & Casino holds the distinction of making the three largest Bad Beat Jackpot pay outs in Delaware, having paid nearly a half million dollars since the Bad Beat jackpot was approved by the Delaware Lottery last year.
