It’s not customary for poker players to travel hundreds of miles to Pittsburgh’s Rivers Casino to play $1-$3 Texas hold ’em cash games, but its 30-table poker room has lately been receiving calls from as far away as Canada from people wanting to be sure the trip is worth their while.

The reason: a million-dollar “bad beat” jackpot that has the potential this month to become the largest in U.S. casino history.

Before coming, the Canadians and many others – whether a five-minute or five-hour drive from Pittsburgh – check whether two incredibly lucky players (and their incredibly lucky cohorts watching a hand play out at the same table, who would also be rewarded) might have already hit the casino’s main bad beat for the first time since April 14, 2021. It would require a losing hand in a showdown to be quad 10’s or better.