Professional poker player Justin Smith is going viral more than a decade after tearing his ACL while celebrating a $1.1M victory at the 2009 World Poker Tour’s Bellagio Cup V.
Sports injuries are a common occurrence in all kinds of athletic disciplines, but most folks probably wouldn’t expect a poker player to get seriously hurt during a game.
That’s exactly what happened in 2009 when poker pro Justin Smith won a jaw-dropping $1.1M hand against renowned opponent Bertrand Grospellier at the Bellagio Cup V in Las Vegas.
Smith’s victory was notable not just for the amount of money he won, but because he triumphed against several huge names in the poker space at that table, marking one of the most prominent W’s of his career.
Poker pro Justin Smith’s ACL tear goes viral 17 years later
Smith couldn’t help but celebrate this achievement in the usual way; jumping up and down, hugging the audience, handing out high-fives. But during this celebration, Smith somehow tore his ACL, sending the poker star limping back toward the table.
Commentators instantly noticed Justin’s body posture, noting that “something’s wrong out there” as the audience quieted out of concern for the player.
“There’s something very wrong. He’s doubled over. He’s really in pain. This is no bluff, let me tell ya,” one of the casters said.
“I’m really hoping I’ll be okay,” Smith told tournament officials. “I mean, I’m able to play. I’ll play it out.”
A clip of the incident has resurfaced on social media more than ten years later, leaving users stunned at how Smith could have possibly torn his ACL during a poker tournament, of all things.
“Bro won $6M and got a career-ending injury. It’s a win in my books,” one joked on X.
“Imagine tearing your ACL with the medical bills dragging your winnings down like Yu-Gi-Oh life points,” another laughed.
In a statement after the initial 2009 tournament, Smith confirmed that he had torn his ACL, explaining that it was most likely a re-aggravation of an old injury from a motorcycle accident he’d had years prior.
While Smith pulled back from professional poker after his win streak in the late 2000s, saying he was suffering from burnout, he returned to competitive play in 2024 and continues to raise the stakes at high-profile tables to this day.
