Commentator’s Curse: How Han Feng Lost His Chance to Win the WSOP

Han Feng fell victim to an unfortunate bad beat at the final table of the 2024 WSOP Main Event. Details of the dramatic hand and reactions from the poker community.

The Jeff Platt Curse, a brutal bad beat at the WSOP, and Han Feng’s new success in Barcelona: details of headline-making results WSOP Main Event Final Table: How Han Feng Lost His Shot at Victory In July 2024, American player Han Feng became one of the main stars at the final table of the World Series of Poker Main Event (WSOP Main Event). With a $10,000 buy-in, this tournament is considered the most prestigious in the poker world, and reaching the final table is every professional’s dream. Han Feng finished in fifth place, earning $2,250,000, but his elimination came with one of the tournament’s most painful bad beats. With five players left, Feng went all-in with pocket aces against Greg Mueller, who held nines. Despite his clear advantage, a nine hit on the river, and Feng was knocked out, handing Mueller a massive stack. This dramatic moment proved pivotal for the final table’s prize distribution: Mueller, now with a chip lead, went on to finish third and increased his winnings by $1,500,000. Immediately after Feng’s elimination, he was interviewed by well-known poker commentator and journalist Jeff Platt. When asked about his future plans, Feng replied briefly: “Barcelona. Tickets are already bought.” “The Jeff Platt Curse” and Feng’s Attitude Toward Bad Luck Three weeks later, Han Feng was indeed in Barcelona, taking part in the European Poker Tour (EPT) series. Despite the tough loss at the WSOP, Feng remained calm and showed no signs of bitterness or disappointment. According to him, he barely thinks about that bad beat: “It’s a standard spot. In 20% of cases, aces lose to nines, and it doesn’t bother me.” Feng admits that another hand upset him much more: “What bothers me more is that my ace-jack didn’t hold up against Lauri Saaskilahti’s kings. That was really unpleasant. Bad beats don’t worry me.” Still, Feng jokingly offers an alternative explanation for what happened: “I definitely fell under the Jeff Platt curse. On the first day, he didn’t interview me, and I was crushing everyone. Then, before day two, I was the only one he spoke to for a couple of minutes—and after that, I got cooked.” In the poker community, there’s a half-joking superstition about the “interview curse”: after talking to a journalist, a player often runs into bad luck. Feng plays along with this idea, but doesn’t look for excuses and shows a mature attitude toward poker variance. Success in Barcelona: EPT and the Biggest Prizes of His Career Right after the WSOP, Han Feng headed to Barcelona to play in EPT events—one of Europe’s most prestigious poker series. Once again, he was among the best: in the PokerStars Open Main Event, Feng finished sixth and took home €148,610—the second largest prize of his career. Feng notes that his recognition hasn’t grown much since the WSOP final table: “I think half the people don’t even know I was at the Main Event final table. They just think I’m some random guy—and that’s actually nice.” In Barcelona, Feng is in great form, admitting: “Today I won all my coinflips. Even yesterday, I didn’t lose a single one. Though, to be honest, I had a slight mathematical edge in all of them.” Despite the impressive winnings, Feng doesn’t plan to change his approach to bankroll management or tournament selection: “I was planning to go to Barcelona even before the Main Event. I just had to move my flight a bit, but I was never going to cancel the trip.” As for spending his winnings, Feng remains pragmatic: “No, I’m not spending it. It’s all going into bitcoin.” Tournament Results: WSOP Main Event and PokerStars Open WSOP Main Event 2024 — Final Table 1st place: — 2nd place: — 3rd place: Greg Mueller — +$1,500,000 to his winnings after the bad beat against Feng 5th place: Han Feng — $2,250,000 — Lauri Saaskilahti — involved in a key hand against Feng The exact places of the other participants and prize distribution were not specified in the original. PokerStars Open Main Event (EPT Barcelona, August 2024) 6th place: Han Feng — €148,610 This is Feng’s second largest career win at the time of publication. Context: What Are These Tournaments and Who Are These Players? The WSOP Main Event is the main annual event in the global poker industry, attracting thousands of participants from all over the world. The tournament’s final table is broadcast on television and closely followed by professionals and fans alike. The buy-in is $10,000, and the prize pool reaches tens of millions of dollars. EPT (European Poker Tour) is Europe’s leading series, with stops in the continent’s biggest cities. Barcelona traditionally attracts the strongest players and huge fields, and the PokerStars Open Main Event is one of the festival’s key tournaments. Han Feng is an American professional known for his methodical approach and calm demeanor at the table. He also collaborates with the training platform GTO Wizard as a content partner. Greg Mueller is an experienced player who gained extra momentum thanks to his lucky hand against Feng. Lauri Saaskilahti is another final table participant who played a key role in important hands. Jeff Platt is a popular poker journalist and commentator whose interviews often become part of poker memes and superstitions. Poker Terms and Hands: Explained for Beginners Bad beat — a situation where a player with a clear statistical advantage loses due to an unlucky runout on the board. Pocket aces — the strongest starting hand in Texas Hold’em (AA). Coinflip — a hand where the odds of winning are roughly equal (usually 45/55 or 50/50). Bankroll — the total funds a player sets aside for playing poker. Buy-in — the amount a player pays to enter a tournament. Stack — the number of chips a player has in a tournament. In the hand where Feng busted in fifth place, he had aces and Mueller had nines. After getting all-in preflop, a nine came on the river, and Mueller won the pot despite being behind initially. What This Means for PPPoker Club Players Han Feng’s story is a great example of how even the strongest hands can lose due to variance, and every player needs to be prepared for this. For PPPoker club members, it’s a reminder: even in the world’s biggest tournaments, professionals face bad beats but stay calm and keep building their careers. The second takeaway is the importance of discipline and bankroll management. Despite big wins, Feng doesn’t raise his stakes or change his strategy—he sticks to his plan. This approach is especially relevant for regular players in PPPoker clubs, where stability and careful planning often matter more than one-off successes. Finally, Feng’s experience shows that success in poker is not just about luck, but also about being able to quickly move on from losses and switch between tournaments. Playing in different series like the WSOP and EPT helps develop skills and broaden horizons, and the PPPoker platform provides all the tools and opportunities needed for this.