Nicholas Rigby was saved by his trademark hand, which he dubs the “Dirty Diaper,” on the bubble at the 2024 World Series of Poker (WSOP) on Saturday when he hit a straight flush.
The Pittsburgh poker player who made deep runs in the Main Event in 2021 and 2023 shared wild hand details with PokerNews that took place on Day 1c of Event #5: $1,000 Mystery Millions No-Limit Hold’em.
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Straight Flush Comes Through
More than 10,000 entrants have signed up for the Mystery Millions as of Saturday, and registration remains open into Day 1d on Sunday. Rigby took his shot at the Day 1c flight, and he was able to escape the bubble thanks in large part to the hand that made him a fan favorite during two WSOP Main Event TV broadcasts.
According to Rigby, with the blinds at 5,000/10,000, he was sitting on 233,000, plenty of chips to make the money on the bubble. But this is Rigby we’re talking about. Anyone who has watched his loose style of play the past few years at the WSOP knows there’s no way he’s folding 2x3x — aka the “Dirty Diaper” — even on the bubble.
The hand began with a player in early position limping, and then action folded around to Rigby in the small blind. He raised it up to 45,000 with 2♠3♠, and the limper called. When the flop came out 9♠5♠6♠, Rigby hit a flush, and he bet out 40,000, to which his opponent made the call.
After the 4♠ on the turn gave Rigby a straight flush, he downsized his bet to 30,000, and again received a call. The J♦ appeared on the river, and Rigby says he announced “all in.” His opponent tanks, then says “call,” before putting 55,000 chips in the pot. But Rigby’s stack was much bigger (118,000).
The other player claimed to have been unaware it was an all in bet. After about 10 minutes of debate and the floor manager being called over, it was eventually ruled that a full call for 118,000 must be made, leaving Rigby’s opponent down to around 40,000 chips right on the bubble.
Rigby earned a full double up and easily waltzed into the money, while his opponent had to sneak into the money and min-cashed. Last year, the Pennsylvania poker player bagged the biggest stack on Day 1d of the Main Event, but his loose and wild style of play inevitably doomed him on Day 5 as he was eliminated in 131st place for $67,700. In 2021, the year he first introduced the “Dirty Diaper” to the poker community, he ran even deeper (52nd place for $136,100).
There are certain stories that occur at the World Series of Poker that you can’t even make up. Nicholas Rigby escaping the bubble by hitting a straight flush with the Dirty Diaper is one of them.
Nicholas Rigby Talks “Dirty Diaper” Strategy in the 2023 WSOP Main Event