New Delhi, Dec. 7 -- In the dimly lit expanse of the Tulalip Resort Casino, just north of Seattle, an anonymous gambler turned a routine evening of cards into a life-altering windfall. With a hand that poker purists can only describe as the stuff of legend, four aces in four-card poker, the poker player triggered the progressive jackpot, walking away with $79,519. The moment, captured on surveillance and shared across social media, has ignited a frenzy among gamblers, statisticians and casual observers alike, raising questions about the razor-thin line between luck and destiny in Washington's tightly regulated gaming world.

The win occurred late last week at one of the state's premier tribal casinos, where four-card poker has quietly bui...