New year, new jackpots. A Thunder Valley Casino guest named Richard decided to ring in 2026 by absolutely destroying a Criss Cross Poker table for $121,083. Not a bad way to start the year.

The Quick Hit

• What happened: Player hits $121,083 jackpot on Criss Cross Poker
• The damage: Six-figure score on a Tuesday afternoon
• Why you should care: Thunder Valley has been on a hot streak for player wins
• The move: Maybe add Criss Cross Poker to your rotation

The Win

Richard was playing Criss Cross Poker at Thunder Valley Casino Resort in Lincoln, California, on Tuesday when everything came together. The exact hand details weren't released, but Criss Cross Poker progressive jackpots typically require a premium hand—think royal flush or high straight flush territory.

Whatever he hit, it was worth $121,083. That's the kind of score that makes you immediately forget every losing session you've ever had.

Thunder Valley's Hot Streak

This isn't Thunder Valley's first big winner of 2026. The Sacramento-area casino has been quietly producing massive payouts over the past few months. The IRS raising the jackpot reporting threshold to $2,000 might have something to do with why we're hearing about more of these—fewer hand pays mean fewer tax forms mean players are more willing to share their wins.

Table game jackpots like this one are rarer than slot hits, which makes them even more impressive. Slot machines have thousands of spins per day; poker tables see maybe a few hundred hands. Landing a progressive on a table game requires both premium cards AND being in the right spot with the right side bet.

Criss Cross Poker Explained

If you haven't played Criss Cross Poker, here's the quick version: you're dealt two cards, and five community cards are dealt in a cross pattern. You make two separate five-card poker hands using the cards in each direction of the cross, plus your hole cards.

The progressive side bet typically requires a premium hand in one or both of your five-card combinations. Hit a royal flush? That's usually the full jackpot. Straight flush? Major payout. And so on down the paytable.

It's a fun game with more decision-making than some other table games, and when that progressive hits, it's life-changing money.

The Bottom Line

Richard walked into Thunder Valley on a Tuesday and walked out six figures richer. The man probably had errands to run, bills to pay, maybe a dentist appointment. Now he's got $121K in his pocket and a story he'll be telling at every barbecue for the rest of his life.

2026 is treating degenerates well so far. Between this hit, the Diamond Jo blackjack jackpot, and all the Wild Card Weekend chaos, January is delivering.

Let's keep this energy going.