Martin Kabrhel caused a stir at the end of Day 1 of the $50K PLO event at WSOP Paradise after receiving a one-round penalty for placing his phone on the rail, despite a prior warning from the floor.
Kabrhel argued vehemently against the penalty, claiming he hadn’t done anything wrong.
However, the floor wasn’t relenting and threatened him with a two-round penalty if he didn’t go to the rail quietly.
Kabrhel appealed to the other players at his table, including Daniel Negreanu, but no one spoke up for him – perhaps a result of him talking non-stop for the previous three hours.
“I get a penalty for nothing, because, like, you guys are teaming up,” Kabrhel said. “Be proud of yourself that you didn’t say a word. Be proud.”
The drama was caught by Negreanu, who was filming for his vlog. Watch it play out below, starting at 14:45.
Negreanu: 'I hope he goes broke'
After Kabrhel left the tournament room, Phil Hellmuth joined Negreanu.
“Oh my god, peace and quiet,” Negreanu said.
“This guy,” Hellmuth said, pointing at Negreanu. “I’ve never seen him so quiet.”
“Too much,” replied Negreanu.
“He’s been sitting there, and he hasn’t said one word in two hours. Now poor Daniel can breathe,” Hellmuth said, returning to his table.
Negreanu and Kabrhel had been getting along recently, but hours next to Kabrhel at the table can seemingly wear down anyone.
Earlier in the vlog, Negreanu told Hellmuth, “I hope he goes broke. I really do because he's obnoxious to play with. Here’s the thing… If he did 15-20% of his shtick, he'd actually be funny, but he becomes the most obnoxious player to play with. He doesn't know how to control it."
More drama on Day 2?
Negreanu and Kabrhel both made it through to Day 2, with 25 players left, 17 getting paid, and $1,456,000 up top.
Andras Nemeth is the chip leader, with Josh Arieh in second and Stephen Chidwick in third. Negreanu is in sixth, with Kabrhel in 14th and Hellmuth in 21st.
Kabrhel is seated at Negreanu's table for Day 2 — a setup that could spark more drama.
As Negreanu said at the end of his vlog, “(That was) just incredibly exhausting. I just tried to focus on playing, and he was talking to me, talking to me, and I'm just ignoring (him).
“Like I said, he can be funny. There's no question he can be likable and funny. But if you sit with him for six to eight hours and there’s no break in the discussion, it’s too much, you know?”
The $50K PLO restarts at 1pm ET on Sunday.
WSOP Paradise $50K PLO top 10 stacks
| Place | Player | Chips |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andras Nemeth |
1,715,000 (85.7bb) |
| 2 | Josh Arieh |
1,425,000 (71.2bb) |
| 3 | Stephen Chidwick |
1,315,000 (65.7bb) |
| 4 | Laszlo Bujtas | 1,180,000 (59bb) |
| 5 | Lautaro Guerra | 950,000 (47.5bb) |
| 6 | Daniel Negreanu |
940,000 (47bb) |
| 7 | Michael Moncek | 910,000 (45.5bb) |
| 8 | Artur Martirosian | 900,000 (45bb) |
| 9 | Frederic Normand | 880,000 (44bb) |
| 10 | Andrew Leathem | 845,000 (42.2bb) |
