The High Stakes Live cash game returned to the World Series of Poker on Friday, bringing viewers another action-packed livestream directly from the heart of the action in Las Vegas. It was supposed to be a relatively small game – just a run-of-the-mill $50K buy-in with stakes set at $200/$400 with a $1K big blind ante.
And then 'Texas Mike' Moncek decided to sit down and the game got bigger – much bigger.
With a clear willingness to gamble it up, Moncek played more six-figure pots than you can count. They didn't all go his way, but swinging a couple hundred thousand dollars, even a million, clearly doesn't faze him.
And if you need further proof of that, just roll the tape on the clip linked below.
When the dust settled on the High Stakes Live set, Moncek was in the red to the tune of $1,471,200. Despite the severe losses, the financial hit wasn't his primary concern.
'Texas Mike' villain arc incoming?
As in the clip above, Martin Kabrhel was Moncek's adversary on multiple occasions throughout the stream. Both players came to the game ready to mix it up, playing fast and loose with big money and putting on a show for the viewers. While the two of them gambled it up, the rest of the table failed to match their energy.
In the show's aftermath, Moncek took to social media to rant about the lack of action – and his perception that some of the players were only there to "snipe."
"I'm not playing any cash game above 1-3 I don't hand pick myself," Moncek wrote. "I don't get sniped in cash."
In subsequent posts, Moncek took aim at "conceited superpros" who, in his mind, are wrong to complain about Kabrhel's presence. While he admitted that Kabrhel's antics at the table can be "too much" at times, Moncek believes he's better for poker than most.
"What does everyone else do – snipe and cover their face for 30 seconds pre? He’s a legend."
The comments come after Daniel Negreanu called out Kabrhel following the $250,000 Super High Roller. Negreanu claimed that some people chose not to play the event because of Kabrhel.
Final High Stakes Live on Saturday
There's another High Stakes Live game scheduled for later tonight – a summer finale to the show's run. Will Moncek jump into the mix again?
Unlikely, but you never know. These games don't come around often and Moncek might want to claw back some of his losses.
One player who is in the lineup is Ethan 'Rampage' Yau. Over the course of the three High Stakes Live streams, he's up over $1.3 million. Can his hot streak continue?
