Can Nik Airball Cool Off Unstoppable Poker Vlogger to Win $660K Pot on HCL?
Two of the biggest names to emerge from the Hustler Casino Live stream clashed in a $663,000 pot Friday night, the largest of the session.
The hand played out between the polarizing Nik Airball and popular poker vlogger Mariano Grandoli, who often dominates the HCL games.
Grandoli informed his 185,000 YouTube viewers that he won nearly $500,000 playing limited hours of poker in 2024. Much of those profits came on Hustler Casino Live. But Airball, whose results have drastically improved since his one-year ban from Hustler Casino ended a few months ago, sought to get some money back from the content creator.
Nik Airball Plays a Huge Poker Hand
Action started with the players playing $200/$400 blind levels, with a $1,000 big blind ante. Action folded to a player named Howard on the button, who looked down at Q♣10♣ and raised to $2,400. Mariano in the small blind then elected to three-bet to $12,000 with K♦Q♦, which got the big blind to fold, with Nik Airball waiting in the under-the-gun straddle position with A♣Q♥. Airball didn't hesitate to put in a cold four-bet to $30,800. Howard got out of the way, but Mariano called the raise to see a flop.
Mariano, who was dominated pre-flop, took the lead after the flop came 10♥K♣6♣, giving him top pair. He check-called a $20,000 continuation bet from Airball.
However, the turn brought the J♦, giving Airball the nuts with a Broadway straight. After Mariano checked again, Airball fired a larger bet, this time for $75,000. Mariano, now drawing only to a chop, took some time before making the call.
The river was the 9♣, bringing in the front-door club draw and improving Mariano to a straight of his own, but he was still out-pipped by Airball’s Broadway. After Mariano checked for a third time, Airball wasted no time and moved all in for Mariano’s stack of $203,900.
Mariano sat in the tank for nearly three minutes, debating his decision. Despite the flush draw coming in, he eventually made the call—only to be shown the bad news, losing the $663,000 pot. It marked the largest hand of the night and the biggest single-hand loss of Mariano’s poker career.
When the night concluded, Airball emerged as the biggest winner, thanks in large part to that massive hand—finishing up $309,300. Mariano, meanwhile, logged the second-largest losing session of the night, ending down $193,600 once the stream wrapped.
Standard Play or Punt? HCL's Newest Star Loses $730K Pot with Small Pair
