$15M Poker Loser 'Monarch' Would Love to 'Mog' Daniel Negreanu
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Ossi “Monarch” Ketola’s high-stakes adventure at the Onyx Super High Roller Series in Cyprus has been nothing short of brutal. First, he dropped $2 million in a heads-up clash with Kayhan Mokri. The next day, things got even worse as Dan “Jungleman” Cates handed the Finnish entrepreneur a $15 million loss in what is now the biggest televised poker game in history.
Undeterred, Ketola is already eyeing more challenges. When a fan on social media suggested he face Daniel Negreanu, he replied: “would love to, I think he’s super gay. Would love to mog him.” In online slang, “mog” means to completely outclass or dominate someone.
Negreanu has his own history in high-profile heads-up battles, though like Ketola, he’s been on the losing side. In 2021, his much-hyped “High Stakes Feud” against Doug Polk stretched across 25,000 hands and more than three months of play. The poker world tuned in daily, only to watch Polk back up the truck with a $1.2 million win over his longtime rival.
A clash between Ketola and Negreanu seems unlikely with the Poker Hall of Famer thousands of miles away, but the gauntlet has been thrown down for the future.
Possible Match-Ups in Cyprus
With a days left still at the Onyx SHRS, there's still a chance that Ketola will be looking to claw back losses in heads-up streets, and as you could imagine, there's probably a long queue of pros in Cyprus looking to dip into the Finn's coffers.
Artur Martirosian could be one of the sharks lining up to face Ketola, and he’s got the heads-up pedigree to do it. The Russian has three WSOP bracelets, two of them from Heads-Up Championships. He first struck gold during the 2023 WSOP Online when he won the $10,000 Heads-Up Championship for $431,165, before adding another title at the 2025 WSOP by defeating Aliaksei Boika in the $25,000 Heads-Up final for $500,000.
Dirk "venividi1993" Gerritse is another name in the mix. Gerritse famously battled Phil Galfond in the Galfond Challenge, a marathon 24,000-hand match at €100/€200 PLO on Run It Once Poker. After building a huge lead of nearly €900,000, Gerritse was edged out in the final session as Galfond completed one of poker’s greatest comebacks, eventually locking up the win and a €100,000 side bet.
Phil Ivey also can’t be ruled out. The 11-time bracelet winner has a long history in heads-up battles, most notably the famous high-stakes matches against Andy Beal in the 2000s.
In an interview at the Onyx Club, Ivey said he was open to joining the cash games. “Yeah, I plan on playing if I can get a seat,” he noted. For poker fans, Ivey would be at the very top of the wish list for a potential clash with Ketola.
Will Triton Jeju Be Ketola's Next Stage?
While no additional heads-up matches with Ketola have been confirmed in Cyprus, the Finnish entrepreneur has already set his sights on Triton Poker Jeju.
On social media, one "Monarch" fan suggested a clash with Alex Foxen, the three-time WSOP bracelet winner boasting more than $50 million in live earnings. Ketola seemed intrigued by the idea before reaching out to Foxen directly. The American confirmed he would be at the next Triton Super High Roller Series, opening the door for a potential high-stakes showdown.
Ketola also enquired about the availability of Triton Million winner Alejandro "PapoMC" Lococo. However, the PokerStars ambassador said he'd be skipping the Jeju stop, but was always down to make content.
Who is Ossi "Monarch" Ketola?
Ossi Ketola is a Finnish high-stakes poker player, entrepreneur, and former esports professional. Known in the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CSGO) scene as “Monarch”, Ketola made millions competing at the highest level before founding the gambling site CSGOEmpire. He also has business ties to the online casino Duel.
Away from esports, Ketola is carving out a reputation for playing in poker’s biggest games. He has more than $4.7 million in live tournament cashes, highlighted by a runner-up finish worth $2,970,000 in a $159,000 Triton Poker Monte Carlo Super High Roller in November 2024.
Despite those results, Ketola rarely plays live tournaments, instead focusing on massive heads-up battles. At the inaugural Onyx Super High Roller Series Cyprus in August 2025, he first clashed with Kayhan Mokri in a $2 million buy-in match streamed on YouTube. The following day, he returned to take on Dan “Jungleman” Cates in buy-ins that escalated from $1 million to $6 million.
Cates ultimately bested him, winning $15 million in what is now considered the biggest televised poker game in history.
