Poker Player Loses $4 Million Heads-Up Match, Seeks Immediate Rematch
The first-ever Onyx Super High Roller Series in Cyprus has been wildly entertaining, and it featured an impromptu $2 million buy-in heads-up match that ended in a cooler, with the losing player seeking an immediate rematch.
While PokerNews has been on the ground, live reporting the high-stakes tournament action at Merit Royal Diamond, some nosebleed cash game action has also drawn in viewers. Two players went toe-to-toe playing for a $4 million pot at $10,000/$20,000 no-limit hold'em stakes, and it took over five hours to determine a winner.
Kayhan Mokri took on Ossi Ketola in what became the biggest televised non-tournament heads-up match ever. The previous largest heads-up pot publicly witnessed took place in December 2022 when Jason Koon defeated Phil Hellmuth on PokerGO's High Stakes Duel show for a $1.6 million pot.
Nosebleed Poker Match Comes Down to a Cooler
Five hours of play came down to one cooler flop to determine who would win $2 million and who would lose $2 million. Welcome to no-limit Texas hold'em at stakes 99.999% of poker players can't relate to.
It was Norway (Mokri) versus Finland (Ketola) going at it for the seven-figure pot. Ketola started off strong, winning pot after pot. He was up to more than $3,000,000 an hour into the match, holding better than a 3:1 chip advantage, continually outflopping his opponent.
Mokri would slowly chip back up, but would then lose a $260,000 pot when he checked the river with a seven-high missed flush draw, allowing his opponent to win the hand with just king-high.
But all that dominance came to a screeching halt about two hours into the match on a board of Q♠K♠5♥8♦ with $300,000 already in the pot. Mokri, who had K♥7♦, checked. Ketola, who was ahead with A♠K♦, bet $225,000.
The wager was called before the 7♥ appeared on the river, creating a brutal bad beat. Mokri checked and then called a $600,000 bet to take down a $1,950,000 pot.
That brought about a new chip leader, but not for long. Mokri would miss the nut flush draw moments later, and he's lucky he did because the Finnish heads-up grinder had turned a full house. Still, the pot was large enough to even up the stacks. But Mokri would begin to grind his opponent's stack down over the ensuing two hours.
Ketola would eventually dip down to just $280,000 and was in desperation mode. He found what he thought was the prime opportunity to get a much-needed double-up with 6♣4♣ in the big blind. Mokri had limped on the button with A♠6♠ and the big blind checked to see a flop of A♦6♦4♥, giving both players two pair.
Ketola, slowplaying with the worst hand, checked to set the trap, or so he thought. Mokri bet $20,000 with his top two pair before the all-in check-raise came.
A snap-call was made, and the 6♦ on the turn wrapped it up. Mokri took down the record-setting heads-up match for $4 million. But his opponent immediately offered a rematch for $5 million. The winning player declined, claiming he booked an early morning flight out of Cyprus and didn't have enough time to play.
"Are you sure you don't want to play someone else?" Mokri asked.
"Like who? They're all p*****s," Ketola responded, frustrated that he couldn't find action.
Ketola then asked if Paul Phua, a regular in the biggest cash games in the world, was available to play. He would continue to seek a new opponent when the livestream concluded.
The Onyx Super High Roller Series presented by the Onyx Club, which is owned by high roller Rob Yong, is currently in the middle of a $51,000 buy-in Championship tournament. Poker fans can follow the action at PokerNews. Tournament play will conclude Aug. 21.
PokerNews has also learned that Onyx will be hosting a $1 million buy-in cash game, also to be livestreamed on the Onyx Live YouTube channel.
