Professional poker player Martin Kabrhel is facing scrutiny after being accused by other players of trying to cheat during a World Series of Poker event by “repeatedly marking cards” and attempting to look at others’ hands while competing.
Things came to a head at the event that required a $250,000 buy-in when fellow player Dan Smith lashed out at Kabrhel, who had just eliminated him after calling an all-in with what started out as an inferior hand.
“Good luck most of you. I hope you get barred,” Smith said as he departed, directing the latter remark at Kabrhel, who responded by asking him what he means.
“Banned,” Smith clarified, finishing sixth.
“Your antics are the worst of anyone I’ve ever played with,” he then told Kabrhel.
Dan Smith (@DanSmithHolla) had some choice words for Martin Kabrhel (@martinkabrhell) after his elimination from the $250,000 Super High Roller Bowl.
– Watch live here: https://t.co/InAL0tkRzV pic.twitter.com/qoNU9e8qnm
— PokerGO (@PokerGO) June 19, 2023
Smith clarified his remarks in an interview, explaining that he felt that there was “something not kosher” going on — WSOP responded to the controversy by investigating Kabrhel for potential cheating, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Smith followed that up with more explanation in his bustout interview with @nataliedbode here: pic.twitter.com/9HZ5gRL4hz
— PokerGO (@PokerGO) June 19, 2023
The Super High Roller No-Limit Hold’em event started with a record 69 entrants and Kabrhel finished third, taking home a $2.3 million prize, according to the New York Post.
Poker player Hayley Hanna blasted Kabrhel in response to the tweet above.
“Dan is 100% right. Martin should be banned. He has a history of repeatedly marking cards to try to cheat and everyone in the high roller community knows it,” she tweeted. “Not only that but Martin makes the experience unpleasant by being rude, yelling in peoples ears nonstop, taking full time when he knows he’s folding, standing over people to ‘see their stack’ when he’s clearly trying to angle.”
“I’ve never seen such an egregious and blatant attempt to angle and cheat in a tournament in my life,” Hanna continued. “Whether you think Martin is entertaining or not is irrelevant. The guy is a known scum who is always going to try to cheat and angle, and he should not be allowed to play with the other players who are the best in the world who have the upmost integrity for the game. Keep the integrity of the game! Ban the cheaters!”
She was not alone. Chance Kornuth, a three-time WSOP bracelet winner who is considered a “high-stakes phenom,” also called for Kabrhel to be banned.
“First, the Floors during this WSOP did a great job, examined the decks and found no cheating, so I see it as one of two scenarios… Martin is possibly cheating in a way that security isn’t able to notice yet or he is intentionally trying to make it look like he is cheating to gain an edge,” Kornuth said. “Regardless of which it is, I think he should be banned from playing the WSOP and other High Roller Tournaments.”
Martin Kabrhel should 100% be banned.
But not for the reason that most think…
I’ve had a lot of people asking me about the MK situation in the last few days, and I have given it considerable thought.
First, the Floors during this WSOP did a great job, examined the decks and… pic.twitter.com/YpEICecK2M
— Chance Kornuth (@ChancesCards) June 20, 2023
Fellow poker player Andrew Robl also suggested Kabrhel was marking the cards:
Reading his card markings or is he just using his X-Ray vision superpower? pic.twitter.com/OZleiV85mi
— Andrew Robl (@Andrew_Robl) June 18, 2023
Kabrhel responded to the accusations leveled by Roble, denying that he was cheating and announcing he was taking “legal action” against the player.
“On behalf of yesterday situation I feel necessary to speak up. [Robl] yesterday posted on twitter an accusation that I’m marking cards and cheating in poker tournaments. I was shocked by how quickly people took it as true, pure statement with no evidence and started media blizzard in which I am portrayed as cheater,” he tweeted. “You can accuse me of controversial manners, bad jokes, uncomfortable play, or whatever stickers you put on my autistic behavior, you can call me pain in the a** but calling me a cheater is something completely out of line.”
“I am not a cheater, this is not true!! This gossip is damaging me not only as poker player, but also my business activities and my family. That’s why I have decided to take legal action against Andrew Robl, because in such a professional tournament series as WSOP it is very easy to prove such accusations are pure lies. I just can’t believe how easy it’s for people to join such accusations just by their personal antipathy towards my person.”
..started media blizzard in which I am portrayed as cheater. You can accuse me of controversial manners, bad jokes, uncomfortable play, or whatever stickers you put on my autistic behavior, you can call me pain in the a** but calling me a cheater is something completely out of..
— Martin Kabrhel (@martinkabrhell) June 20, 2023
..it is very easy to prove such accusations are pure lies. I just can’t believe how easy it’s for people to join such accusations just by their personal antipathy towards my person.
— Martin Kabrhel (@martinkabrhell) June 20, 2023
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Tom Tillison grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills. Tillison also contributes to BizPac Review.
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