Op-Ed: Is Martin Kabrhels Act Good for Poker and the WSOP?
No player has commanded more attention at the 2025 World Series of Poker (WSOP) than Martin Kabrhel, partly for his strong performance, but mostly for his antics.
The clock has been called on the Czech high roller more often this summer than the Paris Hotel parking garage attendant, and he’s been yapping away so much at the poker tables that even Daniel Negreanu had enough during a recent final table appearance.
Regardless of my or your take on Kabrhel’s behavior, he has people talking about poker. He’s bringing attention to the 2025 WSOP, and many seem to be enjoying the Kabrhel video clips shared on social media.
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Here’s Why Kabrhel is Good for Poker
Poker went from the backrooms to mainstream TV in the 2000s, and WSOP attendance skyrocketed like a memecoin pump-and-dump. The reason? Well, Chris Moneymaker, a relatable amateur, winning the 2003 Main Event certainly helped. But the colorful characters drew casual fans to the WSOP on ESPN and shows such as High Stakes Poker and Poker After Dark.
Without pros like Negreanu, Phil Hellmuth, Mike Matusow, Antonio Esfandiari, and dozens of others who were just as skilled at entertaining as they were playing cards, those shows likely wouldn’t have been must-see TV to most.
Kabrhel really isn’t much different than some of the poker boom era fan favorites. Tony G, who has mellowed out in recent years, seems to be the closest comparison.
Both 2000s Tony G and today’s Kabrhel use speech play effectively, and taunting the opposition is part of their repertoire. Poker fans loved when Tony G told Ralph Perry to get “on your bike” after busting him from the Intercontinental Poker Championship.
Kabrhel behaves in a similar manner at the poker table. The two-time bracelet winner needled Michael Moncek after busting him from the $250,000 Super High Roller on Day 1.
“GG Mikey. Good luck next bullet,” Kabrhel told “Texas Mike” on the way out.
“Texas Mike” not only didn’t take offense to the needling. He wrote on X that he finds Kabrhel’s act to be “super amusing,” and said “poker needs villains.” Kabrhel is a villain in the eyes of many poker players and fans, but he’s keeping the poker community entertained.
The social media comments our Kabrhel videos lean heavily on the positive side. Of course, some aren’t entertained by his antics and feel he’s bad for the game, especially due to the excessive tanking he often does to irritate his opponents.
It seems that Kabrhel is making poker fun again. He’s appealing to the casual poker audience, a demographic this industry has undervalued for at least a decade. Sure, he rubs certain people the wrong way. Some high rollers and poker fans aren’t amused. But is Kabrhel’s presence in the poker community — especially at the World Series of Poker — a net positive for the game? It’s hard to come to the conclusion that “no” is the correct answer.
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Those who love Tony G and the other characters on TV from the poker boom era likely enjoy Kabrhel’s act, or at least enjoy rooting against him. Love him or hate him, he isn’t going anywhere, and he’s been having great success in the biggest tournaments. You can also count on PokerGO putting Kabrhel on the livestream feature table whenever possible.
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