The Martin Kabrhel Experience: Great for Poker Fans, Not So Great for Players

A high-stakes poker player is taking the World Series of Poker by storm this summer, and his name isn’t Negreanu or Hellmuth or Ivey.

Martin Kabrhel, a 42-year-old from the Czech Republic, has been all over social media and livestreams since the series started late last month, attracting fans and detractors alike for his incessant table talk and slow play.

Love him or hate him, Kabrhel draws a crowd. He takes on many roles at the table: comedian, villain, instigator and showman.

His endless speech play goes far beyond what's typical in high-stakes tournaments. While psychological warfare is part of the game, Kabrhel takes it to a whole new level — the talk does not stop — and he has received criticism from his peers for violating the spirit of the game and killing the positive vibes at the table.

Kabrhel is also notorious for his excessive tanking when action is on him, especially in spots that don’t merit any thought. The easiest decisions become an opportunity for Kabrhel to engage with his tablemates and get under their skin. This is all part of the Martin Kabrhel Experience.

And while his theatrics seem to be driven by gamesmanship rather than malice, he does get into regular heated exchanges with other players and tournament staff who grow tired of the antics.

One of the most memorable of those exchanges came two years ago at the WSOP, where Dan Smith had some choice words about Kabrhel after being eliminated by him at a final table.

“Martin’s antics are the worst of anyone I’ve ever played with,” Smith told PokerGO. “Playing with him is unbelievably unpleasant. He’s rude. He takes the full 30 seconds every time.”

Those sentiments from fellow players haven’t changed. This year, Kabrhel has had several run-ins with pros like Nick Schulman and Daniel Negreanu. Some of them heated, some playful — but all of them entertaining for the viewers at home.

These moments are going viral, especially with the increased video access inside the World Series of Poker this summer. Poker media outlets, players and fans are taking every opportunity to record Kabrhel needling a well-known pro or unleashing his quick wit on an unsuspecting opponent.

In poker, personalities equal ratings. Sure, Phil Ivey draws a crowd, but he brings next to zero entertainment value to a long livestream unless he runs a big bluff or is involved in a massive pot.

Most of the top poker players are robotic at the table, producing a colorless experience for the casual poker fan at home.

With Kabrhel, there’s always drama.

He injects energy, conflict and unpredictability into the game, and viewers want to see what he’ll do next — or who he will set off. He is the unapologetic antagonist of poker. For now, a huge positive for a game that needs vibrant characters.