While poker high roller tournaments are notorious for their high-stakes drama, this sometimes extends off the tables. One recent incident involving poker pros Martin Zamani and Kane Kalas stirred up a frenzy, providing a glimpse into the dynamics that often unfold behind the scenes.
Late Registration and an Unfair Blind Draw
Kane Kalas recently found himself in a high-stakes debate with Martin Zamani. The bone of contention arose when Kalas, having signed up for the $25,000 buy-in NLH High Roller at the last possible moment, was randomly allocated to the big blind position. Unhappy with this ‘random’ assignment, Kalas requested a refund which he also received.
Zamani, widely known as the whistleblower who outed Bryn Kenney for multiple cheating accusations, wasted no time in expressing his contempt for Kalas’s request. He publicly labelled Kalas’s actions as an abuse of the system and a way to unfairly exploit the draw. This started a back-and-forth conversation with some names being called out. “No one cares bitch. Everyone else was in the same spot,” Zamani agressively stated, with Kalas responding in similar fashion: “No. You did not have a 5/7 chance of drawing the big blind, bitch.” You can read the entire feud in the below thread, however we have summarized it for you as well.
This loser @KaneKalas drew the bigblind just now max late reg In 25K and is upset he’s the bigblind feels it wasn’t random, asking for a refund. What a fucking joke. Now anyone can just freeroll the draw. Get the fuck out of here.
— Martin Zamani (@martin_zamani) June 7, 2023
Get 125% / $2,500 on 1st deposit!
New players only. Welcome Bonus – 125% bonus on your first deposit up to $2,500
Zamani didn’t hold back in his critique, dubbing Kalas’s actions as prima donna behaviour. He admitted that the event organizer, WSOP, could have utilized a fairer method for the blind draw. However, he argued that the refund shouldn’t have been granted, even more so because Kalas was the only player among 40+ late registrations to express dissatisfaction.
Despite the backlash, Kalas held his ground, asserting his conviction that the draw was rigged, even staking $100,000 on his claim. Zamani, unfazed by Kalas’s assertions, maintained that Kalas’s complaints were irrelevant.
Polarized Reactions in the Poker Community
The standoff between Zamani and Kalas caught the attention of other high-profile players. Doug Polk suggested that Kalas’s concerns were not entirely baseless and questioned the fairness of the draw.
Contrastingly, a majority of the poker community appeared to side with Zamani. Public sentiment centered on the argument that late registration comes with inherent risks, and Kalas should have accepted the consequences.
Later on, Kalas provided additional context to his decision. He revealed that he had declined an offer to redraw his seat, explaining he did not want an undue advantage over other players. In a response to Henrik Hecklen’s criticism, he argued against the idea of profiting from a procedural mistake at the expense of others.
Yeah I mean I think anyone can see it’s outrageous doing that after declining the initial situation. Would you have declined and asked for a refund if this was the initial situation?
— Henrik Hecklen (@hhecklen) June 8, 2023
The post Twitter Feud Ignites as Zamani and Kalas Debate Over Late Reg Big Blind appeared first on iGaming.org.