The case that has been moving the poker world in the past few hours, with Czech player Martin Kabhrel in the main role, started during his performance in the quarter-million Super High Roller WSOP, where many accused him of cheating. If you haven't caught this moment, we recommend reading this article before continuing.
After the initial shots from Robl and Smith, another high-stakes professional, Chance Kornuth, also joined in on his Twitter, and he also did not spare sharp criticism:
In the wake of the allegations, several "social media detectives" have gone back through Kabrhel's streamed table game to find what they say is evidence that the two-time bracelet owner was marking cards. For example, the user @gamiknow added his "evidence" to Twitter, which pointed out three subsequent situations:
As we could see with the affairs of Mike Postl or Robbie Lew, such accusations really stir up the pot, but the fact that it happened right on the stage of the WSOP, where the attention of the entire poker world is now focused, adds fuel to the fire. As usual, a case of such proportions was not missed even by podcasters and vloggers dealing with poker, and you can enjoy a detailed analysis of the whole situation from the team from OnlyFriends, a short chat from The Chad & Jesse Poker Show, and what kind of affair was it if Doug Polk didn't comment on it?
Hats off to Doug, who slowly changed from a former "pain in the ass" to an investigative journalist through his work, and in an exclusive interview lasting over an hour, he talked directly with Kabhrel about the whole case. Together they discussed the individual accusations and situations, but as expected, Martin unequivocally refuted and rejected everything from getting up and watching the cards, sticky fingers, to possibly marking the cards with a fingernail. “I have never cheated in my life and I never will. I have never been banned from any tournament, you can ask any TD or organizer. To be called a fraud is absolutely out of line and it is extremely damaging to my reputation, my family and my business.”
The whole case continued yesterday with the official announcement of the WSOP series, as according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the WSOP officials decided to thoroughly investigate all the allegations. The official statement reads: "While we are not talking about the specific security protocols used to monitor players and gaming equipment, the integrity of the game remains our top priority and we can assure all players that we take these allegations very seriously. As this is an ongoing investigation, we are currently dealing with this matter we will not express any further.”
But the Czech professional did not leave anything to chance and immediately fired back. The result is an official legal appeal directed by attorney Daniel B. Ravicher to Justin Bonomo, Dan Smith, Andrew Robl and Chance Kornuth. In the letter, the representative defends his client, unequivocally claims that Kabrhel did not cheat and did not mark the cards, and at the same time declares that all parties will meet in court. Until that moment, all those affected are required to keep all materials, including emails, messages, or tweets and comments on various networks.
The subpoena also concerns the PokerGO company, which probably also "asked for it" by editing all of Kabrhel's moments from the incriminated tournament. The neutral statement of its president and Hall of Famer Mori Eskandani didn't help either, stating: "I don't know if Martin cheated or not, but one thing is for sure - he created an atmosphere at the table that was extremely disruptive and unfair to the other players. I'm not sure where the poker industry should draw the line in these situations anymore."
What do you say in light of all the new facts about this case? Are you already convinced that Kabrhel is innocent in the whole matter, or we still have a lot to do on the way to find the truth? Let us know!
Source: PokerNews, YouTube, Twitter, twoplustw, LVR-Journal
