In a recent tweet, gaming icon Ninja, known for his prowess in the world of esports and streaming, hinted at a potential return to the poker scene after a year-long hiatus. With an invitation to tag favorite poker players and creators, he teased the possibility of organizing a cash game in Las Vegas.
As soon as the post went out, a shiver of (card) sharks jumped at the opportunity to get one of the seats at the table. Doug Polk, Vanessa Kade and the ever-controversial Martin Kabrhel were just a trio of the big names to throw their hat into the ring.
Even streamer Ludwig, who fell victim to a $100K gambling scam, also replied to Ninja, asking the question, “What if we came back together for one final job?”
Looking Back at the Insane Influencer Cash Game
Along with a plethora of pros looking to get an invite, establishments such as Hustler Casino Live and Bally Live Poker offered their services to run the game. HCL may have difficulties in playing host due to being in Los Angeles, but it could be one last hoorah for Las Vegas casino Tropicana, which announced its expected closure date as the Oakland A’s prepare for their move to Sin City.
In May 2022, HCL ran one of the most-watched cash game live streams of all time, peaking at over 100,000 concurrent viewers. Pros like Tom Dwan, Phil Hellmuth, and Alan Keating took on titans of Twitch and YouTube, including the aforementioned Ninja and Ludwig, as well as MrBeast.
What followed was eight hours of pure poker chaos. Keating torched off over a million dollars, while Hellmuth found himself down nearly six figures and was even accused of angling one of the influencers.
Chess superstar Alexandra Botez was the session’s biggest winner, ending up in the green for nearly half a million.
| Player | Profit/Loss |
|---|---|
| Alexandra Botez | $456,900 |
| MrBeast | $438,900 |
| Ludwig | $404,700 |
| Ninja | $144,300 |
| Tom Dwan | $26,500 |
| Phil Hellmuth | -$96,400 |
| xQc | -$99,500 |
| Slime | -$142,700 |
| Alan Keating | -$1,132,700 |
Ninja vs. Hellmuth II?
One of the highlights of Ninja’s foray into the pokersphere was a hand against Hellmuth.
The duo were all-in preflop, with the The Poker Brat ahead with pocket jacks and had Ninja’s pocket sevens crushed. Ninja was just drawing to a chop ahead of the river before saying he’d perform fellatio if a ten hit the felt. Lo and behold, the river put Broadway onto the board, and the spoils were shared, much to Hellmuth’s dismay.
Did “Poker Brat” Phil Hellmuth Angle-Shoot vs. Slime on Hustler Casino Live?
Who Do You Want to See at the Table?
Should Ninja’s game get off the ground, poker has a new opportunity to get more eyeballs onto the product. So, who in the game would be best placed to draw new players to the table?
Keating should be a lock if he were interested. He’s a fan favorite and is not scared to splash some cash and give action. Does Hellmuth get another chance at redemption? Or were his previous antics enough to see his chair go to someone else?
Should it be streamed, another appearance from MrBeast would undoubtedly be a huge draw and help get more viewers.
Either way, let us know who you think would be best placed at the table.
Editor & Live Reporter
Calum has been a part of the PokerNews team since September 2021 after working in the UK energy sector. He played his first hand of poker in 2017 and immediately fell in love with the game. Calum’s proudest poker achievement is winning the only tournament he has ever played in Las Vegas, the prestigious $60 Flamingo evening event.
