Revenge is a dish best served with tangible price tags, and in the case of professional poker player Nik Airball (real name: Nikhil Arcot), the damage from a single ill-fated session has amounted to US$759,200 (AU$1.14 million).
As one of the most notorious figures on Hustler Casino Live, the 28-year-old trash-talking “King of LA” and prolific pre-flop bully has crafted a memorable villain persona for himself.
And up until this point, calling his rivals “bitches” and threatening to bankrupt them was actually somewhat working: as of a month ago, Airball had pocketed US$1.1 million (AU$1.65 million) in profits from this circuit.
Of course, pride always comes before the fall.
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In a tilt to remember, Nik Airball’s aggressive strategy came undone, losing half of the headline-making sum from two failed bluffs alone.
Having already pissed away close to half of his US$950,000 (AU$1.4 million) stack by that point, Nikky boy started off by betting US$6,200 (AU$9,300) while holding the seven and three of diamonds. Stanley Choi, on the other hand, held an Ace-Jack off-suit.
When the flop yielded a jack of hearts, king of diamonds, and two of spades, Airball still had nothing while Choi was sitting pretty on a pair of jacks. Despite this, poker’s aspiring heel continued to bet while Choi comfortably called again and again.
The turn was then the 10 of clubs and while Airball was still living up to his moniker, he tried playing a bit of mind games by betting another US$30,000 (AU$45,100).
“I’ve bluffed all night. I have to have it one time,” said Nik Airball after putting up US$160,000 (AU$240,700) – almost twice the pot – when the river paired the boards with a two of diamonds.
Two minutes later, Stanley Choi called and claimed US$405,200 (AU$609,500) for himself.
History would repeat itself when Nik Airball came up against YouTuber and poker talent Rampage (real name: Ethan Yau). The latter opened with a very desirable Ace-King off-suit against Nikky boy’s Ace-Three off-suit.
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Now that the veil had been dropped, Rampage happily called Airball’s bets to the very end, eventually claiming the US$312,900 (AU$470,600) pot.
 “Oh my God… how do you snap-call with Ace high?” remarked an understandably frustrated Nik Airball.
But the bleeding didn’t stop there.
According to Insider, Nik Airball returned to the tables a few days later only to lose another US$180,000 (U$270,700) to crypto millionaire Wesley “Wes Side” Fei and another player simply named Pepe.
“Despite losing two big hands, Airball clawed some of his losses back to finish the livestream session down US$170,050 (AU$255,800),” explained Alan Dawson of Insider.”
“Combined with his big defeat last week, it meant Airball’s losses in his last two Hustler Casino Live appearances exceeded US$920,000 (AU$1.4 million).”
It’s like they say. You win some, you lose a lot.
