Kabrhel Catches Eyes
Martin Kabrhel is no stranger to controversy at the poker table, having earned the ire of many a high-roller through his incessant trash talk, slow-rolling, and alleged dirty tactics.
the worst of the new-school pros, someone who slows the game down to a crawl
However, in another action-packed series of events at the 2025 World Series of Poker (WSOP), Kabrhel might just be beginning to turn the opinions of many viewers. Having initially been seen as the worst of the new-school pros, someone who slows the game down to a crawl, his escapades at the table are now starting to earn him the reputation as something of a throwback to the golden age of poker.
Czech-ered past
At last year’s WSOP, Kabrhel was investigated by tournament organizers after being accused of marking cards by Andrew Robl. The allegations had followed Kabrhel for several years, with Dan Smith saying he hopes “he gets barred” to the Czech pro’s face after being eliminated from the 2023 $250,000 Super High Roller event.
Kabrhel was never found guilty, but there are other antics he’s proudly displayed, including a full two-minute slowroll on the bubble of the 2022 EPT Prague Main Event, constantly using unusual betting denominations, taking lengthy amounts of time for every decision, and trash-talking his opponents.
This year was no different, and while seated next to Smith in one event, he found a new favorite victim in Alex Foxen, putting in a huge bet for the American pro to face on the river. Kabrhel then launched into some extended speech play, culminating in: “If you want my advice, when somebody talks on the river? It’s NEVER a bluff!” before turning the effective nuts when Foxen made the call.
Kabrhel the hero
The opinion of the poker world is a fickle one, though, and it seems like it may be turning for Kabrhel. In a scene where players are increasingly lambasted for being emotionless, silent automatons, the speech play and antics of the Czech are starting to seem like a breath of fresh air.
Even Daniel Negreanu, who was yelling at Kabrhel to shut up from across the room the day before, wound up seeing the funny side, admittedly when he had managed to knock him out of the tournament by rivering an Ace in an all-in situation.
It’s not quite a face turn, but perhaps at least a switch from straight-up villain into the pantomime version. Many viewers are certainly starting to look out for Kabrhel to see what stunts he’ll pull next at the table. And even among pros, his trash-talk is even coming across as endearing.
