Meeting Many Poker Stars at WSOP This Summer

A Reddit user shared a unique experience from this year’s WSOP summer in the r/poker subreddit. Although he busted early in most WSOP events he entered and only survived one tournament, he encountered numerous poker stars.

The user mentioned seeing well-known players like Hansen, Arieh, Johnny Bax, Deeb, and Bellande around the venue. He greeted them, and most responded. He particularly teased Bellande for being "deep in thought."

The most memorable moment was sitting at the same table as Martin Kabrhel for the second straight year. It was a $600 deep stack tournament, and Kabrhel had a female companion and a cameraman with him. He was quiet at first, but once the camera focused on him, he launched into his signature performance: shouting catchphrases like "Not like that," "Casino Royale," "You want to go out?" and "Hippo power." However, the user praised Kabrhel for being genuinely nice, actively interacting with players at his own table and even at other tables.

Another highlight was Daniel Negreanu (Dnegs) appearing in a $500 freezeout. He originally sat at a table opposite, then moved to a table behind the user. Negreanu was very talkative, analyzing hands throughout. During breaks, he reluctantly posed for several selfies. The user chose not to shove his phone in Negreanu's face but instead walked over as Negreanu was returning to his seat, said "Just wanted to say hi," and extended his hand. Negreanu looked at him, fist-bumped him, and said "Good luck."

Interestingly, the user saw news today about Negreanu and Kabrhel clashing again, this time over casual table talk.

The entire post offers observations of the real side of poker stars—both their professional showmanship and down-to-earth moments.