"They all have a strategy until they get punched in the mouth." - Mike Tyson

This probably applies to Airball more than it applies to Berkey. The latter needs to bloody nose the former early. If not, then its a long night of total verbal abuse from the master of verbal abuse Nik Airball. The taunting...insults...jokes...will be like a pressure cooker on Berkey's ears.

Have you watched poker out loud? It seems like solveforwhy talks a lot of **** to each other. Landon Tice and Berkey have a funny frenemies vibe going on.

Any sites taking bets? The more I think about it, the more I feel like Berkey is likely to smoke Nikki

Berkey can always just put on headphones.

Even though Nik Airball is superb at making annoying faces and tilting hand gestures, he should probably still make it a condition to not allow headphones during the match.

Why?

Then Berkey should make a stipulation that certain words are prohibited. You cant call someone a bitch or whatever else.

He can but doing so would effectively make him Airball's bitch in fact. Hiding behind a headphone is chicken; demanding that being called a bitch is not allowed is chicken.

Okay then fist fights and duels are allowed as well. Less than that is chicken.

Now that there clearly would have to be negotiations, Airball must demand no headsets or earphones. He should also negotiate having a small cheering section area for both players.

Coinflex Polk is right that there will have to be negotiations. Maybe they can get Phil Galfond to mediate.

Nik has everything to gain here. Only HCL watchers even know who he is. He's cementing himself as relevant in the high stakes poker community for likely less than a million dollars. If he loses who cares, Berkey is supposed to win. If he wins he can pretend it's some accolade and attempt to work "beats the study guys" into his reputation.

Not streaming it is a mistake, but it will make me happy since I know I'd regret all the time I'd waste watching these two irrelevant goofs playing a game they're not experts at.

Berkey backed out instead of letting Phil make a ruling. Big yikes, Berkey clearly shook and desperately wanted to get out

Hahahaha come on guys.



Real time advice gets sent via camera on Airball back to guy, he then signals back to Airball.

Hcl all over again

But don’t worry, you can play at hcl.

Shocker Nik Airball found a way out that allows him to still be a loudmouth ass about it

ETA I retract - airball agreed to no rail

Berkey opted out, airball wanted Phil to make a ruling and knowing Phil he would of ruled no one allowed to sweat. Super duper obvious Berkey wanted out in anyway possible he could.

It's over!!!!!!!!!!

Matt Berkey has signaled his surrender.

Nik Airball defeats Matt Berkey.

Congratulations Nik Airball!!!!!

Doug "Coinflex" Polk didn't even get to have a say.

There should be no one there to sweat. This is mano a mano.

Both these bumasses should reimburse everyone for the time we read this thread. Fake ass drama for no outcome.

I’m confused why Phil was brought in to mediate. Was he part of putting this match together or is he tight with one of them (or the venue)?

Maybe because none of those along with his good reputation.

Why the **** didn't Nik Airball just show up to play with his best friend? Casino allows it, why did he have to bring it to Phill and Berkey? Does he want a way out?

Of course Berkey is gonna say no. Why would he want a dude there to help him with reads/strategy?

But if they both showed up there in the 1st day Berkey couldn't back out and not be ridiculed.

If I'm playing someone who's employing a third-party observer to study my tells and my opponent's behaviors during a match and be a grounding influence on their emotional state I want 2:1 odds or something. Like I'll still wash you cuz ur wack at poker but I need odds. It could just be Nik's pal who wants to go hang out, but it feels almost like a pretty big edge to have a second set of eyes on a headsup challenge. I know I tilt significantly less if I'm playing in front of a bunch of friends compared to if I'm alone at home.

If it's Nik's friend who's hanging in Vegas with Nik for a month, maybe he just was gonna be bored and asked if he'd be allowed to hang out at the match? Could be innocent but I could see how Berkey would think it was some kind of move.

The real loser and winner here is Galfond. Getting involved sounds like a headache, but it also reminds us what a decent and reasonable dude he usually is.

How does that make Galfond a winner?

I think Berkey looks at himself as the more famous of the 2 and doesn't want airball to use him as a platform to increase his own fame. At least that's the feeling I got from a solve 4 why episode from a few days ago

At this point I legitimately can’t decide if Berkey is a POS grifter who tries to exaggerate his ability to take advantage of people looking for poker training, or if he’s just so far up his own ass that he’s actually 100% sincere with the absolutely awful content he puts out

As ridiculously unlikeable as Airball is, Berkey is only slightly more so. Watching either of them torch a milly would be pretty amusing