Here are their stats. As in my previous list, I've estimated the totals to include 2 or 3 streams where the tracking live poker web site stats don't have them included yet, but they are streams that I watched or at least saw the end P & Ls for.

(Player occupations, afaik, are in brackets)

Francisco 45 wins from 82 = 55% +$120K (Property owner, investor, and rents out properties.)
Mike X 41 from 77 = 53% +$100K (Fashion company and textiles company owner.)
Dentist Dave 6 from 8 = 75% Break Even (I think I heard he owns dental practices.)

None of them are net losers right now on HCL.

Mike X was winning about $600K until a recent half a million downswing. His game had improved, by a little bit not by a lot, but the improvement coincided with a period of run good.
He then started to run bad, and to play extremely badly. Anyone who talks about their own hand during the hand, is a fish, and he does this sometimes. He also gives off the air of an excited child when playing or when just sitting there, so doesn't have the mindset of a serious or a winning player, in my opinion. Said he has been getting coaching, but I think his playing skill level is quite capped. Nice guy, but poker just isn't his thing, at least not winning poker. This is written all over his face. Maybe he can become a break even player long term in these games, just by playing tight and by gradually improving his skills.

Dentist Dave, also comes across as a very nice guy, but he does look like a duck out of water in these games. Had a good start, winning $150K in his first 7 appearances, then donked it all off in one stream the other day, so now back to even. He is another player who talks about his own hand during the hand. Probably never going to be great at poker from what I have seen. Like Mike X, Dentist Dave gives off the impression of being very wealthy, going by his buy ins and his reaction when he loses a massive pot (takes it very well), so well done to him and to Mike X for both being very wealthy. I would rather be very wealthy and terrible at poker, than poor and good at $2/$5 NLHE.

Francisco is a good player. Was up over $400K in mid January this year but has been on a downswing. I think the downswing has come about partly through run bad, but also because the player pool have started to work out his style of play. He is very unorthodox, he has a reasonably high VPIP% but a very low PFR%. So he very much relies on his post flop hand reading and people reading skills. He does quite a lot of bluffing on the river, particularly from OOP, either by leading or check raising. This river bluffing is I think what a lot of the player pool have now noticed and has contributed to his downswing. He is a very clever player and person though, so it wouldn't surprise me if he starts to adapt his game and starts winning again and is a long term winner in the game.

Thanks. I’m veryyyy surprised they are winning lol. That’s incredible, goes to show how soft this line up is. Dave might be one the absolute worst I’ve ever seen. And fyi there is no way people like Francisco or Mike X could win in any regular 5/10+ games. They are whales. But yes it’s better to be a whale and rich than a super pro and stuck playing 2/5. Dream line ups.

Sample size is really small. I think at 250 sessions we'll have a better idea about any player, whether they have an edge or not. Nick Vertucci is a good example as he has 187 sessions under his belt so is approaching that point. I've seen most of the sessions, and his play does indicate an edge, albeit not a big one. He plays tight pre and is disciplined post, so he basically has to run bad to lose. If he runs at about neutral EV and neutral card distribution, he is a small but consistent winner in the game. Plus his game is improving gradually over time. I don't think he is naturally gifted at all at cards or gambling, but he is intelligent, a hard worker and determined.

Francisco it has been mentioned on stream a few times is one of the best in the world (well in Mexico/California) at Mexican poker https://www.thebike.com/play/poker_m...ealer%20button.

So that's likely where his wins are. I think he's still a winning player in live NLHE, but through guile and experience, rather than through technical skills. It's noticeable that he doesn't get involved in many big pots with Nik, Mariano, Mars, Henry and Vertucci, so the better or more solid players at the table, and they don't get involved in many big pots with him either, unless it's a big pre flop war cooler. This is an unwritten strategy in cash games, don't tangle too much with the better players at the table, so an indicator that Francisco is one of the better players in the pool.

Real question is what's the maximum IQ to think Nick Airball is good or to be a fan of his. My guess is in the mid 2 digits

Right! They are doing a great job with it. Appreciate that kind of stuff. For a couple days was trying to think of what it reminded me of, in my head it I could vaguely remember it being commentators who were over the top, but doing it in a totally serious tone. Done so well it was hard to tell if they were serious or just joking. I just couldn't place it, golf, poker, other sports, it was super frustrating. Then today it finally hit me....

the commentators for competitive eating! The 4th of July hot dog eating commentators. That's who the Airball fans remind me of! If you have never seen it I'm sure it's on youtube. They do a great job.

Alot of good analysis NikAirBallFanClub. I enjoy reading your posts, you have a good eye for different strengths and weaknesses of different players.

I actually think that Dentist Dave might win very big some nights. His play with J-high versus Mike X’s looked suicidal but let’s be honest, Mike X is folding everything except trips and full house. Maybe calls with A-high flush deaw too. So there was certain method to his madness. He still could have just clicked it back.

Fransisco is problem even for the pros because he is fearless. You can’t really valuebet super light against him because he can turn made hands into bluffs if he puts a player on a certain hand and feels he can’t win by calling.

Thank you, and an excellent point you make about him being fearless, he really is. He's also one of the very few players whose sat at most of the stakes on HCL. I think he even sat in the super high stakes games once or twice. Maybe he hasn't sat in Max Pain Monday. Thinking more about his downswing, it might also be due to some over confidence. On his way up to the $400K profit he was making very few mistakes so this may have made him feel invincible. He's a very interesting player to watch, because he can be very trappy and because of what you said about him being dangerous to thin value bet against. I like this kind of player because they find different playing methods to most to gain an edge. He can also be quite sneaky by making little digs at players that have just lost a pot or that played a hand badly. He does it with a smile on his face and not at all aggressively, but make no mistake it's part of his strategy to unsettle opponents.

Tell me you’re a bad reg without telling me ur a bad reg. Lol

Initially I thought this was a G up but after realising how many posts the fan club has together as a whole. Sadly It has me left wanting to be apart of the club.

To be quite honest I don't think the legal system will be much of a hassle for Nik Airball when he does end up taking ownership of the Hustler and any Texas card rooms. The same masterful mind tricks he employs to destroy the toughest NLHE competition in the world would make quick work of some lawmakers.

Yet another proof that Jungleman is Nik Airball's bitch for all eternity...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DD5...=HCLPokerClips

It also proves the overall supremacy of Airball's psychology game. He's not just great at influential talk. He can also mind read at very high levels.

Yes, yet another example of the genius of Nik.

Pure class, from one of the top high stakes NLHE cash game players in the world, beyond any doubt.

its a pretty sensible strategy if you are a bad reg though, might help avoid making a large mistake in a big pot vs a crusher and you still get to play vs the whales at the table

I am a good reg and I avoid other good regs, or if I'm in a pot with them I tighten up my starting hand range and want to have position on them. There is no point of battling with other good regs if you can avoid it, all you will achieve is net paying rake, it will unnecessarily increase your variance, and intra session it might leave you short of buy ins or short stacked meaning you can't maximise you +EV against the weaker players at the table.

Surprised this clip hasn't been shared by anyone.

Nik outs Ryusuke as being a scammer, ran off with $500k owed to Nik and several others from HCL.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89tWGIVqGJg

At 2:19:52

Pretty wild considering Ryusuke is the 6th highest winner at HCL for $680k

Where is he this week? Could be skint already.

None of the regs u play are any good. Other wise you’d prob be playing time not rake. Keep nitting it up in your 1/2 games and posting online how much of a genius nik airball is. It’s got u this far in life, must be doing something right.

Two or three good regs in the game, it is time charged, but am still paying for time, it is not free, there are tips to pay on winning pots too, I'm not a nit and the game is 5/10/(25).
So am paying for time so the pots I'm in need to make more money than the time payments plus tips. If I play 12 pots in the session against other good regs, win 6 and lose 6
I've lost x in tips plus the time equivalent of rake. So I'm looking to get into pots with weaker players and will sometimes widen out my starting hand range if necessary.

But you go ahead and do that Mr/Mrs Ego, play every good reg, cos you're tough. You're probably the sort of player that also complains about players running their time bank down near the bubble in an online comp and rage chat something like "if you had any confidence in your game you wouldn't be doing that."

I'd love to see you in the game with Nik, he would destroy you, because he is the master of nuance, psychology and of spotting opponents' weaknesses.
One of your weaknesses is your ego, you probably have others.

nikairball fanclub is the reverse-nik airball

Ofc u play wider vs fish.
But u not playing back vs good regs let’s them get more good spots vs the fish because they know u aren’t going to be 3 and 4 betting them enough or applying pressure in general. So they can iso way wider and take the fishes money way faster then they could if u weren’t playing passive vs them. Plus a million other reasons playing scared vs good players isn’t good unless u admit u are completely outclassed and just there to stack a fish.

Plz don't try and help the fish improve their game. thanks

zedsdead doesn't understand the difference between the words then and than, an indicator that he's not qualified to coach.

But I'd pay good money to be coached by Nik Airball.

Nick Airball is also a wonderful dancer. His form while shooting three-pointers has been known to bring young women to tears. The man can roll a bowling ball, and let’s just leave it at that when it comes to his skill on the lanes. He has a lovely sense of personal style—more Milan than Paris, to my eye—and he’s said to be quite a generous tipper. I found his arguments on the creeping danger of artificial intelligence to be persuasive. He’s my friend, my role model, my inspiration, my obsession.

Almost called w those deuces. Would have been insane.

One of the most tense moments in livestream history. Totally polarized situation.