Much of poker’s most fascinating history happens far from the bright lights of a studio and away from the public eye.
Private games for impossible stakes in far corners of the world. Handshake deals to set up games featuring the ultra-wealthy and some of the best poker players in the world, some you’ve never heard of, and some who’ve graced many screens along the way. Stories from the smoky rooms of the past live on only through word of mouth and enter legend.
There’s a reason only a handful of eye-watering heads-up matches come to the light of day, even when poker fans eat it up. The Corporation against Andy Beal. Polk vs. Negreanu, and Airball vs. Berkey come to mind. Every once in a while, an enticing detail or two slips out from the shadows, but for some obvious reasons, anonymity in this environment can be currency.
That’s why what happened on Tuesday in North Cyprus was so tantalizing.
Over the course of more than 12 hours at Onyx Club at Merit Casino, Dan ‘jungleman’ Cates and Ossi ‘Monarch’ Ketola played a series of six escalating heads-up matches. Starting at €1 million per player and eventually escalating all the way up to €6 million, Cates and Ketola played the highest stakes poker game ever broadcast.
Cates, long known as a heads-up poker standout, emerged victorious in four of the six matches over Ketola. That included the final three matches with €5 million, €5 million, and €6 million buy-ins, respectively. When Cates’ two losses are factored in, as well as the not-officially-clear handicaps he offered Ketola along the way, Cates appears to have won about $14.2 million in all.
Cates’ victory is the largest confirmed single-day win in poker history. And definitely the largest win and highest stakes of any broadcasted match.
Phil Ivey’s legendary $10 million single-day win against Andy Beal was about as close as it comes to Cates’ feat for a reported session. As far as biggest televised pot, Cates and Ketola played a handful that eclipsed Tom Dwan’s previous record of $3.1 million.
Hungry For Action
Best known as Monarch, Ketola, who hails from Finland, built his fortune in cryptocurrency-focused gambling, following a successful esports career. In poker, Ketola made multiple tournament splashes in Triton events in late 2024. His second place finish in Monte Carlo netted him $2.97 million, while a fifth-place finish in the $100,000 event at WSOP Paradise earned Ketola $1.172 million.
One day prior to this historic Jungleman-Monarch battle, Ketola squared off against high-stakes online regular Kayhan Mokri for $2 million. After a five-hour battle, Mokri was seven figures richer. Ketola immediately wanted a rematch for $2.5 million. Unfortunately, Mokri couldn’t accommodate the rematch, citing an early flight home.
After battling Mokri, and having further action stifled, Ketola fired off a series of social media posts seeking out more high-stakes heads-up action. He threw out challenges to multiple players including Phil Ivey and Paul Phua, and then came an agreement to play Cates on stream the following day.
in very violent mood
will retire jungleman today
— Monarch (@Monarch) August 19, 2025
With introductions from broadcasters Steve Warburton and Jordan Westmorland, the first match kicked off in the early afternoon in North Cyprus. Each player started with €1 million in chips, and blinds of €5,000-€10,000.
The first match lasted just 19 hands, with almost all of the chips in play all-in preflop. Ketola’s A♦K♠ ran into Cates’ K♥K♦ and couldn’t catch up, on a board of 8♠7♠2♣10♥Q♥.
Ketola struck back in the second match, winning on hand 42. His K♥J♠ won a flip against a short-stacked Cates’ 2♥2♣ by flopping a straight on a Q♦10♦9♦4♦3♥ board.
After a brief break in the streaming action, it was on to round 3.
Bumping Up The Stakes
A little over two hours into the day’s action, the real fun began. The buy-in bumped up to €3 million, and the excitement grew. On hand 46 of the third match, fans enjoyed an all-timer of a hand. With blinds of €15,000-€30,000, Ketola opened to €100,000 from the button with K♠6♥, and Cates called with A♦10♣. The 6♠6♣6♦ flop immediately gave Ketola quads, Cates checked, Ketola bet €75,000 and Cates called.
One of THE BIGGEST pots in the history of poker! 🤯 @Monarch pic.twitter.com/kgBhUvnFHJ
— Onyx Club Merit (@OnyxClub_) August 19, 2025
The turn was a disaster for Cates, the 10♦. Cates checked, Ketola bet €150,000, and Cates check-raised to €400,000. Ketola flatted, and the A♠ hit the river, further improving Cates’ hand. Cates bet all but one €5,000 chip of Ketola’s stack, and Ketola decided to pause for a few moments before shoving with quads.
Even after that double-up, the stacks were still even. But Ketola picked up the lead with two-pair over two-pair, and then put Cates away on hand 69. The chips got in on a Q♦9♠6♠ flop, and Ketola’s K♠K♣ held off Cates’ Q♣J♥, with a 5♥ turn and 10♦ river.
After a 90-minute hiatus, action returned for Round 4. The stakes reached €5 million per player.
Cates pulled off a significant bluff on hand 28 of the match, turning a busted flush draw into a win with three barrels.
$4,900,000 BLUFF! 🤯 @Monarch VS @junglemandan @PokerNews pic.twitter.com/ZxXTScxLwj
— Onyx Club Merit (@OnyxClub_) August 20, 2025
It took until hand 51, but Cates put away match 4 when his A♦Q♠ beat Ketola’s A♠8♠.
“Break, then maybe a rematch,” Ketola said, exiting the stage.
There would be a round 5.
Pushing Deep Into The Night
Ketola and Cates ran it back at €5 million clip for their fifth match. At this point, Cates held a relatively small edge in the win column. Within five hands, Cates had opened up a 3-to-2 lead, and it was well over 2-to-1 through just 11 hands. Ketola made it to hand 40 of the match, but never really seemed to have a chance. He shoved 14 big blinds with 9♠7♦, and Cates flopped him completely dead with Q♦J♣ as it ran out Q♠Q♥2♦6♣7♣.
As opposed to the breaks following previous matches, both players remained at the table. Each wore a look of exhaustion, but neither was ready to stop. Ketola pushed for match six to start, and over 20 tense minutes of negotiations, Cates kept trying to wrap up some pressing business on his phone.
Finally, they reached terms. A €6 million match kicked off more than nine hours after the first card of the day went into the air.
Cates Closes It Out
Just nine hands into the sixth match, Cates and Ketola went to war. With blinds of €30,000-€60,000, Cates opened to €150,000 with A♥8♣ and Ketola three-bet to €600,000 with A♣J♣. Cates responded with a four-bet to €1.4 million, and Ketola called.
The Biggest Televised Poker Hand EVER! 🤯@Monarch VS @junglemandan @PokerNews pic.twitter.com/vRREGG7vLZ
— Onyx Club Merit (@OnyxClub_) August 20, 2025
Both players checked the Q♠7♠5♣, and the turn was the J♠. Ketola checked, Cates bet €1.2 million, and Ketola called. The A♦ landed on the river, and Ketola open-shoved. With his eyelids hanging heavy, Cates put his hand to his forehead. Then a waiter delivered food to the table, offering a moment of levity. After a quick bite, Cates found the needed fold, and the commentary team was left in stitches.
“This man is facing down a river jam in the biggest pot in televised poker history, and he just snap chomps on a breadstick and then makes the fold,” exclaimed one of the commentators.
Five hands later, Cates made a royal flush in clubs, taking down a small pot. The theme of the final match was similar to the previous clashes. When he needed to dig down deep, Cates found some incredible bluffs. When he was beat, as he was in a straight-over-straight spot midway through match 6, Cates managed to lose less than expected.
And as in the previous two matches, Cates eventually managed to whittle Ketola down to crumbs. On hand 82 of match 6, the final hand of the night, Ketola shoved with Q♥3♥ and Cates called with A♦8♥. The board ran out A♣J♥8♠7♣3♠, and Cates secured his historic victory.
After getting the action he was after for two days, the cards were unkind to Ketola. He was happy to call it a day after six matches, more than 12 hours after kicking everything off.
“Enjoy the donation,” said Ketola. “I go to sleep.”
didn’t expect to retire him like this https://t.co/ycmhZZ3zlz
— Monarch (@Monarch) August 20, 2025
Photo credit: Onyx Club/Merit Poker
