Early Monarch acceleration
With regular banks of between $600,000 and $800,000, Monarch was ahead of the game. In typical top-pair versus middle-pair scenarios, he was able to squeeze value and briefly took control.
However, Tornado was able to find the right tactics at key moments. His relentless aggression made all the difference when he took the lead.
the $2 million swing: the Celestial 7 reel
Monarch opened with Aโ Kโฆ and raised to $50,000 preflop, while Tornado defended with Kโฅ 7โฆ.
The flop was Qโ Kโ 5โฅ. Monarch made a continuation bet and Tornado decided to call.
The turn was the 8โฆ, so Monarch made a double bet and Tornado, not wanting to give up the pot, called again.
The 7โฆ was the river card, giving Tornado two pair.
Tornado didn't want to check back as he had much worse hands in his range. Monarch bet $600,000. Tornado called and took down the pot for $2 million, beating Monarch for the first time.
Tornado avoids a huge defeat
The next major hand could have ended very badly for Tornado. Tornado had Aโฆ5โฆ, while Monarch had KโฆJโฃ.
Monarch 3-bet to $200,000 before the flop and Tornado called.
The flop was 3โฆ Jโฆ Kโ . Monarch flopped two pair and Tornado had a nut flush draw. Monarch checked, Tornado bet $135,000, and Monarch quickly called, keeping the trap shut.
Kโฅ appeared on the turn, improving Monarch's hand to a full house, and he made a bet of $400,000. Tornado called.
The river card was the 4โฃ, a safe hand for Tornado, allowing him to avoid spending any more chips. Monarch bet the river, and Tornado called. However, he avoided what could have been a crushing cooler.
You can watch the full action on YouTube:
What's Next for Monarch?
There is a lot of talk in the poker world about whether Monarch will keep taking on these ultra-high-stakes challenges. It's already being discussed how exciting it would be to battle Jungleman again! Dan “Jungleman” Cates has said he's in, so it's up to Monarch to decide what the stakes are.
It doesn't matter if Monarch doubles down or quits; the Onyx felt has been cruel, and his bankroll has taken one of the worst hits in the history of high-stakes poker.
