Jungleman vs Monarch: €30 Million in the Middle, Six Matches, One Jungle King

Jungleman vs Monarch: Match-by-Match Breakdown

Cooler Central: Matches 1–3

The first €2M match was a warm-up, with Cates scooping it. Monarch bounced back in the second, setting the tone for a grudge match. The third bout — with €3M apiece on the line — gave Monarch the upper hand as he caught Cates in consecutive coolers. One crucial hand saw Monarch’s top two pair outflop Cates’ overpair, while another saw him bluff catch the river correctly with second pair.

With momentum in his corner and €5M up, Monarch entered Match 4 brimming with confidence.

The Comeback Begins: Match 4 & 5

Match 4 started rough for Cates, who found himself down nearly 2:1 early on at $25K/$50K stakes. Monarch’s slower pace and unpredictable betting kept Jungleman guessing — at least for a while. Then the tide turned.

Cates picked off a bluff with just third pair on the river, calling down Monarch’s king-high for a pot worth $2M. A few hands later, Monarch shoved with 9 7 and was instantly looked up by Cates with Q J . The board came Q 2 Q , and Monarch was drawing dead by the turn.

By the time Match 5 started, Jungleman was settled — and swinging. This round, also at $25K/$50K, saw Ketola double once with a preflop shove and 9 7 , but ultimately fall after jamming Q 3 into A 8 . The board ran out 8 J A 7 3 — two pair for Cates and a fifth bullet in the chamber.

Final Showdown: Match 6 (€12 Million Total)

Despite a €7M hole, Monarch challenged Jungleman once more — this time for €6M apiece, and the blinds raised to $30K/$60K.

The fireworks started quickly. In a preflop four-bet pot, Cates held A 8 and Monarch had A J . By the river, the board showed A and Monarch jammed his two pair. Cates, with just top pair and a churro in hand, made the fold. A rare moment of restraint.

But Jungleman wasn’t done. He chipped away before rivering a flush and extracting full value against Monarch’s ace-high. Then came the hand of the match: Cates held 10 9 on a board of A K Q J — a Royal Flush. Monarch was left stunned, muttering “feels rigged.”

Not done twisting the knife, Cates ran a gutsy ace-high bluff in a pot of $1.8M that pushed Monarch off bottom pair — and likely into questioning everything.

The final nail came when Monarch shoved Q 3 and got called by A 8 . The board offered no miracle. Jungleman had won again, closing the epic saga with a clean four-match streak.

To watch the action play out in real time, check out the full video here:

A New Era of Streamed High Stakes?

The Onyx SHRS Cyprus matches didn’t just offer entertainment — they signaled a willingness from players and organizers to push the boundaries of public poker. Not only did these games shatter previous streamed cash game records, but they also showcased two very different player profiles: a legendary pro vs. a tech millionaire turned nosebleed grinder.

In the end, Jungleman added another bizarre-yet-brilliant chapter to his legacy.

And Monarch? He may be down €13M, but he gave the poker world something to talk about — and that’s worth something too.