Stacy Matuson wasn’t the only player to fall to Will Kassouf’s controversial-but- successful "speech play" at the 2016 WSOP Main Event.
She might have been the most famous victim, though, once the footage aired on ESPN and Kassouf's signature "Nine High Like a Boss" turned into hashtag and t-shirt fodder.
While things didn't exactly come to "he berated a poor woman to tears" level as was later suggested, tensions did linger over the dramatic hand and ensuing penalty for Kassouf/bustout for Matuson.
Thankfully, in poker, there's always an opportunity to settle a grudge with a heads-up match. And now the two will face off in Rozvadov to do just that.
Rules of the Grudge Match
The two players will sit down for their No Limit Hold’em duel as part of the 13-event 888poker Rozvadov Festival on February 2.
Ear protection already packed.
The match will be played as a best-of-three so the first player to win two games will be declared the winner.
Both will start with 5,000 chips and the level times will be 12 minutes. Perhaps the biggest disadvantage for Kassouf will be the one-minute shot-clock that will be implemented.
On the other hand, each player gets a 10-minute time bank and you can bet a significant part of your own bankroll safely that Kassouf will put every second of it to use.
Matuson has already taken measures and announced she'll bring her headphones.
Here's a taste of what's to come from the two combatants:
This will be the structure:
| Level | Blinds |
| 1 | 25/50 |
| 2 | 50/100 |
| 3 | 75/150 |
| 4 | 125/250 |
| 5 | 200/400 |
| 6 | 300/600 |
| 7 | 400/800 |
| 8 | 500/1000 |
Not the First Title Kassouf Might Talk Himself To
Since their clash at the World Series Kassouf has added 11 cashes to his poker CV, culminating in a win in the last €10k High Roller event at the last EPT in Prague last December.
Can cut a deal, too. (Photo: PokerStars)
In an incredible deal Kassouf convinced his heads-up opponent, Patrick Serda from Canada, to leave the title and trophy to him despite Serda leading 4-1 in chips.
Serda took the majority of the prize money while Kassouf secured a spot in the history books by winning the very last tournament of the European Poker Tour.
Of course this grudge match is mostly a show event but you can bet many eyes in the poker world will be on Rozvadov next week. Mike MacDonald’s new bookmaking project Poker Shares has Kassouf as the current favorite.
PokerListings will be on location for the duel as well as the main and high roller event, so check back here for full reports. While you wait the Super XL Series on 888poker is still running and you can qualify for both the online and upcoming live events.
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