Monarch Battles for Another Record-Breaking Poker Hand Worth $12,700,000
Summary
At the Triton Poker Super High Roller Series in Jeju, Ossi “Monarch” Ketola and Bjorn Li played a heads-up session that produced a $12,700,000 pot — one of the largest ever livestreamed. The defining hand saw Monarch hold 9♥ 9♣ and Li 8♦ 8♥. Monarch shoved for $6,350,000 after Li three-bet preflop; Li called and the board ran out 6♠ 7♥ 10♥ / 3♣ / 2♠, giving Monarch the win.
The match followed a series of $2,000,000-a-piece games (Li won three of those four). The $12.7m pot came during a rematch played for a combined $16,000,000. Monarch left the series up about $4 million overall despite winning only two of five matches, thanks largely to this colossal pot.
Key Points
- Huge heads-up pot at Triton Jeju: $12,700,000 total after Monarch’s all-in and Li’s call.
- Hole cards: Monarch 9♥ 9♣ vs Li 8♦ 8♥; board ran 6♠ 7♥ 10♥ / 3♣ / 2♠.
- Match context: earlier $2,000,000-a-piece matches, then a rematch for a combined $16,000,000 pot.
- Debate over records: community question whether Monarch’s heads-up match pots should count against traditional televised/livestreamed records (Tom Dwan previously held a $3.1m livestream record).
- Monarch is a polarising figure — prolific in big pots recently (including an $10.99m pot vs Alex Foxen) and criticised off-table for offensive remarks — which colours the discussion about his record-setting hands.
Content summary
The article describes a headline-grabbing heads-up battle between Monarch (Ossi Ketola) and Bjorn Li at Triton Jeju. After an aggressive preflop sequence, Monarch’s pocket nines were put all in vs Li’s pocket eights, creating the $12.7m pot. Monarch won the showdown and turned an overall profit for the series. The piece also places the hand in the broader conversation about livestreamed-pot records, comparing Monarch’s recent massive pots to Tom Dwan’s long-standing televised/livestreamed record.
Context and relevance
Why this matters: the hand dramatically raises the ceiling for what counts as livestreamed poker spectacle and fuels debate about how records are defined in modern high-stakes, heads-up formats. For followers of high-stakes poker, it highlights both the shifting economics of private/high-roller play and the influence of personalities — Monarch’s on- and off-table behaviour is part of why these matches get so much attention.
Why should I read this?
Because it’s bonkers — a single hand worth $12.7m, a livestream record debate, and a polarising player at the centre of it. If you care about who holds the biggest pots, how modern high-roller matches are run, or the drama that drives poker viewership, this is the shortcut you need: we read it, you get the highlights.
Source
Source: https://www.pokernews.com/news/2025/09/record-setting-poker-hand-49697.htm