Biggest Karens of WSOP: The Most Entitled Players at the Poker Table
Background:
Poker is full of big personalities, but some players take it to Karen levels. We looked through hours of footage and online rants to find the most dramatic, entitled, and over-the-top behavior ever seen at the WSOP.
Key Highlights
- Mike Matusow (#3) screamed “Why do I deserve this?” after losing a totally standard hand. ESPN literally named a blowup after him.
- Phil Hellmuth (#2) called Adam Levy a “f*ing idiot” after getting cracked with a set during the 2008 WSOP Main Event, and made sure the whole table heard it.
- Several poker pros have called for Martin Kabrhel (#1) to be banned from WSOP events due to his outrageous behavior.
Meet the 5 Biggest Karens of the WSOP
When you think of a Karen, who do you picture? Someone who is entitled, excessively demanding and more than likely will click their fingers at the employees of any establishment. Now imagine the same energy being unleashed at the Poker tables, under bright lights and the boiling pressure of the World Series of Poker Tournament.
Our analysts dug through hours of player footage and X posts to uncover the pettiest & most dramatic players to ever sit down at the felt. So, brace yourselves: we're calling out the biggest Karens in WSOP.
#5 - Vanessa Kade
Karen Attitude Index Score: 63.90 / 100
Okay, we’ll admit it, Vanessa Kade’s behavior at the table itself isn’t exactly peak Karen. In fact, she’s had to deal with her fair share of misogyny in the poker world, including being publicly called a "hoe" by Dan Bilzerian, which eventually led to her being dropped from GGPoker’s affiliate program.
But check her X account, and you’ll see where the Karen energy starts to creep in. Kade has called out the WSOP’s long lines and buggy software, claimed the whole thing might be better run by a different poker company, and regularly takes shots at the industry for hiring men accused of sexism.
And while some of her points are valid, there’s no doubt she’s always got something to say. Constantly & publicly, and very on brand for our list.
#4 - William Khassouf
Karen Attitude Index Score: 65.30 / 100
William Kassouf is the kind of guy who thinks talking non-stop is a poker strategy. He’s a chronic yapper at the table, endlessly needling opponents with questions, comments, and smug grins, whether they want to hear it or not (spoiler: they never do).
He’s proudly defended his outbursts as "necessary for entertainment," and once declared in a podcast that poker needs characters like him. Meanwhile, PokerStars straight-up called him “the most annoying poker player ever” on their official YouTube channel. Honestly, we think they might’ve been too kind.
His real Karen credentials? Multiple accusations of shady behavior, like allegedly leaving the table with chips after losing a hand. Whether he’s playing the victim or the clown, Kassouf acts like the poker room was built just for him. Just like Karens assume restaurants exist solely for their table.
#3 - Mike Matusow
Karen Attitude Index Score: 87.50 / 100
Mike Matusow was a Karen before Karen was a meme. Known for his emotional blowups, he was so notorious for punting off his stack that ESPN commentators literally named the move after him: the Mike Matusow Blowup. Take for example his loss in the 2004 WSOP Main Event Elimination after losing a hand with AK to AQ, he spiraled, yelling “Why do I deserve this?”… as if probability personally betrayed him.
To be fair, he’s calmed down a bit. After years battling addiction, prison time, and serious debt, he’s more composed at the table now. Yet, he still finds the time to slam WSOP repeatedly on X, calling late registration a “mockery,” re-entries a “tragedy,” and declaring that taking the COVID vaccine for WSOP was “The biggest mistake of his life”… are you sure about that Mike?
At his peak, Matusow brought the same energy to the table as a Karen at a return counter (Loudly insisting the game should go his way). Which is exactly why we couldn’t miss him off our list.
#2 Phil Helmuth
Karen Attitude Index Score: 87.50 / 100
When Hellmuth takes a beat, the whole room hears about it. The self-proclaimed “Poker Brat” has made a career out of berating opponents. One of the most infamous examples came during the 2008 World Series of Poker Main Event. Hellmuth had pocket 8s and flopped a set, but Adam Levy cracked his hand with Q,10, hitting a straight. After the brutal beat, Hellmuth erupted, calling Levy an “idiot player” and a “f***ing idiot”.
Phil’s outspoken behavior doesn’t stop at the table. On X, Hellmuth regularly vents about tournament structures and fairness for older players. He’s threatened to skip future events, lashed out after bad beats, and once stayed seated in visible protest after a knockout he didn’t agree with.
Hellmuth’s brings the full Karen starter pack to the tables: loud, entitled, and always convinced he’s been wronged.
#1 Martin Kabrhel
Karen Attitude Index Score: 88.90 / 100
Martin Kabrhel is a full-blown chaos machine. Known for relentless trash talk and a flair for making the entire table uncomfortable, his presence has often sparked disdain from fellow pro poker players.
Andrew Robl and Hayley Hanna have both said he shouldn’t even be allowed in the WSOP tournament. When Daniel Negreanu was asked who the most obnoxious player is, he didn’t stutter when calling out the name “Martin Kabrhel”. To top it all off, GGPoker straight up labeled Martin as the “MOST TOXIC Poker player” in one of their YouTube videos.
Think William Kassouf but louder, more intense, and with an extra shot of espresso. If the average poker Karen demands attention, Kabrhel hijacks the whole damn room.
Methodology
To rank the biggest Karens of the WSOP, we tracked every instance of complaint and unwarranted blowup: tweets, videos, articles, and forum posts. For each player, we counted how often they stirred things up (volume) and how extreme the reactions were (severity). Each count was scaled from 0 to 1 based on the top score in that category.
Tweet and video blowups were averaged into a single Volume Score (50% weight each). We did the same for Engagement, Severity, and Search Buzz. These were then combined into a final Karen Attitude Index Score, using the following weights: 35% volume, 25% engagement, 25% severity, and 15% search.
The result is a ranked list of poker’s most dramatic personalities, based on who complains the most, erupts the hardest, and pulls the most attention while doing it.
Did We Crown the Right Karens or Just Start More Drama?
These five players make sure everyone at the table, and online, knows exactly how they feel. Whether it was a loud, outrageous outburst or a passive-aggressive post, each brought peak Karen energy to the felt.
Did we rank them fairly, or are we the ones causing a scene? Join the conversation on X and YouTube with #WSOPKarens.
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