Thanks to the internet, gamblers can play exciting live poker games online. These live poker rooms have brought several players like Phil Ivey, Jason Koon, and Sam Grafton, to mention a few, into the spotlight. Also, several high-stake live-stream poker shows like “Hustler Casino Live” host iconic poker players today. Nikhil Arcot, aka Nik Airball, is one of the names that has made it to the big stage recently.
Nik Airball has quickly built a controversial reputation among other iconic poker players while creating a massive fanbase and a group of haters. He recently proclaimed himself as “the King of LA poker” on social media despite the results being short of spectacular. He, of late, lost about a million dollars on one episode of the show.
If you don’t follow live poker shows but prefer to play free poker online, chances are that you won’t know much about Airball. So, let’s find out more about this poker figure with this casino news and discuss more about his style of gameplay. Have a good read!
Nik Airball’s Rise to Fame
Nikhil Arcot, aka Nik Airball, is an American Poker player born in India in 1996. He spent three years at New York University, Shanghai, for his tertiary education and took a job in investment banking after returning to New York City. Before diving into high-stake poker gambling, he frequently shuttled between the Big Apple and Los Angeles for four years.
Airball’s parents were active poker players, and they quickly introduced him to the game at an early age. He played poker during family game nights during high school and started watching “Live at the Bike” in college, where he later discovered his affinity for live poker. Airball built his bankroll by playing low-stakes online casino games while schooling in China. Upon his return to the US in 2017, he continued honing his gambling skills by learning poker hand names and other basics of the game.
Nik Airball finally came into the spotlight in February 2022 when he made his debut appearance on the Hustler Casino Live Show, and he has since been frequent on it.
Nik Airball Poker Stats
Compared to most renowned poker players, Nik Airball’s poker stats have no track or record of winning tournaments and cash games. Asides from winning $14,925 on his HCL debut session, his only significant poker achievement was winning $20,000 at the World Poker Tour. Since then, the mid-20s player has lost well over $1 million in live Casino Hold em poker games on HCL, the Lodge, High Stakes Poker, and his heads-up match with Matt Berkey, one of his fiercest rivals.
Before this, Nik had lost over $300,000 on PokerGO’s High Stakes Poker the previous night.
The Nik Airball Vs. Matt Berkey Feud
Nik Airball is commonly referred to as a poker villain because he constantly uses rude and hurtful language to trash-talk opponents during live poker rounds. Hence, the reason for his controversies with several opponents is his feud against Matt Berkey, one of the fiercest rivalries the poker gaming industry has experienced.
What started as a social media war in March 2023 almost resulted in a fistfight in the renowned Bellagio resort in Las Vegas. Airball first called Berkey a fraud who coaches other successful players but can’t win a poker game without any facts to back up his claim. Shortly after, Berkey replied to Airball, calling him a bully who has scammed several players in low-stakes Casino Hold ’em. After bickering for some time, the pair agreed to a 1-on-1 high-stake poker game three times a week.
Shortly after, the game ended with Berkey winning the prize money, and the pair settled their differences with a handshake in the spirit of sportsmanship.
Final Thoughts
Nik Airball mostly plays in live poker rooms without much competition, yet he’s proven to be a winner. Isn’t that what matters? We don’t know what’s next for Airball’s poker career. We hope he hones his poker skills and starts cashing those chips. To hone your poker skills online, visit Vegas Aces Casino.
Are you a poker newbie? Do you ask yourself: “Is poker a game of skill?” Well, yes. Poker requires more skills than luck, it requires disciplined practice and lots of learning processes. You can acquire new knowledge by reading our poker hands guide and other learning material in our casino online guides section.
Stay tuned here and on our social media platforms for the latest updates on online casinos and the exciting world of gambling entertainment.
