Dissatisfied Mike Matusow and Allen Kessler Aim to Demonstrate that the Perceptions Regarding the Poker World are Incorrect
Longtime poker pros Mike Matusow and Allen "Chainsaw" Kessler are proving their mettle in this summer's World Series of Poker (WSOP) following a relatively low profile in the 25k Fantasy Draft.
On Tuesday afternoon, 24 teams participated in the auction at Aria, each selecting eight players they believe will have a successful run during the Series, with a $200 budget to spend on players' bids. While high-priced stars like Jeremy Ausmus went for $141, Matusow secured a bargain deal of $3 for Danial Negreanu's team. The poker veteran, nicknamed "The Mouth," didn't appreciate the low bid, referring to it as "comical" in a tweet.
It's worth noting that despite the low bid, Matusow, a four-time bracelet winner, was still drafted, contrary to Kessler, who went for exactly $0, meaning no team picked him up. With a stellar performance history of 264 cashes between the WSOP and the WSOP Circuit—mostly min-cashes—one might wonder if the poker community is underrating Kessler.
Confident in his game, Kessler has accepted a bet against two-time bracelet winner Martin Zamani. Kessler tweeted an offer to outscore ten selected drafted players, including Kevin Gerhart, Max Pescatori, Cooper Feltham, and Esther Taylor, among others. If successful, the Chainsaw will win $2,500 from Zamani.
Both Matusow and Kessler are now taking on the challenge to silence their detractors and prove their worth at the 2025 WSOP. As they navigate through the Series, they'll face scrutiny from the naysayers on social media should they fail to perform up to expectations.
In the poker community, four-time bracelet winner Mike Matusow was surprisingly undervalued during the WSOP draft, fetching a bargain bid of $3, despite his successful track record. Conversely, Allen "Chainsaw" Kessler, who boasts 264 cashes between the WSOP and the WSOP Circuit, was overlooked and went for nothing, raising questions about his underrated potential in casino-games such as poker or in casino-and-gambling events like the WSOP.
