Who is “Monarch” and Why the Poker World is Watching
Ossi Ketola, known in the community as “Monarch,” became one of the most talked-about figures in the poker world in 2025 — from massive losses against Dan “Jungleman” Cates, to record-breaking televised pots against Alex Foxen and Bjorn Li, and even social media controversies. His high-stakes adventures shattered historical records and viewership numbers, culminating in September's historically largest televised pot where Foxen lost $11 million.
With a reputation as a poker prodigy with seemingly unlimited resources, it's no surprise that Monarch caught the eye of Doug Polk. Known for pushing opponents into tough decisions in heads-up games, Polk is rightfully feared in one-on-one battles. A challenge was issued and accepted, leading to an epic showdown between these two titans.
Online Arena and Record Victory for Polk
Polk and Ketola agreed to meet away from the bright lights of TV studios and live rail — directly online. They planned to play four online heads-up matches on ClubWPT Gold. Each player brought $400,000 to the first three duels, while stakes doubled in the final with $1,600,000 at stake.
Polk took the first two matches, but Monarch claimed the third, setting the stage for an exciting finale. Polk streamed the entire event live on his YouTube channel, and you can watch the final showdown here:
In the final match, Polk dominated with overwhelming control and soon delivered the final blow to Monarch. He secured the biggest cash-game profit of his career (+ $1,200,000). The decisive moment came with the river 6 h, completing Polk's flush with Q h 5 h against Monarch's A s A d .
WHAT A RIVER!!!
— Doug Polk (Code Doug) (@DougPolkVids) November 10, 2025
We were playing 2x the shown stakes here so this was a pot to win a 1,600,000 match
In total I won 1,200,000 for the day, the biggest cash game win of my entire life pic.twitter.com/Z0FmA98Gv3
Sources – X, YouTube, CardPlayer
