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Michael “Texas Mike” Moncek has publicly apologized for his behavior after losing a record $4.26 million pot on High Stakes Poker to Eric Wasserson this past Monday. The two-time WSOP bracelet winner, not known for tilting or criticizing opponents, said he felt he had crossed a line even though most viewers on social media didn’t fault his reaction.
The massive pot developed on a board of 9♣K♦A♦4♥5♦, with Moncek holding just 10-high and Wasserson sitting on 9♦7♦. Moncek bet aggressively on the flop and turn, building a pot worth over $1 million heading into the river, then shoved all-in when a diamond completed Wasserson’s flush.
Wasserson tanked for nearly two minutes before making the call, visibly unsure whether he was facing a bigger flush. His eventual call secured the largest pot in High Stakes Poker history at $4,260,000.
Immediately after the hand, a frustrated Moncek accused Wasserson of “nit-rolling” him by feigning uncertainty despite holding a strong hand. The exchange continued as Moncek also criticized Wasserson for not bringing enough action to the table given his stack size, which topped $5 million at the time.
Wasserson later addressed the incident, insisting his hesitation was genuine since he had never played a pot of that magnitude before. He publicly accepted Moncek’s apology on social media, calling the reaction understandable given the stakes involved.
Despite the costly hand, Moncek rebounded by winning a $2.3 million pot against Andrew Robl shortly afterward, finishing the week roughly even. Wasserson, meanwhile, won $3.2 million across four sessions during the same stretch of high-stakes action.
