Every so often, two professional players get into a war of words that ends with hundreds of thousands of dollars on the line, in a heads-up match to test their skills. Something like this is happening between the young Ethan “Rampage” Yau 
It all started with what seemed to be an innocent post by Rampage on the social network X, where he mocked those who criticized him in the comments of his YouTube videos, telling him they would beat him in a heads-up match.
“I was reading the YouTube comments… A surprising number of people think they would crush me in heads-up. With all due respect, after beating the star Adrián Mateos and winning my second bracelet, I think I have good chances. Let’s find out,” Rampage wrote on X.
Then Allen Kessler quoted this post and replied: “You’re drawing dead against a bunch of good players”. To which Rampage responded defiantly: “Allen, it would be an honor to play $100/$200 with you or higher. Let’s play 100,000 hands and see what happens. It would be fun content.” So far, no insults.
Allen Kessler, a mixed games specialist, said “Sure, in limit mixed TORSE format?” to which Rampage replied he was talking about No-Limit Hold’em. Kessler said “I have no interest in playing NL, but I can introduce you to good players to do so”.
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For some reason, Rampage took this as mockery and responded a bit more aggressively. “If you’re trying to criticize me, be a man and back it up yourself. Or stay in your place and shut up, please”, wrote the young man.
Kessler tried to calm things down by explaining calmly: “I wasn’t criticizing anything. I’m not an NL specialist like you. I offered to play in my realm and you didn’t want to. I just said I could find players who would accept your offer.”
Rampage did not respond again. Instead, he quoted one of Kessler’s replies, particularly the one where he tells Rampage he’s drawing dead against several players, and started insulting him:
“I’m tired of this whining fat guy degrading others online without having what it takes to back up his words in action. You are a cancer to this industry and a damn miserable,” wrote an angry Rampage.
Allen Kessler did not respond again, but other users were left wondering what might happen between these two players. Will we have a generational duel, or will it just remain another social media brawl?
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