NEWSHow Monkey Tilt Founder Sam Kiki Put Kevin Hart on the Wrong Side of a $424K Poker Pot
Feb. 6 2026, Published 1:37 a.m. ET
Description: The 'High Stakes Poker' moment that explains how Kevin Hart ended up on the wrong side of a $424K pot.
Kevin Hart is a Grammy-nominated comedian, a box office titan whose films have grossed over a billion dollars, and one of the highest-paid entertainers on the planet. He’s also apparently not great at reading poker bluffs, because a recent high-stakes showdown ended with him getting outplayed for nearly half a million dollars by a crypto gaming CEO known as “Señor Tilt.”
On Monday, January 12, PokerNews published a recap of Episode 2 of High Stakes Poker Season 15, which PokerGO released last month. The episode featured Hart, 46, squaring off with Monkey Tilt founder, Sam Kiki.
And it didn’t take long for the table to get uncomfortable.
Hart raised to $10,000 with a shaky hand — a six and a four. Kiki, holding a pair of sevens, fired back with a raise to $30,000. Both players stayed in as the community cards hit the table, and by the river, the Jumanji star had improved to two pair.
Kiki didn’t hesitate. He pushed forward a $125,000 bet, putting Hart in a brutal spot. Hart wasn’t convinced. According to PokerNews, he told Kiki, “I think I have to pay you off. I don’t think you have anything.”
That’s when the gaming entrepreneur made his move.
He offered to show Hart one of his cards. Hart agreed. Kiki flipped over a seven — just enough information to suggest strength without giving everything away. After a long pause, Hart called.
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He was wrong. Kiki revealed his full hand, and his pair of sevens held up. Moments later, he dragged a pot worth roughly $424,500.
Hart and Kiki were seated together from the Season 15 opener, and the early episodes show them tangling more than once. And while Kiki got the better of Hart in Episode 2, the Get Hard actor didn’t leave the table empty-handed. According to Poker.org, he wrapped his five-episode High Stakes Poker debut run up $551,500, turning the stint into a profitable showing.
For Kiki, the moment comes as Monkey Tilt continues to expand its presence in the digital gambling space. In a 2024 interview with Fortune, Kiki described the platform as an entertainment company as much as a gaming product, built around community and real-time interaction. “I’m looking at the future as you log in and you’re hanging out on the site for a few hours, talking to your friends,” Kiki said. “You’re gambling together. You’re having fun the same way you would in Vegas.”
As Kiki continues to blur the lines between poker, tech, and entertainment, Monkey Tilt’s rise is becoming harder to ignore.
