Kessler Says Rampage’s Cancer Insult Crossed the Line
The feud began with a $100/$200, 100,000-hand challenge and ended with Kessler saying the insult was especially offensive because his mother died from cancer.
A Poker Twitter row between Ethan “Rampage” Yau and Allen “Chainsaw” Kessler turned personal after Yau called Kessler “a cancer to this industry.” Kessler said the remark was completely inappropriate because his mother died from cancer.
The exchange started with Yau talking up his recent results, including his WSOP Online – Hybrid #16: $5K Championship win in June for $228,825 after beating Adrian Mateos heads-up. Yau said, “After beating the end boss, Adrian Mateos, and winning my second WSOP bracelet, I like my chances.”
TightPoker reported that Kessler answered, “You’re drawing dead versus a ton of notable players,” and Yau followed with a challenge for $100/$200 or higher heads-up over 100,000 hands. Kessler asked, “Sure in limit mixed format T.O.R.S.E.?” before saying he was not interested in heads-up no-limit and could line up several players who would play.
Kessler later told TightPoker the original post was “pure clickbait” and “a sham.” He said Yau eventually admitted it was not an open invitation to play him, and that there was no online challenge to begin with, only a marketing ploy.
He also said he had no interest in 100,000 online hands, which would take months to play out. Kessler said he was too busy for the nonsense and despised no-limit anyway.
PokerNews reported the same basic sequence, saying the insult sparked the row and that Kessler is a mixed-games specialist. SpadePoker.tv likewise described the exchange as playful banter that quickly turned into personal animosity and heads-up challenges.
The spat also drew reactions from other players. Matt Salsberg called Kessler “a National f**king Treasure,” and Shaun Deeb said that, for all the jabs Kessler gets, he at least did not get rich off supporters hustling them like others. Garry Gates posted an AI-made poster of Rampage and Chainsaw battling monsters, and Yau replied that it would be an honor to represent the community and knock some sense into him.
PokerNews said it is unlikely the two will ever battle heads-up because they specialize in different variants.
