A good show from a bad era.

On December 5, 2022, a seemingly playful segment on WWE Monday Night Raw turned into one of the more bizarre but memorable mashups of the wrestling and poker worlds. JBL, never one to shy away from theatrics, hosted what was dubbed the JBL High Stakes Invitational Poker Tournament backstage, featuring a colorful mix of WWE stars. Among them: Johnny Gargano, Baron Corbin, Akira Tozawa, and the ever-stoic Dexter Lumis. What started as a comedic filler ended up creating legitimate matchups and sparking storyline tensions. One moment, Dexter Lumis was being questioned for even entering the room. The next, he was emptying a duffel bag filled with money (his spoils from a previous storyline with The Miz) onto the table. Just like that, Lumis was dealt in. 

The fallout from the tournament spilled into the ring, as per a WWE Raw recap from CBS. Chad Gable caught a Magic Killer from The O.C., which resulted in a decisive win, all because of an argument that erupted at JBL’s poker table. Similarly, Dominik Mysterio took down Akira Tozawa in a match born from another cardroom dispute. In true WWE fashion, a deck of cards, a few bad beats, and a room full of egos became the spark for a string of in-ring conflicts. Fans were divided—some enjoyed the drama and character-building, others questioned the value of a poker segment in a wrestling show. 

Either way, the JBL Invitational made noise. And just like a controversial hand at the World Series of Poker, everyone was talking about it. 

A Risky Bet: Fan Reactions to the Poker Segment 

The JBL High Stakes Invitational was the WWE’s attempt to infuse a different kind of storytelling tool into its live programming. But not everyone at the table was impressed. Audience reactions ranged from curious engagement to full-blown rejection. Among the harshest critics was former WWE head writer Vince Russo, who called the entire segment “bad, campy, stupid, silly, unfunny comedy.” In an interview with Sportskeeda, Russo blasted the angle for lacking authenticity and leaning too hard into forced humor. The poker table setup did resemble a retro backstage skit from WWE’s Attitude Era. With JBL presiding like an old Western saloon boss and wrestlers taking exaggerated losses or throwing tantrums, it walked the line between parody and plot device. And while the segment did drive story progression, creating friction that led to two actual matches, it felt disjointed to fans expecting hard-hitting action. 

Still, others saw potential. Some praised the tournament’s attempt at blending character motivations with real-life themes like pride, risk, and ego, all things central to both poker and wrestling. The line between fiction and reality blurred in ways that piqued the interest of fans who know the strategic side of poker. Could WWE have pushed the concept further? Maybe. The segment at least highlighted how common the cross-pollination of poker and wrestling has become. In both games, you either play the character or get played. 

Where Wrestlers and Poker Pros Collide 

As unusual as it may seem, poker and pro wrestling are cut from the same cloth. Both demand psychological warfare, stamina, and the ability to control a room (or a table). It’s no surprise that some of today’s poker pros once thrived on the mat. 

For example, Americas Cardroom pro Chris Moneymaker — yes, the man who ignited the poker boom in 2003 — has roots in wrestling. In an interview with a major poker publication, Moneymaker shared a story about his early wrestling struggles, including a 0-15 season in high school and a socially awkward match against the only girl wrestler in his area. While the bout ended in his favor, it taught him a valuable lesson about resilience and pressure, two things that serve him just as well under the bright lights of a poker final table. Another example is Dash Dudley. Before winning three World Series of Poker bracelets, Dudley wrestled at Michigan State and played football at Okemos High School. He credits his competitive edge in poker to his early years in wrestling. “They’re essentially trophies,” Dudley told WILX News. “But they’re a lot harder to get. I had to battle 2,600 [players] for the last one.” 

The shared DNA between poker and wrestling runs deeper than fans realize. Both require a strong poker face, a flair for the dramatic, and a willingness to take calculated risks. Wrestlers know the grind of mental endurance and physical pressure. Poker players navigate tells, tempo, and mental warfare. It’s why crossover events like the JBL Invitational, while polarizing, are more than a gimmick; they reflect a genuine cultural overlap. With WrestleMania rumored to return to Las Vegas, the world’s poker capital, many fans are speculating whether poker-themed segments will make another comeback. According to some sources, the WWE has already floated the idea of reviving poker-related storylines to align with the city’s casino culture. If so, JBL’s poker night might have been the opening shuffle. 

Betting on Entertainment’s Future 

The JBL High Stakes Invitational Poker Tournament was a bold, if clunky, attempt to unify two competitive arenas. While critics like Vince Russo may have folded early, others saw the segment as a creative gamble worth exploring. Whether you view it as a missed opportunity or a fun deviation from the norm, it proved one thing: poker and wrestling are more intertwined than ever. With stars like Chris Moneymaker and Dash Dudley bridging the gap, and live segments creating real match outcomes, the relationship between the ring and the felt continues to evolve. For WWE, poker is a storyline waiting to be dealt. 

But not as rotten as the rest of the year.

Yes, somehow this was their best idea for a pay per view that month.

Two for this week, with one of the most WCW shows ever:

And an all time classic:

It’s three shows in one and somehow none of them are any good.

https://411mania.com/wrestling/halls-wrestlemania-ii-review/

Thank goodness for wrestling.

A show I’ve seen a lot and my goodness I have no idea why.

So I’ve agreed to start doing an exclusive weekly review for 411mania.com.  This is going to be a fairly random collection of pay per view reviews as I just get to look at whatever I feel like at any given time.  As far as I know, these will never be published anywhere else so please check it out (along with anything else over there, as they have quite the staff of reviewers).

Check it out right here.

Unfortunately my mom is back in the hospital and while we know the main issue, we’re waiting to see just how bad it is (and it might not be bad at all).  This means I’ll be with her for a good bit and I’m not sure how that is going to impact the reviews going forward.  It’s the reason Raw isn’t up yet (though I’m a good chunk of the way through it) as I was here with my son most of the day and slept about two hours in two days.  I’ll have things up ASAP but I can’t guarantee anything for the time being.  If everything is ok with her, we should be back to normal soon though.  I’m sorry for the issues but this is more important than anything wrestling related.

Thank you as always,

KB