Patrik Antonius & Rui Cao To Battle Next Week for $1 Million

Pete - Thursday, January 31, 2013, Written by- Thursday, January 31, 2013, Online poker

It seems that bitter rivals Patrik Antonius and Rui Cao have agreed to play a $1m freezeout challenge next week with Cao offering the challenge to Antonius who accepted the challenge with a casual "I would do that" as if they were discussing a $20 wager.



The offer was for a combination of PLO, NLHE and 2-7 Triple Draw and after some to-ing and fro-ing over the amounts it was agreed on $350k for PLO, $350k for NLHE and $300 for 2-7 Triple Draw.



Cao has suggested next Tuesday as the challenge date although Antonius has said he would have to get back to him on the date, but that the challenge was most definitely on.



This will not be the first battle either on or off the table between these two as the pair famously clashed at the $500/$1000 PLO tables of Full Tilt back in May 2011 when Antonius crushed the French pro for close to $800k in a single session. The loss obviously aggravated Cao who, even after losing so heavily, told Antonius he thought he had an edge over him!



A few months later Cao told the poker world that Antonius had been banned from the Macau games for "playing too tight", a claim which Antonius refuted in an interview saying, " That guy is crazy. He was just upset because I had taken a lot (of his money) He can say what he wants, I'm not going to start arguing with him"



Both players are renowned as fantastic PLO and heads up players, and both have played mega nosebleed stakes live so it will certainly be an interesting battle.



In terms of online success Antonius is by far the biggest winner, having won over $11.5m at Full Tilt on his main account as well as several million on accounts he used prior to be made a Red Pro under the former Full Tilt leadership, including Finddagrind. Cao is also a seven figure winner at Full Tilt but has had a rough time over at PokerStars as PepperoniF since mid 2011, going from a $1.4m profit to a $600k loser.



Here is the full transcript of their conversation;

Patrik Antonius: ok

Rui Cao: by the way

Rui Cao: wanna play a challenge?*

Rui Cao: lets say 1M freeezeout NL PLO and deuce?*

Patrik Antonius: it depents what kind of

Patrik Antonius: this would be online?

Rui Cao: yes

Patrik Antonius: i would do that

Rui Cao: ok lets say next tuesday?

Rui Cao: so i can wire the money

Rui Cao: ok

Rui Cao: lets do 300 deuce

Rui Cao: 100 BB

Rui Cao: 400 plo

Rui Cao: 10 buy ins

Rui Cao: 200 400

Patrik Antonius: i dont know the day so far i can play but we can agee to do the challenge

Rui Cao: 300 holdem

Rui Cao: can u be sure u can do it?

Rui Cao: so i wire the money

Patrik Antonius: yes i can give you my word on it

Rui Cao: ok 300 at 200 400 nl

Rui Cao: 400 plo

Rui Cao: 300 deuce

Rui Cao: ok?

Patrik Antonius: how about 400 in holdem 300 in deuce and 300 in plo?

Rui Cao: 350 holdem 350 plo

Rui Cao: 300 DEUCE

System: The $1,500 Super Turbo Guarantee ($10+$0.65 NL Hold'em) will be starting in 4 minutes.

Rui Cao: its fair i think

Patrik Antonius: ok thats fair

Rui Cao: do you have

Rui Cao: skype

Rui Cao: or whatever so we can discuss

Rui Cao: some things

Patrik Antonius: yes can you get my phone number from someone so i can give you my skype then?

Rui Cao: yep

Rui Cao: tom?

Patrik Antonius: ok

Rui Cao: ok

Rui Cao: lets play my last 50 here

Rui Cao: for today

Stay tuned for any further developments and rest assured all the action will be covered here at HighstakesDB.