Nikhil "Nik Airball" Arcot will grace the Hustler Casino Livestage on March 28 for the first time in a year following a ban from the poker room.
The polarizing figure had previously been a regular headliner on the popular poker livestream the previous two years. But a ban from Hustler Casino in Los Angeles for undisclosed reasons prevented the Southern California high roller from competing on the show.
Hustler Casino Live, now partially owned by GGPoker's parent company, announced the return of the player dubbed "The King of LA" on X with a hype video narrated by Lon McEachern.
https://twitter.com/HCLPokerShow/status/1898160731625066599
Airball, now 27, made his initial appearance on Hustler Casino Livein 2022, and it took him little time to become a love-him-or-hate-him player to the fans. He's always one of the most talkative players in the game and plays an unorthodox brand of poker, although his VPIP has declined over time.
He's been on winning and losing ends of numerous six-figure pots on the show, and he's created some controversy such as when he berated poker vlogger Mariano Grandoli, a regular on HCL, for tanking in a February 2024 high-stakes game.
Nik Airball has played sparingly on livestreams since his Hustler Casino ban. He's appeared on shows such as High Stakes Pokeron PokerGO, and he'll be competing on Sunday in a $50/$100 cash game on Poker at the Lodge in Texas along with his pal Eshaan Bhalla and Doug Polk, co-owner of The Lodge Card Club.
But despite his occasional appearances on various poker shows, Nik Airball will always be more associated with Hustler Casino Live. His return will likely bring in some extra viewers to the livestream, even some of his haters.