PokerGO’s High Stakes Poker Season 14, Episode 8: Kento Mori Retires From Poker, But Not Without Putting on a Show!

After a short break for the Triton Poker Series Jeju 2025, PokerGO’s High Stakes Poker Season 14 blazed back onto screens with Episode 8 on Monday night. The usual suspects from the previous episode were all present: Jared Bleznick, Seth Gottlieb, Justin Young, Markus Gonsalves, Justin Gavri, Scott Seiver, and Kento Mori, all ready for more!

But this episode was different. This was Kento Mori’s swan song.

In a candid cutaway interview, the High Stakes Poker newcomer made a bombshell announcement: He was retiring from poker to “become a psychologist and philosopher, to help others.”

And if Mori was leaving the game, he was damn sure going to make it memorable. He threw caution (and his usual tight play) from the previous episode to the wind, pulling off some wild bluffs and gutsy moves. His final act was an all-in shove against Justin Gavri in the episode’s very last hand! You’ll have to keep scrolling to find out how that turned out.

As AJ Benza so eloquently put it: “He played on High Stakes Poker, but he quit on High Stakes Poker.”

While the pot sizes might not have reached the stratosphere of some earlier episodes, the table talk was pure gold, with Scott Seiver, Justin Young, and Jared Bleznick providing constant entertainment.

Episode 7, from last week, had seen Phil Hellmuth depart early after a string of coolers. The “Poker Brat” didn’t reappear on Monday, but poker icon Scott Seiver did, and he delivered a masterclass in subtle deception in a six-figure pot.

Justin Gavri Starts Strong

The episode started with a little gift-giving. Jared Bleznick handed Justin Young a $500 sports card, sparking a lively debate about trading cards between Bleznick, Young, and Seiver.

But the real fireworks began when Justin Gavri opened the betting to $1,000 with . Markus Gonsalves, clearly not intimidated, fired back with a 3-bet to $5,400, holding . But Gavri wasn`t scared off and made the call.

The dealer spread a flop of , giving Gavri middle pair, but Gonsalves was still ahead with his kings. Gonsalves continued for $6,500, and Gavri just called, keeping the trap shut.

The turn was a game-changer, giving Gavri a set! Gonsalves checked, and Gavri, smelling blood, bet a hefty $24,000. Gonsalves, surprisingly, stuck around.

The river was a blank . Gonsalves checked again, and Gavri went for max value, betting $50,000. As the pressure mounted, Gonsalves stared at Gavri, even musing, “Maybe I should flip a coin?” before finally folding. Gavri, calm and collected, raked in the $122,400 pot.

Stack Sizes Update

1. Jared Bleznick – $334,600
2. Markus Gonsalves – $210,200
3. Kento Mori – $195,700
4. Seth Gottlieb – $163,300
5. Justin Gavri – $127,000
6. Justin Young – $111,200
7. Scott Seiver – $110,000

The Slowest Hand in Poker History?

Markus Gonsalves opened the next hand to $1,100 with . Jared Bleznick, ever the aggressor, 3-bet to $4,000 with . Kento Mori, who’d been relatively quiet up to this point (after losing a chunk to Gavri), decided to get involved, calling with . Gonsalves also called, and they were off to the races, three-handed.

Three cards came down: , giving Gonsalves two pair, fives and fours. Both he and Mori checked, and Bleznick bet $6,000. Gonsalves, after thinking for a bit, sprung a huge raise to $30,000. Bleznick quickly folded his ace-high, but Mori…well, Mori took his sweet time. Like, a really long time. He eventually called.

The turn slowed things way down. Mori checked, and after another long pause, Gonsalves checked behind. The river came, and Mori, again, took forever to act. Gonsalves, clearly losing his patience, blurted out, “You know it’s your turn, right?”

Mori, completely unfazed, just said, “Yeah.”

Bleznick, watching from the sidelines, summed it up perfectly: “This may be the longest poker hand I’ve played in my life. Or not played—watched, actually.”

Finally, finally, Mori checked. Gonsalves, clearly over the whole ordeal, checked back and took down the $78,600 pot, ending what felt like an eternity.

It was during the break between hands that Mori dropped the bomb about retiring from poker to pursue psychology and philosophy.

Schulman and Benza in the commentary booth were understandably surprised. “Well, thank you for gracing us with your last day, Kento,” Schulman said.

Benza added, “I’m glad we made his dream come true. He played on High Stakes Poker, but he quit on High Stakes Poker. Phil Hellmuth says he quits and comes back a week later. When Kento quits, he quits. Let’s see if he can have some fun before he officially walks away.”

And fun he had! On the very next hand, Bleznick opened to $1,000 with . Mori, clearly feeling liberated, 3-bet to $4,000 with absolute garbage: . Everyone folded back to Bleznick, who mucked his hand, giving Mori the $6,000 pot.

Mori, with a big grin, flipped over his cards, showing the table his gutsy bluff. Everyone laughed – a perfect, lighthearted send-off for a player leaving the game on his own terms.

Kento Mori: Continues Bluffing, Continues Winning (For Now)

You’d think after announcing his retirement and pulling off that bluff, Kento Mori might take a breather. Nope! This was his last hurrah, and he was going for broke.

Fresh off that little win against Bleznick, Mori decided to keep the pressure on. This time, Justin Gavri was the target. Mori, holding the less-than-impressive , three-bet to $4,000. Gavri, with , wisely decided to fold. And, of course, Mori couldn’t resist – he flipped over his cards, showing the bluff, and Gavri just burst out laughing. He was clearly enjoying his last hurrah.

But Mori wasn’t just playing for laughs; he was playing to win. On the very next hand, Bleznick opened to $1,000 with . Like clockwork, Mori 3-bet to $4,000 – this time with a slightly better, but still weak, .

Justin Young, clearly entertained by Mori’s newfound aggression, folded with a theatrical, “No, no, no!”

The action was back on Bleznick, and this time, he wasn’t letting Mori get away with it. He called, and the dealer fanned out a flop of . Both players had a flush draw, but Mori’s Ace-high gave him the lead.

Bleznick checked, and Mori, perhaps surprisingly, checked behind, keeping the pot controlled.

The turn was the , completing both players’ flushes. Mori, however, still held the superior Ace-high flush. Bleznick checked again, and this time, Mori bet $5,000. Bleznick, likely suspecting another bluff, called.

River:

Bleznick checked one last time. Mori, without missing a beat, fired out $15,000. Bleznick, still suspecting this another one of Mori’s bluffs, called pretty quickly.

But this time, Mori had the goods. He tabled his , and Bleznick’s face went from curious to resigned acceptance. He mucked, sending the $49,000 pot Mori’s way. Mori was on a roll!

Scott Seiver: Finally, a Win!

Scott Seiver had been patiently biding his time, waiting for the right opportunity, and it finally presented itself.

The hand started with Kento Mori opening to $2,500 with, you guessed it, another weak hand: . Seiver, looking to capitalize, 3-bet to $9,500 with . Mori, perhaps feeling invincible after his recent run, made the call.

Cards were dealt face-up , pairing Mori’s four, but Seiver wasted no time, betting $7,000. Mori, with his bottom pair, called.

The on the turn was a turning point, giving Seiver top pair. Surprisingly, he checked. Mori, perhaps sensing something, checked back

The river was the .

Seiver took a moment, carefully considering his options, before betting another $7,000. Mori looked uneasy, shifting in his chair, clearly struggling with the decision. After some deliberation, he called – and immediately regretted it.

Seiver showed his winning pair of Queens, and just like that, he dragged the $48,600 pot – a much-needed win for the poker legend.

Scott Seiver Gets Revenge – Cracks Kings, Wins Big!

Scott Seiver didn’t have to wait long for a little payback. Just a bit earlier, he’d lost a pot to Seth Gottlieb’s pocket kings. Well, the poker gods work in mysterious ways. The very next hand, it was Seiver’s turn to crack some Kings, and he did it in style, winning a huge pot off Markus Gonsalves.

The hand started innocently enough. Gonsalves opened to $2,000 with pocket kings – again! . Justin Young called with , and Seiver, who had the $800 straddle on, came along with .

The flop came —giving Seiver two pair, sixes and twos. Young and Seiver both checked, and Gonsalves fired out a continuation bet of $2,000. Young folded quickly, but Seiver wasn’t going anywhere. He raised to $7,500. Gonsalves called, and the pot swelled.

The turn brought the , a seemingly harmless card, but Seiver, playing possum, slowed down and checked. Gonsalves took the bait, betting $20,000.

Then, Seiver unleashed his trap, shoving all-in for $52,700. Gonsalves snap-called, and just like that, they were battling for a $127,000 pot.

With so much on the line, they agreed to run it twice.

The first river: . No help for Gonsalves.

The second river: . Still no help.

Seiver’s two pair held up on both boards, sending Gonsalves’ Kings to the muck and giving Seiver the entire pot. A beautiful bit of revenge!

Kento Mori’s Final Stand: All-In and Out!

If Kento Mori was going to play the last poker hand of his life, you better believe he was going to do it in style – fearless, aggressive, and all-in!

The hand began with Justin Gavri opening to $2,000 with . Mori, true to his newfound “nothing to lose” approach, 3-bet to $7,400 with the less-than-stellar . Gavri, clearly up for a gamble, made the call.

Cards dealt face up for all to see: , giving Mori top pair, while Gavri picked up both a flush draw and a gutshot straight draw. It was a recipe for fireworks!

Gavri checked, and Mori continued for $11,200. But Gavri wasn’t folding; he raised ito $38,000, putting the pressure squarely back on Mori.

Mori took a moment. This was it. His last hand. His final chance to make a statement.

And then, he did it. He shoved all in for $109,000!

Gavri snap-called, and with the tension at its peak, they agreed to run it just once for the colossal $235,000 pot.

The turn brought the —completing Gavri’s flush!

The on the river changed nothing, and with that, Gavri scooped the biggest pot of the night, bringing Mori’s poker career to a dramatic, if somewhat abrupt, end.

Stack Sizes at the End of the Episode

1. Jared Bleznick – $334,800
2. Justin Gavri – $316,400
3. Seth Gottlieb – $205,800
4. Markus Gonsalves – $151,900
5. Scott Seiver – $126,200
6. Justin Young – $116,900

Episode 8 was definitely one to remember! While the pot sizes weren’t quite as astronomical as in the previous episodes, Kento Mori’s fearless play and his final, all-in bluff were legendary! He clearly stole the show on his way out. Meanwhile, Justin Gavri and Scott Seiver kept things exciting with some well-timed aggression and clever plays.

But it’s not over! Episode 9 premieres on March 24, with Rick Salomon joining the high-stakes lineup. You can watch Episode 8 and all the previous episodes exclusively on PokerGO.

Content and Images Courtesy: PokerGO