The Lodge Livestream Controversy | CoinPoker Ambassador Abby Merk Loses Emotions After All-in Bet is Called; Susan Responds to Poker Table Friendship and Fairness

On September 25, 2026, Zhongpu.com compiled a recent controversy surrounding a live-streamed poker game that sparked discussion in the international poker community. The protagonist of the incident was poker player, content creator, and CoinPoker brand ambassador Abby Merk.

The incident occurred during a live $1/$2 regular game at The Lodge Card Club in Texas, USA. Merk, holding A♦5♦, 4-bet all-in for $821 pre-flop, and his opponent Susan called with 66. Both players agreed to have two deals, with Susan ultimately winning both.

The discussion wasn't simply about the win or loss outcome, but rather Susan's question before calling and Merk's reaction after losing the pot.

The video garnered millions of views after being shared on social media, sparking a renewed discussion in the poker community: should personal relationships influence one's decisions when playing with friends?

$1/$2 Live Regular Game: A5 goes all in for $821, Susan calls with 66

The incident occurred at The Lodge Card Club's $1/$2 regular game.

Merk was in position HJ with A♦5♦ and raised to $50.

The player in the CO position then 3-bet to $150; Susan, who had previously been in the UTG position with Limp, also called to $150.

After returning to Merk, she opted for a direct 4-bet all-in, betting a total of $821.

The player in position CO folded, leaving only Susan to make a decision.

Controversial Hand Pre-Flop Action

Susan didn't immediately place a bet; instead, she stopped to think.

Just then, she asked Merk a question:

"Do you want me to call?"

Merk's answer:

"Not really."

However, Susan ultimately chose to call.

After both players revealed their cards, Merk had A♦5♦ against Susan's 66. They agreed to deal twice, but neither deal helped Merk take the lead.

Susan won the entire pot.

"I think your call was strange": Merk's reaction after losing sparks discussion.

After losing the pot, Merk expressed his dissatisfaction with Susan's call.

She stated:

"To be honest, I think your call is very strange."

Merk then asked the table about the minimum buy-in amount and indicated that he was no longer interested in playing.

The live stream video was later reposted by WPT with the caption "Merk gets Murked".

The video quickly spread in the poker community, shifting the focus from the pre-flop showdown of A5 vs. 66 to how Merk viewed Susan's call and the way she expressed her emotions at the poker table.

Some netizens criticized Merk for expecting his opponent to fold according to his wishes, while others felt that the short live stream clip was insufficient to reflect the previous interactions between the two players.

Professional poker player Matt Berkey also posted on social media, expressing sympathy for Susan and criticizing Merk for overreacting to the consequences of his own decisions.

Abby Merk responded: At the time, she thought Susan was asking the question as a friend.

In response to the barrage of criticism, Merk later posted a statement on Instagram, providing background information on the events leading up to the game.

She said that she and Susan had been playing cards together for a long time and had had many friendly exchanges at the card table.

Merk initially thought they were friends, or at least closer than Susan might perceive them to be.

Therefore, when Susan asked her if she wanted the other person to call, Merk believed it was a question that friends could answer relatively honestly.

She explained that she had entered what she called "friend mode" at the time and did not fully understand the question in the way a typical competitive poker game would.

Merk also admitted that from a competitive standpoint, such expectations might seem unreasonable.

However, she said that in the past, in relaxed and familiar card games, she had indeed encountered situations where friends adopted a more friendly playing style.

Her explanation also extended the discussion, which was originally focused on emotional reactions, to the issues of soft play and fair competition in poker.

Susan publicly responded: You can't deliberately fold just because someone is a friend.

Susan later posted a statement explaining her position.

She confirmed that she and Merk did have many friendly interactions at the poker table, and stated that Merk's account of the events in his response was honest.

However, Susan believes that personal relationships should not supersede the fairness of the game.

She specifically pointed out that the hand originally involved three players.

Merk's 4-bet all-in has forced the third player in the CO position to fold pre-flop.

If Susan were to fold simply because she is friends with Merk, it could compromise the fairness of the entire game.

Susan emphasized that she was not obligated to call just because it was fair competition, but rather that she should make her own decisions based on her hand, the bet, and the situation at the time.

She believes that friendship should not be a reason to ask other players to abandon normal competitive decisions.

What is the difference between Soft Play and Collision in poker?

This incident has sparked discussion about two technical concepts: Soft Play and Collusion.

Soft Play: Deliberately playing a lighter style due to personal reasons

Soft play usually refers to a player deliberately avoiding offensive actions they would normally take because they are familiar with their opponent.

For example, even when there is a reason to bet or raise, one might choose to check because the opponent is a friend, or avoid eliminating a familiar player in a specific situation.

Such behavior can affect the interests of other participants and is particularly prone to fairness disputes in tournaments and multi-player pot pools.

Collusion: Collusion among players

Collusion refers to two or more players coordinating their actions to gain a competitive advantage that other players cannot.

This could involve exchanging private hand information, collaborating to influence the pot outcome, or deliberately coordinating bets and folds.

but,It cannot be concluded that the two parties have colluded simply because one player wants their friend to fold.

In this incident, Susan ultimately chose to call normally, and Merk did not receive the pot conceded by Susan due to their personal relationship.

Current reports do not indicate that The Lodge Card Club has ruled that the two individuals were guilty of collusion.

Therefore, this incident is better understood from the perspective of table communication, expectations of soft play, and player emotional management, rather than taking the accusations on social media as confirmed violations.

Can we discuss hands pre-flop? This needs to be differentiated between heads-up and multi-way pots.

This hand also involves another noteworthy detail.

When Susan asked the question, the player in the CO position had already folded, leaving only Merk and Susan in the pot.

Under certain regular game rules, players in heads-up pots can discuss their hands or hand strength, but the specific limits are subject to the rules of the poker room and the judgment of the on-site referee.

Moreover, a verbal response at the poker table does not mean that the opponent must act according to the respondent's wishes.

Even if Merk clearly states that he doesn't want to be called, Susan can still decide whether to call or fold based on her 66 and the pot situation at the time.

This is also the core of the debate that the entire video sparked in the poker community.

Merk admitted to acting on emotions, and that buying at the lowest possible price was to control risk.

Merk later further explained that he was indeed affected by emotions after losing the pot.

She stated that she did not believe Susan had done anything technically wrong at the time.

Instead, she acknowledged that her emotional reactions were related to her current psychological state.

As for asking about the minimum bet amount after losing, Merk explained that he did not want to invest too much money while he was emotionally unstable.

Therefore, she chose to repurchase at the minimum amount of $60.

This explanation also adds another layer of context to what some viewers initially interpreted as dissatisfaction with the poker table or the opponent's behavior.

However, Merk's explanation still differs from Susan's stance on fair competition: the former emphasizes their past friendship, while the latter stresses the interests of all players at the same table.

Caitlin Comeskey also discussed the online pressure faced by female poker players.

During the unfolding of the incident, another poker player, comedian, and content creator, Caitlin Comeskey, also spoke on X about the social pressures faced by female poker players.

She stated that as one of the women who will be in the spotlight in the poker world in 2026, dealing with online criticism is quite exhausting, and she even expressed the idea of quitting social media platforms at one point.

This statement shifted the discussion beyond just whether Merk should be upset about Susan's call, extending to how livestream clips spread rapidly without a complete context, and how players should respond to public criticism.

Regarding this card game, netizens can discuss strategies and table etiquette based on the complete actions and statements of both sides, but personal attacks on players do not provide much technical information.

The incident has been resolved privately, with Merk quoting a famous line from Tony G.

In his Instagram post, Merk mentioned that he and Susan had spoken privately after the live stream ended.

She said that the two had talked things out and confirmed that they had no lingering resentment towards each other.

She also quoted a classic line familiar to the poker world:

"That's poker, Phil."

This quote comes from a famous match between Phil Hellmuth and Antanas "Tony G" Guoga in The Big Game many years ago.

Tony G claimed at the poker table that he hadn't looked at his hole cards, but Hellmuth later discovered that he actually held AK.

Tony G responded to Hellmuth's questioning of his words with this statement.

Merk quoted the same statement after the incident, thus bringing to a close this controversy sparked by conversations at the poker table.

A hand of A5 versus 66 reignites discussions about playing against friends at the same table.

From the hand itself, Abby Merk went all-in for $821 with A♦5♦, and Susan called with 66. After two rounds of dealing, Susan won the pot.

But this hand became the focus of the community because the two players had different interpretations of the question, "Do you want me to call?"

Merk initially viewed it as an exchange between friends; Susan, however, believed that even if they knew each other well, they should retain the right to make fair decisions based on the game.

With the two individuals giving their public responses, the outside world has been able to learn about the background beyond the live broadcast footage.

Ultimately, Merk and Susan resolved their misunderstanding privately. The main discussion surrounding this incident isn't just about whether or not one should call an all-in bet, but also...How poker players can establish clear boundaries between personal friendships, competitive fairness, and table emotions.。

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