The two poker players are at odds over remarks Keating made in the No Limit documentary
Nicholas “Nicky P” Palma has fired back at Alan Keating after the release of Episode 5 of No Limit, the new documentary following pros at the 2024 WSOP Paradise Super Main Event. Keating’s blunt remarks about tournament poker stirred up immediate backlash, and Palma—never one to hold back—took center stage with a fiery response on X.
Don’t make me laugh bro… comical pic.twitter.com/Rq39xnkHfs
— NICKY P 🧙👨🍳 (@Nick_Palma1010) November 18, 2025
Keating said tournament players were “going to hate” his comments before comparing tournaments to checkers and cash games to chess. He added that tournament poker “isn’t the purest form of poker,” calling the format a “lottery” and insisting he prefers games played for “irresponsible sums of money.” He even joked about not knowing why he was in the event at all.
Those shots didn’t sit well with Palma, a bracelet winner and devoted tournament grinder. He argued that elite events force players to face the best without any ability to table-select, unlike Keating’s soft, invite-only cash lineups. Palma claimed that the high-stakes games Keating plays are built around wealthy amateurs, not strong pros.
Palma went as far as calling Keating a “clown,” saying the cash-game regular wouldn’t survive a local $2/$5 lineup. He also rejected the chess-versus-checkers analogy completely, noting that modern tournament strategy is far more complex than Keating suggests. “Purest form of poker?” Palma wrote. “Don’t make me laugh.”
Keating’s critics, including Daniel Negreanu, echoed the idea that comparing tournaments to checkers ignores the depth of MTT strategy. They also pointed out that Keating’s games often resemble entertainment-driven lineups rather than competitive environments. Still, Keating has shown flashes of skill in televised spots, proving he’s not as lost as his detractors claim.
The exchange reignited a long-standing debate within poker: which format demands more skill? Traditionalists see tournaments as the truest test because of shifting stack depths and ICM pressure. Cash-game loyalists argue that deepstacked streets and unrestricted rebuys create a more technical battle.
In the end, the clash between Palma and Keating reflects the widening divide between tournament purists and high-stakes cash specialists. Both formats reward different skills, and neither side seems ready to concede ground anytime soon.
