Rampage fell short of his goal of earning $1 million in a year playing poker
Ethan “Rampage” Yau recently wrapped up his ambitious $1 million poker bankroll challenge, calling the experience a “complete failure” in a candid video shared with his 327,000 YouTube subscribers. The popular poker vlogger set out a year ago to turn a profit of seven figures, but after months of grinding mid to high-stakes games, he ended with a much smaller return than expected.
Yau admitted he took on the challenge to keep himself disciplined, especially after making costly mistakes in previous games. He hoped to prove his critics wrong by demonstrating his ability to profit in high-stakes cash games. Over the past year, he played in numerous high-profile settings, including Hustler Casino Live and Poker at the Lodge.
At one point, his bankroll was up more than $300,000. However, things took a downturn when he began taking bigger risks in higher-stakes games. A December session at Wynn Las Vegas during the WPT World Championship festival, where he faced elite players like Phil Ivey and Matt Berkey, resulted in heavy losses.
A key moment in his downfall happened recently on Hustler Casino Live, where he suffered a six-figure bad beat to fellow poker vlogger Mariano Grandoli. Frustrated, Yau left the game early, and the losses continued to mount. In his latest video, he reflected on his struggles, admitting that the challenge took a mental toll. He finished with a profit of just $28,427—far from his million-dollar goal.
Despite calling the challenge a failure, Yau remains active in the poker world. He announced a $100,000 freeroll event on ClubWPT Gold, the site he represents, giving back to his community as he looks ahead to his next poker endeavor.
