Rayan “Beriuzy” Chamas, one of online poker’s most prolific grinders and a Lebanese-born Canadian resident, has returned to content with an hour-long video two years in the making. In it, he details a brutal $800,000 downswing, the travel that helped reset his mindset, and the live WPT results — including a $600,000 score in Florida and a $113,770 cash in Montreal — that powered his comeback by early 2025.
Why Beriuzy Stepped Away
In November 2023, Chamas signed off from his YouTube audience after announcing he had resigned as a GGPoker ambassador and would pause content creation — including Twitch streaming — to focus on life outside the game, chiefly traveling the world. He offered no timetable for a return, then reemerged last week with a comprehensive update.
The $800K Slide — And The Work Behind The Video
Opening his hour-long return, Chamas revisited the largest downswing of his 17-year poker career: $800,000 within a year. He called the stretch “dark times,” and revealed his team spent 150 hours over the past two years producing the new video.
“I paid a lot to make this happen and I really have nothing to gain. I just hope it helps someone out there. I did this because I’m really passionate about giving back to the poker community because it has benefited me so much in my life by playing this game,” Chamas said of his recent video.
Chamas traced his poker origins back to playing online while working at Subway, then addressed how the downswing left him struggling to “see the light” at the end of the tunnel.
“Mentally completely destroyed, because it seems that everything is going to go against me no matter what it is,” Beriuzy admits.
The slide seeped into other parts of his life, prompting a decision to step away and travel with his wife to reset and see the world.
Florida WPT Breakthrough
Chamas returned to the felt in November 2023, opting for live play in Florida at the $3,500 World Poker Tour (WPT) Seminole Rock N’ Roll Poker Open. He navigated a 1,447-entry field to the final table, ultimately agreeing to a heads-up chop with eventual champion Istvan Briski and locking up $600,000. Having sold 50% of his action to friends, the $300,000 profit erased nearly 40% of the downswing.
Another WPT Final Table in Montreal
Momentum continued in May 2024 at Playground in Montreal, where Chamas reached another WPT final table. He finished fourth out of 882 players for $113,770, trimming his deficit to roughly $300,000 at that point. By early 2025, he had won it all back.
Key Results from the Comeback
| Date | Event | Buy-in | Field | Result | Payout | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2023 | WPT Seminole Rock N’ Roll Poker Open (FL) | $3,500 | 1,447 | Heads-up chop (vs. Istvan Briski) | $600,000 | Sold 50% action; approx. $300,000 profit |
| May 2024 | WPT at Playground (Montreal) | — | 882 | 4th | $113,770 | Reduced deficit to around $300,000 at the time |
His Advice to Players on a Downswing
“I would really advise trying to focus on everything else in your life outside of poker when you have the time for it,” Chamas advises. “If you don’t have the time for it, you make the time for it.”
Watch the Full Video
Chamas’ new hour-long YouTube release chronicles the entire journey — from the “dark times,” to the travel reset, to the WPT final tables that helped close the gap. Watch the full video to learn more about how he battled back.
