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PokerStars Signs Walsh and Launches Red Spade Pass

Written by Jennifer Newell
Last updated on
Jennifer Newell

Some global online poker sites quietly shuffle poker pros and associate themselves with shady people, others like PokerStars do things of which they – and the broader poker community – can be proud.

PokerStars just hosted its 16th Sunday Million Anniversary this month with positive results. The massive $215 buy-in celebration and its $10M guarantee attracted 52,120 entries, which boosted the actual prize pool to $10,424,000. And after several days of poker, it finally came down to Blackbeaty and JanRas1983 heads-up. The two split the prize pool, after which Blackbeaty went on to win, collecting an extra $50K and Sunday Million title. Blackbeaty of Germany found a fresh $931,885 in their PokerStars account. And JanRas1983 collected $817,235, not a bad return on investment from an $11 satellite entry.

At the same time, PokerStars was finalizing a deal with Nick Walsh and setting up a new Red Spade Pass via its partnership with Oracle Red Bull Racing.

Walsh as New Team Pro

Nick Walsh first signed a deal with PokerStars several years ago with James Mackenzie and Eva Reberc and James Mackenzie. They were the OP-Poker team, a trio of players who worked together to stream online poker – specifically the Power Up Poker variant – and esports. That unique partnership formed in May 2019 and ended on the last day of 2020.

However, Walsh still wanted to work with PokerStars. He continued to stream poker on his own, but he can now do so on the PokerStars Twitch channel. Just days ago, PokerStars announced that Walsh is an official member of its Team Pro Online, this time solo.

The Brit will focus on promoting and further developing the Twitch channel. He also wants to use it as a vessel to improve his MTT skills, something through which he can engage and educate the audience at the same time.

Walsh said he has some ambitious concepts to try on the stream. “I am very honoured and excited to re-join PokerStars’ Team Pro Online,” he said. As a new ambassador with a focus on streaming, I am to create fresh poker content for players of all levels and poker disciplines, with a focus on community collaboration and strategic analysis in an accessible way.”

New Red Spade Pass

Everyone in poker knows that the red spade is the PokerStars logo. The Red Spade Pass is taking that logo to another level in conjunction with a big partnership.

Said partnership took shape earlier this year. In January, Red Bull Racing and PokerStars signed a multi-year deal. PokerStars would put its logo on racing suits and the RB18 race car, and PokerStars will promote the racing team with promotions and prize packages. The latter is on tap now.

The Red Spade Pass is that partnership in action. PokerStars players can now win a Red Spade Pass, which will take them to the “ultimate F1 fan experience.” The first available will be for the Monaco Grand Prix. Red Spade Pass winners can use the passes for a four-day trip to Monaco and Nice, France, with all expenses paid. They will be able to watch the Monaco Grand Prix from a private PokerStars waterside location that will overlook the track.

The first two Red Spade Passes will be up for grabs in freerolls on Saturday, April 2. One will play on the French-only site and the other on the dot-com site. Dot-com players will be able to find the Red Spade Pass freeroll password on Twitter this week. And while only the winner of the tournament will win a Red Spade Pass, other top finishers will receive tournament tickets from a $1K pool of them.

More opportunities will follow in the next few weeks and throughout the F1 season.

 

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