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More Poker Pros Exit Teams as WPT and 888 Sign Celebs

Written by Jennifer Newell
Last updated on
Jennifer Newell

Just last week, we reported that three well-known members of team partypoker ended their contracts heading in to 2022. Isaac Haxton was the most widely known of the three, though poker fans have become familiar with Louise Butler and Joni Jouhkimainen. That still left a significant number of players representing partypoker, though.

But that wasn’t the end of the New Year changes. Partypoker lost more members and recategorized its remaining players. At the same time, Sofia Lovgren ended a long-term relationship with 888poker as the operator then announced the addition of a world champion boxing star named Chris Eubank Jr. And in a bit of a unique development, the World Poker Tour signed famous DJ Steve Aoki as a brand ambassador.

Team partypoker Thins Further

There had been speculation that high-stakes poker pro Mikita Badziakouski left the partypoker roster at the end of 2021. PokerNews confirmed that departure this week.

Joao Simao confirmed rumors of his team exit on his own Instagram account. He wrote that he and partypoker had a “very strong partnership.” It started as an ambassador contract and evolved into more over time. In 2018, he admitted to taking an offer with another entity, but Rob Yong and partypoker CEO Tom Waters invited him to a meeting in the Bahamas and asked him to remain with partypoker. While the other offer was more lucrative, he committed to the “people who bet on me, taught me everything without filters of what happens on the ‘other side of the table,’ who always gave me all the opportunities and contracts that I was willing to work, and most importantly, that I have the pleasure of calling friends…”

Simao noted that the company changed hands recently, and its goals and strategies changed, too. “Finally, it was time to end this incredible stage of my life,” he wrote. And he thanked Yong and Waters for personal and professional relationships.

What’s next for Simao? He said that he will analyze opportunities – both in and out of poker. “Let’s see what my next journey will be!”

And finally, Brazilian poker player Day Kotoviezy broke ties with partypoker as well.

The remaining pros on the partypoker team are now listed in one of two categories: ambassadors and Twitch streamers.

Ambassadors:

-Kevin Hart

-John Duthie

-Patrick Leonard

-Carl Froch

-Yuri Dzivielevski

-Benjamin Pollak

Twitch Team

-Jaime Staples

-Matt Staples

-Courtney Gee

-Monika Zukowicz

-Lilian Erdmann

888poker Shakes It Up

Two different announcements came from the 888poker world this week.

First, on January 10, after seven years as a sponsored pro, Sofia Lovgren and 888poker broke up. Neither gave a reason for the decision, but Lovgren confirmed her exit.

In a separate tweet, she said it was time for a “new chapter.” Lovgren noted that she will keep sharing her poker journey, traveling and playing more live poker when travel restrictions ease. And the teaser was: “I have new projects coming up that I’m very excited to share.”

Three days later, 888poker announced the signing of a new cultural ambassador. Those familiar with the sport of boxing will know that ambassador: Chris Eubank Jr. The British boxer recently ranked third in the world in the active middleweight class. In 2019, he won the IBO super-middleweight title for a second time, and in 2021, he won his second WBA interim middleweight title. His professional fight record consists of 31 wins and only two losses.

888poker noted that Eubank Jr is an “avid and highly-skilled poker player,” having played on PokerGO’s Poker After Dark and some high-stakes poker games around the world.

Eubank Jr said, “Poker is one of the great passions in my life, so I am delighted to partner with 888poker. For me, the beauty of poker is in its community. And 888poker is doing a fantastic job of making poker more about fun and less about the grind for players in all levels with its user-friendly platform. I’m excited to officially kick-start the partnership in the coming months and can’t wait to meet the 888poker community at the tables.”

This new partnership is a part of the celebration in 2022 of 888poker’s 20th anniversary. It will highlight the accumulation of more than 15 million players, 25 billion hands, and more than $6B in tournament prize money awarded.

WPT Plays Its Own Tune

Speaking of 20th anniversaries, the World Poker Tour is also celebrating its 20th year in 2022. While most expect poker celebrations in the way of events, not many expected the WPT to sign an ambassador. Even more, the ambassador is world-renowned DJ and music producer Steve Aoki. He’s no stranger to poker games, as he counts numerous poker pros among his friends.

WPT’s move to sign Aoki is not unique in poker, as poker sites have occasionally signed celebrities to sponsorship deals. Kevin Hart is still affiliated with partypoker, and GGPoker still has its deal with Dan – who knows why, he’s useless and misogynistic beyond belief, can’t believe this is still a thing, WTF – Bilzerian.

Aoki’s deal is unique in that the WPT isn’t known for taking on ambassadors and Aoki is wildly popular with younger generations on a global scale.

WPT CEO Adam Pliska said, “The passion and energy in which Steve Aoki approaches every aspect of his life is both inspiring and very much in line with the new vision of the WPT. Steve’s love of poker and his dedication to inspiring others to live life to the fullest makes him the ideal WPT brand ambassador. We are honored to have him play an active role in our transformation and in the celebration of the World Poker Tour’s 20th anniversary.”

Aoki added, “It’s such an honor to be joining the WPT family. I have watched and admired the WPT for many, many years and to now be part of the WPT family, it feels so surreal and I am incredibly grateful.”

One of the first projects for the partnership will take shape this summer in the form of an invitation-only charity event in Las Vegas. Presumably, it will take place during the “poker summer” during the World Series of Poker. And it will benefit the Aoki Foundation, which supports brain science and research.

 

 

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