Twitch isn’t a new thing in the poker world, but they are becoming more closely related. More and more big poker brands are getting involved with popular poker streamers and PokerStars has just launched a new promotion that will reward players for getting active on Twitch.
PokerStars has launched a promotion to highlight its Twitch integration that will offer players the chance to win two Platinum Passes. There are only three criteria needed for players to enter this competition:
- Link your Twitch and PokerStars account
- Watch at least 24 hours of coverage on the Twitch PokerStars channel
- Create 10 hours of streaming based on your own play
Then, come Dec. 23, Georgina “GJ Reggie” James and Mason “PyeFace” Pye will judge all of the content submitted. They will be looking at how creative and innovative your content is and they will be awarding the Platinum Passes based on that.
The winners of the event will receive “stream-ready” PCs and a $1,000 cash deposit into their PokerStars accounts. This is in addition to the Platinum Passes that will be awarded, which are worth $30,000 each and provide you with entry into the Main Event of the PokerStars Players Championship in Barcelona, travel expenses and spending money.
Poker Players on Twitch
There are some very big names in the poker industry who have made a name for themselves on Twitch, including Lex Veldhuis and Benn Spragg, and online poker operators want to introduce the world to a new generation of streamers. That’s why PokerStars signed over a dozen new streamers and Twitch ambassadors in May 2019.
Last month, partypoker also decided to increase its presence in the streaming world. The company signed Lui Martin to its team of streamers, which includes great players like Jeff Gross and Jamie Staples.
Even the biggest players in the world haven’t turned up their noses at poker streaming. In November, Daniel Negreanu announced his new sponsorship deal with GG Poker – a brand whose ambassador team mostly consists of streamers. So, it’s not outside the realm of possibility that we could see him on Twitch sometime soon.
Gaming industry experts recognize the value in streaming poker and other casino games on Twitch, noticing that the trend is only going to expand. According to Tomas Medon, a poker expert at https://www.moneypokersites.com, the expert poker community is getting a stronger voice with Twitch and providing an interesting platform for poker players at all skill levels. With the nearing introduction of large-scale commercial AR and VR specifically on poker applications, Twitch will only grow should it be able to capitalize on broadcasting these two unique mediums effectively.
Twitch Poker Innovations
The streaming community in the poker world isn’t just about playing hands online; they are also experimenting with new ways to play the game and get players involved. One of the most innovative movements we’ve seen is Chat Plays Poker, a community-driven experiment in which an in-person proxy would play in a game based on the suggestions of viewers in the stream’s chat.
Run It Up Studios and PokerStars worked together on a live-streamed game that included Chris Moneymaker, Joe Stapleton, Jesse Fullen – and an entire community of online viewers acting through a surrogate. It was based on the concept of Twitch Plays Pokemon, a social experiment which saw millions of Twitch viewers come together to complete the classic Gameboy title.
It’s this kind of innovation that will continue to tighten the bond between Twitch and the online poker community. We’re certainly going to be seeing more of these types of initiatives in the poker streaming world, while big brands work on new ways to get players involved via Twitch.
