Johnny Lodden Ditches PokerStars For Party Poker

His departure from PokerStars may have been a low-key affair, but Norwegian online supremo Johnny Lodden’s signing for rival site Party Poker is certainly hitting the headlines, after TeamPartyPoker tweeted the news of their latest signing…

We are delighted to announce that @johnnylodden has joined Team @partypoker as an ambassador. https://t.co/3z5CVkb6ycpic.twitter.com/lzZeFTJthd

— partypoker (@partypoker) April 5, 2017

Lodden’s eight years with PokerStars saw him become one of the most prolific live winners on their team, setting a record 22 cashes in EPT Main Events and a thunderous $2.6million in prizemoney, all this on top of his online crushing of the world’s best players.

The end, however, came suddenly – and barely made the news, Lodden and fellow Scandinavian hotshot Theo Jorgensen quitting the embattled giants of the online game at the same time.

Lodden said of his new signing:

“Party Poker has always been one of the world’s largest poker sites and it is an honor for me to be part of their team. It was important for me to sign with a company that believes in their poker product and their mission. The fact that John (Duthie) has been appointed President of Party Poker LIVE ensures their commitment to the game, and that is something I am excited to be part of.”

Another PokerStar-turned-Party-Poker man is Thomas Udness, who according to CalvinAyre.com “has been hired to grow the Party Poker brand in the Nordic market” – and it seems that Party Poker are now playing PokerStars at the same game.

Udness said of joining Party Poker:

“I am humble and proud to be given the opportunity to head Party Poker in the Nordics. And it is amazing to once again be working with Johnny Lodden. He is a poker legend both in and outside of the Nordics and is a player that is highly respected around the world. Together we are already looking at how we can to give players great poker experiences both live and online.”

Lodden has long been seen as a perfect role model for aspiring pros – winning big and rebuilding from scratch when luck went against him under his old ‘bad_ip’ pseudonym on Prima network.

Despite failing to land the big wins his fellow Scandinavians could boast of, Lodden’s work ethic and incredible consistency – combined with his aggressive playing style – made him the darling of both the EPT and Norway.

So much so that it even spawned a game of its own - ‘Lodden Thinks’ - in which two players place bets on what a third party thinks is the answer to a given question. Invented by Phil Laak and Antonio Esfandiari during the WSOPE, the game has since traveled the poker world, much as Lodden himself has.

Party Poker’s signing of Lodden is yet another sign that they mean business in the fight to catch PokerStars – who currently hold the top spot which Party themselves held until the Black Friday crash in 2011.

However, with a team of 14 ambassadors spanning the globe and including the likes of Mike Sexton, Sam Trickett, Jackie Glazier as well as sporting heroes such as boxer Carl Froch and Boris Becker, the game is on.

Add to this Party Poker’s new live tour reaching from Las Vegas to the famous Dusk ‘Til Dawn casino in Nottingham, to the Black Sea shores of Sochi in Russia, with many more inbetween – and you can see why Lodden has been attracted to his new home, while his old firm of PokerStars is struggling to convince players both live and online that they are a ‘poker player’s company’ at all.

CEO of Party Poker, Tom Waters, said  Lodden and Udness joining the Party Poker ranks.

“We are looking to establish ourselves in the Nordic market and Thomas and Johnny are the perfect people to help us achieve our goals. Johnny will fit perfectly into the team as he shares our beliefs and aspirations. Thomas is highly experienced and will bring extensive local knowledge to the team and will work with Johnny to build awareness of Party Poker events, both live and online, in the Nordic markets.”

Lodden’s first appearance in a Party Poker patch will be the Party Poker MILLIONS tournament in Dusk Till Dawn later this month, who are hosting a $6million guaranteed Main Event with a $1million guaranteed first prize as well as numerous side events. Scooping the Main Event would be the perfect sign-up bonus for the likeable young Norwegian – but what does ‘Lodden Think’ of his chances?