Jeff Boski Becomes PokerTube’s YouTube Ambassador

Jeff Boski’s poker adventures have been featured on these pages a few times recently – and fans of the Detroit vlogger and our very own PokerTube site will be jumping with joy at the news that Jeff has taken on the role of our very own YouTube ambassador!

With the rise and rise of video blogging in the poker world – where fans of the game get the inside scoop on their favorite players, with hand analyses, casino visits and personal thoughts all rolled into bite-size chunks – it makes perfect sense for Jeff to team up with PokerTube, both aiming their fare at the everyday player and lover of the game.

I caught up with Jeff this week to get the lowdown on his poker career so far – and what drove him to start vlogging his tournament exploits.

PokerTube: Hi Jeff, it’s a pleasure to have you onboard!

Jeff Boski: Hey Andy it’s an honor to be part of the PokerTube Team!

PT: Before we get on to your ambassador role for PokerTube, please tell us when and how poker came into your life?

JB: I started playing in home games and small stakes online in 2003 during the Moneymaker boom. A lot of my friends were playing poker, some doing very well, so I decided to give it a try full-time.

In his recent Q&A vlog on PokerTube Jeff explains how he dropped out of University of Michigan after two and a half years of study, preferring instead to focus on poker, soon grinding out a healthy $100 per day, until… as my question elicited a common story among pros…

PT: Do you still play online, and if so where?

JB: Just a little WSOP.com from time to time. I used to play everyday on Pokerstars.com until Black Friday happened. That devastating day made me lose a lot of friends and my steady source of income. I now focus on skill games like scratch off tickets and the power ball lottery, which are fair and legal.

Live poker soon took over as Jeff’s main focus, working his way from cash games into MTT’s – and rising stakes.

PT: What’s your favorite memory from playing live poker?

JB: It would have to be my recent run of winning the Saturday Wynn $225 rebuy three weeks in a row!

It was his vlogs covering this run which initially brought the likeable pro with his deep drawl to PokerTube’s attention, my fellow scribe Jon Pillspotlighting his exploits shortly before the third win here.

PT: So, what are your favorite games, stakes and places to play?

JB: NL MTTs, $200-$1500 buyins, Wynn/Encore Poker room.

Back in the big man’s Q&A session, he answers one personal question in a most humorous fashion - ‘Do you have a girlfriend?’ asks one nosey follower of the MTT crusher, to which – stoney-faced and eyebrows-raised Boski replies deadpan: ‘No. No. No. I can’t afford a girlfriend… physically, mentally, financially… not yet!” which of course leads me to my next question…

PT: How do you separate poker from your personal life?

JB: They are almost one and the same. When I am not playing poker, I am studying poker or watching poker content on YouTube, PokerTube or Twitch. Most of my friends in town play poker for a living. I enjoy spending time with my two Boxers that I got from the Las Vegas Boxer Rescue to get away from poker.

Of course, although a good live pro, it’s his vlogging which has people talking about him these days…

PT: How did the vlog come about Jeff?

JB: I never knew poker vlogs existed until November of 2016. I saw that the Trooper and Neeme were the top two guys so I decided that I would give it a shot. My main goal was to gain exposure and awareness for the Las Vegas Boxer Rescue. They are a non-profit organization that saves boxers lives in the Las Vegas area. They need any help they can get because they are in debt to animal hospitals.

PT: Why do you think YouTube vlogging has taken off so quickly?

JB: Anyone can do it and people like the interaction!

PT: Tell us about the technical side of vlogging please. Easy? Quick? Outside help? Equipment needed?

JB: I am the most basic vlogger possible. I only use my iPhone 6 and the free iMovie App. I am self-taught and still have a lot to learn in terms of optimal editing, but it is a fun process to create a story. I did recently hire someone to do my custom thumbnails for $10 each since I don't have/know how to use Photoshop.

PT: Have you ever had any trouble at casinos with your vlogging, from players or staff?

JB: A few months ago the Wynn staff pulled me aside on break and told me "We love the vlogs, but we don't want you to use anyone's name or image" I thought this for fair for the other players privacy. The Wynn Floor staff is the best.

PT: Who is your own favorite poker vlogger?

JB: Neeme is the only other vlogger I watch. He has all the HD equipment and is good at editing. I find his personality too soft, but he has good cash game hand breakdowns.

As a writer for PokerTube, I’m not always – or ever! – privy to the bigger decisions which get made, but I was delighted to hear that Boski had agreed to team up with us, but I had to ask…

PT: How did the PokerTube ambassadorship come about?

JB: PokerTube was the only company that I emailed asking if they were interested in working together. I remember Natasha Sandhu promoting your site and she has great assets!

PT: What do you think both sides have to offer in your new role?

JB: I will promote PokerTube by wearing the patch to all my live events. I will also feature PokerTube in my vlogs and on social media. I have some interviews lined up with interesting Las Vegas pros, which will provide content for PokerTube. During the WSOP, I will have greater access to interview all the pros in town.

PT: What do you hope to achieve in the future playing poker?

JB:Win lots of money and use the exposure to create new career opportunities. I am happy the vlog has given me the chance to work with PokerTube and has gotten me many coaching sessions with viewers of the vlog.

So there you have it folks – a great new ambassador for the PokerTube brand and an all-round poker-crusher and good guy as well. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you… Jeff Boski!