Modern Poker and Sponsorship Deals

Back in the day, getting a sponsorship deal from a major room was a dream that many players were working towards achieving. Becoming a sponsored pro meant many perks, often including travel around the globe, playing in different tournaments without having to pay the buy-in, getting great exposure and, sometimes, even being paid for all that.

During the golden days of poker, all major poker rooms were actively looking for players they could sign. Often, all it would take was a deep run in a big tournament or a similar achievement that would put you on the radar, and someone would come knocking. But those times are long gone.

Putting a face to the name

During the mid 2000’s, the poker industry was booming. Introduction of cards-up coverage and the Moneymaker effect started to transform poker from a somewhat obscure activity to a mainstream craze. The potential market grew exponentially and online rooms were battling for their share of that market. What better way to do it than by having a player with decent results represent your brand?

Even if the expenses were somewhat high, and we’ve learned over the years that in some instances they were obscenely high, it was worth it for the rooms as there was so much unused potential out there, so many untapped niches to reach out to. When an industry is growing, cost control is not a primary concern for a company – expansion and growth are.

Making stars

The demand was high and the stock of available stars was fairly limited. For this reason, getting a sponsorship deal with one of the rooms battling for their piece of the pie wasn’t super hard. Sometimes stars are born, but if those are lacking, you can make some of your own.

With one or two good results and good marketing, a decent player can be turned into a star. Likability and willingness to promote poker (and, consequentially, the brand) were more important than results alone. It was a good match for everyone; players and rooms were helping each other, while the poker fans were served with the game left and right.

Shooting stars

The blooming period lasted for a while, but with time, the novelty wore off and outside factors seriously damaged the industry as well. Some of the major developments, like the ban on online poker in the United States, suddenly left the industry with more sponsored pros than it needed or could afford.

A big and vital part of the market was cut off and the need for marketing became, conversely, significantly lower. With time, even the true giants like PokerStars started cutting down their pro roster, especially with the latest takeover by Amaya.

The value of having sponsored pros simply declined, even when those pros are some well-known names. The number of potential customers was no longer as big as it used to be and having a big team of named pros no longer served a purpose.

Welcome to 2015

The number of once sponsored pros who are no longer a part of that group has grown to be substantial. Some of those names include Kara Scott, once a PartyPoker player, 2009 WSOP Main Event champion Joe Cada, who was sponsored by PokerStars, as well as Vanessa Rousso - and the list goes on and on.

New signups, on the other hand, are few and far between. Poker rooms are now looking for something different, as demonstrated by the latest partnership agreement between Twitch poker star Jason Somerville and PokerStars.

The focus has switched to a completely different audience, it would seem – those who could easily convert to become online poker players. In the old days, there was more of an effort to bring live and online poker closer together. Today, it seems, companies are perfectly fine with marketing their online product as it is, without too much reference to the original, live predecessor.

Of course, we cannot forget about the deals with big sports stars like Rafa Nadal or Ronaldo. These, once again, aim at a different base of potential customers, perhaps trying to reach players without any previous poker experience. Instead of trying to further motivate those already involved with poker, companies like PokerStars are trying to attract those who would perhaps never even consider playing the game. Seeing their favorite sport star endorsing it, however, could sway them the other way.

As for those getting the deals, the perks are no longer as sweet as they used to be, not by a long shot. Although the exact details of these agreements are often kept at least semi-confidential, some of the details have been revealed here and there and it is quite clear that what was once a professional goal for many has lost a lot of its appeal.

As things changed, so have the goals of players. Becoming a sponsored player is not as high on the to-do list for many who play poker for living. While some perks are still there, many responsibilities connected to such an agreement make them not as attractive any more. Many players got involved with poker because, in part, they were craving the freedom the game offers; and often they are not ready to give that up without proper incentive, financial and otherwise.

Future

Online poker is making a comeback in the United States. Although it is a slow process, it is almost certain that, with time, many states will be regulated and enter into a compact to allow the mixing of player pools. When that happens, joining the global pool will likely soon follow.

The somewhat dormant American market will be up for grabs once again and companies will need faces to represent them. This should lead to creating better deals for those after them, as the value of having recognizable faces to represent brands will once again increase.

All that said, the golden days of sponsorship deals are most likely behind us and things are not likely to go back to where they were. While the industry may have another boom in it, and there are still some untapped markets, the peak it reached back in the day is not likely to be matched.