In a strategic move to expand its reach and engage with a younger demographic, PokerStars recently revealed the addition of a fresh set of U.S. ambassadors to their roster. The online poker platform announced a new ambassadorial partnership with Next Gen Poker.
The signing of the agreement was announced just in time for the upcoming North American Poker Tour (NAPT) Las Vegas event, scheduled from November 4th to 12th. Next Gen Poker is a group of three poker content creators, vloggers, and regular players from Texas. With well over 200k subscribers on YouTube, the sensational trio is made up of former college fraternity brothers Frank “Frankie” Cucchiara, Rosey, and Jack.
Next Gen Poker vlogs, which have accumulated more than 150 million views on YouTube, document the three players’ cash games, tournaments, and other poker sessions.
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The New Generation of PokerStars Ambassadors
NextGen Poker comprises Jack, Rosey, and Frankie “Frankie” Cucchiara, three young Texans who have captivated the online poker community with engaging vlogs, showcasing their poker action, skills, and infectious enthusiasm for the game. They often record themselves playing at some of the world’s renowned tournaments, like the 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP), in which the main event saw Daniel Weinman win over $12.1 million from a record-breaking prize pool.
As of writing, the group has more than 206,000 active subscribers on YouTube, where they post the majority of their poker content. They are also highly popular on TikTok, where Jack, Frankie, and Rosey have an active community of over 258,000 followers with more than 39 million likes.
NextGen Poker’s Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter pages also enjoy decent followership and engagement. With an established itself as a leading voice in the poker vlogging scene, it is easy to see why PokerStars picked the trio as its ambassadors in the U.S., especially during the return of the North American Poker Tour to Nevada at the Resorts World Las Vegas.
PokerStars is leveraging the popularity of YouTube by partnering with the emerging talents of the NextGen Poker content team. With a combined subscriber base of nearly half a million followers on social media, they have established themselves as one of the leading poker channels.
The team excels in creating concise and engaging content, catering to the preferences of the younger audience. Recognizing the immense potential of this demographic, PokerStars aims to tap into the expanding market that heavily consumes YouTube Shorts.
NextGen wasted no time in promoting their new collaboration, taking to the aisles of X, formerly known as Twitter, to announce an exciting $5,000 NAPT giveaway.
Filling the Gap Left by Poker Author Maria Konnikova
As the latest addition to the North American ambassadorial team for PokerStars, Next Gen Poker will replace Maria Konnikova. The renowned poker author recently stepped down as a PokerStars U.S. ambassador. Their primary role will involve producing engaging vlogs and social media content during PokerStars’ live events, with a particular focus on the upcoming NAPT festival at Resorts World in Las Vegas.
In a press statement, Steve Preiss, the V.P. of PokerStars North America, acknowledged that Next Gen Poker’s meteoric rise in popularity is due to their ability to capture the thrill and fun of the game. He praised the trio’s prowess at creating powerful poker content.
According to the V.P., the three have captured what we love about poker and delivered exceptional content to an ever-growing fan base. They have recorded their action, including at top online poker sites in New Jersey.
A Partnership Rooted in Shared Values
The partnership between PokerStars and NextGen Poker is a testament to their shared commitment to promoting poker in a fun, accessible, and entertaining manner. NextGen Poker’s vibrant and relatable content aligns perfectly with PokerStars’ mission to make poker more appealing to a broader audience, particularly younger players.
Tom Wheaton, a poker industry expert and the manager of Next Gen Poker, talked up the collaboration with PokerStars, as well. He asserted that their partnership will help push poker entertainment to the next level by boosting engagement and accessibility with viral content. Wheaton added that the collaboration will not only give live poker more eyeballs and build buzz but also reach diverse audiences in the poker community.
By partnering with NextGen Poker, PokerStars demonstrates its commitment to staying ahead of the curve and embracing the changing landscape of online entertainment. The company recognizes the power of social media and content creation in attracting and engaging new players, particularly among younger generations.
NAPT Returns to Resort World Las Vegas After 12 Years
NAPT is a PokerStars live poker tour in the U.S. that boasts exceptional tournament structures and large prize pools on par with WSOP and WPT. Bettors can access NAPT event satellites online at the main PokerStars, PokerStars Pennsylvania, PokerStars New Jersey, and PokerStars Michigan.
The tour was inaugurated in January 2010 and had a single season before being halted during its second season due to the “Black Friday” of online poker in April 2011.
This year, NAPT returned to Las Vegas after a 12-year break, bringing a thrilling series of events at Resorts World. With a guaranteed prize pool of $3 million, the poker festival included more than 32 tournaments from November 4th to 12th. Players had a choice of a diverse range of buy-ins, starting from $250 and going up to $10,300.
The streaming schedule for the Las Vegas NAPT stop supported the Main Event and high-roller tournaments. Live coverage was streamed for the Main Event, Day 3 onwards. High Roller action was streamed as the final table played out.
The tournament was available on PokerStars YouTube and Twitch channels with commentary from PokerStars alumni James Hartigan and Joe Stapleton. Maria Ho, Nick Walsh, and Griffin Benger also made guest appearances during the stream.
In addition to the English stream, a Brazilian-Portuguese broadcast was available on the operator’s Brazilian channels and commentated by Flavio del Valle and Felipe de Paulo.
Looking Ahead: A Bright Future for Poker
The partnership between PokerStars and NextGen Poker marks a significant step forward in the push for poker to reach a younger audience. By combining PokerStars’ industry expertise with NextGen Poker’s fresh perspective and innovative content, NAPT and other poker tournaments in the operator’s circuit will attract bigger and bigger players and fans.
