Professional poker players sometimes get the opportunity to be a sponsored player for a poker site. These players, the likes of Fedor Holz, Jamie Staples and Lex Veldhuis, are currently listed as ambassadors for various popular poker sites around the world. But what do they do, who are the biggest ambassadors and can you be a poker ambassador yourself?
| Player | Country | Sponsor | Total Winnings |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
$53,927,012 |
|
|
|
$46,428,490 |
|
|
|
$41,755,502 |
|
|
|
$15,620,750 |
|
|
|
$15,400,306 |
|
|
|
$6,502,664 |
|
|
|
$3,849,567 |
|
|
|
$3,797,394 |
|
|
|
$3,754,095 |
|
|
|
$2,748,791 |
|
|
|
$2,489,800 |
|
|
|
$2,406,202 |
|
|
|
$2,371,701 |
|
|
|
$2,234,338 |
|
|
|
$2,077,227 |
|
|
|
$1,235,539 |
|
|
|
$949,756 |
|
|
|
$920,082 |
|
|
|
$743,209 |
|
|
|
$703,118 |
|
|
|
$528,421 |
|
|
|
$527,934 |
|
|
|
$526,209 |
|
|
|
$514,367 |
|
|
|
$511,697 |
|
|
|
$486,263 |
|
|
|
$482,204 |
|
|
|
$381,621 |
|
|
|
$349,232 |
|
|
|
$306,172 |
|
|
|
$147,906 |
|
|
|
$116,664 |
|
|
|
$93,982 |
|
|
|
$90,710 |
|
|
|
$73,429 |
|
|
|
$72,758 |
|
|
|
$72,685 |
|
|
|
$65,826 |
|
|
|
$65,362 |
|
|
|
$52,159 |
|
|
|
$34,837 |
|
|
|
$32,131 |
|
|
|
$32,066 |
|
|
|
$26,836 |
|
|
|
$21,101 |
|
|
|
$20,974 |
|
|
|
$19,706 |
|
|
|
$8,162 |
|
|
|
$5,710 |
|
|
|
$3,612 |
|
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Poker ambassadors are professional poker players that are chosen by companies like PokerStars and GG Poker to represent and promote their brand.
For this reason, the biggest and most popular names in poker are often the best choices to be ambassadors. Players like Daniel Negreanu are hugely well known and liked by the community, so having the Canadian as an ambassador is very valuable to any brand.
While each deal will vary per player, most, if not all, poker ambassadors will be paid by the company they work for. Not only that, but they might also get other perks - such as getting staked into large buy-in tournaments. This saves the ambassador money, while benefiting the company as their player will seen to be in a staple, high-profile tournament.
While there are no set dimensions or requirements you must meet to become a poker ambassador, you must bring a certain amount of value to the company. A streamer with 10,000+ viewers is going to have a greater chance of becoming an ambassador than a streamer with 10 weekly viewers.
That being said, it’s not all just about the size of an ambassador’s following. A player streaming Stud Hi-lo is going to be valuable to a company than someone with the same number of viewers streaming No-Limit Hold’em, as the former is bringing more niche content to the fray.
All in all, it’s extremely difficult to become a poker ambassador at one of the main sites/companies, but it is possible. You either need a large enough following or bring something new to the table.
While the point is up for debate, many would agree that Daniel Negreanu is the biggest ambassador in poker right now. The Canadian has won more money in tournaments than any other ambassador, and is one of the most well known names in poker. His move from PokerStars, a company he was the face of for many years, to GG Poker shook up the industry.
Yes, Phil Ivey is a poker ambassador. In November 2022, he signed with the World Poker Tour (WPT), one of the largest organisations of poker tournaments globally. Ivey is considered by many to be one of, if not, the best poker players in history.
Yes, you could consider Dan Bilzerian to be a professional poker player. Although exact figures are not clear, he has been a part of the poker high roller scene and has made money in poker.
However, he is definitely not one of the best poker players, or close to the ability of many poker professionals who dedicate their lives solely to poker. In contrast, Bilzerian is more of a businessman, with many different entrepreneurial ventures in different industries currently occupying a lot of his time.