With the increasing amount of television face time and publicity that highly successful poker players are receiving it has become an unquestionably sound investment to sponsor a successful poker player. The perks are endless with the right player, ranging anywhere from widespread brand advertisement to notoriety in the poker world. But what makes a good representative?
What is it in the genetic make up of a poker player that makes him or her suitable for sponsorship? The obvious answer is a D cup size and pretty face. Many poker players, Negreanu, Phil Helmuth, and Doyle Brunson among others engage in blogging. With Negreanu and others of similar star capacity, Pokerstars has seen an explosion of success and widespread popularity. But if you’ve ever read any of these blogs that so many poker players write they range from interesting to downright hysterical to “please stab me in the neck with an icepick this is so boring”. While a good blog keeps players on the site and creates a following; nobody wants to read about a poker player clipping their nails and watching the Maury Povich show in their boxers on a Monday morning.
Don’t people want entertainment? Don’t they want to hear about the parties, the lights, the celebrities they brush shoulders with, the one night stands, the thrills of the competition and the bitterness of a loss? They should. People want to know the dirt on the other poker players and they want to feel the confidence seeping out of the player who believes he’s the best in the world on any given day. It’s one of the reasons that Phil Helmuth’s blog is one of the most popular and most read poker blogs out there. He’s got it figured out.
A good representative has an appealing demeanor and an interesting life. Of course it’s cool to learn that an idolized poker player has as many similarities to the average man or woman playing online, but the real appeal is in the differences, the subtleties of the their character that make them who they are. With that bullshit said, let’s be real, sex appeal is always the best sticking point when choosing a poker player to sponsor. Most guys will read and watch anything as long as there’s a gorgeous slimmy associated with it, throw in the fact that she kicks serious ass on the tables and that’s an automatic extra two hot points on the scale plus goddess status. And there certainly are some gorgeous looking poker ladies. Look at Liz Lieu, Jennifer Tilly, and of course the main reason we watch the World Poker Tour TV series… Layla Kayleigh. If you don’t know who that is, find out who that is, trust.
On the flipside, the goof look is making a comeback. The goofier the better we say. Really though, who wouldn’t want to see the dumbo eared toothpick win millions of dollars and throw his middle fingers up to the world that used to make fun of him? Rags to bitches baby, isn’t that the dream? To show up at your ten year high-school reunion, blinged out, entourage behind you, yelling “It’s me bitches”! Pull out your stack, then proceed to just make it rain on the people that called you a loser, that’s the payback right? FYI, whoever does that, is still a loser, but it’d be great to see.
So what does make a good poker representative? Is it the rags to bitches guy? The gorgeous honey rolling on Double D’s or is the guy that always wins, always parties and is cocky as shit. It’s got to be a mix. People love to hear and support the guy or gal who wins sometimes just as much as the person who wins all the time, failure adds to the appeal. The point is not just anyone who wins a tournament should be thrown a sponsorship, because a sponsorship is an investment. Your investment should work for you and to pay dividends down the line. A good representative can take a company to the next level of popularity and notoriety. It can increase a client base and boost brand awareness. Choosing a poker face wisely can make all the difference in the world.
