The American comedian and actor, Kevin Hart, has bullied his way into a partnership with PokerStars in an attempt to use the game to promote togetherness on a global scale.
Poker has turned into a Netflix box set these past few months. There can only be one largest online poker room in the world, and both 888Poker and partypoker want that name sewn into their collar, but it’s currently woven into the school jumper of PokerStars and someone will have to rip if off their backs.
They have taken a lot of punches. And while doubled over in pain, their competitors have grown stronger. The partypoker MILLIONS brand being the strongest indication yet that we can now start betting some money on this thing.
Partypoker launch an event in Sochi, and PokerStars launch a bigger one. Partypoker launch a massive online poker festival. PokerStars launch a bigger one. Partypoker and 888Poker add some serious heavyweights to promote their brands, and PokerStars forge a relationship with one of the top A-List celebrities of the modern era.
Kevin Hart and PokerStars are a team, with the new goal of making poker fun again. The news came out of a press conference held at the PokerStars Championships where both Hart and Daniel Negreanu fielded questions from the media.
“I have bullied myself into a partnership with PokerStars,” Hart told the crowd.
How is Hart going to make poker fun again?
He is keeping his cards very close to his hairy chest, but his personal mantra is to live, love and laugh – and that’s the ethos behind his decision to partner with PokerStars to take the game to the next level.
“I love the game, I have been playing the game to the point where I am deeply in love with the game, and I see what the game is missing, and it’s missing me,” joked Hart.
Bringing People Closer Together
Hart told the media that it is his intention to heighten the profile of the game. He said he wants to help Negreanu continue doing what he has been doing but at a higher level.
One of the allures of poker is it is a game for everyone. It doesn’t recognise race, creed or colour. Hart told the media that one of the things he loves about playing the game is it allows him to be himself.
“I believe in bringing people closer together.” Said Hart. “Today is the day that poker just got fun and real.”
Negreanu has been espousing for a long time the need for people to make the game fun again. And you could tell he was in love with the idea of having Hart as his new sidekick.
“His presence brings a different vibe to poker,” Said Negreanu. “He shows that you can still try and kill people at the table, but while having fun, and connecting.”
Hart made an excellent point when he talked about how difficult it is for someone to be serious when in his company, a lesson for all poker players.
“It’s difficult to be like that {serious} when you are sat next to me. I am in your face, and these guys loosen up,” said Hart. “There was this German player, wearing headphones, and he wouldn’t talk to me. I kept poking the bear, and eventually, I got three sentences out of him.”
History and First Impressions
When asked how long he had been playing poker, Hart told the media he had been playing for ten years. He said the game keeps him out of trouble, and his wife knows where he is.
Hart said he would not take coaching from anyone preferring to bump his head and take some bruises. And when asked who he had taken a liking to in his time with PokerStars in both The Bahamas and Monte Carlo he singled out Dan Colman and Igor Kurganov for praise.
I reached out to Kurganov’s beau, Liv Boeree to hear her reaction to the Hart deal:
“It’s fu**ing awesome!”
Hart agrees.
This is going to be ground breaking!!!!! https://t.co/zHaUjkhswO
— Kevin Hart (@KevinHart4real) April 29, 2017
Quite where this relationship goes from here is anybody’s guess. The signing of Rafael Nadal was huge. They went even bigger when they signed Cristiano Ronaldo. But I got the impression; both people didn’t do enough to promote the game on a personal level.
Somehow, I think this relationship will be different.
“I am not Nascar,” said Hart. “I don’t just wear a bunch of stickers that don’t correspond with my nature. You can’t become the highest version of yourself and succeed by not putting your hand in as much as possible.”
And let’s hope that poker gets to see Hart putting his hand in for many years to come.
Here is the full press conference courtesy of PokerNews:
