Lee Davy sits down with the PokerStars Ambassador, Ben ‘Spraggy’ Spragg, to talk about his experience at the PokerStars Player’s No-Limit Hold’em Championship, his relationship with his Twitch stream and much more.
The poker world has changed.
Some people are cottoning on (Run It Once Poker will reward streamers by giving them extra Rakeback), and others are not (see above). So it was sweet to sit down with one of those uninspirational and unambitious streamers, the PokerStars Ambassador, Ben ‘Spraggy’ Spragg, during his time at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA), to figure out if the PokerTube scribe was on to something.
Describe how it felt to play in the $25k PSPC?
“It’s like no other tournament I have ever played,” said an assured and confident Spragg. “It was exciting and exhilarating. There was a unique atmosphere. There are games where everyone is having fun, and it’s almost impossible to get that atmosphere in a buy-in of any significance. It’s a $25k buy-in event where every table I was at, maybe 8-10 different ones, everyone was super jovial, and given the money on the line, I thought the atmosphere was fantastic.”
I ask Spragg how his degree in journalism, film and media helped him grow your Twitch audience?
“Not at all,” says Spragg with a grin. “I started studying politics at university, and I couldn’t handle it. It was too much for me. People who had been at the university for one week suddenly became the most politically informed people I had ever met, and I couldn’t spend time with people like that. So I moved to journalism, film & media because I’d started playing poker in my first year, and I was enjoying it. I didn’t want to get a real job, so I decided to go back to university, and do something, so I did journalism, film and media allowing me another three years to work on poker and things like that. We did a few modules on PR, which helps me not say stupid things to people like you, but not from a branding perspective. It’s not helped with Twitch. When I first set up, I had no plans or content strategy. I just got bored one day, and started streaming.”
For me, a successful Twitch stream is one where the leader takes the group on a journey, but what is that journey exactly?
“I have been on the poker journey before,” says a thoughtful Spragg. “I started with nothing when I was in university. When you’re on the poker grind, your journey is to become the best poker player you can and make the most money through poker that you can. When I began streaming on Twitch, I started again with a bankroll of $100 and started playing tournament poker because that’s what people want to watch on Twitch, and so, that journey was entirely different.
“My journey was to build a community of people who enjoyed poker, and skill and success was a sideshow. As with any competitive game or job, the more you play, the more you get involved, the more you want to be the best; move up and do well. So now, 2-3 years into that, especially after playing and cashing in the $25k event, and playing and doing well in a few High Roller Club events online, the more taste you get of that poker success, the more you think of studying harder. So I am on two journeys: my main journey is building that community, but I also want to push on with my tournament poker.”
Spragg shift through the ranks reminds me of life moving up through the class hierarchy, and wonder how that affects his connection with his audience?
“It depends on the strength of your community,” says Spragg. “Some people have been watching me for years, who saw me with no viewers, a $100 bankroll, playing $1 tournaments trying to run it up again. I think the community is so strong that if you frame it in the right way, and stay true to the content you put out – my content on Twitch is me messing around playing poker – now my bankroll allows me to play higher, as long as I stream with the same entertaining and fun approach, people won’t think I have gone big time. There’s not even a hint of that. My community are very happy that I had the chance to compete in something like this {PSPC}. They enjoy my success because they get to watch the person they enjoy watching playing in higher stakes.”
We can’t persuade people to act; we have to move them to act. How does Spragg feel he do this?
“It’s a direct human connection,” says Spragg. “Twitch is not about the game you are playing; it’s about the community investing in you as a person. You have to be authentic. People watch me because I am just a guy playing poker on the Internet. When I am streaming, there is no fake emotion. If I win a pot, and I enjoyed it, I will celebrate it, but I won’t pretend I am happier than I am. If you go into this thinking you need to be entertaining, fake rage or force create these moments you have no chance. Authenticity means they have invested in me. It’s real.”
Spragg community’s investment in him was never more apparent than when they cobbled together the sponsorship money to buy Spragg’ football team a new kit.
“I manage Tetbury Town Reserves,” says Spragg. “Phil Charles was born in Tetbury, but he hasn’t been to see a game. I am the second team manager, and this season we needed a new kit, so my Twitch channel sponsored the kit. There are advertising boards, also. That’s been a nice way for my community to back something else I am doing. They raised the sponsorship money and supported the thing, and I keep them updated on how their team is doing.”
Movements succeed by moving people from awareness to action and then advocacy. What does Spragg think people are saying to other people during that advocacy phase?
“It’s fun,” says Spragg after some thought. “I would hope I am funny, and entertaining when I play. I don’t think anyone is suggesting they watch me because I’m crushing. My top rated streams are either me winning something or me doing something entertaining. If someone enjoys the stream, they will pass it on and say this is a fun stream to watch.”
I ask Spragg if he watched the Comedy Night during the PCA, and whether he was picking up tips to apply to his stream?
“Always, because I enjoy comedy,” says Spragg. “It’s a big part of my stream. Joe Stapleton thinks I should start practising some open mic stuff. I do have the ability to be conversationally funny, but that’s different to someone saying here is a mic now make me laugh. I don’t know if I am ready for that yet. These guys are so impressive. Backstage listening to Norm {Macdonald} on how he constructs a joke was great.”
We can only create the future we want to see, what does Spragg see when he looks into the future?
“I don’t know,” laughs Spragg. “I don’t have a plan. I never had a plan when I started streaming. I had stopped playing poker. I had a bit of money to sustain me, but I didn’t know what to do.”
And now he is more successful. Is there now a desire to come up with a plan to attract the next 100k viewers?
“I don’t feel any pressure,” says Spragg. “I have got to this point through hard work and doing what I do. When I was at university, I had no idea what to do. I found poker; I did well in poker. When I finished poker, I found streaming and did well in that. Now I am on a path I enjoy, and there are limitless possibilities. I am enjoying commentating, broadcasting stuff; I love Esports stuff, and I am getting back into working hard at poker. There is no pressure. If for whatever reason I stop streaming in two months, I am confident I will find something else I like, and I will be good at it.”
Spragg has the air of confidence that seems to exist in abundance in the poker world. I ask him if he knows where it comes from?
“I hope it doesn’t come across as arrogant,” says Spragg. “I don’t know. I think as poker players we are used to being in charge of our destiny. Your success is entirely dependant on your actions. I have had that responsibility for ten years. If I take time off, I don’t get paid anything. If I have a rough session I lose money, So for the last ten years I have lived under that pressure to succeed or else I have to go out there and find something else to do.”
But it’s more than that surely. Isn’t Spragg afraid of not succeeding?
“Career-wise I don’t see any fear,” says Spragg. “What will be will be. Three years ago, when I stopped playing poker, I had nothing and no career path to follow. I have that now, but I have no fear around what if this or that doesn’t happen. If I can control something, I don’t need to worry about it because I can change it. If I can’t control it, I don’t worry about it because I can’t change it.”
And how does streaming make Spragg feel?
“Every mood or emotion you can think of,” says Spragg. “99% of the time it makes me feel happy, accomplished, and to feel a part of the PokerStars, and Twitch community at large is nice. I hang out every day, and there is always someone you can talk to and share these moments. If I have a bad beat, everyone shares that with me, if I win a tournament everyone shares that with me. On Twitch there is a chat right there, and if someone wants to share a thought with you, it’s right there in the moment. I feel extremely fortunate that I get to stream myself playing cards. It can also be frustrating. But 99% of the time, it’s great. I really enjoy what I do. I am happy and content with what I am doing.”
