With PokerStars on FanDuel available at any time of day or night in Ontario, Michigan, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, you’re always just a few clicks away from the game you love to play.
But while legal, regulated online poker is the height of convenience, there’s one thing it generally lacks when compared with its brick & mortar version: the ability to talk through hands, strategies and ideas with fellow players.
But there is a version of this which is just as convenient and available as playing online poker: watching live streamers on Twitch.
Sure, the conversation might be a little one-sided — aside from the chat-box — but there’s a massive benefit in the fact that many streamers are not only highly successful, studied and experienced players, but they’re also very used to explaining their thought processes in easy-to-understand ways.
So next time you’re hopping online to play some cards, consider tuning in to some of PokerStars’ most prolific Twitch streamers.
They’ll not only keep you company but, if you pay a little attention, they can impart some useful words of advice at the same time. And with PokerStars streamers, they’ll be playing on the same site as you with similar structures, fields and formats that you’re used to.
Here are a few names we recommend seeking out.
Arlie ‘PrincePablo’ Shaban
'The Shabanimal': Arlie Shaban.Toronto-based Shaban has been a PokerStars ambassador for more than six years, streaming action from the Ontario site to his 50K+ followers.
Shaban is known for going beyond the call of duty as a streamer, having previously completed feats such as streaming for 125 days straight (over 1,000 hours) and completing a series of tough online challenges set for him by PokerStars under the banner of ‘The 12 Labors of Arlie’.
These ranged from taking on some of online poker’s most accomplished players to cashing tournaments in variants he’d never played before. The former Big Brother Canada contestant didn’t shy away from the challenges, and took his audience with him all the way.
And he’s still going, still competing and still drawing the viewers. Check out his Twitch channel and you’ll see why.
Ben ‘Spraggy’ Spragg
Ben 'Spraggy' Spragg. Like 'Snoop Doggy Dog', but spraggier.Spraggy has been a PokerStars ambassador for almost a full decade, joining as a member of Team Online back in 2017. He’s been playing a lot longer than that, however, and found his way onto the PokerStars team thanks to the engaging and entertaining streams he first started way back when.
“You're on your own when you're playing on the felt,” Spraggy told PokerOrg in an interview last year, “But you can lift that stress by seeing how other people are doing.
“Poker is, at its core, a social game. That can get lost online sometimes.”
It rarely gets lost on his channel. The Brit has over 175K followers, active chat, and a busy schedule taking in all kinds of tournament action at PokerStars. Follow along at his Twitch channel.
Sebastian ‘peacendloove’ Huber
It's all peace & love... until Seb Huber takes your chips.Huber is a heck of a grinder, showing up daily with lengthy online sessions — his most recent stream at the time of writing this article was over 16 hours long!
But while it’s always good to follow streamers who turn up, have reliable schedules and put in the volume, there are other great reasons to make sure Huber stays on your radar: he’s a top player.
Just last month he picked up his third World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) title, and it was in a low-stakes $5.50 event filled with the type of players who watch along at home.
Huber talks the talk, and walks the walk, and you can watch him do both at his Twitch channel.
Check out PokerStars on FanDuel now to get into action just like Shaban, Spragg, Huber and thousands more. US players head here, players in Ontario here.
Images courtesy of Rational Intellectual Holdings Ltd.
