Streaming is seeing a boom in popularity, with data from Grand View Research showing that the streaming market was valued at US$9.8 billion (CA$14.1 billion) in 2023 and is expected to grow further with an 11.8% CAGR from 2024 to 2030. The same report mentions how platforms like Twitch are leading the charge. From first-person shooters (FPS) and role-playing games (RPG) to sports and gambling, streamers on Twitch are exploring a range of different activities for audiences to enjoy.
Last year, Twitch expanded opportunities for Affiliate streamers to increase revenue shares with the Partner Plus Program. The initiative provides more opportunities to level the playing field with Twitch Partners regarding earning potential, enabling a thriving ecosystem for content creation and encouraging more gamers to enter the streaming landscape.
Besides video games, also streaming on the platform are top poker players who provide engaging content for both beginners and seasoned players. In fact, there are 60 million online poker players in the US alone, which means there’s a huge audience of poker enthusiasts that these streamers can tap into. So, if you’re a poker fan looking for content creators to watch, you’ve come to the right place. Here’s a look at poker streaming and some of the best players to watch on Twitch:
Poker streaming
Poker.org’s State of Poker survey found that 90% of respondents enjoy online and live poker, highlighting how virtual poker has become a popular avenue for enthusiasts. With live streaming and online poker gaining significant traction, several platforms have taken advantage of the streaming era to bring the card game’s thrill to a broader audience.
American online poker company America’s Cardroom, which has partnered with Twitch streamers to deliver live action from cash games and tournaments to viewers worldwide. Members of the brand’s poker streaming community, also known as the Stormers, go live every day, providing a ton of poker content, daily giveaways, and insightful discussions about game strategies. Other companies like PokerStars have taken a similar approach by streaming regularly on Twitch and other platforms.
This push towards live streaming is allowing poker’s exciting, unpredictable nature to reach new and diverse audiences, ushering in a new era of enthusiasm. To illustrate, below are some of our favourite poker players on Twitch that you can watch:
Twitch streamers to check out
Kevin Martin (twitch.tv/kmartpoker)
Credit: Kmart Poker on YouTube
With almost 140,000 followers on Twitch, Kevin Mart is one of the most prolific poker streamers out there. Aside from winning Big Brother Canada 5 and appearing on other TV shows like Amazing Race Canada and The Traitors, Martin is also a successful professional poker player. When he was still part of Team PokerStars Pro Online, Martin racked up more than $200,000 in live cash, including four tournament wins in Calgary and a runner-up finish in the Run It Up Reno VII Main Event, where he won $48,210. In 2022, he won the Global Poker Award for Streamer of the Year.
Evan Jarvis (twitch.tv/gripsed)
Credit: Gripsed Poker Training // Evan Jarvis on YouTube
Another active poker streamer on Twitch is Evan Jarvis, who is part of the ACR Stormers. He began his poker career in 2004 when he got inspired by Chris Moneymaker’s victory. Jarvis specialized in 6-max cash games, eventually building a YouTube channel with over 100k subscribers. In 2012, Jarvis began streaming on Twitch, where he now has almost 50,000 followers, typically hosting home sessions and grind games. Jarvis’ career highlights as a poker player include a $48,500 online score in the OSS MDS and racking $162,000 at a Fallsview Poker Classic live event.
Arlie Shaban (twitch.tv/arlieshaban)
Credit: Arlie Shaban on YouTube
Like Martin, Arlie Shaban also competed on Big Brother Canada before becoming one of Canada’s top players in poker. Shaban began his streaming career by hosting low-stakes online poker tournaments and eventually entered the spotlight after streaming for over 1,000 hours or 125 consecutive days. In 2018, he did a “Herculean Challenge from the Poker Gods,” which earned him a $30,000 Platinum Pass from PokerStars, where he currently serves as an ambassador. He also became an ambassador for Sommerville’s “Run it Up.” With over 50,000 followers on Twitch, Shaban typically plays low-stakes tournaments, cash games, and high rollers.
Facundo Gallo (twitch.tv/fspadex)
Credit: FSpadex on YouTube
Argentine Player Facundo Gallo has played poker since 2005, rising in 9-max cash games before switching to 6-max. He started playing high-stakes poker in Macau in 2017 before launching his streaming channel in 2021 and becoming an ACR Stormer within a month. Gallo has cashed several tournaments in Slovakia, Spain, and Uruguay. He also became an ambassador for CoinPoker. With more than 14,000 Twitch followers, Gallo usually streams cash and poker tournaments and NFT games on the platform, providing enthusiasts access to a diverse range of poker-related gaming content.
Mark Rubbathan (twitch.tv/weazel_1991)
Credit: Weazel_1991 on YouTube
Mark Rubbathan’s journey as a professional poker player began in his friend’s basement, where he started playing at 16. Since then, Rubbathan’s poker journey has been nothing short of inspiring. In 2023, he turned an ACR Package into a Triton poker title after taking down the $20,000 Mystery Bounty event for $396,000. He became part of the inaugural ACR Team Online last year, joining other poker streamers in delivering gaming content to global audiences. Rubbathan typically streams cash games, but viewers can also watch him play tournament poker on Twitch, where he has more than 16,000 followers.
Given the popularity of online poker and streaming, platforms like Twitch are becoming the perfect place to explore the hobby. Poker content creators provide entertainment and valuable insights and strategies that can help audiences navigate the game and increase their odds of winning.
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