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Online poker giant PokerStars has never shied away from revamping its team of pros and ambassadors and is always looking to try something new. Lately, the brand has undergone a slew of changes with several Team pros parting ways with the brand starting with Jeff Gross, Jaime Staples, Kevin Martin, and Jake Cody. The latest pro to join the list is Randy Lew.
On the bright side for the brand, French poker pro Kalidou Sow is now a member of the PokerStars Team Pros bandwagon and will henceforth be sporting the Red Spade at poker tournaments.
Sow shot to fame when he took down the €5,300 PokerStars Championship Prague Main Event in December 2017. 2018 saw Sow winning the £900 PokerStars Festival London Main Event. The self-taught pro moved to London a year back to focus on poker and considers joining Team PokerStars as another step in his progress.
“I am never satisfied and I always want more. I have long teeth, I’m still hungry,” said Sow after joining the PokerStars Pro Team roster.
Randy ‘nanonako’ Lew & His Association With PokerStars
A Team Online Pro for the brand for nine long years, Lew declared that he was leaving the PokerStars Pro Team in two lengthy tweets posted on April 9.
Tweet (1 of 2): I am no longer an ambassador for Pokerstars. It is always good to take a step back from life and self reflect. I thank you for taking the time to share this moment with me as I open my thoughts to you. pic.twitter.com/qHByR5bdPK
— Randy Lew (@nanonoko) April 9, 2019
Tweet (2 of 2):
Thanks again! pic.twitter.com/q5XfnSrgot
— Randy Lew (@nanonoko) April 9, 2019
Starting out as an avid gamer, Lew started playing online poker and became well-known for putting in large volumes. His multi-tabling skills soon came to fore- he was, at one time, playing up to 24 tables at once!
But coming from a traditional Chinese background where playing poker was considered taboo, Lew kept his poker exploits away from the attention of his family. “I wasn’t proud of playing poker and I felt I needed to be extraordinary to be able to tell my parents and feel proud. I liked poker for the game, the competition, and the freedom.”
Needing a reason to justify playing poker to his parents, PokerStars seems to have stepped into Lew’s life at just the right point of time. In December 2009, Lew signed on with the international poker brand which not only helped him burst onto the global poker scene but also gave him a sense of stability that made it easier for him to build up his case for playing poker to his parents.
During his nine years as a Team PokerStars Pro, Lew played over 13 Million hands and won many of them. He was happy to be grinding on the tables but found that the association with PokerStars was forcing him into public light – something he was not very comfortable with. Though Lew eventually did make peace with his new-found stardom and even allowed a feature documentary film titled ‘I am Nanonoko’ to be made on him, he wasn’t very comfortable with the attention.
Lew also gave Twitch a try, but it felt too forced for him, and he didn’t enjoy it. In his tweet, Lew opened up about his declining interest in the grind and the sport itself. “Now it’s time to grow up and take that leap of faith again. Now is the time to feel free. I’m ready to step into the unknown and do what I want to do. I will play poker when I want to play poker. I will be nanonoko.”
Team PokerStars – The Upheaval
On the onset it may seem like PokerStars’ team of pros is rapidly shrinking, but that is not the case as the brand has also been signing on new talent to its line-up. It seems like PokerStars latest marketing strategy is to bring in newer faces, possibly in an attempt to invigorate new blood along with its more established names like Daniel Negreanu, Chris Moneymaker and also India’s poker pioneer Aditya Agarwal.
However, this process of re-shuffling isn’t new for PokerStars. In 2018, the brand had severed ties with accomplished pros like Felipe Ramos, Vanessa Selbst, Jason Mercier, and Bertrand ‘ElkY’ Grospellier and had signed on superstar athletes Rafael Nadal, Neymar Jr., Olympian Usain Bolt and actor Kevin Hart to represent it.
Surprisingly, the upheaval at PokerStars hasn’t halted. Both Gross and Staples announced their exit in February this year. UK-based pro Jake Cody and Poker Hall of Famer Barry Greenstein also took their leave from the brand.
Nonetheless, PokerStars continues to have a talented roster of Team Ambassadors, and with Sow joining the gang, it looks like that the brand is playing its role in giving space to upcoming poker talents.