PokerStars Cyber Pros and the PCA

By Pauly
Los Angeles, CA

I was fervently waiting for one of the online behemoths to create an elite team of online pros to add to their stable of real life pros. PokerStars doesn't throw the Team pro moniker around too lightly compared to the thousands of red pros on Full Tilt. But in the last few weeks, the gang at PokerStars arranged a sponsored team of online pros. 23 players were selected to the inaugural team with a few more spots to be filled as the year goes on.

They are not exactly the A-Team, but more of an E-Team or cyber team. I recognized some names while a few are a mystery to me. The players are from 18 different countries so you can understand the rationale behind this clever marketing ploy. Gotta fire up the hype machine in emerging markets like Eastern European and South American and create a star system among those poker communities.

Team PokertStars Online Pros:
1. Andres Alisievicz - lobojiji
2. Jorge Arias - JorgeArias
3. Boumaaza Bachir - Chiren80
4. Anders Berg - Donald
5. Alvaro Blanco - VARICO
6. Thomas Boekhoff - Boku87
7. Diego Brunelli - vgreen22
8. Andre Coimbra - acoimbra
9. Mathew Didlick - chipstar1
10. Ta-Chih Geeng - socutiesf
11. Andrew Goetsch - Kid Nebraska
12. Martha Gonzalez - marene
13. Keiran Harris - K_Man2307
14. Steve Jacobs - stevesbets
15. Randy Lew - nanonoko
16. Karlo Lopez - elmagopr
17. Alexey Makarov - LuckyGump
18. Kristian Martin - CharismA3
19. Grzegorz Mikielewicz - DaWarsaw
20. Nichoel Peppe - NicP
21. Grayson Physioc - spacegravy
22. Sebastien Sabic - Seb86
23. Amanda Thomas - ROXY24

And no. Chainsaw Kessler did not make that list, which I think is a travesty. I suggest a hunger strike would be in order and might draw the attention of PokerStars suits. If that doesn't work, you can always set yourself on fire like those Buhddist monks in front of the Pentagon protesting the Vietnam War.

Right now, most of the premier online pros are hanging out in the lobby of the Atlantis in the Bahamas. There's a tropical paradise under their noses with santily clad women at the pools and on the powdery beaches, yet those guys are in their own personal nirvana. The PCA is the Olympics, the WSOP, and summer camp all rolled into one. If the Rhino opened up a franchise in the lobby and accept W$, then they'd rake in the dough.


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