The World Poker Tour cuts ties with its entire media team, Leaf putting out a set of players cards, and the World Series of Poker Circuit hitting Florida are some of the short stacks CardsChat picked up in its latest orbit of poker news.
WPT lays off media team
In a move that came as a surprise to poker industry insiders, the World Poker Tour has let go its entire media team. On Monday, Vice President of Media at WPT Lance Bradley announced that the WPT has told him and his team that they were no longer needed.
The lay-off affects a handful of seasoned and prize-winning poker journalists including Creative Editor Jeff Walsh, Managing Editor Tim Fiorvanti, Media Relations Manager Eric Lusch, Social Media Manager Easton Oreman, Content Coordinator Evan McColl, Admin Coordinator Raul Silva, and Affiliate Business Manager Scott Pesick.
In the three-and-a-half years Bradley worked for the WPT, he and his team had built an entertaining and informative poker news portal that produced Global Poker Index Award winning content. Bradley himself has won the award multiple times, most recently in 2021 for his piece on Isai Scheinberg.
Owned by an investment firm, Element Partners LLC, the WPT family has seen a few rounds of lay-off the last several months, including about 60 tech and security employees who worked for WPT Global, it’s online poker brand.
Poker trading cards coming
Trading card company Leaf is releasing a set of cards featuring poker players tomorrow (Jan. 31). Called the Leaf Metal Poker set, it will feature cards with autographs of some of the world’s most popular players, including Daniel Negreanu, Phil Hellmuth, Patrik Antonius, Espen Jorstad, Jennifer Harman and others.
A box costs $89.99. Each box contains six autographs limited to 25 each, and will also have “a wide array of inserts including Stacked Signatures, Bracelet Winners, and Ante Up.”
The last time the company released a poker set was in 2012. Jesse Fuller coordinated between the players and Leaf. Click here to purchase it.
WSOP Circuit hits Pompano Beach
The WSOP Circuit invades Harrah’s Pompano Beach starting today with a $400 Double Stack Opener and the first flight of the $600 Mini Main and its $400,000 guaranteed prize pool that will be generated over four starting flights.
A $1,100 Master Bounty event with $250,000 in prize promises starts Sunday, Feb. 2, while the first flight of the $1,700 $1 million guaranteed headliner begins next Thursday (Feb. 6). The final table will take place Sunday, which is also the start of the $2,200 “high roller” event with it’s $100,000 guarantee, as well as a $600 event with a $50,000 promise.
The $400 Closer takes place Monday, Feb. 10, and also has a $50,000 guarantee.
It’s a busy start of the year for the WSOP Circuit. It will wrap up its series at Horseshoe Tunica Feb. 3, and immediately after Pompano Beach, heads to both Harrah’s Cherokee in North Carolina and Graton Casino in California Feb. 13 to 24. It finishes the month up at Horseshoe Baltimore Feb. 20 to March 3.
