PokerStars and Duhamel Split

PokerStars and Duhamel Split

Wednesday, 22 April 2015

PokerStars and Jonathan Duhamel appear to have parted ways following the removal of the latter from the online poker site's pro roster page.

Despite no official announcement by PokerStars, the 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event Champion no longer features alongside the likes of Daniel Negreanu and Liv Boeree, which suggests he is no longer a sponsored player.

The lone statement given to PokerNews following the removal of Duhamel was that they "won't be working together in the future" which could imply the split was somewhat acrimonious.

Another sign of Duhamel's departure from PokerStars is revealed by his public Facebook page. Although his profile picture still shows his affiliation with the site, the upload from the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open shows him without a patch and playing as a free agent.

Regardless of why Duhamel was released, the move seems to suggest PokerStars is moving forward with its new plans to appeal to new audiences through channels such as Twitch. The signing of popular online broadcasters such as Jason Somerville and Jamie Staples seem to serve as evidence that those with a strong online following and the ability to reach new markets are highly valued.

As it stands now, the real reason for the split between the two parties is unclear but with more than $10 million in live earnings, it's unlikely Duhamel is going to fall on hard times in the near future.



Tags: Jonathan Duhamel, PokerStars