Players streaming their poker sessions is nothing new. YouTube is full of videos from recreational and professional poker players showcasing their skills. The popularity explosion of streaming site Twitch means even more players are taking to the internet and creating a channel.
There are positives and negatives associated with streaming your online poker sessions. However, the positives outweigh the negatives, hence why players flock to Twitch in droves and attempt to steal a bit of the limelight.
Poker streamers come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Sure, the elite professionals have the biggest following for obvious reasons, but many streamers frequent micro and low-stakes cash games and tournaments. Here is why.
Poker Streaming Helps You Bring Your A-Game to the Table
Playing poker to the best of your ability is the only way to win at this crazy game consistently. You cannot rely on Lady Luck to do the hard work for you. What better way to keep focussed on the task at hand than by having your play analyzed by your followers?
Do you usually run too many bluffs? Could your aggression do with some work? What about your three-betting hand selection? Streaming your play can help whatever the issues are with your game.
Finding yourself playing poker to an audience does put some pressure on you, but it also makes you think about your decisions more thoroughly. People do not enjoy looking like a fool, especially when there is money on the line. Knowing someone is watching your every move forces you to analyze those moves.
Poker Streaming Helps You Improve Your Skills
Not only are you more likely to think your plays through while streaming, but your audience can also help you improve your skills. Everyone who watches a poker stream loves poker. It is not an exciting game to watch if you are not a fan of the game, let’s be honest.
Those like-minded followers chime in the chatbox with words of advice. Others enter discussions with you after your session and give a different perspective on how certain hands played out. Those extra pair of eyes make you think about your play on another level.
Poker Streamers Create Communities
Poker is best played in a social environment. You meet people from all walks of life, people who share the common interest of playing poker. Online poker does not lend itself to being social because it is faceless, and you are sat behind a computer screen with only a chatbox to type into.
Streaming on a site such as Twitch allows you to interact with your fellow players. Furthermore, you have the chance to build a special community. You may find you attract many followers even if you play for low stakes. This is because those followers are likely in a similar position as you, so they can relate to your struggles.
It is heartening to see a low-stakes player reach a final table being cheered on by a legion of stream followers. Do not underestimate that support; it can and does go a long way.
You Can Make Money and Gain Sponsorships
I was around the poker scene when online poker sites handed out sponsorship deals like they were confetti. Those days are gone; you need more than a big score in a major tournament to secure a deal. In fact, your results often do not matter much in the grand scheme of things.
There are dozens of sponsored players and ambassadors who are bang average at poker. However, they have a significant social media presence or a popular streaming channel. Online poker sites want someone that brings something to the table. Excellent results help, but having something about you counts for much more these days.
In addition to potential sponsorships, streamers make money from their channels through advertizing and donations or tips. For example, Twitch runs adverts before and during streams. They make money from people watching the adverts, and the streamer receives a cut of that revenue.
Some followers and viewers like to make donations to the person streaming poker. It is not uncommon for popular streamers to receive a couple of hundred bucks on their streams, especially if they offer followers the chance to pay a subscription.
No Delay Streams
There’s nothing more frustrating than going into a live stream and having to wait for what feels like forever to get a response to a question— it takes the ‘live’ element out of the equation. Having a direct connection between viewer and broadcaster results in viewers no longer have to suffer long wait times to have their questions answered, which establishes a deeper connection.
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Matthew Pitt
If it’s something you can play online for real money, chances are Matthew knows a bit about it. He’s been writing about slots, craps and poker for the better part of the last decade. He’s written for PokerNews, PartyPoker and many other respected online gambling websites during the last nine years.