Deputy Editor
Popular Twitch poker streamer Fintan ‘easywithaces’ Hand announced that he’s ended his sponsorship with PokerStars.
The Irish online grinder announced the move on X. He called his deal with PokerStars something that “made his dreams come true” and “too good to be real life.”
It’s been such a huge part of my life that it only feels right to say something. My time at the company has run its course and that’s why I’ve decided to move on but I’ll forever be grateful for the opportunity.
Hand’s Sponsorship Part of a Sea Change at PokerStars
Hand had been an ambassador for PokerStars since 2017, at a time when the operator was changing its sponsorship strategy. It shifted away from sponsoring high-profile live players and began signing players who were not household names in poker but had begun to build followership on streaming sites, which were then in their infancy. That included Hand.
Players like Arlie Shaban, Benjamin Spragg, and Hand earned sponsorships. Meanwhile, the big-name live pros on the roster, like Jason Mercier and Felipe Ramos, saw their contracts end without renewal.
Switching to streamers had two advantages for PokerStars. Firstly, it allowed the site to tap into those players’ niche audience. Meanwhile, it saved some of the marketing budget to sign big non-poker celebrities with mass appeal, like Cristiano Ronaldo and Kevin Hart.
The thinking went that people who fit these categories could more easily grow PokerStars’ user base when compared to someone like Mercier. Poker players who saw Mercier wearing a patch and knew who he was likely already knew about and played online poker.
Hand’s Stream Still Going Strong
For the moment, it appears not much has changed for Hand. His followers — 136,000 of them on Twitch — are simply watching him play poker at a variety of different sites now. At the time of writing, he was streaming to an audience of more than 700, with tables on GGPoker, CoinPoker, ACR, and old friend PokerStars.
A few viewers asked about Hand’s plans now that he’s uncommitted to one site. He said he’d likely be playing a higher average buy-in going forward despite losing the sponsorship dollars.
Hand responded to one well-wisher by confirming he’d be back on the live tour “at some point” as well. According to the Card Player archives, Hand has about $418,000 in live cashes, with a high score of $177,989 for third-place in a European Poker Tour Barcelona side event.
