Jaime “PokerStaples” Staples needs no introduction in the online poker world. He is the face of the new generation of poker professionals, streaming his poker adventures on Twitch to attract new players to the game.
Jaime started playing poker around five years ago, competing with his brother to try to win the Zynga poker Leaderboard. Slowly, he moved over to real money sites and started playing full time in September 2014, when he dropped out of school.
In less than a year’s time, his Twitch Channel has grown to over 30,000 followers, and his broadcasts have been watched more than 2 million times. This success earned him a Pokerstars sponsorship, which is the reason he started playing in the first place.
BPC caught up with him to talk about the new generation of online poker stars, his success, values, and vision for the future of online poker.
Hi Jaime, how did you get started with your Twitch channel, and why did you choose to use this platform in the first place?
I dropped out of school in September to pursue poker full time. I decided that if I was going to give poker a serious shot, I wanted to really “participate in the industry.” I wanted to help grow the game and pick up additional equity from doing that. My dropping out of school timed perfectly with the start of Twitch poker. I saw Jason Somerville streaming one day and thought “I would like to do that.” So I started that week and never stopped.
Will this be the new generation of poker players: Players who can market themselves and build up an audience of their own?
It’s tough to say. It has been shown that there is a market for it, but I still think big companies will swoop in and offer deals players can’t refuse. There is no question that poker has a growing number of “fans,” and that bodes really well for the professional player.
How do you build a fan base as a professional poker player?
I think really caring about your audience is what can set you apart. If people are trying to decide who to watch, they are going to choose the guy that followed them on Facebook, checked out their handle on Twitter, or responded to their question on a poker forum.
The second key is going to be consistency—being there often enough that people know when to stop by and watch you.
Can you give me more insights about the difference between the new poker pros (like you) versus the old poker pros? What has changed? And what is important to be successful these days?
I think in terms of playing it is very much the same. Trying to constantly learn, improve, and play. In terms of being a marketable pro, I think it is also the same. You are trying to be an ambassador for poker and inspire people to try the game. The way people are inspired has massively shifted, however. High-stakes games and being able to watch them doesn’t seem to be bringing in the same amount of players as it once did. The players that are inspired by those games are already playing. New markets and demographics are what is valuable to poker sites, and that doesn’t mean the top 10 High-stakes PLO crushers.
You got a sponsorship with Pokerstars because of your successful Twitch channel. What is it like to be a friend of Pokerstars?
The sponsorship of Pokerstars has been a dream come true for me. When I first got into poker, that was the end goal—to be one of the guys who wore the patch on those TV shows. To accomplish that (in a small way) is surreal to think about. It has been so awesome to work at growing the game of poker and having the Pokerstars brand working alongside me. It’s a massive, massive help.
There is no question I was picked up as a Friend of PokerStars because of my Twitch stream. My previous results in poker have been replicated by tons of people. What is different is that I enjoy trying to grow the game and share it by answering those “is this real money” questions 100 times a day.
Being a poker pro is not always accepted. For example, maybe some family members or close friends don’t understand you. Is building a fan base a way to have something to “show off” other than money? What drives you and what values do you stand for?
There are definitely some people who don’t understand what I do and blanket it as “gambling.” That’s a dirty word for a lot of people. That said, most people think what I do is pretty cool, as do I. I enjoy the ability to compete with my mind. I also like the never-ending climb the game presents. There is no end point, and that keeps me really happy because there’s constant room for improvement.
What are your goals within poker? Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
My plans and goals are to get as good as I can at poker and as good as I can at streaming. I’m not sure what that means for results, but only time will tell. Again, I like the challenge of both of those things. It’s something that doesn’t have an endpoint, and it allows me to feel productive and happy in life.
What is your vision of the future of (online) poker? How can we attract more new players to this fantastic game?
I think online poker will start to grow. I don’t think we will see a boom like many predict, but steady growth works just fine. New markets and new demos are the name of the game. There also needs to be some enthusiasm injected back into what we do. I recently attended a video game called EVO. The intensity there—with almost no money on the line—was insane. I’m not sure when it became uncool to care, but that ethos really sucks for the game of poker. I play for bracelets, watches, trophies, a legacy. Poker is much more fun that way.
Which poker player should I interview next?
Jason Somerville. He, as of right now, is the most influential person in growing the game. If you haven’t talked to him yet, you definitely should.
