The new age of poker sponsorships Part 2

In Part 1 of this series I went over the current climate for poker sponsorships. In this installment I’ll offer up my suggestions:

Communicate to the poker world

If you’re an up-and-coming poker player there is not a thing you could do that would increase your name recognition more than interacting with and communicating your thoughts and opinions to the poker world in a clear, reasonable, way. Whether it’s through an insightful blog, a video journal, or even by contributing to poker forums, once people look to you for your opinions you have instant credibility in the poker world.

Sometimes poker bloggers/personalities are better known than players (especially online players). Could you imagine if SrslySirius had two WSOP bracelets? He’d be very high on a poker site’s wish list because of his name recognition.

One player who has seemed to pick-up on this is Phil Galfond. Is there any more highly anticipated poker blog than Galfond’s? When poker is legalized in the US Phil Galfond will be among the most sought after prizes, not only because he is one of the best players in the world, but because he has shown his ability to communicate with, and influence the poker community.

Keep your nose clean

After the utter mess the poker community has been through in recent years all it will take for a poker player to land on the “untouchable” list is a single black eye. As corporations start to overtake independent companies there will be less-and-less tolerance for any shenanigans.

Players like Sorel Mizzi, Brian Townsend, and even Justin Bonomo will forever have to answer questions about their pasts, and companies like Caesars or the MGM are going to have little patience when there is an Ike Haxton, Jonathan Little, or some other “name” player with a similar resume minus the negatives.

Whether right or wrong, the damage done to the reputations of some players for their mere association with online poker sites will forever hamper their chances of obtaining a sponsorship deal in the future. Sure, the money was served up on a Golden Platter when they signed with, or stayed with, UB, Absolute Poker, Full Tilt Poker, etc., but those quick dollars could cost them in the long-run.

Present yourself in a positive light

This goes along with my previous thoughts on keeping your nose clean but also extends into your reputation at the table. The way you act and the way you present yourself (yes I’m going there with the way poker players dress) will be crucial to a players chances of receiving a sponsorship.

Unless you are the ultimate heel (Tony G and Phil Hellmuth), or somehow a disheveled appearance adds to your charm, it will be very hard to land a sponsorship if you don’t “look” and “act” the part. Like any other role that requires TV and pictures, looks will matter, but there are plenty of examples where personality will be far more important; after all Peyton Manning isn’t a super-model by any stretch, but he is just as marketable as Tom Brady.

Offer something unique

If you appeal to a certain segment of the population or to a certain region your chances of receiving a sponsorship will soar. We’ve already seen online poker sites shift their focus from the biggest names in poker, to the biggest names in certain regions, as well as trying to appeal to different demographics like women or middle-aged men; neither of which are considered huge parts of the poker world.

A player who can speak two or more languages fluently, a player who appeals to female players, or a player with a really good story, is like a candidate with that one unique quality on a resume that makes them stand-out amongst the other 1,000 applicants with similar resumes and skills.

Be approachable and available

When a company chooses someone to represent them that person has to take on the role of “the customer is always right”. In the past sponsorships were so easy to come by that some players took them for granted and didn’t really live up to the role in terms of being the face of the company.

With limited sponsorships available it’s now very important for poker players to take this “Ambassador” role seriously. That means being approachable to fans and available to the media with better answers than “bad beats are just part of the game” and “I just try to play my best”.

*A few sites still sign players with impunity, but this is becoming the exception and not the norm, and these players tend to be little more than super-affiliates for the site; playing with 100% rakeback and receiving percentages of the players’ rakeback that they drive to the site.