Jaime Staples Now Full Team PokerStars Online Pro Member

Popular Twitch Poker live streamer and previous Friend of PokerStars Jaime Staples formally signed with the world’s largest poker site and is now an official Team PokerStars Online Pro member.

Heartfelt congratulations poured in via the Twitter social media platform when the announcement was made by PokerStars on Monday, December 14th. The “congrats” messages contained a mix of Staples’ stream fans along with a who’s who of the poker world, including Daniel Negreanu, Alex Dreyfus, Maria Ho, Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier, and Randy Lew.

Congrats to Twitch streamer @jaimestaples who recently became a fully-fledged member of Team PokerStars Online Pro. pic.twitter.com/JkijSz3AZP

— PokerStars (@PokerStars) December 14, 2015

The announcement was made toward the end of the PokerStars sponsored European Poker Tour Season 12 Prague poker festival.

Going on @EPTLive with Matt and Joe in 5! Come hang out https://t.co/yRik87t7Pj pic.twitter.com/6SKcO1wMKr

— Jaime Staples (@jaimestaples) December 13, 2015

Sponsorship Deal Provides Validation for Twitch Poker Star

Although Jason Somerville is globally recognized as the pound-for-pound king of Twitch Poker streaming, the Team PokerStars Online Pro deal validates over a year of hard work and grassroots viewership for Jaime Staples.

One year ago, the Canadian started his live stream via Twitch from his mother’s basement with a modest budget and a dream to eventually grow an organic following. Thanks to Staples’ regular streaming and connection with his viewers, his Twitch Channel grew in leaps and bounds from a couple hundred to a couple thousand in a few short months.

The deal also appears to reflect PokerStars’ goal to focus on marketing to new and recreational poker players, as the PokerStaples stream is known as a rec-friendly live cast.

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Behind The Scenes: PokerStaples Twitch Cast

PokerNews was on hand throughout the 97-event EPT 12 Prague poker festival, and correspondent Sarah Herring conducted a 9-minute interview with the new Team PokerStars Online Pro which can be viewed here.

The interview reveals that Staples’ Twitch channel currently has over 200 moderators and a routine concurrent viewer count of roughly 3,000 who tune-in to his casts.

The Alberta, Canada resident gave props to Somerville (also known as “jcarver”), whose stream paved the way for PokerStaples to learn the ins and outs of engaging an audience. He also had some advice for those aspiring broadcasters looking to get in on the latest poker fad.

“[Twitch Poker streaming] is simple to get off the ground,” Staples told Herring. “But to improve, you may need to outsource some of your work.”

PokerStaples will return to his regularly-scheduled Twitch Poker streaming routine on Saturday, December 19th.

On behalf of all of us here at PokerUpdate, congratulations to Jaime Staples on becoming the newest Team PokerStars Online Pro!