Here at Cardplayer Lifestyle we are always happy to support new initiatives that help grow our game. One such new initiative that has just been announced is the formation of a brand new poker marketing agency called Above the Felt Entertainment®. Featuring a stable of accomplished, well-regarded, highly respected poker pros that includes Chris Moneymaker, Jamie Kerstetter, Darren Elias, and Matt Berkey, the agency aims to bring the excitement of poker to the business world via corporate events, partnerships, and better connecting fans to the game’s top stars.
Heading the agency is none other than Tom Wheaton, who has over the last few years emerged as a poker industry mover and shaker through his successful Faded Spade Playing Cards and Faded Spade Virtual Poker brands.
As per their press release, Above the Felt has launched “as a new-age experiential talent and marketing agency focused on connecting poker players, fans, and businesses across industries.” Sensing a niche to be filled and drawing on his nearly two decades of corporate marketing experience, Wheaton believes that the business sector is a prime vector via which to grow the game of poker. His agency’s stable of professional poker players — who have amassed a combined $16.5 million in tournament winnings — have proven over the years that they know how to get people interested in and excited about the game of poker.
Already having longstanding relationships with the aforementioned pros, gathering them together to launch Above the Felt was a natural evolution for Wheaton, who expressed tremendous excitement to be embarking together with them on the new venture. “I am delighted to be working with such incredible talent… and recognize that there is an opportunity for the poker community to greatly benefit companies in and out of our industry through strategic partnerships, creative marketing services and unforgettable experiences,” he said.
The stable’s pros agreed that the time was ripe to actively grow poker in this new direction. “Poker is a young industry with very little coordination or collaboration on the business side of things,” said Matt Berkey. “Tom and the Above the Felt team help to market players and cultivate business relationships that wouldn’t otherwise exist.” Jamie Kerstetter concurred, adding that “I believe Above the Felt can help those of us in the community broaden our reach and grow the game.”
Four-time World Poker Tour champion Darren Elias also expressed his excitement about the agency’s emergence to create new opportunities for players to shine, saying that “Above the Felt aims to connect poker players to fans, casinos, and corporations on a global scale,” and that it would “create mutually beneficial relationships between players and brands for years to come.” Those sentiments were echoed by Poker Hall of Famer Chris Moneymaker, who has been one of the game’s premier ambassadors since winning the World Series of Poker Main Event in 2003. “The poker community has an enormous amount to offer, and I’m thrilled to be working with Tom and the team at Above the Felt to expand poker’s reach to companies around the world.”
We’re excited to see what develops, and have full confidence that companies choosing to work with Above the Felt will not only benefit from, but also revel in the experience of, partnering with a group of people who are so obviously and incredibly passionate about poker. We wish Above the Felt much success in the years to come.
For additional information, please visit www.AboveTheFelt.com.
