Just over 10 months after having been acquired by iBetMedia, Pokerati.com has relaunched with an all-new look. The site first debuted a whopping 20 years ago (Ed. note: I remember it; I’m old, lol), and helped pioneer the nascent niche field of poker media coverage. In particular, the site helped to launch the careers of many folks who are now well-known poker media veterans, including Kevin Mathers, Jennifer Newell, and poker “vlogfather” Andrew Neeme.
The site’s relaunch symbolically marks a passing of the torch from founder Dan Michalski to the new owner, iBetMedia CEO Tadas Packaitis, who stated “we are proud to follow the live poker scene and share our insights from tournaments, cash games, streams, and various events throughout the world. With decades of experience in the poker industry, we are here to bring you the most fun and useful content.”
We are back!!! 😎
New logo, new website, but good old passion for live poker.
When @danmichalski launched this site in 2004 exactly 20 years ago, it started as a personal blog for his homepage but quickly grew into a media site covering WSOP, hosting their poker tournaments,…
— Pokerati (@Pokerati) November 27, 2024
A Shining Legacy, A Potentially Bright Future
Those of us from the “Moneymaker Boom” generation have been around for a while and many of us remember the trail that the “original” Pokerati helped to blaze. We became enchanted with the game of poker through watching it on our TV screens and Pokerati helped fill a void for those of us who wanted more. Its articles covered the Las Vegas poker scene and beyond, filling us in on the on- and off-felt happenings that the cameras couldn’t always capture.
In my own personal case, the site (along with other poker blogs of its “generation”) was partly responsible for fueling my desire to get into the poker media business.
I happen to know the new owner, Tadas, very well. We’ve been friends for many years and his passion for poker has always been clear to me. He’s done great work with mypokercoaching.com, and he’s clearly invested a good deal of time, effort, and resources into the Pokerati relaunch. In particular, it’s a great editorial team. You may recognize, for instance, that Ivan Potocki has been a longtime Cardplayer Lifestyle contributing author, too.
As the end of 2024 approaches, things seem to be on the up and up for poker. Attendance at live poker events remains strong and prize pools continue to grow across North America, Europe, and beyond. Online poker, too, seems to be gaining some momentum, with more and more jurisdictions authorizing its legality, particularly in multiple U.S. states. In short, the future looks bright!
So, too, with the resurrection of Pokerati.com, it’s good to see poker media get a boost. More poker to cover, means that the poker world benefits from more coverage. I wish Tadas and his team the best of luck, and much success. A rising tide lifts all boats, and I’m sure that this is a case of “more poker media is better”.
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