GGPoker in the live stream business
NSUS Group, Inc., the owner of GGPoker, has made further inroads into the world of live poker, acquiring part of High Stakes Poker Productions, producer of the hit poker live stream, Hustler Casino Live.
In a Wednesday press release, NSUS said that the equity it acquired is that of the show’s former co-owner Nick Vertucci.
continue to offer fans the best live-stream poker content in the world”
“This partnership with NSUS marks an exciting new chapter for High Stakes Poker Productions,” said High Stakes Poker Productions co-owner Ryan Feldman. “With the support of a strong, forward-thinking partner, we are positioned to grow Hustler Casino Live even further and continue to offer fans the best live-stream poker content in the world.”
Feldman told PokerNews that NSUS and GGPoker plan to take a hands-off approach to Hustler Casino Live and let him do his thing.
Poker pro, WSOP connections
Hustler Casino Live is known for the top pros, colorful characters, and occasional non-poker celebrities it presents to poker fans during its streams. GGPoker’s presence, though, could mean that more big names in the poker world will make their way to the show.
Poker Hall of Famer and GGPoker Ambassador Daniel Negreanu said in Wednesday’s announcement: “You rarely see me playing high-stakes poker on streams anymore, but this is going to get me out of retirement and returning to the felt, playing on the most epic cash game stream poker has ever seen. I’m ready to battle.”
Feldman told PokerOrg that he is certainly excited for the possibility of Negreanu and others bellying-up to the Hustler Casino Live tables, but for him, the deal is “way more than that.”
“It’s the business things, it’s the long-term ideas, the vision of what we could do,” he said. “This is a company that owns the World Series of Poker, right? So think about what kind of ideas and things that we could do in the live-streaming cash game space around World Series of Poker events.”
Vertucci shown the door
There was an opening for someone to buy Nick Vertucci’s holdings in High Stakes Poker Productions after he was let go by the company in October over multiple sexual harassment accusations.
Hustler Casino Live player “Julia from Palmdale” was the catalyst, posting her accusations against Vertucci on social media. Veronica Brill, who co-hosted the Nick Vertucci Show podcast with Vertucci followed that up with credible accusations of her own, producing screenshots of text conversations.
Julia also then posted screenshots of text conversations with Vertucci, showing an instance of him repeatedly talking about her breasts while discussing if she was going to play on the stream that night.
Feldman told PokerOrg that once Vertucci was made to step away from the day-to-day operations of the show, it was inevitable that he would sell his stake in the company.
“Ultimately, Nick was able to come up with a deal with the best suitor,” Feldman said. “And it was also the best for our company and for myself as well. I was very happy to hear that this company is the company that was going to be buying his shares once it all played out.”