"We dropped down stakes to stream" - James from OP-Poker

Congrats on the PokerStars sponsorship. You have built a brand around focussing on the newer PokerStars formats, was this a strategic move? ie. You are much more likely to make a name for yourself in games with less experts?

James Mackenzie: Online poker is always evolving, and players need to stay sharp and on top of their game. But there is so much out there that there really is something for everyone. There are a bunch of new variants with players making a lot of money (for example PKO tournaments and Spin & Go’s). It was definitely a strategy move by us to fill this gap, but it was also a win-win situation as this is what we love to do.

What is your favourite of the new games Stars has brought out in the last couple of years?

James Mackenzie: I think all three of us have different answers here. For myself it would be Fusion poker, Nick’s is 6+ Hold’em and Eva’s is Power Up.

Which of the formats do you think people will still be playing in 10 years?

James Mackenzie: I think I’m fairly sure that 6+ Hold’em is here to stay. It’s been around in live games for a few years now and only seems to be getting bigger. I’m also fairly sure that Fusion and Showtime will be around. Either as niche variants that appear infrequently like NL 2-7 single draw or maybe something bigger - that remains to be seen.

"I joined Twitch to berate Spraggy"

How did the three of you meet and what made you want to work together?

James Mackenzie: Nick & I go way back from clubbing days while we were both at University. We quickly found out that we were both into poker and been in contact ever since. We had a brief period in Thailand which was a lot of fun and have been bouncing strategy about for the past four years.

We both started OP-Poker as a strategy site for Power Up and we quickly grew a community around that. Eva played a big part in growing the community specifically around our Discord server, so we asked her to join us. So far, she has proven to be an invaluable part of the team, especially as we have tried to design our content around players who are new to poker.

How did you discover Twitch and what made you want to stream there?

James Mackenzie: I first got into Twitch through Hearthstone. I would often spend free time watching players like Kripparian do what they do best. I had fun watching whilst also learning a bit too. After a small amount of time I discovered the poker section and saw Spraggy at the top on the morning hours. I recognized his username from back in the day when we both used to play heads-up cash. I just had to make an account so I could berate him a little bit.

Within the 1st week of starting OP-Poker we realized Twitch was THE best platform for us to grow on. The level of interaction between streamer and audience is second to none. We kept at it and now we’re here (with no intention of stopping anytime soon!).

"Streaming helps with downswings"

Did you approach PokerStars about your sponsorship deal or did they approach you initially?

James Mackenzie: We were first approached by some of the developers for Power Up who enjoyed watching our streams whilst working. We ended up hosting them on our Discord channel for players to give feedback on Power Up and it really went from there.

What do you think you bring to Twitch that your audience responds well to? Why do you think you got the Stars deal?

James Mackenzie: When we started OP-Poker our primary focus was on strategy and breaking down this new game that we started to play. We realised however that forming a community around what we love doing - breaking down these new games and embracing them - was far more rewarding and we now primarily focus on that. I think that PokerStars recognised the value of having a community around their exclusive game types and wanted to help us to gain more exposure.

What would you advise other streamers who want to find a sponsor to do?

James Mackenzie: Look out for and engage with your audience. We acted as ambassadors even before we became them because we knew the importance of bridging gaps between players and operators. Show your value, look out for the players and give actionable solutions to problems.

In one-way Twitch connects you to hundreds or thousands of people, in another it’s just you alone in your room. How ‘social’ does Twitch feel to you the streamer?

James Mackenzie: That is difficult to answer because it always changes but to me it always seems more social (compared to my usual grind) on streams when I’m running bad. The chat is very supportive during those times and really helps keep the motivation up to carry on. It feels extra special when you pull through the other side of that swing knowing it’s not just yourself that has come out of that experience stronger.

"We moved down in stakes to stream"

Has streaming hurt or helped your own game and development? You are after all giving away a lot of your secrets and spending a lot of time concentrating on things other than the poker itself when you stream.

James Mackenzie: Nick and I moved down in stakes from our regular limits to make sure that this didn’t have too big of an effect, but streaming poker is about more than just win rates it’s about building a community, providing an entertaining way to educate, engage and experience online poker with the viewers/community and part of that will involve sharing strategy and how we play. By dropping down in stakes we ensure we are not at a huge disadvantage but that we can remain profitable and relatable to our audience. The Twitch community is about more knowledgeable players sharing what they’ve learnt for free which is an amazing resource.

How important is it to be a good winning player to also be a credible Twitch streamer? 

James Mackenzie: I think as long as you have a good fundamental base of understanding in poker that is all you need to become a successful streamer in poker. If you can beat 5NL Zoom I’d say it doesn't really matter what limits you play and if you are a winning or losing player. As long as you can relate to and entertain your audience you will do well on Twitch. Entertainment is the general priority here but it doesn’t hurt if you win a lot of money whilst doing it.

I think most people assume you just log on and play but what are the most time consuming/energy sapping aspects of Twitch for you?

James Mackenzie: For me it’s making sure everyone knows when I’m going live on Twitch. Instagram is the bane of my life but I do recognise that a bunch of our viewers wouldn’t know we go live unless we make an Instagram story. Being part of a team however means that we can often rely on our teammates to pick up the slack where we are doing miserably. Hats off to those guys and girls who are doing everything by themselves.

Do you have any idea what percentage of your audience are new to poker when they start watching you? And of those, any idea how many start playing the game because of you?

James Mackenzie: I think a very large part of our audience are players that know the rules but have either only played play money or freerolls. We have been told by a fair number of people they built the courage to make their first deposit or their first deposit in a long while because of our stream and that surely can only be good for the world of online poker.

You can follow James and the rest of the team at OP-Poker on Twitch.