PokerStars to integrate Twitch into the client

You will soon be able to link your PokerStars account to Twitch and get extra rewards for streaming your games online.

In yet another exclusive for pokerfuse, it has been revealed that a future update to the PokerStars software will integrate Twitch directly with the client and rewards programme. 

Players will soon be able to link their Twitch accounts to their PokerStars accounts, meaning that they will be eligible for exclusive promotions and rewards. 

Speaking to pokerfuse, Scott Goodall of PokerStars confirmed:

We are always looking at new technology and platforms to evolve our offering and to improve the overall experience as part of our commitment to growing poker. Platforms like Twitch take player engagement to another level, so we’ve been very focused on nurturing that community from the beginning and pioneering efforts there. Connecting PokerStars accounts with Twitch accounts means our players can identify themselves as Twitch users, and we can in turn offer them special promotions, items and rewards.

Low cost word of mouth marketing

PokerStars are not the first operator to incentivise players to stream on Twitch, both RunItOnce and the GGNetwork have done the same and given their players enhanced rewards (like extra rakeback) for streaming their play. However, as is often the case with emerging trends in poker, PokerStars may not be the first but they are the biggest. Earlier this month PokerStars announced they were following the trend of offering anonymous tables and last week they announced Spin & Go Flash, a quicker version of Spins very much like Expresso Nitro from Winamax. 

Practically speaking this is a low cost way to promote the PokerStars brand with a big upside. Existing customers promote the site on Twitch, harnessing the power of word of mouth. In the early days of PokerStars they did something similar with the World Blogger Championship of Online Poker which was an exclusive freeroll for people who linked to PokerStars on their personal blogs.

PokerStars have invested a lot in Twitch, they have the two biggest streamers in the form of Lex Veldhuis and Jason Somerville, as well as a new grassroots team of streamers. Now, it seems, there are going to be a lot more people referring to themselves as 'PokerStars Streamers'. 

Would you stream your play for extra rewards? Let us know in the comments: