Is Kevin Hart better for poker than Ronaldo?
Could Kevin Hart's partnership with PokerStars prove a bigger marketing draw than their deal with Cristiano Ronaldo?
Earlier this year PokerStars ended their partnership with Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar Jnr, which was their most expensive marketing campaign ever. It led me to believe that this spelled the end of them hiring famous faces to promote the game.
I was wrong. Not only are we seeing plenty of famous names crop up to promote their sports betting brand, last week they unveiled a partnership with Kevin Hart, who is currently the highest grossing comedian in the world.
The question now is whether Hart will prove more effective than using elite level sports stars to reach a wider audience?
The fun side of the game
I’ll state my bias right away, I am a huge fan of American stand-up comedy. I love guys like Dave Chappelle, Louis CK, Bill Burr and Chris Rock, and I think Kevin Hart is very funny. So whether he is good for the game or not, I’m really happy to see him here.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about Hart joining forces with PokerStars is that he is American. Yes he is world famous and can no doubt fill stadiums outside of the States, but this does give many of us some hope that this is a statement of intent that Stars will be trying to get back into the US market in a big way (not that they haven’t been trying already).
Like Ronaldo and in particular Neymar Jnr, Hart is a massive fan of poker, and therein probably lies the secret sauce. He legitimately plays in Super High Rollers and Dan Bilzerian’s cash game, so his natural enthusiasm for the game will be easy to sell, and easy for the mainstream media to write about.
A game changer?
Sports stars like Ronaldo do seem like the more obvious fit for poker. We have always tried to sell this game like a sport, so when one of the best athletes in the world is happy to suggest the same, it does help legitimise the game as a serious endeavour. Plus the link between sports betting and poker can only be helpful here, not to mention Ronaldo’s core fanbase (young guys) are also the core poker demographic.
I think what Hart represents is the fun side of poker. He is not the star athlete who crushes, he is the funny guy in your home game. Instead of selling the game as being about winning, Hart could sell it as about having fun. This is the direction the industry is going in general and I can’t see it hurting. If nothing else, he will be more entertaining to watch when he is playing.
My gut says that the aspirational image of an elite athlete like Ronaldo suits poker more. For whatever reason, PokerStars did not renew his deal, so maybe that isn’t the case. Either way I think Kevin Hart is a great ambassador for the game. There is little doubt that poker will seem more fun with him involved, so whatever the outcome I’m grateful PokerStars are trying.
But if he won a Super High Roller, it could be a game changer.
Who is the better ambassador for poker? Share your views in the comments:
