{"id":48513,"date":"2021-03-12T21:41:16","date_gmt":"2021-03-12T21:41:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pokerscout.com\/?p=48513"},"modified":"2021-03-15T16:24:56","modified_gmt":"2021-03-15T16:24:56","slug":"faded-spade-ceo-launches-talent-agency-expands-playing-card-business-with-charity-online-poker-venture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pokerscout.com\/faded-spade-ceo-launches-talent-agency-expands-playing-card-business-with-charity-online-poker-venture\/","title":{"rendered":"Faded Spade CEO Launches Talent Agency; Expands Playing Card Business With Charity Online Poker Venture"},"content":{"rendered":"

Poker may be in a state of flux, but Tom Wheaton<\/strong> remains a big believer in the industry. The founder and CEO of Faded Spade<\/strong> playing cards recently announced the launch of a new poker talent agency<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Above the Felt<\/a> Entertainment<\/strong> hopes to parlay some of his business savvy to marketing poker players. The goal is to connect players and businesses across industries, and Wheaton believes there are numerous opportunities available.<\/span><\/p>\n

His efforts have already paid some dividends and his initial roster of players includes some of the biggest names in poker. Chris Moneymaker<\/strong>, Jamie Kerstetter<\/strong>, Darren Elias<\/strong>, and Matt Berkey<\/strong> are all on board as the first clients.<\/span><\/p>\n

The group accounts for more than $16.5 million<\/strong> in poker tournament winnings. Wheaton hopes to develop partnerships with businesses and other entities to market their brands.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\n

\u201cI\u2019ve known Tom for many years from Faded Spade and am very impressed with the company he\u2019s built,\u201d said Moneymaker, a member of the Poker Hall of Famer and 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event<\/strong> champion.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u201cThe poker community has an enormous amount to offer, and I\u2019m thrilled to be working with Tom and the team at Above the Felt to expand poker\u2019s reach to companies around the world.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Wheaton recently spoke with USPoker<\/em><\/strong><\/a> about the new agency as well his efforts in other areas of poker. He offered a look into the business side of the game and some of his hopes for the industry.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Marketing poker players and the game<\/span><\/h2>\n

During the poker boom of the 2000s<\/strong>, adding poker players\u2019 names and likeness to products seemed a no-brainer. The game was in high gear and names like Doyle Brunson<\/strong>, Phil Hellmuth<\/strong>, and Daniel Negreanu<\/strong> became poker stars.<\/span><\/p>\n

Who could forget Hellmuth\u2019s face on a Milwaukee\u2019s Best<\/strong> beer can? Online poker sites embraced players as ambassadors as well. While sites still partner with some players, the market has shrunk since those heady days of the 2000s.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, Wheaton still believes there are some missed opportunities for successful players with a brand and following. As he begins working with players, he believes he brings a unique background to Above the Felt.<\/span><\/p>\n

A 20-year career in the corporate marketing<\/strong> world has given him some insight into what companies are looking for.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cNow my team and I will be working with those folks at different corporations to try and develop some really unique activations for our talent,\u201d Wheaton says, \u201cbut also help grow their business, connect with employees, or engage with clients.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

That could include public speaking<\/strong>, team building, appearances, and other partnerships. Wheaton believes there is a market for poker players and thinks he can make those connections.<\/span><\/p>\n

The game\u2019s popularity, he says, carries over to other aspects of business and he hopes to tap into that.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s amazing, the correlations between poker strategy<\/strong> and execution and business strategy and execution,\u201d he says. \u201cI think our talent can deliver those types of messages outside the industry and bring value.\u201d<\/span>
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

Working to represent and make some deals<\/span><\/h2>\n

Working with players is nothing new for Wheaton. The new agency simply builds on something <\/span>he\u2019s already been doing for players on the side for a few years.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Tom Wheaton at the WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

That behind-the-scenes consulting found some success. Above the Felt now becomes a natural <\/span>evolution on that work.<\/p>\n

While Moneymaker may be well-known outside poker, some of the others are less so. Kerstetter is a <\/span>poker pro and commentator and Elias is the World Poker Tour’s <\/strong>only four-time champion<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Berkey is a poker pro and founder of the Solve for Why<\/strong> Poker Training Academy.<\/span> Wheaton hopes to take advantage of the interests, skills, and background of this roster to reach a wider audience.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cI think there\u2019s going to be a wide array of opportunities across multiple industries,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s not a one size fits all approach.\u201d<\/span>
\n<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Online poker\u2019s growth may be an opportunity<\/span><\/h2>\n

Wheaton believes the timing might be right for a new venture. Live poker is starting to return and online poker<\/strong> has exploded around the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

The possibilities of the growing US online poker market may also offer possibilities. <\/span>That all equates plenty of upside for a new talent agency hoping to represent players.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cThere\u2019s going to be value added that we bring to card rooms and bring to poker organizations within the industry to help get momentum back to engage players and engage fans,\u201d he says. \u201cIn the same light, we have this situation where online poker is starting to expand to new states.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u201cWhen you look at the Above the Felt talent, you\u2019d have to ask yourself, \u2018Why wouldn\u2019t an online poker operator want to directly with Matt, Jaime, Darren, or Chris,\u2019\u201d Wheaton says.<\/span><\/p>\n

That seems to have already happened again for Moneymaker. He recently left PokerStars<\/strong> and quickly struck a deal with an offshore online poker site.<\/span><\/p>\n

As of now, Above the Felt is keeping its roster at the initial four with the possibility of eventually expanding.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cI\u2019m not that interested right now in having a roster of 20 or 30 people,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019m more focused on the best and brightest in the industry who are going to represent themselves, a company, and the industry really well.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Pandemic deals playing card company a setback, moves into online poker<\/span><\/h2>\n

Faded Spade<\/a> playing cards, Wheaton\u2019s main company, was founded in 2017<\/strong>. He hoped to reinvent the typical deck of cards and gear his brand specifically toward the game of poker.<\/span><\/p>\n

That included redesigned images<\/strong>, high-quality plastic material, resizing cards<\/strong> for poker, and more. The company offered a unique and modernized update to traditional playing cards.<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite entering a market packed by a few heavyweights, Faded Spade found some traction. The company reached deals with numerous casinos<\/strong> and also is the official playing card of WPT final tables.<\/span><\/p>\n

Faded Spade has received positive reviews from poker room managers and payers like. However, the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic<\/strong> shut down many casinos and card rooms. That meant no need for more cards.<\/span><\/p>\n

The company faced uncertain times. But Wheaton saw a unique online poker<\/strong> opportunity and looked to transition to another niche in the market.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
A look at a recent Faded Spade Virtual Poker online charity event.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Along with traditional live poker shut down, charities looking for fundraising tournaments were also out of luck. Faded Spade Virtual Poker<\/strong> was born in April 2020.<\/span><\/p>\n

The proprietary poker experience is geared toward non-profits<\/strong>, corporations for philanthropic fundraising<\/strong>, client engagement, employee connectivity, and more.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not real money, just a social poker platform,\u201d Wheaton says. \u201cSince we launched that, we\u2019ve worked with over 80 companies<\/strong> over the last 10 months. From a fundraising standpoint we\u2019ve helped raise over $4 million<\/strong>.\u201d<\/span>
\n<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

Building the brand and promoting the game<\/span><\/h2>\n

The move into virtual poker helped the company survive the live poker slowdown<\/strong>. With tournaments and live action slowly returning, the playing card business is now turning around.<\/span><\/p>\n

The businesses appear to be moving in the right direction. The playing cards and virtual poker have produced a unique niche in the poker industry.<\/span><\/p>\n

Above the Felt now becomes another part of his entrepreneurial efforts<\/strong>. Wheaton is bullish on poker and the possibilities to help players branch out beyond the game.<\/span><\/p>\n

More exposure for the game also means more players in the game. Wheaton sees that as a win-win for the industry.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cMy ultimate hope is that we\u2019re able to expand upon the opportunities that already exist inside the industry for everyone\u2019s benefit,\u201d he says. \u201cI want to make sure that when we work with a card room, online poker operator, or other corporation, it\u2019s a win all around. <\/span>Outside of the industry, I want this to broaden the reach of poker.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

* Tom Wheaton photo courtesy WPT<\/em><\/p>\n

The post Faded Spade CEO Launches Talent Agency; Expands Playing Card Business With Charity Online Poker Venture appeared first on <\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Poker may be in a state of flux, but Tom Wheaton remains a big believer […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":48518,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"link","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","vebbtech_seo_disable_yoast":false,"vebbtech_seo_hide_author":false,"vebbtech_seo_hide_date":false,"vebbtech_seo_hide_factchecker":false,"vebbtech_seo_fact_check_enabled":false,"vebbtech_seo_post_reviewer":0,"vebbtech_seo_post_review_date":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-48513","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-link","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news-category","8":"post_format-post-format-link"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nFaded Spade CEO Launches Talent Agency; Expands Playing Card Business With Charity Online Poker Venture -<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pokerscout.com\/faded-spade-ceo-launches-talent-agency-expands-playing-card-business-with-charity-online-poker-venture\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Faded Spade CEO Launches Talent Agency; 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