{"id":56756,"date":"2023-02-27T22:34:41","date_gmt":"2023-02-27T22:34:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pokerscout.com\/?p=56756"},"modified":"2023-02-27T22:34:41","modified_gmt":"2023-02-27T22:34:41","slug":"life-in-twitch-streaming-with-pokerstars-ambassador-ben-spraggy-spragg","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pokerscout.com\/life-in-twitch-streaming-with-pokerstars-ambassador-ben-spraggy-spragg\/","title":{"rendered":"No Need for a \u2018Real Job\u2019 \u2013\u00a0A Life in Streaming With PokerStars Ambassador Ben \u2018Spraggy\u2019 Spragg"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ben \u201cSpraggy” Spragg<\/strong> has never had a \u201creal job\u201d and he wouldn\u2019t have it any other way. Life as an online poker<\/a> Twitch<\/a> streamer<\/strong> and poker player certainly worked out for the longtime PokerStars ambassador.<\/span><\/p>\n

During his studies at university<\/strong>, Spragg wasn\u2019t sure what career would be a good fit. Poker seemed to interest him most and those college years actually proved to be his poker education.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI had no real career plans,\u201d he says. \u201cI never really knew what I wanted to do. I was a first year politics<\/strong> student. And then I dropped politics because there’s just too much politics.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Eventually, Spragg switched to a journalism, film, and TV degree, all the while playing semi-professionally. After graduating at age 22, the player from the United Kingdom transitioned into card playing full time.<\/span><\/p>\n

The new media landscape presented a way to play poker<\/a> and express his personality. Eight years later Spragg has one of the most popular poker channels on Twitch and continues to roll without that \u201creal job.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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

\u201cI kept playing once I graduated, and then started streaming when I was 25,\u201d he told PokerScout while at the PokerStars No Limit Hold\u2019em Players Championship (PSPC). \u201cI had an audience of 10 people<\/strong>, but thought it’d be a fun thing to do, but then it just kind of snowballed. And then PokerStars saw the audience and they’re like, \u2018why don’t you work with us?\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Spragg has now worked with PokerStars<\/strong><\/a> for six years and lives the life many players dream of. He represents the new breed of poker site ambassador \u2013\u00a0having an audience in place, building content, and engaging with other players.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNow I get to travel around the European Poker Tour and here in the Bahamas, and play all these big events,\u201d he says, \u201cand be a real part of a very fun team and a lot of fun projects.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Online poker streaming with PokerStars<\/span><\/h2>\n

An affable personality and humorous approach is a major reason for Spragg\u2019s success. His Twitch channel<\/a> has more than 150,000 followers<\/strong> with 38,000 on YouTube<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

He\u2019s now been streaming for eight years. Looking back, could he have imagined playing poker full time representing PokerStars and achieving a major following online? Probably not, but there are some challenges that can come with managing his streaming enterprise and hitting the poker road so frequently.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very unique to not have had a job, straight from university into poker, and then into streaming,\u201d he says. \u201cObviously, there are ups and downs. Poker is a very stressful situation<\/strong> because you don’t have a guaranteed paycheck, and you have to be very strict and responsible with yourself. <\/span>And everything that I do now is streaming and commitments and traveling. I’m not going to sit here and say the job that I do is really hard. But there is a lot of work that goes into streaming.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cSo whilst there are stressful days, there are days where I’ve got a lot going on or you lose at poker, and then people get on your back perhaps in chat or dealing with people or whatever. I’m extremely fortunate to be able to do what I do. I do think that comes from a certain amount of disgusting luck<\/strong>. But then you\u2019ve got to work at it. It’s not just \u2018come to the Bahamas and sit by the pool and play poker.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n