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David Kaye signed with PokerStars as an ambassador last fall without expecting to attend the PokerStars Players Championship in the Bahamas. However, being proactive, the Michigan poker pro and content creator decided to obtain his passport in preparation for the opportunity.
It ended up being the correct decision.
Kaye mentioned that prior to this, she had never possessed a passport. She noted that when she shared this fact with individuals outside the United States, they found it astonishing, considering her age of 30. However, she decided to take action and begin the process. Surprisingly, just a week after submitting her expedited application, she received a message informing her that a Platinum Pass was available for her.
I was feeling a bit anxious, waiting for the arrival of my passport. I had all the necessary preparations done, so I anticipated receiving it without any hassle and there are expedited passport services available that can process it in a couple of weeks. However, I still had a slight sense of nervousness to ensure that I had everything in order.
Kaye received the passport on schedule, allowing him to embark on his journey to the Bahamas for the PSPC. Although he didn’t secure any winnings, the trip was still enjoyable and left a lasting impression.
Kaye, who used to contribute to Playinmichigan, recently had a conversation with us regarding his trip and his current position at PokerStars.
A Platinum Pass to the PSPC in the Bahamas
Kaye’s flight, accommodations, and $25K buy-in to the PSPC were all covered by the Platinum Pass.
Signing with PokerStars was a dream come true for Kaye, and receiving this unexpected perk was an added bonus.
Kaye expressed that for a poker player and streamer, achieving this goal is truly remarkable. According to Kaye, PokerStars is the ideal platform for content creators and streamers. This sentiment is shared by most individuals in the industry, and it is not just a casual statement. Furthermore, Kaye mentioned that shortly after joining PokerStars, they were offered a free entry into a $25,000 buy-in tournament. This gesture deeply resonated with Kaye, affirming that PokerStars genuinely values and supports their members. Therefore, Kaye felt immensely grateful for the opportunity provided.
Kaye’s trip in late January wasn’t solely dedicated to poker as he embarked on the journey with his girlfriend. Alongside the poker games, they attended a players’ reception on the first night and enjoyed leisure time at the resort, even visiting a waterpark throughout the week.
“Regrettably, I fell ill for the past two days, hence I couldn’t accomplish anything during that time — quite unfortunate timing,” Kaye mentioned. “Besides that setback, there were plenty of poker-related activities which were incredibly exciting. PokerStars transformed it into more than just a poker tournament, making it a grand event overall.”
Playing at the PSPC featured table and advancing to Day 2
The center of attention was undoubtedly the PSPC, where Kaye was thrown into the midst of it all right from the start. He found himself seated at the renowned table, alongside chess streamer Alexandra Botez and former PSPC champion Ramon Colillas.
Although he wasn’t the center of attention at the table, he began with a strong performance.
“With a laugh, Kaye expressed, ‘I can’t take credit for (the featured table). I believe it was just sheer luck. Around 10 minutes into the game, I unexpectedly landed quads. I had pocket 2s, raised the bet, and then received two calls. To my delight, the board revealed a 3-2-2 combination. In that moment, I thought to myself, ‘If this is any indication of how the rest of the tournament will go, it will be absolutely fantastic.’ … The fact that I managed to get quad 2s was quite thrilling, especially since I was playing at the TV table and my friends were tuning in. It was a pretty cool experience to witness and capture the clip.”
Kaye made it to the final round of the tournament on the second day, despite not being in the prize-winning positions. He outperformed 75% of the participants. Additionally, he successfully secured a place in the money during a mystery bounty tournament that followed the PSPC, making his week even more impressive.
“I was quite content,” Kaye remarked. “I always strive to be my own harshest critic when assessing the hands I could have played differently. However, I don’t believe I made any significant errors, which is satisfying, considering that I primarily focus on cash games. Tournaments are not my area of expertise. Therefore, to avoid any major blunders and to leave with a positive experience, I was genuinely pleased with my performance.”
David Kaye on streaming, PokerStars and interstate poker
Since becoming a PokerStars ambassador, Kaye has been living out his dream, and heading to the PSPC is yet another incredible experience for him.
DavidKayePoker streams on Twitch from noon to 6 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays. Additionally, he occasionally plays and streams on Sunday evenings. On his YouTube channel, also named DavidKayePoker, he uploads content five times a week.
Ever since joining PokerStars, the influence of those platforms has been steadily expanding, but Kaye is particularly grateful for the unwavering support of his long-time followers.
He expressed, “What’s really awesome is that I’m not embarking on this poker streaming adventure by myself. Many individuals have backed me throughout the journey, and I’m fortunate that they also take great pride in it. When my stream achieves success, it’s all thanks to them. If I had no viewers, PokerStars wouldn’t want to collaborate with me. It’s because of them that I have been given this opportunity.”
Kaye is eagerly looking forward to the upcoming events at PokerStars, particularly the Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP).
Furthermore, he has expressed his delight in witnessing the successful merger of online poker players from Michigan and New Jersey. As a result of PokerStars’ implementation of the shared player pool on January 1st, both player pools and guaranteed prizes have experienced significant growth. Kaye anticipates even more positive developments in the near future.
“It may seem great in the short term, but I believe the true importance of that merge lies in the medium to long term,” Kaye expressed. “In order for online poker to truly thrive in the United States, particularly in tournaments and high stakes cash games, it is crucial to have everyone playing together. The presence of large prize pools is necessary to attract players. People participate in tournaments to pursue glory and the opportunity for substantial payouts. As a cash game player, it is exciting to witness the resurgence of high buy-in cash games in the online realm. Poker has been immensely popular in the US for some time, but solely in live settings. It is refreshing to observe its return to the online platform as more states opt in, and hopefully, more states will join the same player pool.”
