GGPoker making further live poker moves
NSUS Group Inc., the parent company of online poker giant GGPoker and the World Series of Poker, has acquired an equity stake in High Stakes Poker Productions, the producer of the livestream poker cash game show Hustler Casino Live. In Wednesday’s announcement, High Stakes Poker Productions said that the stake is the portion once held by former co-owner Nick Vertucci.
High Stakes Poker Productions co-owner Ryan Feldman will continue to run Hustler Casino Live. He told PokerNews that NSUS intends to be hands-off when it comes to the internet’s most popular poker livestream.
“This partnership with NSUS marks an exciting new chapter for High Stakes Poker Productions,” Feldman said in Wednesday’s press release. “With the support of a strong, forward-thinking partner, we are positioned to grow Hustler Casino Live even further and continue to offer fans the best live-stream poker content in the world.”
And since GGPoker is involved, so is Daniel Negreanu, who serves as an ambassador for the world’s largest poker site.
“You rarely see me playing high-stakes poker on streams anymore, but this is going to get me out of retirement and returning to the felt, playing on the most epic cash game stream poker has ever seen. I’m ready to battle,” the Poker Hall of Famer said.
Closing the door on the Vertucci era
As the deal announcement stated, the stake that NSUS bought was that of former Hustler Casino Live co-owner and frequent on-screen player Nick Vertucci. Once essentially the face of the show, Vertucci was shown the door in October of last year after multiple women came forward accusing him of sexual harassment.
Vertucci’s financial stake in the company was still his, regardless of whether or not he was still employed. But it seemed that the writing was on the wall.
“When this all played out and it was announced that Nick would be stepping away, and people realized that he was probably going to be selling his equity in the company, a lot of people instantly reached out to Nick and to me and expressed interest,” Ryan Feldman told PokerOrg this week.
“Ultimately, Nick was able to come up with a deal with the best suitor,” he added. “And it was also the best for our company and for myself as well. I was very happy to hear that this company is the company that was going to be buying his shares once it all played out. And I think it’s just the perfect marriage and I couldn’t be more excited about what this means for the future of High Stakes Poker Productions.”
