A brand new rush of gamers has poured into the poker scene from social media influencers, YouTubers, and streaming gamer megastars who’ve launched their rabid followers to Texas maintain’em over the previous couple of years. Leading that wave is the world’s number one Twitch streaming gamer, Tyler ‘Ninja’ Blevins, with a whopping 62 million followers throughout all social media platforms.
Blevins, or Ninja, as he’s extra generally known as, started his streaming profession taking part in for a number of esports groups in Halo competitions and gained mega-stardom when he segued to Fortnite Battle Royale in 2017.
In 2019, he was named one of many world’s 100 most influential folks by Time Magazine, sharing the listing with world leaders, tech pioneers, enterprise moguls, and different popular culture icons comparable to Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift.
So, after we say that Ninja was a really massive ‘get’ for poker, it’s an understatement.
Blevins first appeared on considered one of poker’s largest levels, displaying off his uncooked recreation in Hustler Casino Live’s particular high-stakes recreation two years in the past with YouTubers (Jimmy ‘Mr. Beast’ Donaldson, Alexandra Botez, Felix ‘xQc’ Lengyel, and ‘Ludwig’ Ahgren), together with professionals Phil Hellmuth, Tom Dwan, and Alan Keating.
It stays one of many present’s most-watched video games ever, with over 1.4 million views. There have been additionally a number of viral clips from the episode, together with a second the place Ninja bought all of it in with pocket sevens in opposition to Hellmuth’s pocket jacks. The Poker Brat flopped a set on a board of A-Okay-J, however Ninja bought the final snort, actually in Hellmuth’s face, when the flip and river fell Q-10 for a chop.
The two would reunite for Nutcase Poker Night on PokerGO, a money recreation that additionally featured Jeff Gross, Dan Weinand, Nate Hill, and Steve Aoki. Hellmuth and Ninja largely averted one another on that evening, nonetheless, each ending within the black.
Most not too long ago, Ninja was again at Hustler, this time going through off in opposition to a lineup that boasted names like Instagram king Dan Bilzerian, NBA all-star Jimmy Butler, boxing champ Ryan Garcia, and soccer legend Neymar.
Card Player caught up with Ninja to dive deeper into his newfound love for poker and his future within the recreation when he’s not streaming Fortnite for hundreds of thousands of followers.
Craig Tapscott: Let’s begin with a quick introduction of your beginnings as a gamer. You’re the most effective on this planet, if not the perfect.
Tyler ‘Ninja’ Blevins: The tremendous quick model was my dad’s curiosity in video video games after we have been rising up. They have been simply in the home. I’d watch my dad play the primary Madden video video games and fell in love with them. My dad and mom lastly let me play once I was sufficiently old, and I grew to become hooked.
I believe it’s secure to say that I used to be one of many pioneers of streaming. Growing up, I used to be obsessive about video video games, however there wasn’t a path to make it a profession. I simply liked the video games a lot.
The early path was scary. It’s like strolling on an invisible bridge, and with each step you’re taking, the subsequent step seems, nevertheless it’s not there to start with. That’s sort of what my streaming profession felt like when it started.
While taking part in Halo, I used to be doing these LAN events, and everybody would convey over their Xbox and system hyperlink. I used to be taking part in in opposition to my neighbors and my associates. That was the height of it once I was youthful, at about 13 years outdated. I had no ambition to be an expert gamer. Such a factor didn’t even exist on the time, or not less than I didn’t comprehend it did. Fast ahead a number of years later, I realized of the present leagues and gaming with Halo 2 and Halo 3 occasions wherein you may compete.
Tapscott: What did you like most in regards to the video games you have been competing in?
Ninja: The aggressive nature behind it. I used to be pushed to be higher than my brothers and higher than my associates and neighbors. That drove me to be good and put the time in.
I spotted that whoever had me on their staff, whether or not it was a event or a match, we’d win. We would win by so much. That was once I realized I used to be the perfect gamer in my neighborhood. I used to be 18 and began streaming Halo: Reach. That was the start of my streaming profession.
I had a mutual buddy who was the supervisor of this staff that I used to be on. We weren’t being paid or something like that. He had this concept that he wished to have his personal streaming platform and instructed I strive it. He thought I had nice power and was a enjoyable entertainer and will stream on Justin TV, which later develop into Twitch TV.
I began streaming and making actual cash when the partnership program got here out. That allowed me to generate income via advertisements and subscriptions from individuals who liked the streaming platform.
Tapscott: When did you uncover poker and what drew you to the sport?
Ninja: It began when my brother Jon (BeardedBlevins) started watching a bunch of World Series of Poker occasions on tv. He all the time performed poker together with his buddies. We even ended up spending $250 on genuine clay poker chips. We turned our foosball desk within the basement right into a poker desk.
We weren’t taking part in for cash then, however there was nonetheless the joys of bluffing. My coronary heart would beat out of my chest. That nonetheless hasn’t modified, by the way in which… when I attempt to pull off a bluff. But that’s the way it began.
Tapscott: When did you play your first actual massive recreation for cash?
Ninja: I bought an invitation to a recreation from Jimmy (Mr. Beast) and Ludwig. They requested me to play in a recreation on the Hustler Casino Live stream. That was my first time at an precise recreation ever, truthfully.
Tapscott: Wait, your first ever recreation was that $100-$200 no-limit recreation? The recreation the place Mr. Beast straddled to $25,600? That’s loopy.
Ninja: Yeah, man, I had performed on-line a bit of bit. I nonetheless have so much to study, however you realize, that’s not going to cease me.
Tapscott: You have been pushed as a gamer with an obsession for being the perfect. How have you ever approached your examine of poker?
Ninja: That’s a terrific query, dude. I watch lots of the prime gamers, however largely quite a lot of money video games. I wish to get the fundamentals down. I rapidly realized all of the phrases and the poker language.
I used to be in an precise event with my brother-in-law as soon as and I didn’t know the entire poker etiquette. But l realized fairly quick. I’ve watched a whole lot of hours of poker now. I’m studying what palms are price getting into on, and so forth. I’m on the lookout for robust palms with good place once I’m taking part in and attempting to study from higher gamers.
Tapscott: You had an notorious conflict with Phil Hellmuth throughout that first recreation.
Ninja: I really like watching Phil. He’s develop into a buddy. I look as much as him as nicely with the boldness he has in his recreation. That’s one of the essential belongings you want when taking part in poker. Daniel Negreanu can be considered one of my favorites to look at; I really like each of these guys and some OG’s like the-late Doyle Brunson and Phil Ivey. They make unimaginable reads on gamers on the desk. But I additionally take pleasure in watching Jason Koon on the tables. He is extremely proficient. I additionally watch [YouTuber] Mariano on HCL, too. He’s quite a lot of enjoyable to look at.
Tapscott: What side of the sport thrills you essentially the most?
Ninja: There are so many thoughts video games in poker. There’s a lot to study, and the talent hole is so excessive for me. That is without doubt one of the massive issues that’s drawn me towards the sport, among the psychology behind it. I’ve bought a lot to study, however I’m having fun with that journey to this point.
Tapscott: Your routine as a gamer/streamer caught in a chair for numerous hours must be laborious in your physique and thoughts. It’s one thing many poker gamers additionally wrestle with.
Ninja: It is. It’s so much totally different than someone who creates content material for a few hours after which has stuff to put up for the subsequent week.
Streaming could be a very bodily demanding job within the sense you need to be there bodily. You can’t simply do an eight-hour stream with out actually being there for eight hours.
And in case you’re not exercising, you’re additionally not getting that psychological reset. To my credit score, I’ve been focusing much more on my psychological well being and my bodily well being as of late.
Tapscott: That’s nice. You not too long ago invested, alongside together with your good buddy Phil Hellmuth right into a wholesome cashew milk drink for {the marketplace} known as Nutcase. Can you share a bit of bit about that?
Ninja: Sure. It’s a brilliant various for folks’s decisions to remain wholesome and luxuriate in a tasty, refreshing drink. I fell in love with the corporate as a result of the proprietor, Joelle, created such a implausible product.
It’s additionally interlinked with the poker group as a result of many gamers invested in it. I used to be impressed to go all in and make this as massive as doable on my finish as an influencer. I additionally hope it grows my community of associates and connections within the poker group. Phil and I plan to do extra sponsored Nutcase video games and tournaments like a latest one we did on the PokerGO studio.
Tapscott: You’re so busy with folks pulling you in lots of instructions. I’m curious. What is essentially the most important side of your life that you simply’re drawn to pursue proper now that fulfills your passions?
Ninja: I wish to proceed to be true to myself by way of my streaming profession and as a optimistic influencer in the neighborhood. I’ll speak shit to the those who I’m taking part in in opposition to generally and have enjoyable, however that’s so small within the grand scheme of issues.
I wish to keep true to my ethical compass for the group, my associates, and those that watch my stream. I don’t wish to get misplaced within the fame, and so forth. I’m consistently humbling myself, staying in my lane, and having fun with what I do. That’s considered one of my short-term and long-term targets.
Tapscott: What about your poker recreation? Don’t you wish to problem Hellmuth for essentially the most WSOP bracelets?
Ninja: (laughs) If I had my approach, I might wish to be anyplace and all over the place taking part in poker. I want to be in all of the video games as a lot as doable. But the closest on line casino to me is an hour and a half away, and the video games are tremendous small.
For now, I’ll proceed to look at poker as a lot as doable to soak up and study extra. Jason Koon has provided to offer me classes 1,000 occasions, and I might need to take him up on that.
Tapscott: I wouldn’t go up working with Jason. What expertise do you assume you convey to poker out of your gaming experiences?
Ninja: I might say I’ve the power to study extremely rapidly in an area that I’m new to. When I actually love one thing and have a ardour for it, I’ll dedicate a lot of my time to rapidly bettering. And I’ve realized the power to adapt and transfer ahead during the last 20 years.
Tapscott: Since you’ve been concerned in some massive eSport and gaming productions over time, what do you assume poker must introduce extra folks to the sport?
Ninja: I believe you sort of simply nailed it. I believe the straightforward factor is to dramatically up their manufacturing worth.
Let the gamers speak extra, and let the enjoyable banter promote the stream and comparable stuff like that. There is a large window for the manufacturing worth to extend and be higher.
Also, I really like stats and superb graphics. Poker ought to observe extra stats. Let’s say Hellmuth is in a money recreation and opens with 10 9
. There could possibly be tracked stats just like the PGA, MLB, NBA, and NFL do. For instance, right here’s the proportion of what number of occasions Hellmuth performs [suited connectors] and what number of occasions he’s received with that hand. How usually has he needed to bluff, and so forth.? I really like statistics like that. The extra the higher.
Poker is considered one of my favourite issues. I’m such a social particular person and love the banter of a very good poker recreation. I’m positive folks will see me on the market on the tables ahead of later. We do plan to do one other Nutcase Poker Night at PokerGO. Be positive to tune in! ♠
*_Photos courtesy of Blevins_.