Top Influencers in Poker: The Power Players Behind the Scenes

In the world of poker, there are players who sit at the tables, and then there are those who influence the game from behind the scenes. Here are some of the most influential people in poker, each with their unique impact on the industry.

Professional Backers

Eric "sheets" Haber and Cliff "johnnybax" Josephi, known as "Bax and Sheets", are professional backers who have been in the business since around 2005. Their operations are extensive, with Dutch Boyd mentioning they have around 70 regular "horses". Nick "mi_turtle" Reini stated that backing players brings at least $1,000,000 a month to Cliff and Eric. Their success includes Ion Schwartz taking 4th place in the WSOP Main Event in 2008 and Joe Cada's win in 2009 reportedly bringing them $4.5 million.

Industry Leaders

Jim Ryan became the CEO of PartyGaming in 2008, leading to significant improvements. PartyGaming acquired the WPT brand for $12 million in 2009 and merged with Bwin in the summer of 2010, causing a 30% increase in their stock. Steve "Chops" Preiss and brothers Brian and Colin Colle launched popular shows like Wicked Chops Podcast and This Week in Poker in 2010. WickedChopsPoker.com won the "Best Blog" award in the BLUFF Magazine's "Reader's Choice" poll with 45.5% of the votes.

Media and Journalism

Lance Bradley is the editor-in-chief of BLUFF Magazine, which has a circulation of 250,000 copies. He conducted an exclusive interview with Prahlad Friedman after his sensational contract with UB. Daniel Negreanu approved the new scoring formula for the "Player of the Year" award in BLUFF Magazine. Phil Hellmuth's contract with UB was terminated in late 2010, leaving his future uncertain. Ray Bitar is the director of Pocket Kings LTD, which provides consulting services to Full Tilt. Matt Savage was appointed as the executive director of WPT in 2010. Tony G is the owner of PokerNews, which is available in 30 languages. Matthew Parvis became the editor-in-chief of PokerNews in 2009, bringing significant changes to the site.