Becker signs for Stars

PokerStars, the world’s largest online poker site, today announced that Boris Becker, winner of six grand slam events, will be the new face of PokerStars.

Three times Wimbledon winner and one of the most iconic figures in tennis, Boris Becker will swap the tennis court for the green baize as he represents PokerStars in live and online tournaments, as well as starring in a new TV advertising campaign.

“When I was still playing professional tennis, I started learning to play poker casually in-between games because it helped me to improve my concentration,“ said Becker: “Now I want to develop my poker skills and challenge myself to become really competitive at the highest levels in poker.”

The mixture of strategy, psychology, decision-making under pressure and the need to understand your opponent’s play that makes poker so exciting are all similar challenges faced by players in tennis and other sports.

“Boris Becker is a world class sportsman who became famous for his competitive spirit and aggressive, entertaining playing style, so we’re delighted that he has become an ambassador for PokerStars,” Said Tamar Yaniv, Director, EMEA Marketing from PokerStars.

“Thanks to his commitment to fighting for every point on court, he perfectly embodies the competitive spirit at the heart of all good poker players. And now PokerStars is giving their players who have always dreamed of facing Boris Becker at Wimbledon the opportunity to compete with him in Dortmund.”

Becker’s first task as PokerStars ambassador will be to embark on a training programme to improve his poker abilities and raise his game to be able to compete with the world’s best players at international poker tournaments.

As part of his training Boris will play in professional tournaments such as the PokerStars.com European Poker Tour (EPT) in Dortmund from January 29th until February 2nd 2008 and the Grand Finale in Monte Carlo from April 12-17.