PartyPoker.com Team Expands

PartyPoker.com is pleased to announce the latest signing to its grassroots team that rewards VIPs, customer loyalty and historic links to the leading online poker room. 29-year-old Palladium Elite player Bodo Sbrzesny from Bruchsal, Germany, joins France’s Remy Biechel, Brazil’s Felipe Ramos, the UK’s Ian Frazer and the legendary Mike Sexton in the ranks.

Bodo is a former semi-professional tennis player and professional video gamer who made his mark on the live circuit in September last year with an appearance in the PartyPoker.com Poker Den: The Big Game III. Bodo won a rake race online to sit down with $20,000 against some of the world’s best live players in the lively 36-hour televised cash game. Far from being intimidated, Bodo more than doubled his buy-in when he left the game and memorably bluffed Roland De Wolfe and Barny Boatman with seven deuce off-suit and then showed his cards. At the time Jesse May exclaimed excitedly in the commentary box that ‘a new star is born.’

Predominantly an online player and coach, and well known in the big games on PartyPoker.com, Bodo transferred the skills he learned travelling the world playing the tactical first person Counter Strike video game. Many will remember Bodo from his Miamivice79 and LoveToWin79 screen names on PartyPoker.com but now he will be playing under Bodo_Feels_It.

“I am really happy to have got a deal, said Bodo. “I have always been loyal to Party and I’m thrilled I get to play in big live events around the world with it. The chance to feature in many of Party’s big televised events was also very attractive to me. I really have little experience playing live – I’ve stuck to playing online and started by playing limit online four years ago.

The tactics learned as a Counter Strike video gaming professional helped form the foundation for my poker skills. I learned how to focus my game and improve my skills. The mouse and keyboard handling skills are particularly good for multi-tabling,” he added.

PartyPoker.com is now sponsoring players as it seeks to create a grassroots team. The emphasis is on VIPs, player loyalty and historic links to PartyPoker.com. More members of the team will be announced in the near future and more details on the team concept will follow as the team is shaped.

A PartyPoker.com spokesman said: “After Bodo won the online cash game rake race last year and caused such a stir in The Poker Den he was an obvious choice to bring on board. The sponsored player and grassroots team initiative will continue to grow with all VIPs reviewed for suitability. We have seen growth in VIPs coming back to Party since our launch of the new software and continued huge strides in the VIP programme and launch of the new PartyPoints Store.”