888 Poker in, PokerStars out

888 POKER stepped into this years University Poker Championship event in Montreal this month, replacing PokerStars as a sponsor.

 “Last year this university poker tournament was hosted by PokerStars, but it’s clear the organizers wanted to try something different in a post-Black Friday world,” commented G-poker spokesman Jeremy Taylor. “Even though PokerStars reopened to Canadian online poker players after the shutdowns, it would make sense to partner with a company like 888 that was completely removed from the legal issues of Black Friday. Sites like PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, and Absolute Poker need more time to recover from the negativity surrounding last year’s shutdowns.”

“888 Poker has really come to the forefront of the Canadian online poker market over the past year,” Taylor continued. “They even signed Canadian athlete Georges St-Pierre to represent Team 888 at the 2012 WSOP. 888 Poker not only has a top-of-the-line platform, but they’re also operated by a publicly traded company that faces a lot more regulation than sites like Full Tilt Poker, ensuring players’ money remains safe and sound. This combination of factors makes 888’s commitment to players in Canada all the more valuable.”

“Party Poker has followed a similar path in Canada post-Black Friday,” Taylor added. “By sponsoring events like the Montreal Party Poker Classic, the company has shown real investment in Canadian players, and we recognize and appreciate this kind of attention. All that on top of knowing Party Poker is also backed by a publicly traded company explains this new and improved trend in Canada, and it explains why sites like 888 and Party have earned their stellar reputations.”