Players from two worlds were excited to hear the latest GGPoker announcement about their newest ambassador. Alexandra Botez (29), a chess icon, joined the GGPoker lineup, sparking many excited murmurs among fans.
Ambassadors at GGPoker
Representing the brand, GGPoker has a roster of over 50 ambassadors, the most ambassadors for any poker room. Its rival, PokerStars, only comes in at around two dozen personalities.
Still, Botez will be the eighth personality on the main ambassador roster. Before her, Fedor Holtz was the latest ambassador to join. Botez’s position as a main ambassador will make her the first significant female player in this exclusive group.
Previous Chess Ambassadors
While the two games are very different, chess players have been poker ambassadors before. Jennifer Shahade, PokerStars’ long-time ambassador, is a well-known Grandmaster. Unibet also previously had an ambassador who was a five-time World Championship title holder, Magnus Carlsen.
Partnering with Alexandra Botez
GGPoker recently announced in a press release that Alexandra Botez will join the team and represent them on and off the virtual felt. As an online personality, she’ll stream her poker journey.
She also seems excited about this partnership with GGPoker. She said, “They share my vision for growing the game, and I’m excited to embark on this journey together.”
Daniel Negreanu extended his welcome to the newest ambassador. He said, “She is a top-notch chess content creator documenting her journey into poker, and it’s a lot of fun living vicariously through it!”
Botez’s foray into poker promises to be relatable and engaging. Many viewers will learn poker and its different strategies alongside Botez. After all, she started playing this game only in the last four years.
She’s made a name in poker, appearing on streams for cash games like Hustler Casino Live. She also participated in the 2023 WSOP Bracelet events and WSOP Paradise. Botez stated, “Poker is the first game I have found that I enjoy playing as much as chess.” It makes for lively streams and exciting content.
Botez’s History
Still, Alexandra is best known for her chess exploits. Her birthplace is Dallas, Texas, but she was raised in Vancouver, Canada. She started playing chess at a young age; she won her first championship at eight and claimed the prestigious title of FIDE Master in 2013 when she was 18.
She has ventured into chess commentary, starting a Twitch streaming channel in 2016 for the commentary and her games. Today, it has grown into a 1.3 million follower channel. Her fame grew thanks to winning the 2022 Chess Streamer of the Year award. Her titles and exploits have earned her the moniker ‘The Queen of Chess.’
From Chess Star to Poker Player
Many are excited to hear that this iconic chess player will join the GGPoker roster. While she’s had previous partnerships with 888poker and PokerStars, many believe she’ll thrive at the leading poker brand of GGPoker.
We look forward to seeing what’s to come and her journey into competitive poker, backed by the king of the poker room. It seems poetic to see the queen of chess and king of poker come together in this partnership; we, for one, are fully on board. Check out the king and queen and our $8,000 exclusive race at GGPoker running in April.
