Why Online Poker Rooms Sponsor Poker Pros?

A new year has begun and two poker pros are already on the move, after Phil Hellmuth and Annie Duke both said in separate announcements that they would be leaving Team UB.

Hellmuth and Duke have both been involved in ambassadorial rules with UB.com, formerly Ultimate Bet, for many years, and their announcements were preceded by countless rumors on the web of their imminent departures. Both Hellmuth and Duke wrote posts on Twitter on New Year's Eve to confirm they would be leaving UB.

Neither player has confirmed where they will be heading next, although it is believed Hellmuth may be joining rival online poker room PokerStars, while news reports say that Duke is now engaged to be married.

The departure of the two veterans means Team UB will now consist solely of young poker professionals such as Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho, in contrast to the star-studded PokerStars and Full Tilt teams.

Here are Tiffany (center) and Maria (to her left) at Tiffany's 26th birthday party:

In general sponsorship by any of the poker rooms is seen as a lucrative opportunity for poker pros. Most of them receive some sort of salary from their poker room and in return they represent the sponsor in all kinds of settings, including putting in a certain number of hours playing online.