Late last month, 888poker launched an intriguing promotion offering streamers the opportunity to represent the platform’s StreamTeam.
In light of this opportunity, we caught up with one of the esteemed streamers already representing 888poker’s Stream Team. Meet Aaron Barone, a prominent Twitch streamer who has been a proud member of 888poker’s Stream Team since May 2023. Originally hailing from the US, Barone now resides in Vancouver, Canada.
With a poker career spanning nearly two decades, Barone has earned a reputation as one of the top mid-stakes Sit & Go and Spin players, boasting close to seven figures in lifetime earnings. He even achieved the prestigious Supernova Elite VIP status on PokerStars twice.
At 888poker, Barone can often be found playing MTTs and BLAST, the platform’s sit and go lottery product, where he continues to thrive.
In this exclusive interview, we delve into Barone’s background, explore his journey as a poker streamer, gain insights into his views on Twitch and poker streaming, and uncover his advice for aspiring streamers eager to participate in 888’s Stream On promotion.
Hello Aaron! Firstly, thank you for taking the time to do this interview. To start, could you share a bit about yourself? Where are you from and how did you first get into poker streaming on Twitch?
I’m originally from the United States and played online poker professionally for over a decade before getting into Twitch. [I] felt a bit burned out from the grind, and decided to try my hand at streaming — despite the fact that I felt somewhat uncomfortable showing my games/discussing spots in real time. But I quickly fell in love with it, and have continued to feel that way ever since.
How did you become affiliated with 888poker?
888poker first reached out to me in mid 2021 when they were in the early stages of putting a stream team together and I was in discussions to join. Unfortunately, we didn’t start working together right away so I decided to focus on building up my channel. And about a year later, they reached out again and we were able to agree on terms.
Can you share some insights into your experience as an ambassador for 888poker’s Stream Team? What responsibilities does this role entail?
[I] have really enjoyed my experience as an 888 ambassador. Obviously it’s important for me to promote the site by making people aware of the games we offer, but an understated (and equally important) part of being an ambassador for 888poker is representing the game of poker itself.
How does being a member of 888poker’s Stream Team benefit your streaming career and community engagement on Twitch?
Being a member of 888poker’s stream team has allowed me to reach a wider audience, both online and in person at various 888 live events. It’s much more convenient to grind online but recently at the 888poker Live Event in Coventry, I got the opportunity to meet and chat with several other poker players and had an incredible time doing so. I was surprised how much I enjoyed the experience. Many of those same people I bonded with in Coventry have popped into the stream, and that definitely makes the community feel a lot closer.
Could you describe the support and resources provided by 888poker to its Stream Team members?
888poker has all sorts of resources to help its streamers, but for me personally I’m extremely reliant on our fantastic video editors and social media managers. Despite using a computer to make my living, I’m quite technologically inept and couldn’t fathom how to create/edit my own content.
Additionally, the stream team itself has proven to be a great source for advice.
What sets your Twitch channel apart from others in the poker streaming community?
When I first started streaming, I wasn’t even sure anyone would want to watch. But I told myself I wanted to showcase two things.
- 1) Insight into the professional approach that has helped me succeed in this industry for 15+ years.
- 2) Willingness to be authentic, which meant showing emotion and not ascribing to the stoic, robotic style that many incorrectly equate with being an elite poker player. Suppressing emotions doesn’t make you any better. It’s natural to feel all sorts of emotions while you play, but the trick is to not let those emotions affect your decision making.
Do you have any preferred poker streams that you regularly watch? If so, what draws you to these particular streams?
I’m afraid I’ll leave someone out, so I’ll just mention the first three streams that came to mind: peacendloove, girafganger7, imyourbluffpoker.
All three have their own style but are authentic and enjoyable to watch.
How do you navigate the balance between representing 888poker while also playing on other online poker platforms?
When I first signed with 888poker, they made it clear that our goals were aligned: Not only were we trying to grow my own personal brand and the site itself, but the game of poker as a whole. And that makes it a lot easier. The truth is that 888poker isn’t the only site out there, so pretending others don’t exist would be pointless. In addition, the majority of professional MTT players play on multiple sites, simply because it’s hard to get enough volume from one site alone.
As a current member of 888poker’s Stream Team, how do you perceive the Stream On promotion impacting the Twitch poker streaming community?
My hope is that the 'Stream On’ promotion gives people some extra motivation to get into the creator side of the Twitch streets. Some of those people will have streamed before and others will have zero experience. But my guess is the community will be quite familiar with both groups as they’ve been participating in the chats of other streams for some time. It will be great to put faces to those screennames, overall strengthening the connections we have with each other and within our communities. While there can only be one winner, I’d argue that everyone who participates in the Stream On promotion, who steps outside their comfort zone and gives this a shot — has already won.
What advice would you offer to those considering participating in the Stream On promotion?
So many people who watch streams think to themselves 'Hmm, I wonder if I could do that’ and promotions like 'Stream On’ can be the little push they need to help them spring into action. Some are hesitant to start until they have the perfect mic, camera, layout, etc and look, I understand the desire to put out a quality product — but keep in mind, the Twitch community is quite forgiving. I think I streamed out of the incorrect audio slot for about a year, and people still listened to garbled sounds. Most important thing you can do is try. Put yourself out there, get comfortable, and enjoy the experience.
I’m excited to check out all of these new streamers channels and look forward to their content.
