Phil Hellmuth and Annie Duke End Relationship With UBOnline Poker Site Announces Big Changes For 2011 |
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UPDATED: Just a few hours after Annie Duke announced her exit from UB, the site confirmed that poker legend Phil Hellmuth would be departing as well. Duke and Hellmuth represented the last remaining inaugural pros from the site’s inception nine years ago.
Hellmuth’s exit doesn’t come as much of a surprise as he’s been recently spotted on ESPN sporting patches for the Aria Casino and WSOP Academy without any mention of UB.
The 11-time WSOP bracelet winner has nearly $11 million in lifetime earnings and holds the record for WSOP cashes with 79. Hellmuth has been in the news most recently for his rumored upcoming appearance on the popular show Dancing With The Stars.
Here’s a look at UB’s statement.
“The poker pro who is famous for his grand WSOP entrances is making one final exit. Today we are announcing that UB.com and Phil Hellmuth have mutually parted ways. It has been great working with Phil over the last decade and we know we’re with the rest of the poker world when we say that we look forward to Phil’s next move on the world poker circuit. While Hellmuth is no doubt an instantly recognizable poker personality, Team UB will continue to be stacked with young, aggressive poker professionals who today’s passionate online poker players can really identify with.”
The site went on to hint that new additions to Team UB will be announced in the near future.
Duke, a 2004 World Series of Poker bracelet winner and the 2010 NBC National Heads-Up Champion, is ending her long-standing relationship with the online site in a decision she called “bittersweet” on her website. She said the move will provide her with opportunity for “professional and personal growth.”
“I’m going to explore and pursue other business opportunities on a full-time basis,” wrote Duke, who finished runner-up on the 2009 season of Celebrity Apprentice. “And, while I will no longer be a part of UB, I will remain a part of the online and offline poker community and am confident that we will continue to cross paths playing this amazing game that we all love.”
Duke’s other endeavors include a custom mixed nuts and trail mix company, the annual Ante Up for Africa charity tournament, as well as the WSOP Academy.
December has been a month full of change for the former Team UB Pro. On Christmas, Duke announced via her twitter that she is now engaged to long-time boyfriend Joe Reitman. Reitman is an actor, writer, producer, and poker player.
Team UB is still made up of pros such as Joe Sebok, Eric Baldwin, Bryan Devonshire, Brandon Cantu, Adam Levy, Mark Kroon, Gary Debernardi, Scott Ian, Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho.
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