Gamers And The Next New Wave: Tyler ‘Ninja’ Blevins Leads The WayNo. 1 Twitch Streamer Steps Into Wild World Of Poker |
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A new rush of players has poured into the poker scene from social media influencers, YouTubers, and streaming gamer megastars who have introduced their rabid fans to Texas hold’em over the last few years. Leading that wave is the world’s number one Twitch streaming gamer, Tyler ‘Ninja’ Blevins, with a whopping 62 million followers across all social media platforms.
Blevins, or Ninja, as he is more commonly referred to as, began his streaming career playing for several esports teams in Halo competitions and gained mega-stardom when he segued to Fortnite Battle Royale in 2017.
In 2019, he was named one of the world’s 100 most influential people by Time Magazine, sharing the list with world leaders, tech pioneers, business moguls, and other pop culture icons such as Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift.
So, when we say that Ninja was a very big ‘get’ for poker, it’s an understatement.
Blevins first appeared on one of poker’s biggest stages, showing off his raw game in Hustler Casino Live’s special high-stakes game two years ago with YouTubers (Jimmy ‘Mr. Beast’ Donaldson, Alexandra Botez, Felix ‘xQc’ Lengyel, and ‘Ludwig’ Ahgren), along with pros Phil Hellmuth, Tom Dwan, and Alan Keating.
It remains one of the show’s most-watched games ever, with over 1.4 million views. There were also several viral clips from the episode, including a moment where Ninja got it all in with pocket sevens against Hellmuth’s pocket jacks. The Poker Brat flopped a set on a board of A-K-J, but Ninja got the last laugh, literally in Hellmuth’s face, when the turn and river fell Q-10 for a chop.
The two would reunite for Nutcase Poker Night on PokerGO, a cash game that also featured Jeff Gross, Dan Weinand, Nate Hill, and Steve Aoki. Hellmuth and Ninja largely avoided each other on that night, however, both finishing in the black.
Most recently, Ninja was back at Hustler, this time facing off against a lineup that boasted names like Instagram king Dan Bilzerian, NBA all-star Jimmy Butler, boxing champ Ryan Garcia, and soccer legend Neymar.
Card Player caught up with Ninja to dive deeper into his newfound love for poker and his future in the game when he’s not streaming Fortnite for millions of fans.
Craig Tapscott: Let’s start with a brief introduction of your beginnings as a gamer. You’re one of the best in the world, if not the best.
Tyler ‘Ninja’ Blevins: The super short version was my dad’s interest in video games when we were growing up. They were just in the house. I’d watch my dad play the first Madden video games and fell in love with them. My parents finally let me play when I was old enough, and I became hooked.
I think it’s safe to say that I was one of the pioneers of streaming. Growing up, I was obsessed with video games, but there wasn’t a path to make it a career. I just loved the games so much.
The early path was scary. It’s like walking on an invisible bridge, and with every step you take, the next step appears, but it’s not there to begin with. That’s kind of what my streaming career felt like when it began.
While playing Halo, I was doing these LAN parties, and everyone would bring over their Xbox and system link. I was playing against my neighbors and my friends. That was the peak of it when I was younger, at about 13 years old. I had no ambition to be a professional gamer. Such a thing didn’t even exist at the time, or at least I didn’t know it did. Fast forward a few years later, I learned of the existing leagues and gaming with Halo 2 and Halo 3 events in which you could compete.
Tapscott: What did you love most about the games you were competing in?
Ninja: The competitive nature behind it. I was driven to be better than my brothers and better than my friends and neighbors. That drove me to be good and put the time in.
I realized that whoever had me on their team, whether it was a tournament or a match, we would win. We would win by a lot. That was when I realized I was the best gamer in my neighborhood. I was 18 and started streaming Halo: Reach. That was the beginning of my streaming career.
I had a mutual friend who was the manager of this team that I was on. We weren’t being paid or anything like that. He had this idea that he wanted to have his own streaming platform and suggested I try it. He thought I had great energy and was a fun entertainer and should stream on Justin TV, which later become Twitch TV.
I started streaming and making real money when the partnership program came out. That allowed me to generate revenue through ads and subscriptions from people who loved the streaming platform.
Tapscott: When did you discover poker and what drew you to the game?
Ninja: It started when my brother Jon (BeardedBlevins) began watching a bunch of World Series of Poker events on television. He always played poker with his buddies. We even ended up spending $250 on authentic clay poker chips. We turned our foosball table in the basement into a poker table.
We weren’t playing for money then, but there was still the thrill of bluffing. My heart would beat out of my chest. That still hasn’t changed, by the way… when I try to pull off a bluff. But that’s how it started.
Tapscott: When did you play your first real big game for money?
Ninja: I got an invite to a game from Jimmy (Mr. Beast) and Ludwig. They asked me to play in a game on the Hustler Casino Live stream. That was my first time at an actual game ever, honestly.
Tapscott: Wait, your first ever game was that $100-$200 no-limit game? The game where Mr. Beast straddled to $25,600? That’s crazy.
Ninja: Yeah, man, I had played online a little bit. I still have a lot to learn, but you know, that’s not going to stop me.
Tapscott: You were driven as a gamer with an obsession for being the best. How have you approached your study of poker?
Ninja: That’s a great question, dude. I watch many of the top players, but mostly a lot of cash games. I want to get the basics down. I quickly learned all the terms and the poker language.
I was in an actual tournament with my brother-in-law once and I didn’t know all of the poker etiquette. But l learned pretty fast. I have watched hundreds of hours of poker now. I’m learning what hands are worth going in on, etc. I’m looking for strong hands with good position when I’m playing and trying to learn from better players.
Tapscott: You had an infamous clash with Phil Hellmuth during that first game.
Ninja: I love watching Phil. He’s become a friend. I look up to him as well with the confidence he has in his game. That’s one of the most important things you need when playing poker. Daniel Negreanu is also one of my favorites to watch; I love both of those guys and a few OG’s like the-late Doyle Brunson and Phil Ivey. They make incredible reads on players at the table. But I also enjoy watching Jason Koon at the tables. He is incredibly talented. I also watch [YouTuber] Mariano on HCL, too. He’s a lot of fun to watch.
Tapscott: What aspect of the game thrills you the most?
Ninja: There are so many mind games in poker. There’s so much to learn, and the skill gap is so high for me. That is one of the big things that’s drawn me toward the game, some of the psychology behind it. I’ve got so much to learn, but I’m enjoying that journey so far.
Tapscott: Your regimen as a gamer/streamer stuck in a chair for countless hours has to be hard on your body and mind. It’s something many poker players also struggle with.
Ninja: It is. It’s a lot different than somebody who creates content for a couple of hours and then has stuff to post for the next week.
Streaming can be a very physically demanding job in the sense you have to be there physically. You can’t just do an eight-hour stream without literally being there for eight hours.
And if you’re not exercising, you’re also not getting that mental reset. To my credit, I’ve been focusing a lot more on my mental health and my physical health as of late.
Tapscott: That’s great. You recently invested, along with your good friend Phil Hellmuth into a healthy cashew milk drink for the marketplace called Nutcase. Can you share a little bit about that?
Ninja: Sure. It’s a super alternative for people’s choices to stay healthy and enjoy a tasty, refreshing drink. I fell in love with the company because the owner, Joelle, created such a fantastic product.
It’s also interlinked with the poker community because many players invested in it. I was inspired to go all in and make this as big as possible on my end as an influencer. I also hope it grows my network of friends and connections in the poker community. Phil and I plan to do more sponsored Nutcase games and tournaments like a recent one we did at the PokerGO studio.
Tapscott: You’re so busy with people pulling you in many directions. I’m curious. What is the most essential aspect of your life that you’re drawn to pursue right now that fulfills your passions?
Ninja: I want to continue to be true to myself in terms of my streaming career and as a positive influencer in the community. I’ll talk shit to the people that I’m playing against sometimes and have fun, but that’s so small in the grand scheme of things.
I want to stay true to my moral compass for the community, my friends, and those who watch my stream. I don’t want to get lost in the fame, etc. I am constantly humbling myself, staying in my lane, and enjoying what I do. That’s one of my short-term and long-term goals.
Tapscott: What about your poker game? Don’t you want to challenge Hellmuth for the most WSOP bracelets?
Ninja: (laughs) If I had my way, I would want to be anywhere and everywhere playing poker. I would like to be in all the games as much as possible. But the nearest casino to me is an hour and a half away, and the games are super small.
For now, I’ll continue to watch poker as much as possible to absorb and learn more. Jason Koon has offered to give me lessons 1,000 times, and I might have to take him up on that.
Tapscott: I wouldn’t pass up working with Jason. What skills do you think you bring to poker from your gaming experiences?
Ninja: I would say I have the ability to learn incredibly quickly in a space that I’m new to. When I really love something and have a passion for it, I’ll dedicate much of my time to quickly improving. And I’ve learned the ability to adapt and move forward over the last 20 years.
Tapscott: Since you’ve been involved in some big eSport and gaming productions over the years, what do you think poker needs to introduce more people to the game?
Ninja: I think you kind of just nailed it. I think the easy thing is to dramatically up their production value.
Let the players talk more, and let the fun banter sell the stream and similar stuff like that. There is a massive window for the production value to increase and be better.
Also, I love stats and amazing graphics. Poker should track more stats. Let’s say Hellmuth is in a cash game and opens with 10
9. There could be tracked stats like the PGA, MLB, NBA, and NFL do. For example, here’s the percentage of how many times Hellmuth plays [suited connectors] and how many times he’s won with that hand. How often has he had to bluff, etc.? I love statistics like that. The more the better.
Poker is one of my favorite things. I’m such a social person and love the banter of a good poker game. I’m sure people will see me out there on the tables sooner than later. We do plan to do another Nutcase Poker Night at PokerGO. Be sure to tune in! ♠
*_Photos courtesy of Blevins_.
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