The Best Poker Vloggers on YouTube for 2026

Key Takeaways

• Poker vlogging has become a major engine of poker growth, bringing new audiences in by showing real hands, real emotions, and the day-to-day lifestyle that traditional TV coverage could not capture.
• The current boom mirrors earlier inflection points like hole-card cameras on the World Poker Tour and the World Series of Poker Main Event surge after Chris Moneymaker, but now it is powered by smartphones, editing tools, YouTube, and live-stream culture like Twitch.
• Successful poker vlogging is closer to running a production studio than posting casually, since creators must film while playing, then do heavy post-production including voiceovers, hand replays, titles, thumbnails, and often sponsorship integration.
• YouTube gambling policy enforcement and age restrictions have become a real business risk for creators, reducing reach and views, with Daniel Negreanu cited as experiencing a major drop in viewership when content was age-restricted.
• A small group of creators now dominate the space and shape poker culture, with channels like Wolfgang Poker, Brad Owen, Ethan Yau, Lexy Gavin-Mather, Mariano Grandoli, Andrew Neeme, and Ryan Depaulo helping drive community and continued growth.

Poker vlogging has become one of the fastest-growing forms of poker entertainment, helping bring a new audience into the game. Today’s poker content creators take viewers directly into the action, from low-stakes live cash games to massive tournament runs, behind-the-scenes travel, and the daily life of a professional player.

Just as televised poker changed the game in the early 2000s, YouTube poker vloggers have created a modern content boom. With millions of subscribers, these creators have reshaped how fans consume poker, making the game more accessible, more personal, and more entertaining than ever.

This guide explores the rise of poker vlogging, the work involved in producing poker content, YouTube’s evolving policies on gambling-related material, and a breakdown of the top poker vloggers dominating the platform today.

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How We Got Here: Poker’s Evolution From TV to YouTube

When the World Poker Tour debuted in 2002, poker fans saw something revolutionary: hole-card cameras showing exactly what the pros were holding. The WPT quickly became the top-rated show on the Travel Channel and introduced millions to the strategic depth of the game.

The following year, amateur Chris Moneymaker captured the World Series of Poker Main Event, a story that helped ignite the mid-2000s poker boom.

Fast forward to today, and poker has surged again due to record-breaking live tournament fields, growth of online poker operators, the popularity of Twitch live-streamed games, and the explosion of YouTube poker vloggers.

With smartphones now offering high-quality video and editing tools, poker vlogging has become both accessible and extremely popular.

Why Poker Vlogging Has Exploded in Popularity

Poker vlogging thrives because it gives viewers something television never offered: authenticity, real-time decision-making, personality-driven storytelling, direct interaction with fans, and strategy commentary from relatable players.

Fans can watch real hands, big wins, painful losses, travel stories, and the ups and downs of life on the poker circuit.

How Poker Vloggers Create Their Content (It Is Hard Work)

From the outside, a poker vlog can look simple. You show up, play a session, and post the highlights. In reality, the job is closer to running a small production studio while also trying to make good decisions for real money. The hardest part is that you are doing two things at once, playing poker at a high level and capturing enough usable footage to tell a story later.

Most creators start by recording the action with a small setup that can live on the rail or in a bag. That usually means one camera focused on the table area and chip stack, another angle for quick reactions or voice notes, and extra shots of the room so the video feels like more than a hand history recap. Even when the gear is minimal, the discipline is not. You still have to remember to hit record, keep batteries alive, and avoid missing key moments, all while staying locked in on the game.

After the session, the real work begins. A single cash game vlog can involve hours of footage that needs to be trimmed down into a clean narrative with a beginning, middle, and end. Creators add voiceovers to explain decisions, rebuild hands for clarity, and use simple graphics so viewers can follow the action without guessing what happened on each street. Then there is the packaging side, picking a title and thumbnail that earn the click without feeling like cheap hype, and weaving in any sponsor requirements in a way that does not break the flow.

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YouTube’s Gambling Restrictions: A Growing Challenge for Poker Creators

Although poker vlogging remains extremely popular, creators have encountered new challenges because of YouTube’s tightening restrictions on gambling-related content.

In policy updates during March and October, YouTube announced more aggressive enforcement involving:

• gambling-related uploads
• age restrictions
• reduced visibility for adult-only videos

Even creators who correctly tag their videos as not intended for minors have felt the impact. Age-restricted videos typically experience suppressed reach, reduced visibility, and lower view counts.

Daniel Negreanu’s Viewership Drop

Seven-time WSOP bracelet winner Daniel Negreanu noted a 75 percent drop in views on his WSOP Online vlog series due to age restrictions placed on his streams shortly after they went live.

He expressed frustration on Twitter, pointing out that immediate age restrictions distort the algorithm and severely limit viewership.

Many poker vloggers have reported similar issues, but YouTube remains essential for reaching the largest possible audience.

Top Poker Vloggers on YouTube (2025 Guide)

Below are some of the most influential and popular poker vloggers active today.

1. Wolfgang Poker

1.7 million subscribers • 1.2 billion views

Alexander Seibt, also known as Wolfgang Poker, has become one of the most successful poker creators on YouTube. His mastery of Shorts helped his content surpass one billion views in 2024. His channel blends low-stakes sessions, tournament footage, home-game submissions, travel, and lifestyle content. Based in Dallas, he has expanded into higher-stakes events and now operates with a team to support production.

2. Daniel Negreanu

909,000 subscribers • 192 million views

Daniel Negreanu, one of poker’s most recognizable stars, has built a strong YouTube presence with well-produced vlogs. His World Series of Poker coverage is especially popular. In 2024, he captured his seventh WSOP bracelet in the $50,000 Poker Players Championship for $1.2 million, documenting the entire journey for his audience.

3. Brad Owen

790,000 subscribers • 226 million views

Brad Owen is one of YouTube’s original poker vloggers. For more than eight years he has filmed tournaments, low and mid-stakes cash games, and streamed sessions. One of his most famous videos features a memorable hand against Phil Hellmuth in 2017, where Owen correctly folded pocket aces. The clip has more than 2.5 million views.

4. Ethan “Rampage” Yau

349,000 subscribers • 101.5 million views

Ethan Yau gained significant attention during the COVID pandemic by streaming WSOP Online play from an Airbnb in New Jersey. He won a WSOP bracelet during that stretch, which boosted his subscriber count. His channel showcases tournaments, cash games, travel, and candid discussions about both profitable streaks and major losses. Through July 2025, he documented a downswing of 357,210 dollars over 421 hours of play.

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5. Lexy Gavin-Mather

252,000 subscribers • 5.3 million views

Lexy Gavin-Mather is one of the most popular female poker vloggers. Her content offers a deeper look at the realities of pursuing poker full time. She frequently discusses mindset, study habits, and the challenges of staying competitive in a constantly evolving game.

6. Mariano Poker

199,000 subscribers • 52.2 million views

Mariano Grandoli is considered one of the original poker vloggers on YouTube. He blends poker with travel content and frequently appears in high-stakes streamed cash games, including Hustler Casino Live. His channel is known for aggressive play and high-stakes drama.

7. Andrew Neeme

196,000 subscribers • 50.4 million views

Andrew Neeme helped pioneer the poker vlog format. Now based in Austin and a co-owner of The Lodge Poker Club, he continues to produce content featuring big pots, travel, and a look at the lifestyle of a longtime grinder.

8. Ryan Depaulo

125,000 subscribers • 29.1 million views

Ryan Depaulo’s channel is a mix of tournaments, cash games, opinion videos, and commentary on poker controversies. He is known for high-energy, humorous content and his willingness to share both wins and losses. His entertaining style has earned him a loyal audience.

The Future of Poker Vlogging

Poker vlogging continues to grow rapidly. Despite recent challenges with YouTube’s gambling policies, creators are still reaching large audiences and drawing new players into the game. As more poker fans document their journeys, the game becomes more relatable and appealing to viewers around the world.

Poker vloggers are not just recording hands. They are shaping modern poker culture, building community, and contributing to the game’s ongoing growth.

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