partypoker announces creation of brand new Team Online

partypoker has announced the creation of a new team of sponsored players dedicated to promoting the game online as well as competing at partypoker LIVE events around the globe.

Top Brazilians Renato Nomura, Lui Martins and Day Kotoviezy, along with Austrian pro Josip Simunic, will all be competing regularly online at partypoker.com as well as sporting the partypoker patch at live tournaments.

Josip Simunic is one of Austria’s most accomplished poker players and has already racked up more than $1.3 million in live tournament winnings. The 34-year-old has been competing at the highest level in Europe for several years. He won the Swiss Poker Championships in 2014 for more than $85,000 and was hailed a hero in 2015 after fighting back from just three big blinds to take down the Deauville High Roller for a career-best cash of $350,000.

Simunic, a former semi-pro handball player, took up poker after becoming engrossed in coverage of the WSOP on TV. Those hours of broadcast viewing will soon be put to good use when Simunic joins the German commentary team for the live stream at the MILLIONS Grand Final in Barcelona in April.

Simunic, said: “I’m delighted to be joining partypoker, especially just after the 2018 series announcement. There are so many dates now on offer throughout the year it’s a great time to be joining partypoker! On the live circuit, it’s been great to see how the partypoker MILLIONS events have really captured everyone’s imagination; I know the atmosphere at this year’s tournaments is going to be incredible.”

The three other members of the new partypoker Team Online – Renato Nomura, Lui Martins and Day Kotoviezy – all hail from Brazil and will be joining fellow country members Joao Simao, Luiza Simao and Bruno Gagliasso at partypoker.

Renato Nomura has already enjoyed considerable success at partypoker including victory in the Title Fight for more than $52,000 in February. With online winnings of more than $850,000, he has also banked some $200,000 on the live circuit. His achievements include beating a 572-strong field to take down the BSOP Main Event in 2013. Nomura said: “I am really looking forward to representing the partypoker brand. There’s a lot of great players in our country and competition is pretty fierce so I am thrilled to have been chosen to join the new online team.”

Lui Martins is another Brazilian pro who has thrived both online and live. Like many fellow poker professionals, Martins made the move to poker after excelling at eSports such as World of Warcraft and Quake. Having only ever made a single deposit of $120, Martins is now something of an online specialist and has won more than $500,000. His results include an impressive runner-up finish last year worth $115,248 as well as third place in the partypoker Title Fight last August.

Martins is no slouch on the live circuit either with results that include a fourth place finish in the 2016 WSOP International Circuit São Paulo Main Event for $79,457. He said: “partypoker is making such a big impact at the moment so this is a great time to be joining the team. I know it’s going to be very exciting as well as a lot of fun.”

Day Kotoviezy is both a professional poker player and poker coach, and plays an active mentoring role at Brazil’s popular Massari Poker School. With a BSOP Ladies Event title under her belt and numerous cashes in Vegas as well as on home soil, the young Brazilian had a great 2017 and is anticipating a stellar year ahead. She said: “Joining partypoker Team Online alongside Renato and Lui really is a dream come true for me. Poker has become my life so this really is a fantastic honour.”

All four of the new Team Online members are competing in the current POWERFEST Series.

partypoker Managing Director Tom Waters said: “The recruitment of Renato, Josip, Lui and Day has got Team Online off to a really great start. These are players who have a true passion for the game and I know they will be amazing ambassadors for partypoker wherever they play.”