by Mario Alfonsi | Published on May 21, 2012 | Updated on May 21, 2012Bodog Poker and professional poker player Tatjana Pasalic – known as “TattyTats” in the online poker world – have extended their sponsorship deal for a second year, with Pasalic set to remain a member of Team Bodog Pro into 2013.Pasalic might not meet your traditional definition of a pro that would be signed to an online poker room. For many years, the Croatian was known to the poker world as a television announcer and hostess, distinguishing herself through her looks and charisma.But in 2009, she made the move to become a player as well as a commentator. Although she hasn’t exactly been a terror in the tournament world – her last notable cash came in 2010, when she finished 6th in the PartyPoker.com Women’s World Open – she remained a popular figure in the poker world, which eventually led to the Bodog sponsorship.Pasalic’s sponsorship is consistent with the policy Bodog has taken on player sponsorships since moving to their so-called “Recreational Player Model.” Rather than take an approach of trying to get the most talented young players in the world, or go all the way in the other direction and just sign a few pretty faces, Bodog has looked for marketable, attractive women who can also hold their own at the poker tables. In this way, the room has reasoned, they can appeal to the average player with poker ambassadors who are still credible poker players – not just models.If one wanted to better understand this approach, they need only look at Pasalic’s teammates. Evelyn Ng and Amanda Musumeci are both highly successful poker players from Canada and the United States, respectively. More recently, Bodog signed Jennette Tan in an attempt to reach out to Asian markets, as she has cashed several times in tournaments in Macau and Manila.Pasalic says she’ll be at the World Series of Poker this year, representing Bodog along with her teammates.
