by Mario Alfonsi | Published on Jan 14, 2022 | Updated on Jan 14, 2022
Summary
- Popular DJ Steve Aoki will bring in a new audience to the WPT
- Aoki will partner with the WPT for a charity poker event in mid-2022
- The WPT will likely add more stops for the first half of Season XX
The World Poker Tour (WPT) has welcomed Steve Aoki as its newest brand ambassador. The 44-year-old native of Miami, Florida made a name for himself in the music industry as a talented DJ, music programmer, record producer, and record executive.
He is the third child of former wrestler Rocky Aoki, the founder of the popular Japanese cuisine restaurant chain Benihana.
Promoting the WPT to New Audiences
With more than 8.2 million followers on Twitter, Aoki will help bring the WPT brand into the mainstream. The American DJ pours in a lot of passion and energy into every endeavor he is involved in and this is so much in line with the tour’s new vision, according to WPT CEO Adam Pliska.
Aoki has established himself as one of the world’s top DJs, frequently gracing the most popular nightclubs in Las Vegas and across the globe. When he takes a break from spinning the decks, Aoki plays poker alongside his celebrity friends. He is often seen playing in Hollywood games with Dan Bilzerian who is now a GGPoker ambassador. Both appeared in some episodes of Poker After Dark on PokerGO in 2021.
Among Aoki’s first commitments as WPT brand ambassador will be to team up with the tour for an invite-only charity poker event scheduled for mid-2022. Proceeds of the event will go towards a non-profit organization that he established, the Aoki Foundation, which supports brain science and research organizations. The WPT will announce more details regarding the charity event soon.
WPT Season XX Kicks Off January 21
Meanwhile, the WPT will open its 20th season on January 21 via the $3,500 buy-in Lucky Hearts Poker Open (LHPO) which will take place at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casio in Hollywood, Florida.
There are three main stops announced for the first half of Season XX. The LHPO will be followed by the $3,500 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown on April 8. The WPT will then host a $3,800 tournament at the Choctaw Casino Resort in Durant, Oklahoma on May 13. The tour will likely add more stops soon.
