Online poker room UB.com will have a whole different feel come the new year, after top pros Annie Duke and Phil Hellmuth announced they would no longer be a part of the site in 2011.
With the departure of Hellmuth, 46, And Duke, 45, comes the end of an era as the pros were the last remaining players left from when UB.com first opened for business nine years ago.
UB.com now has a distinctly younger looking team, with an UB statement highlighting the fact that:
“Team UB will continue to be stacked with young, aggressive poker professionals who today’s passionate online poker players can really identify with.”
Those eleven young pros referred to consist of Joe Sebok, Bryan Devonshire, Eric Baldwin, Tiffany Michelle, Brandon Cantu, Mark Kroon, Adam Levy, Gary Debernardi, Dave Stann, Scott Ian and Maria Ho.
A statement posted on UB.com made it clear that the site would add new members to Team UB in the future and that the departure of its two stars of nine years was a mutual decision.
Commenting on her blog, Annie Duke explained:
“It’s bittersweet, but I’ve decided to leave UB…I’ve sincerely enjoyed wearing the UB patch, but it’s time for me to move on.
So why am I leaving UB? In a nutshell, professional and personal growth. I’m going to explore and pursue other business opportunities on a full-time basis. And, while I will no longer be a part of UB, I will remain a part of the online and offline poker community and am confident that we will continue to cross paths playing this amazing game that we all love.”
For his part, Phil Hellmuth merely confirmed the fact he was leaving and added that it “was a mutual decision, and a difficult one for both parties to make. But I truly believe it’s the right move for me and for the re-branded UB.com.”
Following their departure, Duke confided to Poker News Daily that she wasn’t looking to sign with another online poker site. However, speculation is now mounting as to where Hellmuth may end up next with WPT lead reporter BJ Nemeth commenting that neither PokerStars or Full Tilt would be truly suitable, but that WSOP.com would be the perfect match.
