Shane "shaniac" Schleger Departs PokerStars Team Online

Back in February 2011, PokerStars added online tournament grinder Shane “shaniac” Schleger to its line-up of sponsored pros, with the California native declaring at the time that ancillary income was something that could really make-or-break a tournament pro.
After three years representing the site, however, Schleger’s run with PokerStars Team Online has come to an end with the 36 year-old pro saying his time spent with PokerStars had been a privilege and a pleasure. Heaping further praise on his former employer, Schleger, commented:
“Not only has Stars met its obligation to its players at every turn, it has always felt like a real place within a virtual world: a place where I saw large sums of money won and lost, but far more memorably, a place where personalities were built, lifelong relationships were fostered, and community thrives.”
Over the years, Shane Schleger may have earned $1,189,042 playing live tournaments, and a further $4,147,862 playing online, but during his time at PokerStars things didn’t always go smoothly, especially after Black-Friday forced Schleger to move to Mexico whilst maintaining a romantic relationship in Southern California.
Throughout 2013, however, Schleger said he had difficulty putting a winning poker session together as he struggled to maintain a full-time online grind and a relationship, and so after getting married in Vegas during the WSOP, he gave up the lease to his Mexcian apartment with the aim of moving back to California by 2014. Shane Schleger subsequently tried to give his bankroll one last boost before moving back to the US, but as he explains:
“Whether I was running bad or the game had passed me by..I knew I had to conjure up whatever remaining heart and energy and poker smarts I had left and pour them into the 2013 WCOOP.”
Fortunately, Schleger managed a 6th place finish at PokerStars WCOOP Event #66 ($5,200 NLHE Main Event) for a huge $291,154 payout, which was not only an incredible way to end his time spent away from US soil, but also represented his largest-ever score in his nine-year tournament poker playing career.
We wish Shane Schleger all the best for the future.