Poker Pros Dropping Like Flies as Sites Scale Down: UltimatePoker, PokerStars

UltimatePoker.com is the latest online poker site to slash its professional poker team, this time in half.  

Gone are Phil Collins (no relation to the famous singer), Jeremy Ausmus, Lauren Kling and William Reynolds. 

2012 One Drop winner Antonio Esfandiari and Jason Somerville remained on the Ultimate Poker roster.

The news comes as PokerStars has begun to shrink its Latin American pro roster. 

Costa Rican poker pro Humberto Brenes was recently shown the door.

Rumors have circulated in recent weeks that UltimatePoker could exit the New Jersey market though a representative from the company advised Gambling911.com this was simply not the case.

“I enjoyed reading your article on UltimatePoker leaving the New Jersey market.  It is a great piece of satire,”  the rep told Gambling911.com last month.  “As you know, we are not leaving the New Jersey market.”

He added: “So your readers can find out more about our company, would you mind providing a link to Ultimate Poker?”

UltimatePoker’s casino partner, the Taj Mahal, will remain open, however, Donald Trump himself is suing the establishment to have his name removed.

- Nagesh Rath, Gambling911.com