World Poker Tour Lays Off Its Entire Media Staff

The World Poker Tour (WPT) has reportedly laid off its entire media staff as part of an apparent "house cleaning" process.

Lance Bradley, VP of WPT's digital arm, broke the news late Monday.

"After 3.5 years, my amazing team and I are moving on from World Poker Tour. Building out this group of talented people from scratch is one of my proudest accomplishments. Our mission might have sounded crazy to some - but there isn’t anybody else I’d have rather gone crazy with.

"I want to highlight each of them some to make my network (and hopefully yours) aware of these hard working, creative, poker-passionate folks who would be an asset to anybody that scoops them up.

"Please share this with your network."

He went on to praise and recommend fellow staff who were also let go.

"For seven years Jeff Walsh, our Senior Creative Editor, has been my right hand (he jokingly calls himself my consigliere). A creative thinker and fantastic writer, he brings a unique eye to the way he covers poker. All of which makes him an excellent addition to any team in poker.

"Calling somebody on staff at ESPN and asking them to come join the WPT team felt like a fool's errand, but Tim Fiorvanti jumped at the opportunity to work in poker again as our Managing Editor. He has a keen eye for detail, can write with anybody and was a prolific part of the editorial team.

"Easton Oreman, our Social Media Manager, was responsible for tremendous growth across all platforms since joining us 2.5 years ago. His professional approach and love of poker made him a valuable part of what we did.

"Eric Lusch came to us from WSOP to be our Media Relations Manager. He has a tireless work ethic and strives for perfection. Eric was there each step of the way to build the WPT World Championship media plan and a lot of his ideas made that event so special for the media.

"Evan McColl started with us as an intern and eventually became a Content Coordinator. A hard worker who learned quickly, Evan managed live events coverage (live updates, photo, video) & maintained the website’s non-editorial areas. He is destined for big things.

"Raul Silva joined our team straight out of college as an Administrative Coordinator and oversaw the accounts payable processes for our amazing contractors and freelancers. He’s highly organized, eager to learn, and has an endless desire to improve processes and be efficient.

"Scott Pesick, our Affiliate Business Manager, managed relationships with WPT Global, ClubWPT, and ClubWPT Gold. He helped build out an SEO-driven evergreen content program and developed some unique conversion elements that will bear fruit for years to come.

"If you think you have an opportunity for any of these good people, feel free to message me and I will put you in touch.

"As for me, I'm not entirely sure what's next. I love poker, love writing, love building teams, and will take my time to find an opportunity to do all three of those things again in a way that matters. Feel free to reach out if you have an opportunity that you think might be a fit."

Dozens of employees were abruptly terminated last month from the World Poker Tour as a new CEO  reportedly took over the company's operational reins.  No specific reasons were given.