Arlie Shaban Captures GOAT and Gets Free Coaching from Daniel Negreanu

October 3rd, 2018 | by Jason Reynolds

Arlie Shaban has been given a poker masterclass by PokerStars pro Daniel Negreanu after completing the third of his 12 labors.

Arlie Shaban gets a free coaching session from Daniel Negreanu as part of his 12 Labors challenge. (Image: Twitch/Arlie Shaban)

After being challenged to take part in a Hercules-inspired journey, the former Big Brother Canada contestant found himself locked in a live stream with Negreanu on October 2.

Having previously taken on and beaten PokerStars pros Lex Veldhuis and Randy Lew, Shaban was confident if not a little shocked at the prospect of playing against Negreanu.

“Was genuinely speechless when I finally figured it out, this was my brain trying to process the information,” Shaban tweeted on October 2.

However, as it turned out, the latest Labor was less of a battle than he expected.

GOAT Coaches Shaban

In line with the story of Hercules and the Ceryneia Hind, the online grinder was asked to “capture” the Canadian GOAT rather than slay him. In practice, this meant Shaban had to keep Negreanu around for long enough to absorb some of his mythical poker powers.

What transpired was an impromptu training session with the second biggest money winner of all time. To make the deal even sweeter, Twitch streamer and high stakes pro Jason Carver also jumped in and offered his insights.

In completing the third of his 12 Labors, Shaban moved another step closer to receiving a $30,000 Platinum Pass from PokerStars.

Twitch Streams Flowing Through Poker

Although the 12 Labors of Arlie is a fun PR stunt by PokerStars, it also stands as an example of how poker entertainment is changing. With Twitch becoming more influential, using popular streamers like Shaban is now one of the best ways to connect with new audiences.

In a single day, the streaming platform has 15 million active users consuming an average of 95 minutes of daily content. Thanks to this level of interest, leading Twitch stars like Richard Tyler Blevins and Mike Grzesiek now have upwards of five million followers.

Although poker players are less popular on the platform, it’s a growing niche and one that PokerStars is tapping into. As well as the 12 Labors of Arlie challenge, the operator has its own Twitch channel and many pros across the world are now using it to broadcast their games.

Therefore, as much as Shaban is playing for his own prosperity, his efforts are part of a larger movement that’s aiming to secure the prosperity of the poker industry as a whole.