After 17 years with PokerStars, poker pro and streaming pioneer Lex Veldhuis is now a free agent. With a loyal following—145K YouTube subscribers, 59.7K Instagram followers, and 76.9K X followers—any poker-focused organization would likely jump at the chance to bring him on board. Yet, Veldhuis is in no hurry to sign a new deal.
Chilling and Choosing Carefully
In a recent YouTube video featuring gameplay from one of his streams, Veldhuis responded to a viewer suggesting that GGPoker would be “dumb” not to sign him.
“It’s also about what I want, right? I just want to chill, I’ll see,” he said.
Veldhuis emphasized that vision and workplace climate are key considerations for him. While GG has offered bigger games, he appreciated PokerStars’ past approach to content and streaming.
“Vision is very important for me because that also sort of decides the climate you’re going to be working in.”
Trusting His Own Platform
Veldhuis remains confident in his ability to sustain himself as a content creator and player without rushing into a partnership.
“I’m okay in terms of financials, so I don’t need to make any crazy decisions. I trust in my platform, I trust what I do, I trust in my viewership, my skills. I’ve been with Stars for 17 years, let’s just chill.”
He’s open to new opportunities but is equally enjoying his freedom to explore tournaments and streaming projects he hadn’t been able to try before.
“Why not go play a Venom sometime, somewhere? Why not fly to Vienna and do some sort of streaming and check out CoinPoker and WPT and a Venom and all that stuff? I’ve never been able to do it. Why not?”
Enjoying the Ride
While the future remains uncertain, Veldhuis is clearly making the most of his independence, balancing streaming and tournament cashes on his own terms. For now, it’s all about taking it easy, enjoying the game, and keeping his options open.
