Phil Hellmuth and Annie Duke, seen by many as the public face of UB.com, both announced last week that they would be leaving the poker room after many years of representing the site. The announcement was not a shock to some as Phil Hellmuth was seen without his trademark UB gear in recent public appearances. On his Twitter account Hellmuth said the following: "Making a BIG move...leaving UB. Truly lots of great memories, but it's time to move on...Mutual decision...Looking forward to BRIGHT future!" The Annie Duke announcement came by way of the UB.com blog: "I have nothing but positive things to say about UB and my experiences with the brand, management and the incredible people who work hard daily to deliver a terrific online poker experience." The departure of Hellmuth and Duke from UB.com represents the second major departure of an online poker personality in a week from a US-facing room. Lee Jones, card room manager of Cake Poker, announced earlier in the week that he would be leaving Cake Poker. The departures do not appear to be related in any way. It is possible the high profile pair simply became too expensive for the return UB.com was getting from them. Another thought is that Hellmuth and Duke could be getting a high-profile sponsorship at a larger site such as Full Tilt (especially Duke who is sister to Full Tilt boss, Howard Lederer) or even a large brick and mortar casino. Perhaps in Hellmuth's case, he just wants to work more on "Brand Hellmuth." It should also be noted that Duke has maintained that she does not wish to sign with another site. On the UB.com blog, it was promised that the site would be "announcing some big additions to Team UB in 2011." There is credible evidence that one of the acquisitions may be Prahlad Friedman, a player who vowed they would never "sell out" to a poker room sponsorship. The addition of the 2003 WSOP bracelet winner and 2009 WPT Legends of Poker champion could be seen as a great public relations move by UB.com. Friedman was one of the most high profile victims of the UB superuser cheating scandal. He lost hundreds of thousands of dollars but was ultimately refunded and has since apparently forgiven the site. Obviously, this leaves many to questions his reasons/motives when he could undoubtedly sign with almost any room. It will certainly be interesting to follow where these high profile poker personalities land in 2011. In the mean time, be sure to update any content you have that mentions Phil Hellmuth and Annie Duke relating to UB.com.
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