Ante Up Poker Media

What Ante Up Poker Media does

Ante Up Poker Media LLC is a privately held, founder-owned poker media company incorporated in Virginia and operating since June 2008. The company produces a portfolio of media products aimed at recreational, everyday poker players rather than high-stakes professionals: a print and digital magazine (Ante Up Magazine), a weekly podcast (the Ante Up Poker Pokercast) hosted by company president Joe Scales, a live event series (the Ante Up Poker Tour) hosted at regional U.S. casinos, poker-themed cruise experiences in partnership with Poker Player Cruises, and community products including a Discord server and Patreon-exclusive private home games in multiple formats. Content spans poker strategy, rules, tournament coverage, casino and poker-room reviews, and increasingly adjacent casino/gambling verticals such as online slots and bonuses.

The underlying technology is a conventional media production and content distribution platform: long-form articles and podcasts syndicated via RSS to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn, and Android; a WordPress-based magazine site; email distribution via Constant Contact; and community access through Patreon and Discord. There is no proprietary AI/ML layer, SDK, or application surface disclosed. Notable content IP includes the Pokercast's recurring segments (Table Talk, Call the Floor, Hand of the Week, Joe's One Outer) and a back catalog of magazine issues and episodes functioning as a niche content library.

Revenue is generated through five streams: print and digital magazine subscriptions and single-issue sales, Patreon monthly subscriptions (community access plus private games), podcast advertising and sponsorships (named sponsors include Advanced Poker Training, DraftKings, Jack Poker, Octopi Poker, RadPoker), an e-commerce merchandise shop, and a dedicated advertising surface on the website. GTM is community-led and event-driven: the company leverages its podcast, Patreon, and Discord for ongoing engagement, and uses live Ante Up Poker Tour stops at partner casinos plus poker cruises for in-person community building and acquisition. The company is entirely self-funded with no disclosed institutional investors or parent entity.

Name

Ante Up Poker Media

Legal name

Ante Up Poker Media LLC

Website

https://anteupmagazine.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Ante Up Poker Media is a privately held, founder-owned poker media company (founded 2008, Virginia) that publishes a print/digital magazine, produces a weekly podcast, and runs live poker tour stops, cruises, and Patreon private games for recreational poker players in the United States and beyond.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Poker Media

NAICS

Other Gambling Industries (71329)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Poker Media, Streaming & Sponsorship (Broadcast, Influencers, Brand Deals) (MPAEAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Poker Affiliate & Community Sites (MPAEAMAC), Poker Training, Coaching & Content (Courses, Solvers, Communities) (MPAEAEAF), Poker Tournaments & Tours (Live/Hybrid) (MPAEAEAE)

Keywords

• Poker media content
• Poker magazine publishing
• Poker podcast production
• Poker tournament events
• Poker community platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Salem

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Magazine Sales: Print magazine subscription and single issue sales
2. Patreon Subscription: Monthly subscription providing access to private games and community features
3. Podcast Advertising/Sponsorships: Monetized through sponsorships and advertising in podcast episodes. Multiple sponsors mentioned including Advanced Poker Training, Draft Kings, Jack Poker, Octopi Poker, RadPoker, and others.
4. Shop Merchandise: Online store selling merchandise and poker-related products
5. Advertising: Advertise page on website for poker room and brand advertising

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Ante Up Poker Media publishes a poker magazine (print and digital), produces a weekly poker podcast ("Pokercast") hosted by Joe Scales, and operates the Ante Up Poker Tour of live tournament stops at U.S. casinos. The company also runs poker-themed cruise vacations and an apparel shop, and sustains a community of recreational poker players through Patreon-based private home games and a Discord server.

Product overview

Ante Up Poker Media is a poker media company founded in 2008 that serves everyday poker players through a multi-platform portfolio. The core offerings include Ante Up Magazine (print/digital publication with strategy articles and poker news), the Ante Up Poker Podcast (weekly podcast with Joe Scales featuring news, strategy, and rules analysis), the Ante Up Poker Tour (live tournament events at casinos), Ante Up Poker Cruises (poker-themed travel experiences), and community engagement through Patreon private games and Discord. The company also hosts charity events and partners with various poker rooms and casinos across the country.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ante Up Magazine A print and digital magazine for recreational poker players featuring poker news, strategy articles, casino reviews, and tournament coverage, sold via subscription and single issues.
• Ante Up Poker Podcast (Pokercast) A weekly poker podcast hosted by Joe Scales featuring news, strategy discussions, rules analysis ("Call the Floor"), hand breakdowns ("Hand of the Week"), and personal segments ("Joe's One Outer"); distributed free across major podcast platforms and monetized through sponsorships.
• Ante Up Poker Tour A live tournament tour series held at partner casinos and card rooms across the United States, including stops at Sycuan Casino Resort, Rivers Casino Schenectady, Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, and Gila River Lone Butte, with coverage and promotional content produced for partner venues.
• Ante Up Poker Cruise Poker-themed cruise vacations operated in partnership with Poker Player Cruises, including the Alaskan Adventure itinerary, featuring on-board tournaments and community events for Ante Up readers and listeners.
• Ante Up Shop (Merchandise) Direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront selling branded poker-related merchandise and apparel to fans of the magazine and podcast.
• Patreon Private Home Games Monthly subscription tier on Patreon granting members access to private online poker home games in formats such as Hold'em, H.O.R.S.E., Badugi, and mixed games, with prizes and bounties.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reached 1 million podcast listens milestone
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bluffers Poker / ClubGGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Bluffers Poker on ClubGG platform to bring Ante Up-branded content and community to the platform. Joined forces with Eric Morris and Mike Leah. Includes Club ID 679450 for community access.
• Poker Player CruisescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership for poker cruises featuring Ante Up Poker content and community events at sea. Hosts Alaskan Adventure cruises and other destinations.
• RadPokerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAnte Up Poker Series runs on RadPoker platform. Partnership for online tournament series and promotional content.
• Sycuan Casino ResortminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThree-time Southern California's Best Poker Room; hosts Ante Up Poker Tour stops and ongoing coverage relationship.
• Rivers Casino (Schenectady, NY)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerHosts Ante Up Poker Tour stops including Electric City Poker Series; ongoing coverage and promotional partnership.
• Seminole Casino Coconut CreekminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHost for Ante Up Poker Tour stop in May 2025; promotional and coverage partnership.
• Gila River GamingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHosts Ante Up Poker Tour stops at Gila River Lone Butte; promotional coverage of events.
• Advanced Poker TrainingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor and affiliate partner offering poker training services to Ante Up audience.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Card Player Media: Long-running poker magazine and online news publication covering tournaments, strategy, and live poker. Directly comparable to Ante Up as a poker-focused media company combining print/digital magazine with daily news and strategy content for the same recreational and professional poker audience.
• PokerNews: Major online poker media outlet covering live tournament reporting, strategy, and casino reviews. Directly comparable as a multi-format poker content publisher with global reach, affiliate partnerships with poker operators, and live event coverage at major tours.
• PokerGO: Subscription-based poker streaming and media platform producing high-production live event content and original programming. Directly comparable as a poker-focused media company monetizing through subscriptions and sponsorships, though positioned at the premium/professional end of the market versus Ante Up's everyday-player focus.
• PokerStrategy.com: Large online poker training and community platform with strategy content, forums, and educational tools. Comparable to Ante Up in serving recreational poker players with strategy content and community engagement, though delivered via training courses and forums rather than magazine and podcast.
• Upswing Poker: Poker training content company producing strategy courses, podcasts, and YouTube content led by professional players. Directly comparable to Ante Up's strategy content arm, though Upswing is more training-product focused while Ante Up is broader media.
• LearnWPT: Training platform affiliated with the World Poker Tour offering strategy content, online courses, and certification. Comparable as a poker education and content brand serving recreational players, with both free and premium content tiers similar to Ante Up's Patreon model.
• Run It Once (Poker Strategy): Poker training platform founded by Phil Galfond offering strategy content, training tools, and community features. Comparable to Ante Up as a poker content and community brand serving serious recreational players, with both operating training/community products and content libraries.
• The Hendon Mob: Poker database and media brand tracking tournament results globally, with editorial content and player profiles. Comparable to Ante Up as an established poker media brand serving recreational and professional audiences, though differentiated by database vs. magazine/podcast format.
• PokerListings: Online poker affiliate and review site covering poker rooms, bonuses, and strategy. Comparable to Ante Up as a poker affiliate-driven media site serving recreational players, with similar business model of converting content traffic into operator partnerships.
• PocketFives: Online poker rankings and community platform tracking online tournament players. Comparable to Ante Up as a poker community and content brand for recreational/online players, though with a more specialized rankings/leaderboard focus rather than broader media.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/anteupmagazine
• Facebookfacebook.com/anteupmagazine
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ante-up-magazine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ante Up Poker Media