Wayne ‘D22-soso’ Chiang is stepping out from behind the scenes and into the spotlight as the WSOP’s Talent Manager, overseeing its rapidly growing vlogger program.
Before this role, Chiang had already built an impressive gaming résumé as a StarCraft World Champion, completed a $100K challenge on Global Poker, and was the OG game runner for the original Live at the Bike streamed cash games.
With the WSOP vlogger program expanding and playing a bigger role than ever at this year’s summer series, PokerOrg caught up with Chiang to break down what aspiring content creators need to know to join in the fun.
Q&A Wayne Chiang: WSOP Talent Manager
How did you find yourself in this new position at the WSOP?
There has always been interest in working with me from many poker organizations. I had a non-compete with Live at the Bike after it was sold to Bally’s. When Bally’s and I parted ways, I gave the WSOP a call. I asked the powers that be, and they were good with a tryout. I had a trial run last summer at the World Series of Poker. They brought me on full-time last November.
Who's on board already?
When I came on, the four vloggers who were already on board were Daniel Negreanu, Frankie C, Lexy Gavin-Mather, and Corey Eyring. Obviously, everybody knows them, and they're fantastic.
We are also very lucky to have Lim Yo-hwan, known online as SlayerS_'BoxeR', who is arguably the most famous StarCraft player ever to play the game. He will be joining the WSOP vlogger program and will participate in the upcoming series in Prague. We already have Masato as well, and he's amazing. I’ve been in touch with other big names in gaming – there's more to come.
How did the vlogger program come about?
The powers that be at the WSOP came up with the vlogger program before I came on. The vlogger program is just a way to give back to the poker community, since the WSOP doesn't sponsor players. There are no affiliate or sign-up codes. The WSOP wants to reward people who are passionate about poker and also produce high-quality content.
What sort of compensation is on offer?
If you put out three vlogs or one super vlog over 30 minutes, then you get a reward based on what you qualify for. Let’s say you have over 100,000 subscribers. You could be given around $30,000 in MTT tickets, and your hotels are comped. If any of your videos in the month of an upcoming WSOP series pass 1,000,000 views, you'll receive a $5,000 bonus. If it passes 2,500,000 views, there's the $10,000 bonus. Masato broke that level last December at Paradise.
There are a lot of perks on top, but that's kind of the general package. And it's not meant to be elitist. It's meant to be inclusive.
How so?
There's a lower tier of 5,000 to 25,000 subscribers, which is fairly common. You do have to work to get to at least 5,000 subs. If your content's good, we'll look at it and help you out.
The WSOP wants to grow together with these creators. There will be quite a few people, especially in the lower- and mid-tiers, working with us. We're going to give them a shot and help them out along the way.
Who are the vloggers you're look forward to working with?
Lexy is fantastic. She’s the complete opposite of a diva. She always asks what we need, and she loves the WSOP brand. Lexy is somebody who, day in and day out, is very easy to work with.
What the WSOP wants to see is a passion for poker, for the industry, and for the World Series of Poker.
Where should we expect to see the vloggers pop up this year?
The program is for the bracelet and super circuit events only. We will be working across many languages and demographics to grow, acquire, and retain players.
Right now, the vlogger program is happening in Prague; then it's going to be in Cyprus, and then right into the summer.
For more info on the WSOP vlogger program, reach out to Wayne on X. You can also follow Wayne on YouTube and IG.
