After nine years of rocking a UB patch, poker pro Annie Duke announced on her website that she has left Ultimate Bet.
Duke, who has a 2004 Omaha Hi/Lo WSOP bracelet to her name, along with over $4 million in career earnings, didn’t point towards recent UB scandals or allegations as reasons for her departure. Instead she wrote on AnnieDuke.com that her moving on was for “professional and personal growth.”
“I have nothing but positive things to say about UB and my experiences with the brand, management team, and dedicated employees who work hard every day to deliver a terrific online poker experience for players like you,” Duke blogged. ”I’ve sincerely enjoyed wearing the UB patch, but it’s time for me to move on.”
Duke continued, “I’m going to explore and pursue other business opportunities on a full-time basis. And, while I will no longer be a part of UB, I will remain a part of the online and offline poker community and am confident that we will continue to cross paths playing this amazing game that we all love.”
Ultimate Bet responded to Dukes departure by calling her a “key part of assembling today’s Team UB,” in a statement on Thursday. “While Annie’s presence on Team UB will certainly be missed, Team UB will go on loud and strong. We wish Annie well in all of her future endeavors.”
Her departure comes just five days after Duke announced her engagement with Joe Reitman via Twitter on Christmas day. “I am the luckiest woman ever,’ Duke tweeted. “Best man on earth. I am so in love.”
Ultimate Bet could have another major departure on their hands. Rumors have been swirling about poster boy Phil Hellmuth and his sponsor status, as the 11 time bracelet winner has been appearing on TV without his UB patch as of late. While both Duke and Hellmuth still appear on UB.com as members of Team UB, expect Duke’s bio to come down shortly. Will “The Poker Brat” be next?
