Alex Botez ELO Spin & Gold Challenge
April 5, 2024 3 min Read

We’re here to guide you on a thrilling journey that transcends traditional gaming boundaries, merging the strategic intricacies of chess with the adrenaline-pumping excitement of poker. At GGPoker, we've always aimed to be at the forefront of innovation in the online gaming world, and this time, we’re setting the stage for something truly extraordinary: a $50,000 Spin & Gold ELO Challenge.
DEAL ME IN!
The Spin & Gold format, a cornerstone of this challenge, is designed to push the limits of traditional poker. This fast-paced, three- or six-player tournament format introduces a random multiplier at the start of each game, ensuring that no two matches are the same. The excitement of potentially turning a small buy-in into a massive prize mirrors the unpredictable nature of chess, where a single move or mistake can turn the tide of the game.
Adopting the ELO rating system, a method long associated with chess to rank players by skill, we aim to highlight the strategic dimension of poker. This system, familiar to all competitive chess players, will be used to gauge participants' performance throughout the challenge. As players engage in Spin & Gold games, their ELO ratings will fluctuate, reflecting their success and strategic acumen on the poker table.
"One of the reasons I am so excited to join GGPoker is being able to share my newfound love of poker with my fellow chess players from across the globe," said Alex Botez, expressing her enthusiasm for this crossover. "The traits and skills that make good chess players translate so well into poker that I am sure this will be an incredibly close and exciting competition. I suspect many chess names will move up the poker ranks over the next few years!"
The Battle of the Mind Games
In collaboration with the incredibly talented Alex Botez, a chess phenom and influencer renowned for her strategic depth and engaging content, we're launching a challenge that promises to captivate, thrill, and inspire. Alex, now a proud brand ambassador for GGPoker, brings her passion for chess and poker to the forefront, challenging chess content creators worldwide to dive into the world of online poker. This May, the digital felt at GGPoker will become the battleground where these intellectual giants meet in a fusion of two timeless games. The $50,000 Spin & Gold ELO Challenge is not just a tournament; it's a testament to the skills and strategies that chess and poker share. Participants, hailing from every corner of the globe, will swap their chessboards for poker tables, all vying for the prestigious title and the grand prize that awaits the champion - the $50,000 bonus is nice too.
The Spin & Gold format, a cornerstone of this challenge, is designed to push the limits of traditional poker. This fast-paced, three- or six-player tournament format introduces a random multiplier at the start of each game, ensuring that no two matches are the same. The excitement of potentially turning a small buy-in into a massive prize mirrors the unpredictable nature of chess, where a single move or mistake can turn the tide of the game.
Adopting the ELO rating system, a method long associated with chess to rank players by skill, we aim to highlight the strategic dimension of poker. This system, familiar to all competitive chess players, will be used to gauge participants' performance throughout the challenge. As players engage in Spin & Gold games, their ELO ratings will fluctuate, reflecting their success and strategic acumen on the poker table.
Poker Challenge Accepted
Our lineup of participants reads like a who's who of the chess content creation world. From Raffael Chess in Brazil to Dina Belenk in the USA, from Jan Gustafsson in Germany to the Chessbrahs' Eric Hansen and Aman Hambleton in Canada, and extending to Jose Pepitoperu from Mexico and Nemo Zhou, representing the Chinese-Canadian community—each brings a unique blend of analytical prowess and competitive spirit to the challenge.
"One of the reasons I am so excited to join GGPoker is being able to share my newfound love of poker with my fellow chess players from across the globe," said Alex Botez, expressing her enthusiasm for this crossover. "The traits and skills that make good chess players translate so well into poker that I am sure this will be an incredibly close and exciting competition. I suspect many chess names will move up the poker ranks over the next few years!"





