Live reporting a poker tournament is often a thankless job comprised of long hours. Like the players, reporters are subject to the tournament clock, albeit with fewer breaks, arriving earlier and leaving later than everyone else. Many do it because their passion for the game is so strong. Sure, most would rather be playing, but few can actually afford the buy-in.
That’s no longer the case for former PokerNewsreporter turned poker pro Tyler Warken. The 29-year-old Canadian was one of more than 200 players to compete on Day 1b of the CAD $3,500 buy-in, CAD $1.5 million GTD World Poker Tour (WPT) Playground Championship.
Warken grew up in Medicine Hat, Alberta before moving to Calgary at 19, which is where he lived for seven years. As for poker, he learned to play the game at family gatherings such as Christmas with family,
“We played a bunch of card games,” he told PokerNews. “I think we first played poker when I was like 10 or something. I signed up for a bunch of free money sites when I was 10 years old, and I just did play money until I was 18 and then played for real money online.”
In the summer of 2019, Warken applied to be a live reporter for PokerNewsat the World Series of Poker (WSOP), a gig that he got.
“That was my first event reporting. I did that for about a year and then COVID happened,” Warken explained. “That kind of put an end to that, and then, yeah, playing was going decently. So once the live events started back up, I just never returned to reporting.”
According to the Hendon Mob, Warken has nearly $275K in lifetime tournament earnings, including a career-best $33,705 for finishing sixth in Calgary’s 2018 DSPT Championship CAD $2,500 Main Event. More recently, he placed third in the 2024 Aria Poker Classic $1,100 Mystery Bounty back in June for $21,654.
"I haven't really had a home in three years. So, I've been living in Montreal for two months now."
At the beginning of 2023, Warken opted to do what a lot of people in their 20s – travel.
“I toured Asia all over Cambodia,” he said. “I knew a few people from Canada who were also traveling so I’d run into them while going from poker stop to stop. It's quite difficult to find good cash games, but the tournament scene really seems to be popping off over there.”
While in Asia, Warken cashed a pair of tournaments at the WPT Prime Cambodia in March and followed it up a month later with a half dozen cashes in the Asia Poker Tour and U Series of Poker tournaments in Vietnam. After that, it was back to Canada, albeit to a new city.
“I kind of put a halt to traveling for the time being, anyway, kind of getting sick of it. I haven't really had a home in three years. So, I've been living in Montreal for two months now. I’ll probably stay four or five months before I head back to the road.”
That makes Playground his new local poker venue, and he’s been making the most of it.
“I've been playing maybe six days a week here,” he said before sharing why he opted to play in the WPT Main Event. “It’s the biggest tournament of the year here. I don’t have to travel for this one so it's convenient. It's in my backyard now, I guess.”
To see how Warken fares in the WPT Playground Championship, follow their live updates here.
Just know that he’s not writing the posts anymore!
PokerNewswill be on-site at the WPT Playground for the next week offering content throughout, so be sure to check back daily as we bring you updates and stories straight from the tournament floor.
*Photos courtesy World Poker Tour (WPT) / Alicia Skillman
