Ana Marquez Looks To Leverage Ambassadorship To Give Back To Poker
Ana Marquez is rapidly approaching the one year anniversary of partnering with 888poker in an ambassador role.
The Spanish poker pro, has accumulated over $1.3M in total lifetime earnings and is a 10-year veteran of the live poker scene. While she continues to see her poker resume continue to soar, it’s the work of being an ambassador that she really hopes to grow in the next year.
“I really, really love being an 888 ambassador,” Marquez said. “They make the game super fun and I love going to their events. The vibe is so relaxed and friendly and they really make poker so enjoyable.
“Being a part of the team gives me a better opportunity to do a log more things with poker besides just playing. I would really like to give back to the poker community and, side by side with 888, I have a better chance of helping spread the credibility of the game and give it a good reputation around the world, as well as bringing the game to female players, which I think is super important.”
Being from Spain, Marquez is tasked in part with helping grow the game in what many feel continues to be an emerging poker market. Marquez, along with big-name pros like Sergio Aido, Adrian Mateos and recent PokerStars PSPC Champion Ramon Colillas are part of a growing contingency of top-flight Spanish pros born from the growth of online poker.
“I think the poker boom [in Spain] happened back in 2011-12, maybe a little earlier,” Marquez said. “When it got nationalized it suffered. Luckily, I’m pretty sure we are about to go through a second poker boom thanks to the expansion of the market…fingers crossed!”
The role of representing a poker site can be stressful with media obligations, live event appearances, and social media duties. Marquez’ duties as an ambassador don’t stop with 888poker. She’s also a representative for the Poker League of Nations, which is the world’s largest woman’s poker organization as well as a member of No Limit Gaming, a professional esports organization formed by poker professionals.
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However, for Marquez, the pressure of so many roles has not been an issue.
“If anything it’s super motivating. I not only want to do good for myself but I also want to make my team proud and represent them around the world the best I can.
“It’s been a great year,” she added. “Hectic like always, and it has added more traveling to my schedule but what can I say…I love doing what I do.”
Becoming an ambassador is a dream scenario for many. Travel the world and play poker events, with plenty of the expenses picked up by the sponsor company. Marquez enjoys those benefits but ultimately hopes to use the platform to be seen as an example of someone that is good for the game.
“This game has given me so much and I love it,” she said. “I owe the game the wonderful life I’m living and I want other people to have the same opportunity I did.
“As a woman, I would really life email numbers to increase substantially. Also, I would like to see the future of poker more legitimized and even treated as a mental sport in which the work and effort we put in to be at the top is recognized outside our community.
“Poker doesn’t always have the best reputation outside the community, mostly because of the misunderstanding of how it works. This could be a deterrent to some people to jump in the game and give their passion a chance. I really want to help spread the positive facets of the game and, most importantly I would love to inspire people to follow their dreams.”
