The next domino in what is surely the downfall of both UB Poker and Absolute Poker has fallen, as the Cereus Poker Network announced on Monday that they would be parting ways with all of their sponsored pros –a total of 11 sponsored players.

10 players from UB Poker have been giving their pink slips: Joe Sebok, Prahlad Friedman, Eric “Basebaldy” Baldwin, Maria Ho, Brandon Cantu, Tiffany Michelle, Scott Ian, “Hollywood” Dave Stann, Adam “Roothlus” Levy, and Bryan Devonshire; as well as Trishelle Cannatella from Absolute Poker.

The hardest hit will definitely be Joe Sebok and Prahlad Friedman, both of whom joined UB Poker amidst outrage and controversy despite having solid reputations in the poker world. However, there is a number of poker players who will never forgive UB and Absolute Poker for the Super-User scandals and any association with the site is reason enough to blast a player –which Friedman and Sebok have experienced first-hand.

Here is a look at the complete statement issued by the Cereus Poker Network on Monday:

“These actions are the result of the severe impact of Black Friday on the business, and these efficiency measures have negatively affected not only the financial position of the brands, but also their staff and personnel. Regrettably, the negative effect of Black Friday has extended to the Company’s highest profile group of poker professionals, known as Team UB. Consequently, Blanca’s executive management team today informed its roster of sponsored pros that, in accordance with the provisions of their agreements, their contracts have been terminated. Each of the ten Team UB pros, plus one player representing Absolute Poker, has received personal notification that their sponsorship arrangement with Blanca’s respective online poker room is now invalid.”

The layoff of the poker pros, as well as the layoffs from Blanca Games’ workforce last week are part of a strategic restructuring plan of the company. These downsizings will help the company focus on its non-U.S. market.

“This was a difficult task for Blanca’s management, and we are very disappointed that we have been compelled to sever ties with our sponsored pros. Over the years, the Company has been successful in gathering a group of young, extraordinarily talented and brand-appropriate poker professionals who have proudly sported its logos. We are truly saddened that circumstances have dictated this course of action, and we regret that we are no longer in a position to partner with our sponsored pros, or to provide them with a source of income for playing the game that they love. We appreciate their significant time and dedication shared with us, and we thank them for the loyalty and patience they have continued to show us even during the unsettling events of the past few weeks. We respect and admire them for their many accomplishments, both at the poker tables and away from them, and we will always be grateful for their valuable contributions to building the UB and Absolute Poker brands and to creating a rock-solid community at the pair of online poker rooms.”

Tags: Absolute Poker, Black Friday, Brandon Cantu, Efficiency Measures, Executive Management Team, Hollywood Dave Stann, Joe Sebok, Michelle Scott, Online Poker, Parting Ways, Personal Notification, Pink Slips, Poker Network, poker players, Poker Pros, Poker Room, Poker World, Prahlad Friedman, Profile Group, Scott Ian

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 10th, 2011 at 6:53 am and is filed under Poker Industry News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.