From Drawing Dead to Dream Deal: Fintan Hand’s Next Chapter with WPT Global

An Interview With Fintan Hand

Learning the Game the Hard Way

Fintan’s first steps into poker weren’t glamorous. They were frustrating, confusing, and, as it turned out, unfair. Looking back on how it all began, he explains how a simple request to join his friends’ games quickly turned into an obsession.

Fintan Hand: All of my friends in school played Poker and one day I asked could I get involved. I lost for weeks and weeks. They kept telling me it was a game of skill, so I kept showing up.

What could have ended most people’s interest did the opposite. Even after discovering the game was rigged against him, Fintan had already fallen in love with poker itself, the strategy, the theory, and the endless room for improvement.

Discovering Streaming Before It Was Cool

By 2015, poker streaming was still in its early stages. There was no proven blueprint, no guaranteed audience, and certainly no promise of a career. For Fintan, streaming wasn’t a calculated move; it was simply an extension of the poker circles he already belonged to.

Fintan Hand: I kinda fell into streaming due to the circle of friends I had in poker. One by one, we gave it a bash, and I just stuck at it. It made poker more fun, and over the years, it just kept opening more doors, so I’m still here 10 years later!

That willingness to “just stick at it” would define everything that followed. While others came and went, EasyWithAces became a familiar, trusted presence: equal parts grinder, entertainer, and educator.

The PokerStars Chapter

In 2017, years of consistency finally paid off when Fintan signed with PokerStars, beginning one of the longest-running ambassador relationships in modern poker. Over eight years, the game and his life changed dramatically.

Fintan Hand: A lot has changed since I signed with PokerStars. In the Poker world, in my personal life. Lockdown was a crazy time for poker, and being sponsored, I got thrown into some events I never would have played. I was lucky enough to bink a few of them, and it kinda set me up for where I am today.

More than results, that stability allowed something bigger.

Knowing When It’s Time to Move On

Even the best chapters eventually come to an end. For Fintan, the decision to leave PokerStars wasn’t driven by bitterness, but by ambition, and a desire to play more poker at home.

Fintan Hand: PokerStars were great to me for a long time, so I don’t have anything bad to say, but I just felt like it was the right time to leave. I wanted to play in bigger games and more Poker in Ireland. That just wasn’t able to happen on PokerStars, so I decided to move on.

Enter WPT Global

That next step came in the form of WPT Global, one of the fastest-growing operators in the industry, and a natural fit for where Fintan’s life is now.

Fintan Hand: WPT Global felt like the best fit for me. They have a very strong presence in Ireland and quite a strong Asian market which means the tournaments are time friendly for a Dad!

Live poker in Ireland is already firmly on the agenda.

Softer Games, Bigger Dreams

From a purely poker perspective, the transition has been eye-opening.

Fintan Hand: I’m not overly familiar with all the sites yet, I’ve only started playing on them, but I can honestly say that the games on WPT are by far the softest I’ve played in. It’s blowing my mind the hands I’m seeing on an hourly basis.

And when you open the WPT Global website, Fintan now finds himself listed alongside legends of the game.

That teammate, of course, is Phil Ivey. But heroes come in different forms.

Fintan Hand: But the person I’m most excited to meet is Tony Dunst. He’s the only Poker player I’ve ever stopped for a photo. My hero growing up – his training videos were the closest thing we had to Vlogs today, 15/16 years ago. He would have been a streamer sensation if he were starting out today.

Ireland First, Always

Despite global ambitions, Fintan’s heart remains firmly rooted in the Irish poker scene.

Fintan Hand: Yeah, it’s huge – the way I think about it – if I were a young Irish Poker player and there was this guy sponsored by different sites for a decade, I’d be pretty upset he only showed up once per year.

Giving back is a recurring theme.

Friendships That Defined an Era

No EasyWithAces story is complete without mentioning Benjamin Spragg.

Fintan Hand: Benjy aka Spraggy is the greatest. Love him dearly. I’m very lucky to call him a friend, and my time working alongside him was the most fun period of my life.

What Comes Next

Under the WPT Global banner, expectations are high, and Fintan wouldn’t have it any other way.

Asked what he uniquely brings to the brand, his answer is as simple as it is revealing.

Fintan Hand: I’ve always just tried to be myself. I’ll give anyone at a live event my time and I’ll get back to anyone online as long as they’re sound. That’s all you can do.

And when he looks a few years ahead?

Fintan Hand: Ideally I do well competing in the toughest games – add some big titles to my resume and give money back to the community. Take it from the rich MTT guys and give it to those getting started in the game – Robin Hood style!

A Message to the Next Generation

After more than a decade in the spotlight, Fintan’s advice to aspiring streamers cuts through the noise.

The Future is Looking Bright

Fintan Hand’s move to WPT Global isn’t just a sponsorship switch: It’s a statement. A statement about balance, ambition, and staying true to the community that helped build his career. As he aims for the bigger games out there, the Irish roots, and a more sustainable future both on and off the felt, one this is certain: this next chapter is only just getting started, and we are going to keep a close eye on his journey for sure.

Fintan is one of the OG poker streamers who has been there from the get-go, and is a great example of hard work paying off. Now that he is a fellow team mate of Phil Ivey, Patrick ‘Egption’ Tardif, and Nacho Barbero, he cannot wait to show the crowd what he has to bring to the table!

We root for you, Fintan! Let’s go!