Every year, many new media personalities appear in the world of poker. Some grind for a long time on the internet, and then come to the live game – and rise to a certain level of fame. Others initially begin to combine the game and streaming, getting their name out into the world.
The latter direction may be interesting for young people, but also for experienced players with solid experience. American professional John Van Fleet, known under the nickname “apestyles,” is a vivid example of this. He won more than $22 million on the internet, but only relatively recently switched to streaming.
Today, the GipsyTeam team will tell you more about who he is. Let's recall his main poker achievements and how his streaming career developed.
Who is Apestyles?
Apestyles, also known as John Van Fleet, has been successfully playing online for over 15 years, and his total profit is over $22 million.
But not everything in Van Fleet's career went smoothly. One evening, he managed to lose his entire bankroll and seriously hurt his net worth. It was late at night when John Van Fleet was competing heads-up with Sauce123 at the $100/$200 tables. He combined this session with drinking. As a result, in the morning, there was $0 left in the account.
The man was surprised and began to blame hackers, but the story turned out to be much more prosaic – he lost all his money and did not even remember it. In addition, some of the plays raised big questions for him – for example, calling 3 barrels on with bottom pair. That night became a good lesson for the poker player – since then he has not been drinking.
Today, John Van Fleet is not only a professional player, but also a streamer and ambassador of Americas Cardroom. That's why he plays exclusively tables from this room in his poker broadcasts on Twitch and YouTube.
John Van Fleet's Poker Achievements
We will never know the exact online winnings of apestyles or net worth, but certain conclusions can be made based on publicly available information:
- The total prize money is over $22 million
- Biggest career cash: $1,027,000
- The average winnings in MTT is $4,972
- The most money won on PokerStars is $8,429,466
Poker Streams with Apestyles
Since 2020, John Van Fleet decided to diversify his life – and became a streamer. At that time, he was 38 years old. As it turned out almost immediately – it was a good move.
Van Fleet's streaming career hasn't always been smooth sailing. One of the most challenging moments came in 2023, when his YouTube channel was banned without warning. Attempts to find out the reason, as well as to restore the content and the channel itself, have led to nothing.
John turned 41, but he wasn't thinking about giving up streaming, so he went back to YouTube. Of course, it's easier for Van Fleet to start over from scratch, since he already has a well-known name in the community, but YouTube subscribers don't grow quickly. There's practically no chance that the old channel will be restored, and YouTube's support service almost never meets even such famous people halfway in these matters.
If you are interested in other top poker streamers, check out our list of worthwhile channels.
Where to Start Learning Poker
Looking at the success of streamers, everyone can think about how realistic it is to become a famous professional, watched by thousands of people. It is possible, but in the streamer's craft, not only professionalism is important, but also charisma, the ability to communicate with viewers. History shows plenty of examples of when outright gambling addicts achieved success by making a show, and not by showing class at the poker table.
However, we recommend taking a conscious path and focusing on improving your level. Start by studying the poker fundamentals, and GipsyTeam will help you:
- Educational posts on the GipsyTeam website: Here you will find useful information and everything is completely free to access.
- GipsyTeam freerolls: A great opportunity to gain experience and replenish your bankroll by participating in weekly freerolls. We have our own exclusive events to join and compete with smaller fields, but we include freerolls from every other room too. If there are passwords or joining conditions, we’ll let you know and get you in the game.
- Software discounts and guides: In the Shop, we keep all of the latest software (including more classic programs like Flopzilla) at the best prices possible. Anytime you start a free trial of any of the tools, our support specialists can help you install and troubleshoot any issues.
