With the devastating effects of Black Friday still in effect, a massive gap has opened up in the U.S. online poker market. One of the enterprising new companies attempting to fill that hole is RISE poker. Involving the wise-cracking bloggers from Wicked Chops, this pay-to-play outfit attempts to circumvent any legal issues. In a tactic identical to that employed by ClubWPT and other top texas holdem sites, RISE Poker demand a $19.99 monthly fee, but charge no entry into their tournaments. This way they can classify themselves as a private club and not fall foul of UIGEA regulations.

The site has been up and running a matter of weeks, but they’ve already unveiled a team of exciting pro players to represent their brand at live tournaments around the world. First up is one of the biggest names in the game. A controversial figure who has never joined forces with any of the former U.S sites, but retains a large amount of cachet in the game.

Scotty Nguyen, the Poker Prince, has been a fixture at major tournaments since the…