I mean, you look at things like the Action Clock, like Matt Savage and what he does with the TDA. “I really believe everyone top to bottom in the organization are just genuine people that want the best for their players, and I believe that they’re constantly on the tip of innovation. 'We believe Faded Spade represents the highest quality playing cards on the market.' Wheaton stayed in touch with many of his contacts from the World Poker Tour, including David Gitter, Adam Pliska, Warren Woodall and Donnie Peters, who provided friendship and guidance to Wheaton as he embarked on his journey, and he found a mentor in Gitter. It turned out that one of those connections would prove instrumental in bringing his ideas for the new brand to fruition. And the idea was always there I just went full throttle to bring it to life.”įortunately for Wheaton, he not only had sales and marketing experience he also had contacts in the poker industry from previous corporate partnerships and friends from the felt. “It was a situation where you can either let it adversely affect you, or you can turn a negative into a positive. But he felt that there was a gap one thing that did not seem to be changing.Įnter his idea for Faded Spade a new brand of playing cards that could help bring fun back to poker with their modern character designs and new custom index, made with high-quality durable plastic. With a background in marketing, and experience grinding mid-stakes games in his precious little free time, Wheaton noticed that in the years since the poker boom that hooked him and countless others on the game, so much had evolved the games, the players, the rules, production of poker content on television. He was in a tough spot made more complicated by an idea he had been mulling for some time a new brand of cards that could potentially disrupt the playing card industry. 'The idea was always there I just went full throttle to bring it to life.'

To go on the job hunt or start out on his own?

A part-time poker player, husband and father of two, Wheaton had to pull it together and come up with a plan. Last year, Tom Wheaton lost his corporate job in sales and marketing.

Faded spade poker