HANGIN’ WITH HOAGIE: Casino Content Creator Goes From Wearing Badge to Building an Audience
By Sean Chaffin
A 22-year career in law enforcement may seem like an unexpected career to then branch out into a life as a gambling influencer, but that’s the background Anthony “EatAHoagie” brings to his expanding platform. The 42-year-old from southern New Jersey, however, believes his life as a police officer taught him skills like discipline, patience, communication, how to read people and staying calm under pressure. Those qualities have carried over to his new line of work.
Along with streaming slot play, he also streams online poker and table games on various platforms, including with BetRivers, where he was named an ambassador in April. Cicali retired from his job as a police officer in 2025 and is enjoying his new path, bringing the fun of casino gaming and slot play to others via YouTube and social media.
“Streaming is obviously a very different environment, but those same skills still apply in the poker world, just on a different level,” he says. “Instead of serving my community through law enforcement, I now connect with people through entertainment. It’s been a unique transition, but one I’ve really enjoyed.”
Media Man
Unlike some other streamers, Cicali has a varied schedule connecting with gambling fans across multiple channels. The married father of three can be found throughout the week on the BetRivers YouTube channel along with his own “EatAHoagie” Twitch channel, and as Hoagie Casino on YouTube and Instagram. If all that wasn’t enough, he also is a co-host of the Nerdthusiast Poker Podcast, available on YouTube and Spotify, and is active on Twitter/X.
The longtime gambler has an outgoing personality and has always loved gambling. That was the perfect mix when Twitch and YouTube took off as a platform for vlogging and presenting slot and poker play in the 2010s.
“I’ve always loved poker and casino games, and when live streaming started taking off around 2015, I saw an opportunity to combine gaming, entertainment, and interacting with people,” he says. “Since New Jersey was the first to regulate online casino gaming, I was one of the early regulated casino streamers, and I’ve been creating gambling content ever since. It’s grown from a hobby into a full-time career.”
Viewers who tune in will find a channel built on fun—at the tables, slots and beyond. As his podcast name exemplifies, Cicali is a bit of a nerd and wearing costumes on occasion adds to the entertainment value he brings to his platform. What else makes a “Hoagie” video or stream stand out? He tries to bring subscribers the unvarnished reality of life playing online and on the casino floor.
“Authenticity,” he says. “I don’t fake reactions or pretend every session is amazing. My viewers see the wins, the losses, and everything in between. I also try to mix gambling with entertainment, travel, poker, conventions, horror movie reviews, and family content so there’s always something new. I want people to come for the personality as much as the gameplay.”
Becoming Hoagie
Building a platform named after a sandwich may seem odd, but the name seemed a nice fit for this Jersey-born gambler. In South Jersey, just outside of Philadelphia, “hoagie” is a common term for a submarine sandwich.
“When I first started playing online poker, my screen name was ‘EatAHoagie,’” he says. “Over time, people shortened it to just ‘Hoagie’ and it stuck. These days, most people in the poker and streaming world know me as ‘Hoagie’ more than Anthony.”
In recent years, online poker and gaming brands have looked to branch out beyond well-known poker pros. Players with a built-in audience online are now earning sponsorship deals because of their ability to connect with others on social media.
But creating content is more than just throwing up some videos on YouTube. There is considerable work involved, including production, editing and having an idea of how to entertain, not to mention marketing a channel. Hoagie’s efforts paid off with the BetRivers deal. The company has rapidly expanded after launching an online poker product in 2024 to go along with online casino and sports betting operations.
“I’d built a reputation over the years as someone who genuinely cares about the community and consistently creates quality content,” he says. “BetRivers wanted someone who could represent the brand professionally while also creating both slot and poker content. Since I have a background in both, it was a great fit. Right now I primarily stream slots, but depending on New Jersey regulations, we’re hoping BetRivers online poker launches in New Jersey later this year. When that happens, viewers can expect regular poker streams alongside the casino content, which is something I’m really excited about.”
The partnership allowed Cicali to team up with BetRivers for a special event on July 25 at Rivers Casino in Philadelphia, connecting his online platform to a real-life gaming event for a good cause. He hosted a charity poker tournament that brought in 149 players, raising more than $8,100 for the National Brain Tumor Society. The event is personal for the influencer and he was overjoyed to see the tournament resonate with so many.
“This is an annual event that I’ve been doing privately for 10 years with friends and family,” Cicali says. “This is the first year we did it at the actual casino, and it was a huge success. My father died of a brain tumor 10 years ago and ever since then I’ve been doing this tournament to raise some money and awareness.”
Wins & Losses
As any gambler knows, winning days aren’t always part of the experience and Cicali brings viewers that reality wrapped around hijinks and fun. However, he has had some nice scores along the way after spending so many hours at the tables and slots. In 2023, while playing in a mystery bounty poker tournament at the Borgata, he pulled a bounty worth $100,000—the biggest win of his career.
At the poker table, some other nice accomplishments have included winning a RunGood Poker Series ring event, capturing a Maryland State Poker Championship title, and taking down a PokerStars New Jersey Spring Championship of Online Poker event. He currently has more than $500,000 in online poker tournament cashes and almost $170,000 in live events. He’s hoping to add some BetRivers wins to that list once the company’s online poker product goes live in the Garden State. As a slots player, Cicali once grabbed more than $40,000 in a single online session.
Despite his work streaming and occasional big wins, the family man likes to keep things in perspective. He loves spending time with family and also enjoys traveling, Disney adventures, watching horror movies, attending conventions and film festivals and playing and supporting his kids in hockey.
“I’m always looking for the next adventure to turn into content,” he says. Cicali adds: “But my biggest win has nothing to do with gambling. Having an amazing wife and a healthy family is what I’m most grateful for, and that’s what matters most to me at the end of the day.”
Looking back on his unique route to casino content creation, Cicali is grateful with how things have turned out. Beyond sharing his love of gaming, streaming and communicating online has allowed him to meet new people and connect with others.
“The community is my favorite part,” he says. “It’s not just about spinning slots, it’s hanging out with tons of people, celebrating wins together, laughing through the losses, sharing my crazy real-life adventures, and building friendships. Every stream is different, and you never know what’s going to happen.
“I just want to thank everyone who’s supported me over the years. Whether you’ve been watching since my first streams or just found the channel recently, I appreciate every view, every comment, and every conversation. My goal has always been to entertain people, have fun, and promote responsible gambling while building a community that feels like family.”
Anthony F. Cicali III channels:
Twitter/X: @Eatahoagie
YouTube & Instagram: HoagieCasino
Twitch: Twitch.tv/betriversplayersclub & Twitch.tv/EatAHoagie
Nerdthusiast Poker Podcast: YouTube & Spotify
