News of the second major split of the week in the online poker industry dropped today as long-time UB Poker pro Annie Duke announced her exit from the company.

The news comes directly on the heels of Lee Jones departing from his position at Cake Poker.

Duke make the announcement via a statement on her blog. Rumors of Annie Duke’s departure have been spreading for quite some time – Wicked Chops, in particular, has been predicting her exit for well over a year now – but there wasn’t any unusual amount of chatter surrounding Duke in the days leading up the break.

In fact, the primary focus of UB pro gossip as of late has been Phil Hellmuth, who got the attention of the poker media via an absence of his usually-ubiquitous UB gear at several high-profile tournaments. Now that Duke is out the door, the question of whether Phil Hellmuth is leaving UB is probably going to get a good deal of renewed attention.

Below is Duke’s statement:

It’s bittersweet, but I’ve decided to leave UB. I have nothing but positive things to say about UB and my experiences with the brand, management team, and dedicated employees who work hard every day to deliver a terrific online poker experience for players like you. I’ve sincerely enjoyed wearing the UB patch, but it’s time for me to move on. So why am I leaving UB? In a nutshell, professional and personal growth. I’m going to explore and pursue other business opportunities on a full-time basis. And, while I will no longer be a part of UB, I will remain a part of the online and offline poker community and am confident that we will continue to cross paths playing this amazing game that we all love. See you at the tables – always, Annie

UB had a brief statement on their blog that doesn’t add much of anything to the story.

It’s been a busy month for Annie Duke, who announced her engagement to Joe Reitman just a few days before announcing her split from UB (formerly Ultimate Bet).