Kirton Call

Every month, Black Belt Poker updates the Belt status of its members: some slip, some rise, and some stay the same. Having only launched in September, we didn’t expect many changes, but were overjoyed to find that a total of 26 players had improved their Belt status and jumped up to the next level. Whilst we congratulate the 23 newly crowned Orange Belts and 2 Purple Belts, there is one player in particular who deserves plaudits for a quite splendid month.

On Thursday, October 1, Hugh ‘IrnBruHugh’ Kirton became Black Belt Poker’s first ever player to be promoted to Brown Belt through the Belt-Up rewards system. A product of April’s Grading in which 50 pre-selected players battled it out for a $20,000 WSOP package to Vegas, Hugh is a dedicated cash game player who has been consistently ambushing the iPoker ring games.

However, on Sunday, September 13, Hugh requested backing as part of his monthly package to play in the inaugural Monthly Million. The Monthly Million is a monthly (no shit!) No Limit Hold’em freezeout which takes place on iPoker – the world’s largest poker network. The buy-in is $535 and players are treated to a 10,000 starting stack and a 30-minute clock. In essence, it gives skill a greater chance of prevailing. With a $1,000,000 prize pool, the tournament is by far iPoker’s biggest regular event.

Despite being predominantly a cash player, Hugh duly entered the event and finished a remarkable fourth place for a whopping $50,000. As a result – and due to Black Belt Poker’s unique scheme in which we reward players Belt Points for cashing in MTTs that they have been staked in – Hugh earned enough Belt Points to not only see him jump up to Brown Belt status by the end of the month, but also have enough Belt Points in the bank to maintain his status for three months! As Brown Belts receive a minimum of $4,000 per month in live tournament sponsorship, this means that Hugh is guaranteed a total package worth $12,000!

Hailing from London, Hugh is a familiar face on the local circuit having become a regular figure at the now defunct Gutshot Club in Farringdon. He boasts a handful of results in live tournaments with his biggest win coming in 2007 when he won £12,810 in a £200 No Limit Hold’em freezeout at the London GUKPT. His iPoker triumph is therefore his biggest win to date, and Black Belt Poker would not only like to congratulate Hugh for his fourth place finish, but also for his achievement in becoming an esteemed Brown Belt player.

If you would like to ask Hugh a question or add him as a buddy, then feel free to check out his personal profile on the Black Belt Poker social network.