Insider Job & G3OFF Wins Leg 3

With WSOP shares in our Black Belts dangling like a treacle-laced carrot, 82 hopefuls once again hit the virtual felt in a bid to scale the ranks and become the League IX Champion. Leg 3 was only one slice of that pie, but victory would undoubtedly propel the winner to a much more formidable position and give him (or her) the optimum chance of turning a minor investment into a monstrous pot of gold.

Swimming among the field were a number of sharks, including Black Belts Neil Channing and Richard Ashby. Although they fell at early hurdles - coming 70th and 63rd - two familiar names from last week hit a second consecutive final table: Ian 'mork1971' Goodwin and Kim 'inder66666' Vernon. Also featuring was Chris 'CroadYuk' Roadknight who came third in Leg 1.

Despite their presence, it was Geoff 'G3OFF' Douglas who finished top of the class, his homework paying off to the tune of $123.00. Detention went to Leg 1 winner Patrick 'course00' Scott; he bubbled in 11th and, as Anne Robinson would say, "Goes home with nothing."

1st G3OFF -- $123.00
2nd Elysiumjay -- $82.00
3rd themackem1968 -- $51.25
4th mork1971 -- $38.95
5th insider66666 -- $30.75
6th losbert40 -- $30.75
7th CroadYuk -- $20.50
8th thehingster -- $16.40
9th Stiletto Mafiosa -- $12.30
10th RykanShadow -- $10.25

Insider66666's second final table in as many weeks was certainly influential as he now heads the standings with 268 points. However, the top three are packed in tighter than cans of sardines in a lift with just four points separating them: CroaYuk in second with 266 points and mork1971 a gnat's nostril hair behind with 264 points.. Meanwhile, UliKoko leads the chasing pack on 204 points.

1st insider66666 -- 268 points
2nd CroadYuk -- 266 points
3rd mork1971 -- 264 points
4th UliKoko -- 240 points
5th course00 -- 237 points
6th StilettoMafiosa -- 229 points
7th losbert40 -- 228 points
8th sandy1611 -- 224 points
9th rattersbrf -- 211 points
10th Stewboi -- 204 points

With 10th and 11th place boasting precisely the same score, it seems unfair not to give a shout out to Andy 'BoatDrink' Butcher as a result of a technicality. In fact, while we're here, let's honour the next 10 players, all of whom are lurking patiently and waiting for the opportunity to pounce into the 'prize zone.'

11th BoatDrink -- 204 points
12th LagRat02 -- 196 points
13th JimmyTheBhoy -- 195 points
14th CareybearBBP -- 193 points
15th Mrdroodle -- 193 points
16th nakgeela4 -- 190 points
17th Perseus10 -- 184 points
18th seven7777777s -- 184 points
19th setevegw -- 180 points
20th TeeDeeEye1 -- 172 points

The results for the Mulligan are in; this week's winner was Simon 'ourkidsid' Herrick who magically turned $15 into $75. Also taking a stab was Blue Belt and UKIPT Brighton Champion Jamie 'StilettoMafiosa' Burland, who, sadly, finished penniless in fifth.

1st ourkidsid -- $75.00
2nd UsainZeus88 -- $45.00
3rd Touagorimou -- $30.00
4th bolden1212
5th StilettoMafiosa
6th 99Ranny
7th CroadYuk
8th ZoeRiZZ0
9th paul6543
10th zerotone

League VII Champion Tom 'werrrrd' Drew starred in the $0.50 donkament, but it was unknown entity '45683' who triumphed (How does he know my pin!)

1st 45683 -- $6.80
2nd Touagorimou -- $3.90
3rd tealcSVU -- $2.60
4th paul6543
5th 99Ranny
6th Madchatter
7th plusEVldn
8th Werrrrd
9th CareybearBBP
10th MajorMustard

The League is just one of the many Vegas-related promotions we either have planned, or are currently offering. If you participated in the Black Belt London Live II, then don't forget that on May 4, we're hosting a Vegas Freeroll for any entrants who subsequently maintained their Belt for April, or were promoted to a higher one.

Up for grabs is a Vegas trip, with the lucky winner also being given the opportunity to take take on our Black Belts heads-up for WSOP tournament buy-ins, including the $10,000 Main Event! If you played the London Live, then you've just got three days to ensure you are eligible for the event. Don't miss out!

To donwload the software, simply click here and follow the step-by-step process provided.

League IX: Backin' Black
Great Scott; course00 Takes Opener
A Tripz to the Podium

Shocking! Hansen Graces London Live

With the likes of Ross Boatman, Luke Schwartz and Richard Ashby, the Black Belt London Live II boasted more stars than the night sky, but little did we know that the Grosvenor Victoria Casino would be graced by the presence of one of the sporting world's most respected pundits.

A former International footballer from Scotland, Alan Hansen kicked off his career at Partick Thistle before moving south of the border and joining Liverpool in 1977. 14 years later and Hansen had become one of the world's most celebrated defenders and a Merseyside legend with 434 caps and 8 goals.

Following retirement in 1991, the natural progression for a man of Hansen's knowledge and experience was coaching, but the centre-back rejected managerial roles to carve our a second career in punditry. Subsequent years saw him work for Sky Televsion, Radio Five Live, the Daily Telegraph and Match of the Day, where he has remained for over a decade. In the process, he has garnered notoriety for his direct analysis and use of adjectives such as "shocking", "diabolical" and "sloppy".

The London Live was, of course, none of these things, and Hansen was enjoying the occasion as much as anyone as he watched the action unfold from the rail. Although the Anfield hero is best known for his footballing career, he is also a keen poker enthusiast, and has been playing cards for many years. As such, we thought this was the perfect opportunity to ask him a few quick questions and garner his thoughts.

Click here to view the interview.

Beam Me to the WSOP

With the World Series of Poker fast-approaching, many of you will already be planning your route to Vegas and trying to work out the best possible way of winning your seat for the £10,000 Main Event and participating in the most anticipated event on the poker calendar.

If this sounds like you, then we may have just the ticket as Neil Channing, Jamie Burland and Alex Rousso once again ambush the Grosvenor Victoria Casino in London for the latest Black Belt Poker Academy: How to Win Your WSOP Main Event Seat.

Starting at 1pm, Saturday, May 14, the Black Belt Poker team will tell you exactly how you can become the next Chris Moneymaker through a number of topics ranging from bubble theory to Independent Chip Modelling, as well as practical workshops running you through the various hand scenarios that may arise.

But don't take it from me, listen to what our mentors had to say in this exclusive video…

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Beam Me to the WSOP

16 April 2011

snoopy

Start your road to the World Series with the help of our Sensei at the Black Belt Poker Academy.

Beam Me Up, Neil

With the World Series of Poker fast-approaching, many of you will already be planning your route to Vegas and trying to work out the best possible way of winning your seat for the £10,000 Main Event and participating in the most anticipated event on the poker calendar.

If this sounds like you, then we may have just the ticket as Neil Channing, Jamie Burland and Alex Rousso once again ambush the Grosvenor Victoria Casino in London for the latest Black Belt Poker Academy: How to Win Your WSOP Main Event Seat.

Starting at 1pm, Saturday, May 14, the Black Belt Poker team will tell you exactly how you can become the next Chris Moneymaker through a number of topics ranging from bubble theory to Independent Chip Modelling, as well as practical workshops running you through the various hand scenarios that may arise.

But don't take it from me, listen to what our mentors had to say in this exclusive video…

Click to view video

Still dreaming of the bright lights of Vegas? Then what are you waiting for? At just £150, the Academy is an absolute snip, and could be your ticket to the WSOP Main Event! If you would like to secure your seat, then simply drop us an email at info@blackbeltpoker.com. Alternatively, you can purchase your ticket with Spending Points earned through playing on the site. An Academy ticket is now available in the Black Belt Poker Store for 4,500 Spending Points. Simply log in to the community and select 'Store' in the top right hand menu.

Don't miss out; this could be the shrewdest investment you ever make and set you on the road to Vegas. After that, who knows, maybe you could return home with a gold bracelet adorning your wrist.

video editing: Ed Lao

Great Scott; course00 Takes Opener

It's seems like only a few weeks ago that Trevor 'TeeDeeEye1' Ingman was concluding his obliteration of League VIII and preparing himself to be a bounty at the Black Belt London Live II… hold on, it was! Well, I guess we don't like to hang around here at Black Belt Poker when it comes to offering our players value, and last night, the League once again returned with perhaps more added value than ever.

League IX (oh yes, we're into the 'X's and slowly catching the Wrestlemanias) erupted onto Super Tuesday with 105 players eager to get off to the best possible start. This time, the carrot being dangled is possibly the tastiest yet, with the winner earning himself 1.5% in shares of our Black Belts (Neil Channing, Richard Ashby and Sam Razavi) in this year's $10,000 WSOP Main Event.

In response to the dominating displays of prior champions, we've also decided to give the second and third place finishers Black Belt shares (1% and 0.5% respectively), meaning that, for the first time ever, there are three star prizes up for grabs, as well as the usual combination of Belt Points and DeucesCracked tokens for the top 10.

With the usual smattering of Black Belt Poker pros hitting the felt, Leg 1 was destined to be another fiercely competitive affair. We were also blessed with the presence of two players who won trips to Vegas last year on Black Belt Poker: Mandy 'wondrwman' Card (via satellite) and Rob 'SirNutFlopper' Weston (via 2010's Quad Aces promotion). Sadly (for them), they were close to snapping up the wooden spoon, finishing 93rd and 91st respectively.

As the reigning Champ finished a consistent-as-ever 35th, and League VII winner Tom 'werrrrd' Drew 45th, it was left to Sandy 'sandy1611' Drennan to feel the full splash of the bubble in sixth. The top five was therefore somewhat of a mixed bunch with the most notable inclusion being Head Honcho Neil Channing, who slipped in fourth.

With Chris 'CroadYuk' Roadknight taking third, Craig 'hurjicalcg' Goodwin couldn't make it a er… good win, allowing victory to fall into the welcome lap of Patrick 'course00' Scott, who was way below par for (ahem) course when he saw $210 drop into his account.

1st course00 -- $210
2nd hurjicalcg -- $131.25
3rd CroadYuk -- $84.00
4th NeilChanning -- $57.75
5th UliKoko -- $42.00

After hours tucked up in the office, Black Belt Poker's finest maths whizzes finally came up with the current standings:

1st course00 -- 130 points
2nd hurjicalcg -- 122 points
3rd CroadYuk -- 118 points
4th NeilChanning -- 114 points
5th UliKoko -- 111 points
6th sandy1611-- 108 points
7th beatyouto -- 105 points
8th BoatDrink -- 102 points
9th paulmarrow -- 99 points
10th bh0yw0nder -- 97 points

Following several weeks of London Live satellites, the Donkament and Mulligan made their long-awaited returns with the latter attracting 15 entrants. For those with fish-like memories, the Mulligan is a $15 deep-stacked freezeout and a great way to escape low buy-in crapshoots.

On this occasion, Billybob88 took the spoils whilst League I Champion Adam 'JHobbit' Saunders snapped up second. The event also included League VI Champion Mark '99Ranny' Ranson (8th), London Live finalist Gareth 'PKRLocke' Alder (9th) and Blue Belt and UKIPT Brighton Champion Jamie 'StilettoMafiosa' Burland (10th).

1st Billybob88 -- $112.50
2nd JHobbit1 -- $67.50
3rd Touagorimou -- $45

15 took on the Donkament an hour later, including Mr. Channing, who although didn't win the tournament, certainly won the number of rebuys...

1st GloriaSmellons -- $16.00
2nd tealcSVU -- $9.60
3rd paul6543 -- $6.40

And so, just like that, another League was up and away with 10 fresh-faced poker fanatics filling up the top spots. If the wind changed, and it stayed like that, course00, hurjicalcg and CroadYuk would all have their pick of the Black Belts in the WSOP Main Event, with someone potentially turning a minor League investment into a five figure sum, maybe six!

Leg 1 might be done and dusted, but there's still seven more legs to participate in. Think you've got the cahonies? Then why not download the poker client, open an account, and give it a crack. And who knows, perhaps you could be playing the World Series vicariously through our Black Belts.

League IX: Backin' Black

Vegas Freeroll; May 4 Be With You

With 414 salivating poker Padawans jam-packing the Grosvenor Victoria Casino like cans of sardines in an elevator, the Black Belt London Live II was deemed a roaring success, with Reading's Peter Wigglesworth crowned ruler of the galaxy and proud recipient of the sparkling silverware.

With troopers such as Gavin Hall and Gareth Alder taking advantage of the bounty prizes and Belt bonuses, Black Belt Poker paid out $5,555 (five alive!) in added money. However, with a potential $25,700 up for grabs, it was evident that not everyone lapped up the extra spondoolies available.

If you turned to the dark side and didn't reach Orange Belt or above in time for the London Live, then don't fret, as Black Belt Poker have once again gone madder than Darth Vader and decided that it would be a good idea to give even more money away. As such, we're giving you a new hope, a chance of redemption and yet another chance to snap up some of the amazing value on offer.

In a one-time deal, exclusive to all London Live entrants, we're hosting a London Live Vegas Freeroll on Wednesday, May 4, 2011 in which we're giving away a trip to Sin City to the lucky winner, absolutely free!

But wait, it gets even better, as the freeroll winner will also have the chance to supplement his or her prize with tournament buy-ins by taking on our Black Belt Yodas. Win two consecutive heads-up matches against Emperor Channing and you'll get to play a $1,500 event; add a $5,000 event if you can maul Richard Ashby; and finally topple heads-up Jedi and Aussie Millions finalist Sam Razavi to participate in the $10,000 WSOP Main Event!

To be eligible for the Vegas Freeroll, all you have to do is maintain your Belt (or be promoted to a higher Belt for the month of April). So, if you made the mistake of entering the London Live as a Yellow Belt and not being in a position to take advantage of the added money, then this is your second bite of the cherry. Hit Orange by May 1, and you'll be in with a shot at going to Vegas courtesy of Black Belt Poker.

There are no Jedi mind tricks here - this is genuine! This is your chance to become the Luke Skywalker of the poker world and not only go to Vegas, but have a shot at becoming the next WSOP World Champion. Don't miss out; assure you secure your place in the Vegas Freeroll and we look forward to sending one of you to Viva Las Vegas!

And remember, May 4 be with you...

For all the details, including terms and conditions, please click here.

Press Release: Peter Wigglesworth Wins London Live II
Live Coverage/Updates
High Roller Report
The Hendon Mob Results
Interview - Peter Wigglesworth
Interview - Paul Pham
Photos from the Event
Video Report
Day 1A Chip Counts
Day 1B Chip Counts

Prepare for Battle; Become a WSOP Warrior

Ninjas and kunoichis of Black Belt Poker, we call out to you! Emerge from the shadows into the moonlight, sharpen your wits and prepare for battle. Not you with the nunchucks or that guy with the katana (hey, come on, put that pitchfork away!) No, we want you, sitting behind that screen, armed with nerves of steel and the skills to send the samurai sprawling. The time is nigh. Are you ready to become a WSOP Warrior?!

For only $200+15, register for the WSOP Warrior Master League and wage war against other would-be warriors over nine MTT tournaments stretching across April and May. There are prizes and packages worth a combined $100,000! The top 100 finishers will be awarded, while the top 10 Grand Final warriors will each receive coveted WSOP packages.

The Ultimate Warrior will win a $20,000 package, covering accommodation in Vegas for 13 nights, $4,500 spending money, a side event buy-in and a seat in the $10,000 Main Event.

The league will commence at 8pm on Tuesday, April 26 and tournaments will take place twice a week, every Tuesday and Friday. Participants will be judged on their six best performances out of the first eight events. The top 50% in the league table after Event #8 will automatically proceed to the Grand Final to fight it out in an arena where points are worth double!

WSOP Warrior Event #1 -- Tuesday, April 26 (8pm)
WSOP Warrior Event #2 -- Friday, April 29 (8pm)
WSOP Warrior Event #3 -- Tuesday, May 3 (8pm)
WSOP Warrior Event #4 -- Friday, May 6 (8pm)
WSOP Warrior Event #5 -- Tuesday, May 10 (8pm)
WSOP Warrior Event #6 -- Friday, May 13 (8pm)
WSOP Warrior Event #7 -- Tuesday, May 17 (8pm)
WSOP Warrior Event #8 -- Friday, May 20 (8pm)
WSOP Warrior Grand Final -- Tuesday, May 24 (8pm)

The aim is simple: place as high as you can in the events and gain as many points as possible.

1st 50
2nd 40
3rd 35
4th 30
5th 25
6th 22
7th 20
8th 18
9th 16
10th 14
11th-20th 13
21st-40th 12
41st-60th 11
61st-90th 10
91st-120th 9
121st-150th 8
151st-200th 7
201st-250th 6
251st - 300th 5
301st-350th 4
351st-400th 3
401st-450th 2
451st-500th 1
501st-lower 0.5

For the latecomers, registration closes two hours before the start of Event #3 on Tuesday, May 3. There are three registration options available, but why not give yourself a better chance and get in on the action from the start.

WSOP Warrior Super League A
$200+15
Registration available April 1 – April 25 (5pm)
Events 1-8

WSOP Warrior Super League B
$180+13
Registration available April 25 (7pm) – April 28 (5pm)
Events 2-8

WSOP Warrior Super League C
$160+11
Registration available April 28 (7pm) – May 2 (5pm)
Events 3-8

If you don't currently have a cardroom account, just download the Black Belt Poker client and follow the simple steps provided.

For more details on the WSOP Warrior Master League, including Terms and Conditions, please click here.

Learn Heads-Up from the World Champion

At the tail end of last year, Nik Persaud proved he was more than just a face when he became the 2010 World Heads-Up Champion, defeating the likes of EPT winners Toby Lewis and Vicky Coren on route to capturing his first title to date.

A professional poker player from London, Nik possessed little experience playing live heads-up, but had been frequenting the online heads-up cash tables in the months leading up to the event. It was likely his skills learned in the online format that led to his Vic victory and £15,000 payday

Four and a half months on, and Nik is returning to the Grosvenor Victoria Casino on Edgware Road to share his knowledge of the heads-up format in the latest Black Belt Poker Academy. Flanked by Black Belt and recent Aussie Millions finalist Sam Razavi, the two Black Belt Poker sponsored pros will cover a variety of topics from range assessment to value-betting.

If you would like to tweak your skills in what many consider to be the purest form of poker, then this is your chance to learn from the reigning Worlds Heads-Up Champion, as well a winning heads-up specialist in Razavi. The Academy is scheduled for this Saturday, April 9, 2011 and will kick off at 1pm with an introduction from Academy host and poker theorist Alex Rousso.

The Academy is capped at 30 and costs £150 per ticket. If you would like to attend, then simply drop us an email at info@blackbelpoker.com to secure your seat. Alternatively, you can purchase your ticket with Spending Points earned through playing on the site. An Academy ticket is now available in the Black Belt Poker Store for 4,500 Spending Points. Simply log in to the community and select 'Store' in the top right hand menu.

This is being touted by many as the best Academy so far, so don't miss out, book your seat now and join us this Saturday for a day of intensive, but personable poker tutelage.

See here for the day's schedule.

Dojo Session: New Schedule

Following on from the success of February and March's Dojo Sessions, Dojo hosts Kevin Williams and Jamie Burland are once again donning Miyagi headband and reopening their doors to another two months of high quality poker tutelage.

Fresh off a highly successful series in which virtually every Session was sold out, our illustrious Sensei aim to tweak your game whilst inviting interaction so you have the best possible opportunity to learn from the Sensei and the other players in attendance.

Unlike our chopstick-wielding friend, they won't be teaching you to wax cars or paint fences, but rather help you fine-tune your skills in areas such as tilt management, Pot Limit Omaha, and range-finding.

As always, Kevin and Jamie will be spearheading the Dojo, but there will also be debut appearances from Hold'em pro Joe Roberts, as well as Pot Limit Omaha cash experts Jerome Bradpiece and David Docherty.

The full schedule is as follows:

Thursday, April 7 (8pm) – ‘Size Matters’ with Sensei Burland
Nailing bet-sizing to win the max.

Thursday, April 14 (8pm) – ‘Making the Transition: NLH to PLO’ with Sensei Bradpiece & Sensei Docherty
BBP’s Omaha regs talk you through the leap into one of poker's most exciting formats.

Thursday, April 21 (8pm) – ‘Rangefinder’ with Sensei Roberts
Put your opponents on accurate ranges for improved hand analysis.

Thursday, April 28 (8pm) – ‘Endgame’ with Sensei Williams
Turn those deep runs into wins by peeking over the Sensei’s shoulder during the later stages of an MTT win.

Thursday, May 5 (8pm) – ‘Reg Wars!’ with Sensei Burland
Same old faces at your tables? Make more money by beating up the regs!

Thursday, May 12 (8pm) – ‘PLOwning’ – with Sensei Bradpiece & Sensei Docherty
Our PLO experts introduce the concepts that will help you crush the games.

Monday, May 16 (8pm) – ‘Tilt Management’ with Sensei Williams
The Dojo moves to marvellous Monday for a week, but relax, you can still come and learn to control your tilt.

Thursday, May 26 (8pm) – ‘So, You Wanna Be a Pro?’ with Sensei Burland
A pro's guide to the ups, downs, ins and outs, requirements and practicalities of playing for a living.

Tomorrow, at 8pm, UKIPT Champion Jamie Burland will be hosting the first Dojo Session of April, 'Size Matters'. Bet-sizing is a huge issue for many players, and failing to understand its importance undoubtedly has a major influence on profit margins. This Session will be a perfect way to plug that leak and ensure that you don't leave any more money at the table.

"Every time you bet the wrong amount, you are losing money," explains Kevin Williams. "It's as simple as that. Learning how to pick the right bet size is vital to a sizeable profit. No matter what you've been told by the people that love you, size really does matter."

If you would like to attend tomorrow's Dojo Session, or any other Session over the next two months, then securing your seat couldn't be easier: sign into the community, click 'Store' in the top righthand menu and locate the appropriate token in 'Live Events'. You'll then be sent a confirmation email followed by details on how to attend closer to the event.

At just 300 Spending Points, Dojo Sessions are an absolute snip. However, be quick, as seats are already selling fast, and there is limited attendance available.

London Live II Results

Main Event Results:

$250+25
414 runners
$103,500 prize pool
Deal agreed between top two.

1st Peter Wigglesworth -- $20,000 ($16,020)
2nd Michael Yiannikkou -- $12,000 ($16,020)
3rd Gareth Alder -- $8,000 ($9,600)
4th Gavin Hall -- $6,000 ($7,450)
5th Andy Nguyen -- $4,500 ($4,500)
6th Raj Rughwani -- $3,500 ($3,520)
7th Louis Manson -- $2,850 ($2,850)
8th Stephen Power -- $2,250 ($2,250)
9th Seth Webber -- $2,000 ($2,000)
10th Hugo Martin -- $1,750 ($1,750)
11th Richie Allen -- $1,750 ($1,750)
12th Willie Tann -- $1,500 ($1,500)
13th Adam Stoneham -- $1,500 ($1,800)
14th Mark Brassington -- $1,500 ($1,500)
15th Jo Handman -- $1,500 ($1,500)
16th Samad Razavi -- $1,250 ($1,500)
17th Christopher Kadji -- $1,250 ($1,250)
18th Jemma Pateman -- $1,250 ($1,475)
19th Paul Hempseed -- $1,250 ($1,250)
20th Johnny Kelly -- $1,250 ($1,250)
21st Marty Smyth -- $1,000 ($1,000)
22nd Lim-Wai Cheung -- $1,000 ($1,000)
23rd David Docherty -- $1,000 ($1,200)
24th Rupom Pal -- $1,000 ($1,020)
25th Tony Adderley -- $1,000 ($1,020)
26th Andrew Last -- $800 ($800)
27th Philip Mildon -- $800 ($880)
28th Niall Farrell -- $800 ($800)
29th Ebrahim Razavi -- $800 ($800)
30th Phillip Chan -- $800 ($820)
31st Bahman Djarian -- $600 ($600)
32nd Denison Ranson -- $600 ($600)
33rd Gary Davies -- $600 ($600)
34th Ronnie Guevara -- $600 ($600)
35th Niall Dowds -- $600 ($600)
36th Matthew Sayer -- $600 ($600)
37th Shana Casaletto -- $600 ($600)
38th Tim Chamberlain -- $500 ($500)
39th Dean Watson -- $500 ($550)
40th Daren Lury -- $500 ($500)
41st Deborah Worley-Roberts -- $500 ($550)
42nd Ian Chin -- $500 ($500)
43rd Richard Eatock -- $500 ($500)
44th Simon Morris -- $500 ($550)
45th Matthew Heap -- $500 ($520)
46th Rod Hall -- $400 ($480)
47th Dean Aldred -- $400 ($540)
48th Simon Herrick -- $400 ($400)
49th Matthew Southam -- $400 ($400)
50th James Mitchell -- $400 ($730)
51st David Ellis -- $400 ($400)
52nd Dan Gallagher -- $400 ($400)
53rd David Cotgrave -- $400 ($400)
54th Steven Parry -- $400 ($400)
55th J.J. Hazan -- $350 ($385)
56th Nigel Chukwu -- $350 ($350)
57th Marc Convey -- $350 ($350)
58th Mark Oliver -- $350 ($350)
59th Michael Hyam -- $350 ($350)
60th Jon Laight -- $350 ($350)
61st Peter Derrick -- $350 ($385)
62nd Alex Rousso -- $350 ($350)
63rd Michael Isiguzo -- $350 ($350)
64th Robert Garrard -- $300 ($300)
65th Karl Mahrenholz -- $300 ($300)
66th David Lawrence -- $300 ($300)
67th Christopher Cornelius -- $300 ($330)
68th Justin Hubble -- $300 ($300)
69th Ross Boatman -- $300 ($300)
70th Tony Lang -- $300 ($300)
71st Lee Brooke-Pearce -- $300 ($330)
72nd Jesse Algranti -- $300 ($300)

Bounty Eliminations:

$1,480 of a possible $5,000 paid.
4 x Purple Belt+ ($1,000)
2 x Orange Belt ($200)
14 x Yellow Belt ($280)

Nik Persaud by Bharat Harshad Joshi ($20)
Jake Cody by Sean Bolden ($250)
Trevor Ingman by Mike Ellis ($20)
Richard Ashby by Robert Angood ($20)
Jamie Burland by Nicolas Irving ($20)
Mike Ellis by Andrew Youens ($20)
JP Kelly by Raj Rughwani ($20)
Paul Pham by Rupom Pal ($20)
James Dempsey by James Mitchell ($250)
Luke Schwartz by Ciaran Corbett ($20)
James Keys by Jerome Bradpiece ($250)
Surinder Sunar by Constantine Paparestis ($20)
Jerome Bradpiece by Matthew Heap ($20)
Neil Channing by Tony Adderley ($20)
Ross Boatman by Dean Aldred ($100)
Alex Rousso by Jemma-Louise Pateman ($100)
James Mitchell by Philip Chan ($20)
Marty Smyth by Michael Yiannikkou ($20)
Sam Razavi by Peter Wigglesworth ($20)
Adam Stoneham by Gavin Hall ($250)

Belt Bonuses:

$4,075 of a possible $20,700 paid.

3rd Gareth Alder -- $1,600 (Purple Belt)
4th Gavin Hall -- $1,200 (Blue Belt)
13th Adam Stoneham -- $300 (Brown Belt)
16th Samad Razavi -- $250 (Black Belt)
18th Jemma Pateman -- $125 (Orange Belt)
23rd David Docherty -- $200 (Blue Belt)
41st Deborah Worley-Roberts -- $50 (Orange Belt)
44th Simon Morris -- $50 (Orange Belt)
46th Rod Hall -- $80 (Purple Belt)
47th Dean Aldred -- $40 (Orange Belt)
50th James Mitchell -- $80 (Green Belt)
55th J.J. Hazan -- $35 (Orange Belt)
61st Peter Derrick -- $35 (Orange Belt)
71st Lee Brooke-Pearce -- $30 (Orange Belt)

High Roller Results:

£1,000
25 runners
£25,000 prize pool
Deal agreed by top five.

1st Mike Donn -- £5,000
2nd Ahmad Jehangir -- £5,000
3rd Robin Keston -- £5,000
4th David Barnes -- £5,000
5th Mykola Vysotski -- £5,000

Others:

Highest Black Belt -- Sam Razavi
Highest Brown Belt -- Adam Stoneham
Highest Blue Belt -- Davin Docherty
Highest Green Belt -- Gavin Hall
Highest Orange Belt -- Jemma Pateman
Highest Yellow Belt -- Peter Wigglesworth
Money Bubble -- Brendan McCartain
Final Table Bubble -- Hugo Martin

Press Release: Peter Wigglesworth Wins London Live II
Live Coverage/Updates
The Hendon Mob Results
Photos from the Event
Video Report
Day 1A Chip Counts
Day 1B Chip Counts

Peter Wigglesworth Wins London Live II

At precisely 2.38am this morning, Peter Wigglesworth of Reading became the Black Belt London Live II Champion when he toppled Michael Yiannikkou heads-up to capture the coveted title.

After a brief battle, the two remaining players decided to split the prize pool down the middle, meaning both left with $16,000 in their back pocket. However, with the silverware still on the line, it was Wigglesworth who ultimately triumphed, his Kc-Qh holding firm against Yiannikkou's Qs-8s all in on the flop of an Ks-4h-8h-7s-Jc board.

Wigglesworth, a 46-year old semi-pro currently residing in Ascot, was quick to praise his heads-up opponent, commenting, "He did all the work for me. I just had a good run of cards near the end," before adding, "My first live result was actually in last year's event. I finished 15th but felt I should have made the final table, so was determined to do better this time around."

After selling out just under a week prior to kick-off, Black Belt Poker extended the field to enable a whopping 414 poker fanatics to embark on the Grosvenor Victoria Casino on Edgware Road. Both pros and amateurs alike stumped up the $250+25 fee, meaning that recreational players were given the opportunity to face the likes of Ross Boatman, Luke Schwartz and EPT/WPT winner Jake Cody.

Black Belt Poker also supplied 20 bounties, all of whom had a price-tag of up to $250 on their heads, as well as a chocolate Bounty Bar to award their assassin. On three occasions a bounty eliminated a fellow bounty, and James Mitchell took particular delight in ending the tournament life of friend and bracelet winner James Dempsey.

The best value, however, undoubtedly came in the added money, whereby up to 20% more was paid out to those who made the money. As a Blue Belt, fourth place finisher Gavin Hall received an extra $1,200 on top of his $6,000, as well as $250 for eliminating bounty Adam Stoneham. He therefore left with $7,450.

In total, 72 players made the money, of which included Marty Smyth, Sam Razavi and last year's finalist Hugo Martin, who just missed out on repeating that feat when he bubbled the final table in 10th. Heading into the final table, it was Gareth Alder who held the chip lead, a near one million ahead of his nearest competitor.

However, when the dust had settled and smoke cleared, it was the self-declared "old school style" of Wigglesworth which reigned supreme, his patient approach paying dividends and enabling him to echo the achievement of last year's victor Paul Pham. Black Belt Richard Ashby was on hand to present the trophy.

"It was a really long day and I do find it quite tiring," concluded Wigglesworth. "It's definitely become a young player's game, but I have a strategy and it seems to be working. I love these tournaments; the structure's great. If Black Belt Poker had more, I'd play every one."

1st Peter Wigglesworth -- $16,020 ($16,000)
2nd Michael Yiannikkou -- $16,020 ($16,000)
3rd Gareth Alder -- $9,600 ($8,000)
4th Gavin Hall -- $7,450 ($6,000)
5th Andy Nguyen -- $4,500 ($4,500)
6th Raj Rughwani -- $3,520 ($3,500)
7th Louis Manson -- $2,850 ($2,750)
8th Stephen Power -- $2,250 ($2,250)
9th Seth Webber -- $2,000 ($2,000)

(Prize in brackets is standard payout without bonuses)

Bounty Eliminations:

Nik Persaud by Bharat Harshad Joshi
Jake Cody by Sean Bolden
Trevor Ingman by Mike Ellis
Richard Ashby by Robert Angood
Jamie Burland by Nicolas Irving
Mike Ellis by Andrew Youens
JP Kelly by Raj Rughwani
Paul Pham by Rupom Pal
James Dempsey by James Mitchell
Luke Schwartz by Ciaran Corbett
James Keys by Jerome Bradpiece
Surinder Sunar by Constantine Paparestis
Jerome Bradpiece by Matthew Heap
Neil Channing by Tony Adderley
Ross Boatman by Dean Aldred
Alex Rousso by Jemma-Louise Pateman
James Mitchell by Philip Chan
Marty Smyth by Michael Yiannikkou
Sam Razavi by Peter Wigglesworth
Adam Stoneham by Gavin Hall

London Live II - Day 1A Chip Counts

Click for Live Updates/Coverage...

Rajesh Rugwhani -- 314,500
Willie Tann -- 260,500
Jeraint Hazan -- 251,500
Seth Webber -- 214,200
Jesse Algranti -- 187,400
Paul Hempseed -- 166,600
Gareth Alder -- 162,100
Andy Nugyen -- 154,600
Adam Stoneham -- 147,300
Christopher Kadji -- 137,100
Marty Smyth -- 129,000
Nigel Chukwu -- 127,800
Justin Hubble -- 127,700
Mark Brassington -- 126,700
Hugo Martin -- 126,500
Richie Allen -- 123,400
Johnny Kelly -- 109,600
Matthew Sayer -- 105,500
Lee Brooke-Pearce -- 93,500
Lim-Wai Cheung -- 91,200
Andrew Youens -- 89,300
Martin Bader -- 80,500
Michael Isiguzo -- 76,400
Peter Derrick -- 72,300
Stephen Power -- 71,800
Dean Watson -- 67,800
Daniel Gallagher -- 61,300
Brendan McCartain -- 58,400
Gavin Hall -- 54,400
Bahman Djarian -- 53,400
Tony Lang -- 50,200
Tim Chamberlain -- 48,100
Neil Channing -- 42,200
Deborah Worley-Roberts -- 41,100
Ronald Guevara -- 35,300
Philip Chan -- 35,200
Mark Oliver -- 28,700
Darren Meredith -- 18,700
Richard Dally -- 15,000

Moving House

You can now follow the London Live updates at the following address:

http://www.blackbeltpoker.com/events/london-live-updates/

Level 2; Man Overboard

Before Level 2 has barely hit the plasma screen, we lose Frederik Ogilvie. He tried to sneak off undetected, but we managed to snap up his I.D. card and put a name to the demise. It's a cruel game.

Watt's Going Down?

Well, Steve Watts, apparently.

According to my secret sources, it was Vic stalwart Willie Tann who applied the damage with a flopped set (5-2 was the holding, naturally), and a few hands later another blood-thirsty assassin pounced and scraped up the remaining shrapnel.

As a result, Mr. Watts has run out of power and become the first departure of the London Live II, and managed to achieve that remarkable feat within one level. That's got to be worth a spot prize, surely?...

No Early Dive for Vincent

Breaking News... Vincent Diver is still in. In fact, everyone's still in, but Vincent will be particularly relieved to be approaching the second level with his tournament life in tact after becoming the first ever London Live casualty in last year's inaugural venture.

For those who don't recall the demolition derby, Vincent flopped a set of aces, but ran head-first into a turned straight which ultimately sucked up the Blue Belt's entire stack. It was a dark, lonely walk to the car park for the Blue Belt on that dyer day, but he's back this year with a spring in his step and twinkle in his eye, and after already beating his record-breaking feat from last time (15 minutes, if memory serves me correct), he has his sights firmly set on the dizzy heights of Level 3!

The London Live is all about living the dream and aiming high.

The Taste of Paradise - Mmm

I don't think I can publish the full list without developing some form of arthritis, but hopefully this will be enough to quench your thirst for Day 1A names:

Bounties

Adam Stoneham
Jake Cody
Jamie Burland
JP Kelly
Marty Smyth
Mike Ellis
Neil Channing
Nik Persaud
Richard Ashby
Trevor Ingman

Also spotted:

Paul Parker
John Dwyer
Andy Brislan
Gavin Hall
Dominic Kay
Gareth Alder
Ross Jarvis
Barry Styles
Owen Robinson
JJ Hazan
Vincent Diver
Tristian Chaplin
Richard Dally
Mark Brassington
Richard Hurst
Jen Mason
Sean Bolden
Dean Brewer
Tom Drew
Richie Allen
Jesse Algranti
Jeff Kimber
Hugo Martin
Dean Watson

Greetings and Salutations

Greetings and salutations, and welcome to the Black Belt London Live II. Not since I was first ravished on my initial date with Mrs. Snoopy have I been this excited, as 207 salivating poker fanatics ambush the Grosvenor Victoria Casino on Edgware Road for the opening stint of this three-day poker bonanza.

It's value galore as no fewer than 10 individuals are seated at their table with a bounty bar on the felt before them. As they struggle to resist those early morning munchies, the rest of their table are fixated on the juicy cash prize for eliminating them from the tournament, a reward that will reap as much as $250 for those of Purple Belt status or higher.

Meanwhile, Richard Ashby has entered the arena in jovial spirit, dressed head-to-toe in karate suit and ensuring that Neil Channing - blowing the dust off his kit from the inaugural outing last year - isn't the only Black Belt looking like a gooseberry. One Belt down, Brown Belts Nik Persaud and Adam Stoneham are present, although donning less garish attire.

As the Level 1 clock ticks down, the field is slowly beginning to fill as players wipe the sleep from their eyes (noon is early, apparently) and embrace their mammoth 20,000 starting stack. The blinds start at 25/50, so there shouldn't be any excuse for an early departure/blow-up, but you never know. "It's a funny old game," as Jimmy Greaves once said, although I'm not sure he was talking out poker in truth.