Festive Overlays on Black Belt Poker

 
It's tradition for many sites to reduce their guarantees during the 'season of giving', but Black Belt Poker fought irony face on during the festive period by refusing to tamper with our offers and continue to shower players with value.

The result was juicy overlays in four of our exclusive tournaments, starting with the Nifty at Nine on Christmas Eve.

Just 15 players managed to escape the family celebrations and part with the 50-Spending Points buy-in, thus creating an overlay of 500 Belt Points.

The man who took maximum advantage was Russ nicenutter Cocrhan who earned himself an early Christmas present.

1st  nicenutter -- 500 Belt Points
2nd  PhilDee64 -- 350 Belt Points
3rd  Sarannedipity -- 225 Belt Points
4th  Touagorimou -- 125 Belt Points
5th  Barty1uk -- 50 Belt Points

Players took a well-earned break on Christmas Day, but 18 Orange Belts returned on Boxing Day to compete in the inaugural January Sales Freeroll.

With eight prizes up for grabs, almost half the field were paid, with the lucky winner booking his seat in the $200,000 Sunday Special - a ticket worth $130.

1st  liquidpoker101 -- $200,000 Sunday Special ($120+10)
2nd  nickhem1 -- $30,000 GP Freezeout ($50+5)
3rd  CareybearBBP -- $20,000 Sunday Warm-Up ($40+4)
4th  ChipRead77 -- $200,000 Mega Satellite ($25+2.50)
5th  LillJem -- $2,000 GP Freezeout ($10+1)
6th  PhilDee64 -- $2,000 GP Freezeout ($10+1)
7th  WiseOwlBB -- $15,000 Guaranteed ($5+0.50)
8th  sandy1611 -- $15,000 Guaranteed ($5+0.50)

Later that evening, the Black Belt Poker bus made its third stop in Valuetown with the Deepstack Mulligan, in which the top five are guaranteed Belt Points on top of the standard payout structure.

For the first time ever, all competing players received the added bonus, with Phillip PhilDee64 Dronfield capturing top-dog honours.

1st  PhilDee64 -- $60.00 (50 Belt Points)
2nd  bagpussrocks (30 Belt Points)
3rd  stevegw (10 Belt Points)
4th  ourkidsid (10 Belt Points)

To finish the week, we're serving up another guarantee in tonight's Yellow Belt No-Lose Deepstack at 20:00. Regardless of the number of entrants, there's $100 up for grabs with all players guaranteed their $1 entry fee back.

Last week, 34 entered, and 10 walked away with a profit, with first place finisher Kim insider66666 Vernon thickening his wallet to the tune of $31.00.

1st  insider66666 -- $31.00
2nd  bagpussrocks -- $21.00
3rd  shaolin4aces -- $13.50
4th  LockhartFlawse -- $10.50
5th  kippery -- $8.50
6th  BlackCB-- $7.00
7th  BlackMadonna26 -- $6.00
8th  MForce16 -- $5.00
9th  SurrealKiller -- $4.00
10th  FLYINGPROFISH -- $3.50

All our exclusive tournaments will be back for the new year, but you'll also want to look out for the January Sales which runs from January 07-20.

Check out our promotions page for the full schedule.

If you would like to join in the fun on Black Belt Poker, then make sure you open an account now: simply download the poker client and follow the step-by-step process provided.

On the 12th Day of Christmas...

 
The 12 Days of Christmas promotion came to its conclusion last night as players traded in their hard-earned gift vouchers one last time.

Although no one was fortunate enough to book a trip to Ireland, there was an abundance of prizes given away including four ergonomic mice for those who like to click the raise button regularly.

The biggest winner was former League Champion Andy RedKiteBlackBelt Brisland who finished in the money four times from just five tournaments - that's an 80% cash record!

"Thanks," posted Andy on the Black Belt Poker boards. "I'm quite surprised that nobody else managed at least four. Maybe I should run a Dojo before next Christmas [laughs]."

Andy walked away with a Widescreen HD TV but will surely be wondering what could have been if he'd collected the maximum 12 vouchers and continued his impressive form.

No one went away empty-handed, and even the 22 who were unable to find a cash can expect to find a pair of Christmas socks waiting for them under the festive tree.

In total, Black Belt Poker gave away 45 prizes, as well as 184 gift vouchers worth over a thousand dollars, which many players turned into a payday.

Ruaction and StilettoMafiosa both managed second and third respectively, but on Day 10 Stephen eixip50 Andrews bested a field of 810 to win the entire tournament for $725.29.

The 12 Days of Christmas was a promotion exclusive to Black Belt Poker which saw players compete for gift vouchers which they could then use to enter the daily $3,000 GP during the dates of December 6-17.

For every cash, they earned themselves an early Christmas gift, with the top prize an all-expenses paid trip to Dublin to compete in the 2013 Irish Open for seven cashes.

If you were one of the lucky winners, then be sure to check your emails as we need to confirm postal addresses.

Razavi Has China in His Hand

The ever-expanding World Poker Tour made its first ever stop in mainland China this week as 542 players ambushed Sanya for the $1,500 Main Event.

With an Asian backdrop Black Belt and recent APT Player of the Year Sam Razavi was naturally present, alongside poker legends Johnny Chan, David Chiu and 'Poker Brat' Phil Hellmuth.

Sam's journey was far from smooth as he hit early hurdles in customary fashion, dropping from 20,000 to 7,000 within the opening level. Nevertheless, he rebuilt to 80,000 before doubling up in the last level and progressing to Day 2 sixth in chips.

On Day 3, Sam shared a table with former WPT Champion McLean Karr, but despite the tough company was able to not just survive the day, but head into the final table first in chips with 2.7 million.

Sam slipped down the rankings after a couple of unfortunate pots, but made it to the final three where he open-shoved 14 big blinds with A-4 but was picked off by the A-Q of eventual winner Zheng Hua Lei.

"In China, players peel too much regardless of their hole cards and implied odds," revealed Sam, "which is why I jammed. Hellmuth was commentating on the final, so I asked him for his thoughts about my exit hand. He said that the Internet kids would definitely do it, but he wouldn't, although that didn't mean it was wrong."

Third place netted Sam ¥300,000 ($48,101), thus bringing his total career winnings in live tournaments to just shy of the one-million mark. In just the last 12 months, he has won titles of the APT and ANZPT variety, and is third in the world for number of cashes with 33.

"I was disappointed not to win," he added, "as it would have been an unbelievable way to cap off the year, but I've had such a big share of the cake that I can't really be too upset. The top three received a package to the WPT L.A. Poker Classic, so that was a real sweetener."

1st  Zheng Hua Lei -- ¥1,200,000 ($192.406)
2nd  You Jia Wang -- ¥600,000 ($96.203)
3rd  Sam Razavi -- ¥300,000 ($48,101)
4th  Yue Cao -- ¥200,000 ($32,067)
5th  Lei Xu -- ¥150,000 ($24,050)
6th  Li Fu Lui -- ¥120,000 ($19,240)
7th  Xue Yi Lin -- ¥95,000 ($15,232)
8th  Zhi Yong Li -- ¥80,000 ($12,827)
9th  Ji Wei Deng -- ¥70,000 ($11,223)
10th  Jia He Li -- ¥60,00 ($9,620)

Become the Wizard of Oz with BBP

 
This festive season Black Belt Poker are inviting you to follow the Yellow Brick Road to Oz and take part in the 2013 Aussie Millions.

You won't need slippers for your trip, but a brain, courage and heart will certainly come in handy if you want to follow in the footsteps of previous Champions.

In 2011, Black Belt and globetrotting wizard Sam Razavi battled his way to sixth place in the Main Event, taking home a cool A$225,000.

If you fancy emulating his success, or going even further, then look no further than our ongoing satellites.

From as little as 48 cents, you could be jetting off to the Crown Casino in Melbourne armed with a $16,000 package, including flights, accommodation, and spending money.

For those with a thick wallet, Black Belt Poker have a $500+35 super satellite running every Saturday until January 12, 2013. Kick off is 19:30 GMT.

If you're practising sensible bankroll management, then you can qualify through our numerous Stage 1 feeders throughout the week, ranging from an $80+8 freezeout to a $30+3 turbo rebuy.

And for those with a penchant for single-table tournaments, there are also ongoing €53.50+5.30 and €107+10.70 SNGs available.

Check out our promotions page now for the full schedule.

The Aussie Millions is an annual poker event that takes place from January 17 to February 03, 2013. Previous Main Event Champions include Lee Nelson, Alexander Kostritsyn, and Gus Hansen.

If you'd like to echo the achievements of Brits Tony Bloom and Peter Costa, as well as former Brown Belt James Keys who finished second in 2011 for just over a million, then be sure to tackle our many satellites.

Your first step on the Yellow Brick Road starts here.

Increased Guarantees & New Sunday Line-Up

 
Thirteen might be unlucky for some, but for Black Belt Poker players it signifies the number of events enjoying increased guarantees this month.

Starting in December and carrying over into the new year, there will be increased guarantees in no fewer than thirteen tournaments, including events such as the $25+2.50 six-handed rebuy which sees an extra $2,000 added to the prizepool.

These changes are fresh off the recent upgrade to the $200+15 Monday major, which has now returned to its original $200,000 guarantee.

All these events can be located in the Black Belt Poker lobby under Scheduled.

Saturday (14:30) -- $1,000 Guaranteed R/A ($5+0.50)
Guarantee increased to $1,500

Weekdays (11:05) -- $1,500 Guaranteed R/A ($5+0.50)
Guarantee increased to $2,000

Daily (12:05) -- $3,000 Guaranteed R/A ($25+2.50)
Guarantee increased to $3,500

Weekdays (16:30) -- $3,000 Guaranteed R/A ($3+0.30)
Guaranteed increased to $4,000

Saturday (17:10) -- $4,000 R/A (6-Player tables) ($25+2.50)
Guarantee increased to $5,000

Weekdays (17:10) -- $5,000 R/A (6-Player tables) ($25+2.50)
Guaranteed increased to $7,000

Sunday (17:10) -- $6,000 R/A (6-Player tables) ($25+2.50)
Guarantee increased to $7,500

Daily (exc. Sun) (17:15) -- $2,000 Guaranteed R/A ($7+0.70)
Guarantee increased to $3,000

Sunday (17:15) -- $5,000 Guaranteed R/A ($7+0.70)
Guarantee increased to $6,000

Weekdays (18:10) -- $2,000 GP Freezeout ($100+9)
Guarantee increased to $3,000

Weekends (18:20) -- $1,750 GP Freezeout ($5+0.50)
Guarantee increased to $2,000

Daily (22:45) -- $1,500 Gtd Double Stack ($25+2.50)
Guarantee increased to $2,000

Daily (23:45) -- $3,000 Guaranteed R/A ($7+0.70)
Guarantee increased to $4,000

In other news, Sunday's line-up has been strengthened meaning there is now a whopping $280,000 in guaranteed prizepools being offered across just four tournaments.

$20,000 Sunday Warm Up (16:00)
$80+8 No Limit Hold'em Freezeout

$200,000 Sunday Special (18:00)
$200+15 No Limit Hold'em Freezeout

$30,000 GTD Sunday (19:00)
$100+9 No Limit Hold'em Freezeout

$30,000 Sunday 2nd Chance
$200+15 No Limit Hold'em Freezeout

These are just some of the great changes that have been made for the new year, but there's going to be even more value to be had in 2013 with the return of the January Sales.

Check out our promotions page for the full schedule.

Razavi Goas to the Top at APT India

Black Belt Poker sponsored pro Sam Razavi has become the APT [Asian Poker Tour] Player of the Year after winning the final leg of the season at the Casino Carnival in Goa, India.

With a background in SNGs, the 150,000 rupee Main Event was well-suited to a man of Sam's experience as just nine players entered, and after the opening day's play, he found himself heads-up for the title.

With 190 versus 255 big blinds, there was more space to play than a game on Mars, but nevertheless, Sam managed to double through relatively early with J-J versus T-T all in preflop, before securing the title just a few hands later.

With blinds at 300 and 600, Sam limped with A-T before calling a shove from K-5. Although the 5-J-Q flop teased defeat, justice prevailed on the A turn before hammering in the final nail on the blank river.

Not only did victory earn him a 790,000 rupee first prize (circa $14,500), but it also crowned him Player of the Year ahead of nearest rival Martin Nilsson of Sweden.

Sam's first notch on the poker bedpost came in February when he finished second in Cebu for just under $45,000, followed by two more final table appearances in Macau and Bavet City.

With victory in Goa, he can now look forward to playing the entire next season free of charge, including the opening leg in Jeju, South Korea, an event that will mark the sixth year of the Tour.

"I didn't realise there was actually a POY title to be won on the APT until midway through the year," admitted Sam, "but as soon as I noticed, it became one of my main targets. It was never about the money for me; it was all about being number one.

"The competition was tough and I'm obviously over the moon to have won, but I really worked hard to attend as many events as possible and winning the title here [in Goa] really rounded things off nicely."

With a near one-million in tournament winnings, globetrotting sensation Sam has dominated Asian poker over the last 12 months and can now add a POY title to the UKIPT leaderboard trophy he won on home soil last year.

The only question left is: where next? With an ANZPT title in Melbourne and an Aussie Millions final in the bag, he's quickly running out of continents to conquer, unless he fancies a trip to Antarctica.

"I'm thinking South America…" pondered Sam.

Su-Spence in League XVII

 
It was heaven 17 for Spencer dionysian Lawrence last night as he became the latest addition to the esteemed list of Black Belt Poker League Champions.

A 33-year old pro from London, Spencer's victory comes in the wake of a runner-up spot the season prior when he finished just two points behind eventual winner BobbersAllin in a dramatic photo finish.

The cameras were braced once again this week as Spencer and Tim HammerHorror O'Mahoney headed into Leg 8 neck and neck on 524 points with Carey CareybearBBP Hollick snapping on their heels like a starved alligator on 523 points.

A field of 67 stood in their way, including Leg 7 winner CarpyGAS. He couldn't quite repeat the feat this time, and after tristiano felt the splash of the bubble in ninth, we had our final table, of which featured Blue Belt Jamie StilettoMafiosa Burland.

Notable in his presence was Spencer, and with his two nearest rivals dropping in 19th and 42nd respectively, victory was his. He ultimately finished third for $45.22, leaving former Champion Mark bornTOflirt Atksinon to dispatch of liquidpoker101 heads-up to collect the $107.21 first prize.

1st  bornTOflirt -- $107.21
2nd  liquidpoker101 -- $73.70
3rd  dionysian -- $45.22
4th  ChipRead77 -- $33.50
5th  StilettoMafiosa -- $25.12
6th  sprinterz -- $20.10
7th  KBV1TALS -- $16.75
8th  Touagorimou -- $13.40

Spencer has the maximum amount of gift vouchers heading into the 12 Days of Christmas, but he's not the only player with the delicious dozen: 21st was enough for Nick Penfold666 Mazur to leapfrog CareybearBBP into third for 8 gift vouchers.

In total, eight players now have a chance of winning an all-expenses package to the Irish Open, including myteamouse who snuck into the top 20 for 100 Belt Points.

1st  dionysian -- 12 gift vouchers (604 points)
2nd  HammerHorror -- 9 gift vouchers (573 points)
3rd  NPenfold666 -- 8 gift vouchers (556 points)
4th  CareybearBBP -- 7 gift vouchers (549 points)
5th  CarpyGas -- 6 gift vouchers (527 points)
6th  livinginhope2 -- 5 gift vouchers (523 points)
7th  liquidpoker101 -- 4 gift vouchers (511 points)
8th  Sarannedipity -- 3 gift vouchers (497 points)
9th  BoatDrink -- 2 gift vouchers (480 points)
=10th  Wally19 -- 1 gift vouchers (469 points)
=10th  NinjamanUK -- 1 gift vouchers (469 points)
12th  RedKiteBlackBelt -- 100 Belt Points (467 points)
13th  Touagorimou -- 100 Belt Points (459 points)
14th  Chipread77 -- 100 Belt Points (455 points)
15th  nickhem1 -- 100 Belt Points (454 points)
16th  KBV1TALS -- 100 Belt Points (449 points)
17th  MisterSmudge -- 100 Belt Points (438 points)
18th  cikarang5 -- 100 Belt Points (433 points)
19th  WiseOwlBB -- 100 Belt Points (429 points)
20th  myteamouse -- 100 Belt Points (419 points)

The week also witnessed several other exclusive tournaments. The results were as follows:

Turbo Takedown (Monday):

1st  Elysiumjay -- $100.00
2nd  Touagorimou -- $67.50
3rd  liquidpoker101 -- $37.50
4th  tristiano -- $25.00
5th  jimmyt31 -- $20.00

Nifty at Nine (Monday):

1st  BeatTheDonk123 -- 580 Belt Points
2nd  myteamouse -- 406 Belt Points
3rd  Touagorimou -- 261 Belt Points
4th  UliKoko -- 145 Belt Points
5th  bornTOflirt -- 58 Belt Points

Orange Belt Freeroll (Wednesday):
 
1st  ChipRead77 -- 5 gift vouchers
2nd  tristiano -- 4 gift vouchers
3rd  LillJem -- 3 gift vouchers
4th  browndog0 -- 2 gift vouchers
5th  TheSimian -- 1 gift voucher

Deepstack Mulligan (Wednesday):

1st  BubbleCloud -- $101.25 (50 Belt Points)
2nd  NinjamanUK -- $67.50 (30 Belt Points)
3rd  Ruaction -- $33.75 (10 Belt Points)
4th  ChipRead77 -- $22.50 (5 Belt Points)
5th  paulmarrow (5 Belt Points)

The first League of 2013 arrives on January 22. If you want to follow Spencer as the next Champion, then make sure you mark the date in your calendar. Meanwhile, tonight sees players battle it out in our Grab a Grand Freeroll, while also trying to qualify for next week's events in our Takedown and Mulligan satellites.

If you would like to check out all the action on Black Belt Poker, then make sure you open an account now: simply download the poker client and follow the step-by-step process provided.

Previous league reports:

Celebrate Christmas Early With Black Belt Poker
Week 1 - Luck Beer Lady Tonight
Week 2- 'Sceaga2' Wins AgainWeek 3 - Wiltshire Leighs Down the LawWeek 4 - Bulman Takes Leg 4 by the HornsWeek 5 - 'CareybearBBP' Claws to VictoryWeek 6 - Mazur Nicks Leg 6

Sit 'N' Win a Gift Voucher

 
Black Belt Poker's advent calendar is down to its final few windows with the 12 Days of Christmas kicking off this Thursday and placing early gifts under the festive tree.

If you're yet to fill your stocking with the maximum 12 gift vouchers, then don't fear as we're giving you the chance to do some late Christmas shopping and pick up some last-minute items.

Starting from noon on Tuesday, December 04, we're offering a gift voucher to any player who wins two full-ring SNGs of $5+0.50 buy-in or higher on Black Belt Poker. Win five and you'll earn two vouchers.

The deadline is midnight, Wednesday, December 05 meaning you have 36 hours in which to complete the task. If you manage to win the desired amount, then simply email us at info@blackbeltpoker.com to claim your voucher/s.

This isn't the only route; tonight, at 19:30 sees the final leg of the latest Black Belt Poker League grace your monitor with a total of 67 given away including the full 12 to the overall Champion.

Don't forget that all leg winners get to battle it out in the Second Chance SNG for 10 gift vouchers, meaning that even if you haven't played a single leg, you can still win enough vouchers to play for an amazing prize.

For Orange and Purple Belts, you can also win up to 5 vouchers in this week's Gift Voucher Freeroll, taking place at 19:30 on Wednesday, December 05. With a modest field and 15 vouchers up for grabs, this is an opportunity you can't miss.

The 12 Days of Christmas is an exclusive promotion in which players use their vouchers to play the daily $5+0.50 event during December 06-17. For every cash, they will win a prize, with a star prize of an Irish Open package for seven cashes.

Currently, four players have a chance of playing the biggest poker event outside of Vegas, and you could join them. Remember, everyone is guaranteed a prize, and even if you don't cash a single time, you'll still receive a pair of socks for Christmas.

Points don't win prizes; vouchers do. Good luck at the tables.

Click here for more information on the promotion.

Top of the iPOPS: Exclusive Bonus

 
If you've got a thirst for first, then we've got the perfect Christmas present with our Top of the iPOPS promotion.

In an offer exclusive to Black Belt Poker, if you win the iPOPS Main Event, we'll give you free entry into the $200K GTD every week for an entire year.

That's over $11,000 added to first prize!

The Main Event is a $200+15 No Limit Hold'em Freezeout and takes place at 17:00 on Sunday, December 02.

Last year, the Main Event boasted a near $200,000 overlay, and many are predicting another juicy overlay this time around.

As always, we're committed to catering for bankrolls of all sizes, so have a plethora of satellites available from as little as 11 cents.

However, the best route is undoubtedly the Mega Satellite, scheduled for Saturday, December 01 at 19:30. The price tag is $40+4, and there are a generous 100 seats up for grabs.

Black Belt Poker have enjoyed much success already this week starting with Martin OMGDannyRudd Malone who took down the opening event for $34,141.28.

Just one day later, Purple Belt Spencer dionysian Lawrence came second in the High-Roller for $18,620, followed by final table appearances from Jerome GONGONONGO Bradpiece and Barry JosseWales Styles in event #3.

You could join them on the way to the bank by becoming iPOPS Champion this Sunday.

With a $550,000 guaranteed prize pool, not only will first place bag you the lion's share of the money, but now you'll also get to play iPoker's biggest weekly tournament for 12 whole months.

But remember, you can only take advantage if you play on Black Belt Poker.

If you are new to Black Belt Poker, then simply download the poker client and follow the step-by-step process provided.

See our promotions page for more info.

Mazur Nicks Leg 6

It was another jam-packed week on Black Belt Poker as our fingers head towards the advent calendar.

The winner of this week's League event was Orange Belt Nick NPenfold666 Mazur; he overcame former League Champion Andy RedKiteBlackBelt Brisland to collect the $120 first prize.

80 participated, but just 9 made the money, one of whom was CarpyGAS who bettered his ninth place finish from last week with a sixth this time around.

1st  NPenfold666 -- £120.00
2nd  RedKiteBlackBelt -- $80.00
3rd  pbsef81 -- $60.00
4th  JHobbit1 -- $40.00
5th  TeeDeeEye1 -- $30.00
6th  CarpyGAS -- $22.00
7th  eixip50 -- $18.00
8th  BobbersAllin -- $16.00
9th  10Royals -- $14.00

Carey CareybearBBP Hollick holds onto top spot after a (precisely) average performance in 40th, but Tim HammerHorror O'Mahoney has closed the gap to just two points after hitting 22nd.

CarpryGAS's two consecutive final tables, meanwhile, mean that he's now broken into the top 10 with 384 points.

1st  CareybearBBP -- 483 points
2nd  HammerHorror -- 481 points
3rd  NPenfold666 -- 473 points
4th  dionysian -- 443 points
5th  livinginhope2 -- 439 points
6th  Sarannedipity -- 421 points
7th  RedKiteBlackBelt -- 407 points
8th  NinjamanUK -- 403 points
9th  CarpyGAS -- 384 points
10th  BoatDrink -- 383 points
11th  ch1paccrual -- 380 points
12th  liquidpoker101 -- 377 points
13th  ourkidsid -- 377 points
14th  ChipRead77 -- 374 points
15th  PhilNe2Q -- 373 points
16th  WiseOwlBB -- 373 points
17th  cikarang5 -- 365 points
18th  KBV1TALS -- 364 points
19th  nickhem1 -- 351 points
20th  pbset81 -- 349 points

The week's other tournaments marked two firsts as Jamie StilettoMafiosa Burland and Paul 2LAMCHOP2 Lamonby both picked up their first gift vouchers with victory in the Turbo Takedown and Deepstack Mulligan respectively.

1st StilettoMafiosa -- $85.50
2nd S0lution -- $57.00
3rd PhilNe2Q -- $28.50
4th nicenutter -- $19.00

1st 2LAMCHOP2 -- $138.00 (50 Belt Points)
2nd myteamouse -- $93.15 (30 Belt Points)
3rd diiscostu -- $51.75 (10 Belt Points)
4th liquidpoker101 -- $34.50 (5 Belt Points)
5th sprintersz-- $27.60 (5 Belt Points)

In other news, Paul cikarang5 Monks was anything but quiet in the Nifty at Nine, picking up 500 Belt Points and giving himself a free month's worth of maintenance at Orange Belt.

1st cikarang5 -- 500 Belt Points
2nd sandy1611 -- 350 Belt Points
3rd LAYERCAKE35 -- 225 Belt Points
4th baligirl13 -- 125 Belt Points
5th RedKiteBackBelt -- 50 Belt Points

Finally, the latest Orange Belt Freeroll gave players the opportunity to play a big tournament vicariously through a BBP pro courtesy of A Slice of the Action. The following players have won shares in Neil Channing in next month's Genting Main Event:

1st pauloc3 -- $100 sponsorship
2nd baligirl13 -- $50 sponsorship
3rd UliKoko -- $25 sponsorship
4th 2LAMCHOP2 -- $25 sponsorship

The working week may be coming to an end, but the poker one is just picking up momentum with this season's iPOPS. Tomorrow at 19:00 is the $100+9 Deepstack with $100,000 guaranteed, while on Sunday players will be treated to a $550,000 guaranteed Main Event.

And as an exclusive offer to Black Belt Poker players, we're adding a special bonus to first prize: free entry into the $200K GTD for an entire year. Don't miss out; make sure you play it with Black Belt Poker.

See our promotions page for more information.

If you don't already have an account, then opening one is easy: simply download the poker client and follow the step-by-step process provided.

Previous news reports:

Celebrate Christmas Early With Black Belt Poker
Week 1 - Luck Beer Lady Tonight
Week 2- 'Sceaga2' Wins AgainWeek 3 - Wiltshire Leighs Down the LawWeek 4 - Bulman Takes Leg 4 by the HornsWeek 5 - 'CareybearBBP' Claws to Victory

Bradpiece and Styles Accelerate to Final Table

 
The fast and the furious gathered last night as iPOPS moved into fifth gear for its third event of the series.

For the $40+4 turbo rebuy, 37 Black Belt Poker players planted their foot on the accelerator including sponsored pros Neil Channing, Kevin Williams and Jamie Burland.

However, while they skidded off track early doors, two drivers remained on track and survived to the final lap: Jerome Bradpiece and Barry Styles.

A Brown Belt in the Belt-Up Rewards System, Jerome is an Omaha pro from London who recently chopped heads-up at WPT South Africa. Last night he came fourth for $6,201.60.

Playing under the alias JosseWales, Barry is a recreational player currently donning an Orange Belt around his waist. He finished four spots down in eighth for a respectable $1,778.

"I could have done things differently," he later pondered, "but felt my read was good on the night so I'm happy with the way I played in the end. Many thanks again for the railing, BBP; you guys and gals are the best."

In total, five players cashed on Black Belt Poker:

4th  GONGONONGO -- $6,201.60
8th  JosseWales -- $1,778.40
27th  GodHatesUsAll67 -- $364.80
73rd  LillJem -- $209.76
155th  G3OFF -- $127.68

Jerome and Barry are the third and fourth Black Belt Poker players to make an iPOPS III final after Martin OMGDannyRudd Malone took down event #1, and Spencer dionysian Lawrence finished second in event #2.

Tomorrow is your chance to join them on their way to the bank with event #4's $100+9 No Limit Hold'em Deepstack. The event kicks off at 19:00 with a guaranteed prize pool of $100,000.

With many lured away from the monitor by the fun and frolics of a Friday night on the tiles, this could be the week's best opportunity for a nice, juicy overlay - make sure you take advantage.

See our promotions page for more info.

'Dionysian' Strikes in iPOPS #2

 
As Garfield, The Boomtown Rats, and others have already proclaimed, Mondays isn't for everyone, but for Spencer dionysian Lawrence it offered a rather lucrative start to the week as he finished second in the iPOPS High-Roller event for $18,620.

A Purple Belt in the Belt-Up Rewards scheme, 33-year old Spencer was one of five Black Belt Poker players to make the money, of which included Black Belt Neil Channing who finished 23rd.

2nd  dionysian -- $18,620.00
22nd  MixedBag1 -- $798.00
23rd  NeilChanning -- $798.00
30th  prohunter111 -- $731.50
32nd  M4rve11ous -- $731.50

The buy-in was a hefty $350+20 with 380 players creating a $133,000 prize pool, but for Spencer, his investment was even less having qualified for all five iPOPS events via satellites.

Spencer has enjoyed some success of late with multiple victories in the Nifty at Nine and a podium-spot in the League. He's also got a shot at an Irish Open package having become the first player to earn the maximum 12 gift vouchers for the 12 Days of Christmas promotion.

Last night's godlike performance, however, will no doubt prove a welcome addition to the bankroll and supply his confidence with an even greater boost.

"No Limit Hold'em always feels like an away game to me," commented Spencer, whose bread and butter are Non-Hold'em variants. "I'm playing most of the others on their own turf, so doing well feels pretty good.

"I've always boycotted all No Limit Hold'em series, and this is the first time I've cracked because the 12 Days of Christmas promotion was just such good value. Without that there is no way I would have even been in the event, so I guess I owe Neil a beer."

Spencer is the second player to win big on Black Belt Poker after Martin OMGDannyRudd took down Sunday's opening iPOPS event for $34,141.28. If you want to be next, then don't forget to join us tomorrow for event #3.

The buy-in is $40+4 with rebuys and a turbo structure, and can be located in the Black Belt Poker lobby via the iPOPS 3 $1,000,000 tab.

See our promotions page for more information.

Malone Brings It Home

 
The third installment of iPOPS [iPoker's Online Poker Series] made its welcome return last night with the opening $200,000 guaranteed event.

A total of 1,707 players parted with the $200+15 buy-in fee, but when the cyber smoke had cleared and the virtual dust settled, it was Black Belt Poker player Martin OMGDannyRudd Marlone who stood triumphant.

A 28-year old pro from Southampton, Martin is an MTT specialist who plays anything from $5 rebuys upwards. In 2011, he made back-to-back final tables in the $200K GTD, including victory on Christmas Day.

This year, Christmas arrived even earlier as Martin found $34,141.28 credited to his Black Belt Poker account.

In all, 42 players played through Black Belt Poker including Sensei Neil Channing, Jamie Burland, Toby Lewis, and recent WPT hero Jerome Bradpiece. Seven made the money, one of whom was Orange Belt Nick nickhem1 Hemming.

1st  OMGDannyRudd -- $34,141.28
77th  SlipperyKing -- $394.74
128th  Bluegooner1 -- $288.05
143rd  nickhem1 -- $277.38
163rd  originalcynic -- $245.38
199th  myteamouse -- $213.37
217th  45683ah -- $202.70

However, it was Martin who took top honours.

"I've played with Martin in live comps a couple of times," revealed Channing who departed in a disappointing 567th , "and he's modest about his talent. A good player."

If you'd like to follow in Martin's footsteps, then be sure to check out the remaining iPOPS schedule, continuing tomorrow with the No Limit Hold'em turbo rebuy.

The buy-in is $40+4 and can be located under the iPOPS 3 $1,000,000 tab.

See our promotions page for more information.

'Careybear' Claws to Victory

The Black Belt League entered its fifth outing on Super Tuesday as 85 players took to the felt to battle it out for this week's bragging rights.

Capturing the honours was Orange Belt Carey CareybearBBP Hollick; she defeated Ninja #2 winner Alan tealcSVU Steer heads-up to lap up the $116.91 first prize.

Reigning League Champion Robbie BobbersAllin Ayres was the opening casualty of the night, while last week's winner Robert myteamouse Bulman didn't fair too much better in 52nd.

1st  CareybearBBP -- $116.91
2nd  tealcSVU -- $78.62
3rd  BoatDrink -- $59.50
4th  WiseOwlBB -- $40.37
5th  JosseWales -- $29.75
6th  bas2604 -- $22.31
7th  scousemanc11 -- $18.06
8th  AngelVickie48 -- $14.87
9th  CarpyGAS -- $12.75
10th  cheekyweeguy -- $10.62
11th  UliKoko -- $10.62
12th  livinginhope2 -- $10.62

Despite solid performances from HammerHorror and dionysian in 26th and 25th respectively, CareybearBBP's triumph was enough to see her leapfrog to the top of the podium with 442 points.

Fourth place finisher Gerald WiseOwl Stanley, meanwhile, broke into the top 10 after two consecutive final tables and now sits in eighth with 349 points.

1st  CareybearBBP -- 442 points
2nd  HammerHorror -- 422 points
3rd  dionysian -- 405 points
4th  livinginhope2 -- 374 points
5th  NPenfold666 -- 368 points
6th  Sarannedipity -- 358 points
7th  ch1paccrual -- 350 points
8th  WiseOwlBB -- 349 points
9th  KBV1TALS -- 346 points
10th  mikemixitup -- 338 points
11th  NinjamanUK -- 335 points
12th  liquidpoker101 -- 331 points
13th  Wally19 -- 329 points
14th  myteamouse -- 320 points
15th  ourkidsid -- 319 points
16th  ChipRead77 -- 318 points
17th  MisterSmudge -- 316 points
18th  cikarang -- 315 points
19th  45683ah -- 315 points
20th  BoatDrink -- 313 points

In recent weeks we have been giving away gift vouchers in line with our 12 Days of Christmas promotion. This week saw Purple Belt Colin cheekyweeguy Timms get off the mark:

1st  cheekyweeguy -- $72.00
2nd  BoraBoraBoy -- $48.00
3rd  7onyB -- $24.00
4th  dionysian -- $16.00

Later that evening, 26 players gambled 50 of their hard-earned Belt Points in the Nifty at Nine. Fortune favours the brave… although only for five people with Tony 7onyB Booth the most jubilant recipient:

1st  7onyB -- 520 Belt Points
2nd  Barty1uk -- 364 Belt Points
3rd  ChipRead77 -- 234 Belt Points
4th  CarpyGAS -- 130 Belt Points
5th  Sarannedipity -- 52 Belt Points

On Wednesday, we went voucher mad with a generous 15 handed out in the latest Orange Belt Freeroll. Fifth place finisher Jemma LillJem Pateman picked up yet another voucher to bring her current total to seven:

1st  UliKoko -- 5 gift vouchers
2nd  nickhem1 -- 4 gift vouchers
3rd  eixip50 -- 3 gift vouchers
4th  Goldsaddle -- 2 gift vouchers
5th  LillJem -- 1 gift voucher

Half an hour later, the Mulligan kicked off with serial winner Kevin S0lution Birt topping the field for the umpteenth time. He now has seven gift vouchers and, along with LillJem, has a crack at the Irish Open package:

1st  S0lution -- $101.25 (50 Belt Points)
2nd  99Ranny -- $67.50 (30 Belt Points)
3rd  liquidpoker101 -- $33.75 (10 Belt Points)
4th  stevegw -- $22.50 (5 Belt Points)
5th  JHobbit1 (5 Belt Points)

The race for vouchers is picking up, and this weekend we're giving you another chance to add to your tally. Simply survive tomorrow's $25+2.50 Mega iPOPS satellite and we'll award you a voucher.

The satellite takes place at 19:30 on Saturday, November 24 and is heading towards Overlay City with an incredible 100 seats guaranteed into Sunday's opening $125+10 $200,000 GTD event.

If you don't already have an account, then opening one is easy: simply download the poker client and follow the step-by-step process provided.

Previous news reports:

Celebrate Christmas Early With Black Belt Poker
Week 1 - Luck Beer Lady Tonight
Week 2- 'Sceaga2' Wins AgainWeek 3 - Wiltshire Leighs Down the LawWeek 4 - Bulman Takes Leg 4 by the Horns

'LegendKing' Becomes Samurai King

 The Samurai returned to Black Belt Poker shores last night for its third installment, and with previous victors missing from the battlefield we were guaranteed a new heir to the throne.

A total of 41 fixed their eyes on the crown, including the likes of Nik Persaud, Jerome Bradpiece, Neil Channing and former WSOP finalist James Akenhead.

The final table was an exciting affair, and after the much-feared Kierkergaard felt the full splash of the bubble, the six remaining players had secured themselves a payday.

IMightPassTryme took sixth, while fifth went to Nick NPenfold666 Mazur who turned an investment of zero into $1,127.50 after qualifying through an Orange Belt Freeroll.

Following a similar path was fourth place Anthony BoraBoraBoy Giuntini; he'd won his seat via the Grab a Grand Freeroll, and now had a welcome $1,127.50 to his name.

With Nick sprinterz Spiers settling for bronze, we were left with two surviving gladiators: Andrew LegendKing1 Dwyer and Black Belt sponsored pro Ben Asbokid666 Meredith.

Following a brief encounter, it was the latter who fell from his horse.

Hailing from Ireland, Orange Belt Andrew found $3,792.50 inside his treasure chest, and - as his moniker suggests - took his rightful place as the King of the Samurai.

"I'm Glad I made the last-minute decision to jump in," he later beamed. "I just didn't want to miss it. And unlucky to Ben Meredith in the heads-up; he was the one guy I really feared with 10 players left."

Samurai is a $250+25 $10,000 guaranteed event exclusive to Black Belt Poker. If you would like to play the next one, then keep your eyes peeled on the site as we'll be confirming a date in the coming days.

In the meantime, don't forget that the iPOPS arrives on November 25, armed with a cool $1,000,000 prize pool and $550,000 guaranteed Main Event. See our promotions page for more information.

Final results:

1st  LegendKing1 -- $3,792.50
2nd  AsboKid666 -- $2,255.00
3rd  sprinterz -- $1,537.50
4th  BoraBoraBoy -- $1,127.50
5th  NPenfold666 -- $820.00
6th  ImightPassTryme -- $717.50
7th  Kierkegaard01
8th  diamonby
9th  NeilsBitch

$10,000 GTD Samurai - Tonight

Greetings, noble warriors. It's that time again when we ask you to polish your armour and sharpen your Bushido blade…

Samurai is back!

Battle commences tonight at 20:00, only on Black Belt Poker, with players fighting it out over a $10,000 guaranteed prize pool.

As always, the buy-in is $250+25 and registration is now available in the Black Belt Poker lobby via Scheduled > Black Belt Tournaments > Samurai.

Alternatively, if you've got a few points gathering dust, then you can use them tonight by purchasing a token in the Black Belt Poker Store.

If you don't yet have an account, then opening one couldn't be easier: simply click here to download the poker client and follow the step-by-step process provided.

Last night, five players took advantage of an overlay in our $35+3.50 Mega Satellite, including David liquidpoker101 Manders who qualified from a $5+0.50 feeder:

1st  JHobbit1 -- Samurai seat ($250+25)
2nd  TableKnight -- Samurai seat ($250+25)
3rd  lionrampant27 -- Samurai seat ($250+25)
4th  NPenfold666 -- Samurai seat ($250+25)
5th  liquidpoker101 -- Samurai seat ($250+25)

The Samurai is a high level tournament exclusive to Black Belt Poker, which attracts both amateurs and pros alike. Previous participants include Praz Bansi, Toby Lewis and Black Belt Neil Channing.

Reigning Samurai Champion is high stakes cash game pro Fred YoungTeddy Ogilvie, who topped a 46-strong field for $4,600. The inaugural title went to Alan fatty49 Vinson.

You've all heard of the Seven Samurai… are you going to be number three?

See our promotions page for all the details.

Play Samurai for a Fiver

Forget the November rain; it's raining value this week on Black Belt Poker as we head towards Samurai.

Braced for its third outing, Samurai is a $250+25 deepstack with a juicy $10,000 guaranteed prize pool. Kick-off is 20:00 this Wednesday, November 21.

With the festive period approaching, the buy-in will no doubt be a stretch for many, but don't worry as we've got an early gift for you.

On Tuesday, November 20 we're hosting a $35+0.50 mega satellite with an amazing five seats guaranteed into the following day's Main Event.

If you're hoping to turn an even smaller acorn into a giant oak, then you'll be pleased to learn that tonight we're going feeder frenzy.

Starting at 18:00, there will be $5+0.50 No Limit Hold'em feeders running every 30 minutes, meaning if you fall short in one, there'll be another right around the corner.

Feeders will also be available on the day of Samurai.

If you're feeling flush, then you can buy-in to Samurai directly through the Black Belt Poker skin. The event can be found via Scheduled > Black Belt Tournaments > Samurai.

Alternatively, you can purchase a token from the Black Belt Poker Store in return for Spending Points.

If this is your first visit to Black Belt Poker, then you can still play. Opening an account is easy: simply download the poker client and follow the step-by-step process provided.

Check out our tournaments page for more info on Samurai.

Bulman Takes Leg 4 by the Horns

 The Black Belt Poker League reached its halfway point this week as Leg 4 graced Super Tuesday.

A total of 94 parted with $5+0.50, but it was Orange Belt and former League Champion Bob myteamouse Bulman who turned a token into a $129.26 payday.

He was joined on the final table by Karl KBV1TALS Briggs who followed up last week's sixth place finish with seventh this time around. Meanwhile, Leg 2 winner Mike sceaga2 Shaw was the unfortunate recipient of a wooden spoon in 94th.

1st  myteamouse -- $129.26
2nd  dionysian -- $86.95
3rd  Wally19 -- $65.80
4th  veg41 -- $44.65
5th  VBlueBBP -- $32.90
6th  lordmatt0 -- $24.67
7th  KBV1TALS -- $19.97
8th  liquidpoker101 -- $16.45
9th  WiseOwlBB -- $14.10
10th  forgot2piknik -- $11.75
11th  NinjamanUK -- $11.75
12th  eixip50 -- $11.75

Victory elevated myteamouse into 15th place in the overall standings and just another results way from breaking into the top 10.

At the top, however, sits Tim HammerHorror O'Mahoney who's had anything but a horrific League with 362 points. His 29th place finish was enough to leapfrog Penfold666 who slipped to fourth after departing in 67th.

Equally notable in his presence is the in-form Spencer dionysian Lawrence who this week reached the maximum of 12 gift vouchers for qualifying for all iPOPS events. He's now looking to cap off the year with a League title after missing out by a gnat's nostril hair last time around.

1st  HammerHorror -- 362 points
2nd  dionysian -- 344 points
3rd  CareybearBBP -- 332 points
4th  NPenfold666 -- 325 points
5th  45683ah -- 315 points
6th  mikeymixitup -- 314 points
=7th  KBV1TALS -- 313 points
=7th  NinjamanUK -- 313 points
9th  Sarannedipity -- 307 points
10th  liquidpoker101 -- 302 points
=11th  livinginhope2 -- 300 points
=11th  0LuckBeerLady0 -- 300 points
13th  ch1paccrual -- 297 points
14th  PhilNe2Q -- 294 points
15th  myteamouse -- 286 points
16th  ChipRead77 -- 280 points
17th  Wally19 -- 271 points
18th  PhilDee64 -- 268 points
19th  omnipokerist1 -- 265 points
20th  cikarang5 -- 263 points

The winner of League XVII will receive the maximum of 12 vouchers for their efforts, allowing them to play for an Irish Open package during the 12 Days of Christmas (Dec 06-17).

Click here for more info on the 12 Days of Christmas promotion.

The League isn't the only method of collecting vouchers, however, and in this week's Turbo Takedown and Mulligan we handed out two more to the lucky winners:

1st  themackem1968 -- $100.00
2nd  liquidpoker101 -- $67.50
3rd  JosseWales -- $37.50
4th  NeilChanning -- $25.00
5th  S0lution -- $20.00

1st  stevegw -- $121.50 (50 Belt Points)
2nd  Snotterz -- $81.00 (30 Belt Points)
3rd  originalcynic -- $40.50 (10 Belt Points)
4th  Touagorimou -- $27.00 (10 Belt Points)
5th  losbert40 -- (10 Belt Points)

In the Nifty at Nine, dionysian was denied his hattrick once again, this time by Orange Belt Malcolm lionrampant27 Sievwright who earned enough points to maintain his Belt for free:

1st  lionrampant27 -- 500 Belt Points
2nd  PatchesOHoolohan -- 350 Belt Points
3rd  sandy1611 -- 225 Belt Points
4th  Touagorimou -- 125 Belt Points
5th  CarpyGAS -- 50 Belt Points

With just 48 players competing in our latest Orange Belt Freeroll, there was an abundance of value up for grabs. The man who took fullest advantage was Gerald WiseOwlBB Stanley who cut through the field like a Stanley knife through butter to win free entry into the iPOPS Main Event:

1st  WiseOwlBB -- iPOPS #5 seat ($200+15)
2nd  nickhem1 -- iPOPS #4 seat ($100+9)
3rd  baligirl13 -- iPOPS #3 seat ($40+4)
4th  sandy1611 -- iPOPS #3 seat ($40+4)

The week culminated in a Samurai satellite, in which Simon TheSimian Morris earned passage into next week's Main Event for just $35+3.50. If you're yet to capture your seat, then don't worry as we'll be hosting a Mega satellite next Tuesday with five seats guaranteed.

1st  TheSimian -- Samurai seat ($250+25)
2nd  losbert40 -- $180.00
3rd  pbsef81
4th  Iceman78Danny
5th  diamonby

The week doesn't end there; tonight at 19:30, we're giving you the chance to get your mitts on a gift voucher. All you have to do is cash in the $10+1 freezeout. If you're yet to get leave the blocks, then this is the perfect opportunity to get off the mark.

The tournament can be located in the lobby via: Scheduled > $5,000 Freezeout.

If you don't already have an account, then opening one is easy: simply download the poker client and follow the step-by-step process provided.

Previous news reports:

Celebrate Christmas Early With Black Belt Poker
Week 1 - Luck Beer Lady Tonight
Week 2- 'Sceaga2' Wins AgainWeek 3 - Wiltshire Leighs Down the Law

Added Value in Tonight's No-Lose Deepstack

 
The sun, daffodils, Hulk Hogan, all those things that Coldplay sang about… There are some great things that are associated with Yellow, but the best takes place tonight on Black Belt Poker.

The No-Lose Deepstack graces your monitor every Thursday at 20:00 and is exclusive to Yellow Belts, meaning that fields are modest.

It's the time for giving all year round at Black Belt Poker, and each and every week we add $100 to the prize pool making this an unmissable opportunity for those looking to build a bankroll.

Entry is just $1, which you get back regardless of position, thus making the No-Lose Deepstack one of the few tournaments where you truly can't lose. Plus you get to play a competitive, good-structured tournament for zero risk.

If that gets the blood circulating, then brace yourself as this week we're also throwing in a gift voucher to the winner for use in the 12 Days of Christmas promotion.

The 12 Days of Christmas offers a lineup of incredible prizes including an all-expenses paid trip to the 2013 Irish Open. Each gift voucher entitles you to entry into the daily $5+0.50 freezeout during the dates of December 06-17 with prizes awarded for the number of times you make the money.

If you're yet to leave the blocks, then this is a great chance to get off the mark and start accruing vouchers. Best of all, everyone who wins a gift voucher is guaranteed a prize even if they don't cash during the 12-day period.

Two weeks ago, three Black Belt Poker players received vouchers for cashing in the $10+1 daily freezeout, and this week we're going to offer the same deal again. If you can make the money in tomorrow's event (Friday, November 16), then we'll credit your account with a voucher. Simple.

The tournament starts at 19:30 and can be found in the lobby via Scheduled > $5,000 Freezeout.

If you're new to Black Belt Poker, then don't worry as becoming Yellow Belt is easy. All you have to do is download the poker client, make a deposit and link your accounts.

Earlier this week, Purple Belt Spencer dionysian Lawrence became the first player to earn the maximum of 12 gift vouchers and now has a great chance of winning some of the promotion's best prizes. It's not too late for you to join him.

Click here for more information on the promotion including prizes and the various ways in which you can earn gift vouchers.

Overlays in Nifty at Nine

 Following the success of the Nightly Nifty during the inaugural Ninja, we decided to make the event a weekly tournament exclusive to Black Belt Poker.

Although names such as 'Not the Nine O' Clock Nifty' did the rounds at H.Q., the new event was ultimately relabelled the Nifty at Nine and would grace BBP shores each and every Monday.

For those lacking the Columbo detective skills, the event starts at nine o'clock.

As before, the buy-in is an affordable 50 Spending Points, with tokens readily available from the Black Belt Poker Store.

One thing that hasn't change is the guaranteed prize pool of 1,250 Spending Points, with prizes adjusted for fields of over 25.

So far, the event has enjoyed a juicy overlay on every occasion with players being treated to some welcome added value.

If you want to join in the fun and jump aboard the bus to Valuetown, then all you have to do is order the token from the store and register for the event in the lobby.

The tournament can be found via: Scheduled > Black Belt Tournaments > Nifty at 9.

If you're new to Black Belt Poker, then earning 50 points is easy. Check out our unique Belt-Up Rewards System to see how you can accrue the necessary points and start working your way through the Belt rankings.

With a guaranteed 500 Belt Points for finishing first, you could reach Orange Belt in one foul swoop. The first two tournaments were won by Spencer dionysian Lawrence, who earned enough points to maintain his Orange Belt for two whole months.

The next event takes place tonight at 21:00, only on Black Belt Poker. So, if you fancy spinning up your Belt Points, then purchase your token now and we'll see you at the tables.

Click here for more information.

Wiltshire Leighs Down the Law

The Black Belt Poker League was back this past Tuesday with 94 pinning their hopes onto the mantra 'third time lucky'.

But only one player could stand alone come the final whistle and reap the rewards of Lady Luck, and that man was Orange Belt Leigh ch1paccrual Wiltshire.

In doing so, he earned himself 119 league points and the lion's share of the prize pool: $129.26.

Second place was fellow Orange Belt Carey CareybearBBP Hollick while Ninja Champion Hasmukh 45683ah Khodiyara made his second consecutive final in fifth.

1st  ch1paccrual -- $129.26
2nd  CareybearBBP -- $86.95
3rd  HammerHorror -- $65.80
4th  NinjamanUK -- $44.65
5th  45683ah -- $32.90
6th  KBV1TALS -- $24.67
7th  NPenfold666 -- $19.97
8th  Mrdroodle -- $16.45
9th  PhilDee64 -- $14.10
10th  lionrampant27 -- $11.75
11th  stevegw -- $11.75
12th  pauloc3 -- $11.75

With just three legs in the bag, the League is already threatening to become a two-horse race with Nick NPenfold666 Mazur and Tim HammerHorror O'Mahoney pulling away from the rest of the pack.

1st  NPenfold666 -- 297 points
2nd  HammerHorror -- 296 points
3rd  CareybearBBP -- 261 points
4th  stevegw -- 252 points
= 5th  45683ah -- 239 points
= 5th  mikeymixitup -- 239 points
7th  ch1paccrual -- 238 points
=8th  dionysian -- 233 points
=8th  PhilNe2Q -- 233 points
10th  NinjamanUK -- 229 points
=11th  ChipRead77 -- 228 points
=11th  livinginhope2 -- 228 points
13th  omnipokerist1 -- 226 points
14th  Sarannedipity -- 226 points
15th  PhilDee64 -- 225 points
16th  0LuckBeerLady0 -- 222 points
17th  KBV1TALS -- 219 points
18th  RedKiteBlackBelt -- 215 points
19th  liquidpoker101 -- 211 points
20th  NPStars1 -- 198 points

For this season's league, players are vying for gift vouchers to use in our 12 Days of Christmas Promotion. However, recent times have seen others collate tickets through other achievements, such as taking down the Turbo Takedown or Deepstack Mulligan.

This week, Dean blackbeltkickbox Aldred and David liquidpoker101 Manders both got off the voucher mark.

1st  blackbeltkickbox -- $88.00
2nd  Touagorimou -- $59.40
3rd  UliKoko -- $33.00
4th  Mrdroodle -- $22.00
5th  dionysian -- $17.60

1st  liquidpoker101 -- $108.00 (50 Belt Points)
2nd  JHobbit1 -- $72.00 (30 Belt Points)
3rd  lionrampant27 -- $36.00 (10 Belt Points)
4th  losbert40 -- $24.00 (10 Belt Ponts)
5th  stevegw (5 Belt Points)

We also handed out vouchers to anyone who qualified for the weekly $200K GTD, or cashed in Friday's $10+1 $5,000 freezeout. Congratulations to Snotters, NPenfold666, S0lution, dionysian, Ruaction, and LillJem for taking advantage.

Meanwhile, players also had our weekly tournaments to feast on, including the Nifty at Nine which once again enjoyed a juicy overlay.

1st  losbert40 -- 500 Belt Points
2nd  CareybearBBP -- 350 Belt Points
3rd  Mrdroodle -- 225 Belt Points
4th  baligirl13 -- 125 Belt Points
5th  Sarannedipity -- 50 Belt Points

And in the Orange Belt Freeroll, it was Paul 2LAMCHOP2 Lamonby who captured top prize of a Samurai seat.

1st  2LAMCHOP2 -- Samurai seat ($250+25)
2nd  cheekyweeguy -- Samurai satellite token ($35+3.50)
3rd  sprinterz -- Samurai satellite feeder token ($5+0.50)
4th  ch1paccrual -- Samurai satellite feeder token ($5+0.50)

There's plenty happening on Black Belt Poker at the moment, so be sure to join us next week for another round of poker fun and frolics.


If you don't already have an account, then opening one is easy: simply download the poker client and follow the step-by-step process provided.

Previous news reports:

Celebrate Christmas Early With Black Belt Poker
Week 1 - Luck Beer Lady Tonight
Week 2- 'Sceaga2' Wins Again

$1,000,000 Guaranteed in iPOPS III

 
Before you reach for your advent calendars this December, Black Belt Poker are giving you a chance to open the window of value with the welcome return of iPOPS (IPoker's Online Poker Series).

Hitting your monitor from November 25 to December 02, iPOPS is a mini-series of five tournaments with a combined prize pool of one million dollars, including a guaranteed $550,000 in the Main Event.

The full schedule is as follows:

iPOPS #1 $200,000 GP
Sun, Nov 25 (18:00)
$125+10 Freezeout

iPOPS #2 $100,000 GP
Mond, Nov 26 (19:00)
$350+20 High-Roller

iPOPS #3 $50,000 GP
Wed, Nov 28 (19:00)
$40+4 Rebuy

iPOPS #4 $100,000 GP
Fri, Nov 30 (19:00)
$100+9 Deepstack 1 x Rebuy

iPOPS #5 $550,000 GP
Sun, Dec 02 (17:00)
$200+15 Freezeout

As always, satellites are flowing like Guinness in Ireland, with feeders starting from as low as seven cents. And if MTTs aren't your cup of tea, then there are a range of SNGs available for all events.

Click here for the full satellite schedule.

The buy-ins don't suit everyone's bankroll, but the guarantees certainly do, which is why we're giving you an added incentive to qualify through Black Belt Poker:

Satellite into 2 events = win 1 gift voucher
Satellite into 3 events = win 3 gift vouchers
Satellite into 4 events = win 5 gift vouchers
Satellite into 5 events = win 10 gift vouchers

This means that you could earn up to 10 gift vouchers for the 12 Days of Christmas promotion, giving yourself a chance to win the ultimate computer set-up or an all-expenses paid trip to the Irish Open.

Check out our promotions page for more information on the 12 Days of Christmas.

The history books suggest that iPOPS offers some of the best value in online poker, with players enjoying big overlays in previous years. Now Black Belt Poker are dangling even more carrots with our festive gift vouchers. Make sure you join us later this month to take advantage.

Win Gift Vouchers This Weekend

It's Friday, Friday, getting down on Friday - everyone loves the start of the weekend, and at Black Belt Poker we're going to make it even better with two chances to win gift vouchers in our 12 Days of Christmas promotion.

Starting Friday, November 02 in the $5,000 GTD $10+1 at 19:30, you could win a gift voucher just for making the money. If you final, we'll give you two, or even better: three for hitting the podium.

The 12 Days of Christmas is an exclusive promotion in which you could win one of a number of incredible prizes including an all-expenses paid trip to Dublin to play the 2013 Irish Poker Open.

During the 12 days of December 06-17, players will be able to use their vouchers to play in the $5+0.50 daily MTT, with a prize being awarded for the numbers of times you make the money.

Gift vouchers can be accrued in a number of ways, from placing in the League to winning the weekly Turbo Takedown to our latest giveaway: making the money in tomorrow's $10+1 event.

It doesn't end there, as we're also offering a gift voucher to anyone who manages to qualify for iPoker's biggest event: the $200,000 GTD on Sunday, November 4. Satellites are plentiful, and include a $30+3 Mega satellite on Saturday at 19:30 with a generous 70 seats guaranteed.

If you manage to achieve either of these feats, then simply drop us an email to claim your voucher. And remember, even if you're unable to translate your voucher into a cash during the 12 Days of Christmas, you'll still be guaranteed a prize, albeit festive feet apparel.

Not everyone likes receiving gift vouchers, but with Black Belt Poker's 12 Days of Christmas promotion, a gift voucher is the perfect present. Don't miss out; start earning vouchers this weekend.

See here for more information.

'Sceaga2' Wins Again!

Mike sceaga2 Shaw has won so many league tournaments that I've quickly exhausted all plausible puns; however, despite his success - which includes winning two legs consecutive - that elusive title has thus far evaded him.

Could League XVII be the one…

If it is, then he will have Leg 2 to thank for kickstarting his journey, as he topped a field of 91 to take down the $125.17 first prize and elevate him into the top 10 of the overall standings.

Second place went to Spencer dionysian Lawrence - who has been on a rampage of late - whilst CarpyGAS picked up bronze. Meanwhile, in fourth place lay recent and inaugural Ninja champion Hasmukh 45683ah Khodiyara.

1st  sceaga2 -- $125.17
2nd  dionysian -- $84.17
3rd  CarpyGAS -- $63.70
4th  45683ah -- $43.22
5th  wendygee54 -- $31.85
6th  beatyouto -- $23.88
7th  tealcSVU -- $19.33
8th  losbert40 -- $15.92
9th  Wally19 -- $13.65
10th  themackem1968 -- $11.37
11th  NPenfold666 -- $11.37
12th  bornTOflirt -- $11.37

Having followed up last week's victory with a solid 21st place finish this time around, John 0LuckBeerLady0 Hayes remains glued to the top, with Orange Belt Nick NPenfold666 Mazur hot on his heels and just six points behind.

1st  0LuckBeerLady0 -- 209 points
2nd  NPenfold666 -- 203 points
3rd  HammerHorror -- 189 points
4th  PhilNe2Q -- 186 points
5th  dionysian -- 170 points
6th  stevegw -- 168 points
=7th  ToddCoxeter -- 167 points
=7th  mikeymixitup -- 167 points
9th  sceaga2 -- 164 points
10th  omnipokerist1 -- 161 points
11th  Sarannedipity -- 156 points
=12th  nickhem1 -- 155 points
=12th  cikarang5 -- 155 points
14th  Wally19 -- 153 points
=15th  doochats -- 152 points
=15th  ourkidsid -- 152 points
17th  pbsef81 -- 151 points
18th  CareybearBBP -- 150 points
19th  ChipRead77 -- 148 points
20th  livinginhope1 -- 146 points

The 12 Days of Christmas promotion picked up pace this week as a further six player collected gift vouchers, ready to turn them into prizes in December.

Click here for more information.

Most notable in his performance was dionysian, who not only won his second consecutive Nightly Nifty, but also completed a rather spectacular double by taking down the Turbo Takedown on the very same night:

1st  dionysian -- $120.00
2nd  beltdarkjf -- $81.00
3rd  nicenutter -- $45.00
4th  VBlueBBP -- $30.00
5th  myteamouse -- $24.00

1st  dionysian -- 500 Belt Points
2nd  cikarang5 -- 350 Belt Points
3rd  nickhem1 -- 225 Belt Points
4th  Mrdroodle -- 125 Belt Points
5th  VBlueBBP -- 50 Belt Points

The following evening saw 44 players battle it out over 15 gift vouchers, with Wendy wendygee54 Graney reigning supreme for five vouchers, thus giving herself a chance at winning the ultimate gaming set-up including Xbox, chair and games.

And she still has time to collect more vouchers and vie for the Irish Open package!

1st  wendygee54 -- 5 gift vouchers
2nd  S0lution -- 4 gift vouchers
3rd  myteamouse -- 3 gift vouchers
4th  RedKiteBlackBelt -- 2 gift vouchers
5th  TheSimian -- 1 gift voucher

Just an hour later, players once again gathered for the weekly Deepstack Mulligan, which saw a very familiar face survive the 15-wo/man field: Kevin S0lution Birt who runs better than a Usain Bolt on forward wind in this particular event.

1st  S0lution -- $101.25 (50 Belt Points)
2nd  stevegw -- $67.50 (30 Belt Points)
3rd  losbert40 -- $33.75 (20 Belt Points)
4th  Ourkid888 -- $22.50 (5 Belt Points)
5th  CareybearBBP (5 Belt Points)

The message this week is clear: there are plenty of vouchers being won, and plenty more on the way. As well as our regular tournaments and the League, you can also get off the mark this Friday by simply cashing in the $10+1 MTT at 19:30. If you make the final we'll give you two vouchers, and three for hitting the podium.

And that's not all: if you manage to satellite into this weekend's $200,000 GTD major then you'll automatically receive a gift voucher, as well as the opportunity to strive for iPoker's biggest weekly prize pool.


If you don't already have an account, then opening one is easy: simply download the poker client and follow the step-by-step process provided.

Previous news reports:

Celebrate Christmas Early With Black Belt Poker
Luck Beer Lady Tonight

Jerome Grabs a Piece at WPT South Africa

Over its 10-year existence, the World Poker Tour (WPT) has visited a plethora of countries including Slovenia, Cyprus and Marrakech, but this week marked its debut in the land of springboks, Table Mountain and Nelson Mandela.

Johannesburg, South Africa played host to the inaugural WPT Emperors Palace Poker Classic, in which 230 hopefuls parted with $3,300+300 to vie for the illustrious title and $206,153 first prize.

Among them was Black Belt Poker sponsored pro Jerome Bradpiece, who decided to spend some of his Belt Points in the country he was born in 29 years earlier. It proved to be a shrewd move as he went on to finish second for $145,000.

Despite finishing Day 1b in third place, Jerome slipped to 18th on Day 2 and was forced to grind a 15-20 big blind stack on Day 3.

However, he showcased the patience of a chess master and was duly reward with two late double-ups: A-A holding against A-K, and then As-Qh vs. Ac-Jc on a nerve-jangling Qc-Tc-3h-6h-4s board.

As a result, Jerome entered the final table fourth in chips with German pro Dominik Nitsche the clear chip leader with more than double that of second.

Dominik Nitsche -- 2,915,000
William Ross -- 1,285,000
Jason Strauss -- 1,270,000
Jerome Bradpiece -- 930,000
Wesley Weigand -- 455,000
Andrew Anthony -- 365,000

With his Terminator shades firmly attached and handlebar moustache adequately groomed, Jerome exploded out of the blocks like a jet-propelled whippet; first, he won a big pot with Q-J vs. J-6 on a J-Q-K-6-7 board, and then he eliminated Andrew Anthony in sixth with T-T vs. K-Qs.

Despite rocketing into second, Jerome was still shadowed by the foreboding stack of Dominik Nitsche who proceeded to sniper down Jason Strauss in fifth to boast around 75 percent of the chips in play.

However, the Jeromeinator had other ideas; after doubling through Nitsche with Q-Q vs. 6-6, he dispatched of Ross with Q-Q vs. A-T. With William Ross eliminating Wesley Weigand a few hands previous, this left just two gladiators remaining with Nitsche holding a circa 3:2 chip advantage.

Heads-up would prove a thrilling affair as Jerome quickly turned the tables, but then lost a crucial pot with A-J versus A-K on an ace-high board. The final hand saw Jerome's Jc-Tc fail to improve against Ac-4c on an uneventful 7h-6d-5h-6c-7s board.

At just 22, Nitsche has collated over 2.2 million in live tournament winnings, including an LAPT title and WSOP bracelet. Now he is the lion king of South Africa and can add a WPT title to his increasing list of accolades.

Although Nitsche was officially crowned champion, Jerome could take solace in having dealt heads-up for $145,000, marking his second biggest win to date. In total, he now has close to a million in winnings, including a GUKPT title and final tables at WSOPE and the Amsterdam Master Classics.

"Did a deal heads-up," Jerome Tweeted in the aftermath, "so have 145 reasons not to be too upset! Thanks for the funking."

A Brown Belt on Black Belt Poker, Jerome receives $4,000 a month in live tournament sponsorship, some of which he used in South Africa. If you would like to follow in his footsteps, then check out the Belt-Up Rewards System to see how you can join the rest of the team as a Black Belt Poker sponsored pro.

The official results are as follows:

1st  Dominik Nitsche -- $206,153
2nd  Jerome Bradpiece -- $121,477
3rd  William Ross -- $80,985
4th  Wesley Weigand -- $56,321
5th  Jason Strauss -- $41,965
6th  Andrew Anthony -- $32,394

Luck Beer Lady Tonight

 
Unlike the 1993 Grand National, the false start in the Black Belt Poker League wasn't enough to cancel the 17th installment; instead, 113 players reconvened the follow week for the rescheduled opening leg with hopes of getting off to a Usain-esque start.

No double gunshot this time around meant that League XVII was officially underway, past winners such as bornTOflirt, StilettoMafiosa, and RedKiteBlackBelt joining the many others in vying for the star prize.

With the winter period approaching, Black Belt Poker are inviting League players to get into the festive spirit and celebrate Christmas early with our latest promotion: 12 Days of Christmas, in which players can use gift vouchers to enter $5+0.50 tournaments during December 06-17.

Players will then be allocated a prize dependent on how many times you cash, ranging from a gel mouse mat for one cash, to an all-expenses paid Irish Open package for making the money seven times. And even if you don't cash a single time, we're still guaranteeing you socks for Christmas.

Of course, cashing isn't the only task; you also have to obtain the vouchers; with 12 vouchers up for grabs to the winner, and a total of 77 in the prize pool, League XVII is the perfect opportunity - and that's not to mention the 100 Belt Points for finishing in positions 11-20th.

Last Tuesday, it was John 0LuckBeerLady0 Hayes who set he early pace, defeating originalcynic heads-up to take down the opening leg for $141.29. Meanwhile, reigning Champion Robbie BobbersAllin Ayres continued his impressive form with an 11th place finish.

1st  0LuckBeerLady0 -- $141.29
2nd  originalcynic -- $96.05
3rd  HammerHorror -- $73.45
4th  NPenfold666 -- $52.26
5th  stevegw -- $36.72
6th  cikarang5 -- $29.66
7th  ToddCoxeter -- $24.01
8th  RykanShadow -- $19.77
9th  PhilNe2Q -- $15.53
10th  BobbersAllin -- $13.56
11th  KBV1TALS -- $13.56
12th  mikemixitup -- $13.56
13th  NinjamanUK -- $11.86
14th  doochats -- $11.86
15th  nickhem1 -- $11.86

The League isn't the only window for gift vouchers; 1984IAIN lapped one up in Monday's debuting Turbo Takedown tournament, whilst hiddenacesBBP joined that category with victory in the Deepstack Mulligan:

1st  hiddenacesBBP -- $121.50 (50 Belt Points)
2nd  S0lution -- $81.00 (30 Belt Points)
3rd  45683ah -- $40.50 (10 Belt Points)
4th  CareybearBBP -- $27.00 (5 Belt Points)
5th  losbert40 (5 Belt Points)

Wednesday also witnessed the latest Orange Belt Freeroll, in which Black Belt Poker handed out a Samurai ticket to the winner. After a tough battle, it was Nick sprinterz Spiers who became the first player to win a seat.

1st  sprinterz -- Samurai seat ($250+25)
2nd  LilJem -- Samurai satellite token ($35+3.50)
3rd  bagpussrocks -- Samurai satellite feeder token ($5+0.50)
4th  baligirl13 -- Samurai satellite feeder token ($5+0.50)

On Thursday, Touagorimou won a seat into next week's Mulligan, before being denied the satellite double when hiddenacesBBP pipped him for a Turbo Takedown seat. These satellite take place at 20:30 and 21:00; if you fancy cheap entry into our regular tournaments, then check them out.

Meanwhile, Kevin KVNSTVBBP Stevens reigned supreme in the No-Lose Deepstack for $31.00. With just 37 entries and $100 added each and every week, this is value that's too good to ignore - we even guarantee you your $1 entry fee back, regardless of finishing position!

1st  KVNSTVBBP -- $31.00
2nd  Wally19 -- $21.00
3rd  BlackLocko -- $13.50
4th  OFAH79 -- $10.50
5th  1mightfold -- $8.50
6th  BlackCB -- $7.00
7th  D0l14hyd3 -- $6.00
8th  BlackMadonna26 -- $5.00
9th  jmpoker2006 -- $4.00
10th  LizLemmon -- $3.50

The journey to Dublin may have kicked off, but it's not too late for you to join in and start filling up your Christmas stocking. Over the next several weeks, we'll be giving you a number of opportunities to win gift vouchers, and with just one leg in the bag, there's still plenty of time for you to make your mark in the League.

If you don't already have an account, then opening one is easy: simply download the poker client and follow the step-by-step process provided.

Previous news reports:

Celebrate Christmas Early With Black Belt Poker