High, Wide & 'Russellhansen'

 
It's time to return to the shadows as Ninja reached its exciting conclusion this weekend with its latest champion crowned.

A total of 57 entered the Main Event battlefield, a $50+5 No Limit Hold'em Freezeout with a $2,500 guaranteed prize pool.

A plethora of names from the community donned their hood including Jerome Bradpiece, Green Belt Peter Brown and reigning League Champion Bob Bulman.

However, when the dust had settled and the smoke cleared it was Mark russellhansen Brassington who captured the illustrious title and claimed his throne.

His final opponent was none other than Black Belt Poker co-founder and former Irish Open Champion Neil Channing.

"Mark played a great game," complimented Channing in defeat. "He bashed me up heads-up and deserved to win. Not bad work from a satellite."

Mark earned $912 from a mere $8.80 investment, having emerged as one of seven qualifiers from Saturday's Mega satellite.

Fifth place PLWashy took the same route, while KBV1TALS created $287.85 from dust after winning a Ninja Season Ticket in the League Second Chance SNG.

Ninja was a mini-series of affordable tournaments exclusive to Black Belt Poker. Each tournament was hosted by a Black Belt Poker pro with assassins earning a free seat into Sunday's $50+5 Main Event.

Orange Belt Derek PastiemanCnaC Pascoe took an impressive two scalps, while AlbusBB scooped both the bounty and first prize in Friday's Ninja #5 Omaha event.

Many thanks to everyone who joined the party, but don't forget that the action doesn't end there. Tonight at 19:30 is the opening leg of League XXII with entry available via Scheduled > Black Belt Tournaments > League XXII.

Ninja Main Event:

1st  russellhansen -- $912.00
2nd  NeilChanning -- $598.50
3rd  HoltenederCnaC -- $427.50
4th  KBV1TALS -- $287.85
5th  PLWashy234 -- $216.60
6th  bornTOflirt -- $159.60
7th  lionrampant27 -- $131.10
8th  2napkins -- $116.85

Ninja #1:

1st  BoraBoraBoy -- $179.20
2nd  JimmyTheBhoy -- $117.60
3rd  raffelite -- $84.00
4th  0LuckBeerLady0 -- $56.56
5th  WiseOwlBB -- $42.56
6th  ourkidsid -- $31.36
7th  S0lution -- $25.76
8th  Touagorimou -- $22.96

Ninja #2:

1st  Phobaphobia -- $349.80
2nd  HammerHorror -- $222.60
3rd  S0lution -- $153.70
4th  Elysiumjay -- $116.60
5th  nickhem1 -- $84.80
6th  TheSimian -- $58.30
7th  beltdarkjf -- $37.10
8th  BoraBoraBoy -- $37.10

Ninja #3:

1st  bas2604 -- $257.27
2nd  PhilNe2Q -- $165.37
3rd  PastiemanCnaC -- $110.25
4th  jfdiwins -- $73.50
5th  Touagorimou -- $55.12
6th  AlbusBB -- $40.42
7th  UliKoko -- $33.07

Ninja #4:

1st  GrumpyNemo -- $84.81
2nd  AlbusBB -- $55.65
3rd  lionrampant27 -- $39.75
4th  PastiemanCnaC -- $26.76
5th  39477880 -- $20.14
6th  2LAMCHOP2 -- $14.84
7th  tristiano -- $12.19
8th  LegendKing1 -- $10.86

Ninja #5:

1st  AlbusBB -- $123.96
2nd  UliKoko -- $83.75
3rd  reffelite -- $50.25
4th  13kendo13 -- $33.50
5th  S0lution -- $25.12
6th  tandy26 -- $18.42

Bounty Winners:

Ninja #1: Touagorimou
Ninja #2: PastiemanCnaC
Ninja #3: scousemanc11
Ninja #4: PastiemanCnaC
Ninja #5: AlbusBB

Toon Time for Black Belt Live

Pop on you woolly jumper and fill up a thermos flask; Black Belt Poker are heading north for the winter with our latest live extravaganza.

This December 07-08 will see players ambush the popular Aspers Casino for the inaugural Newcastle Live and another weekend of poker festivity.

The Main Event will be a £180+20 Hold'em Freezeout with a 15,000 starting stack and 40-minute clock, meaning players can enjoy a deep-stacked tournament at an affordable price.

Registration is available exclusively via the Black Belt Poker cardroom at Scheduled > Black Belt Tournaments > Newcastle Live.

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

To cater for bankrolls of all sizes we're hosting a weekly £25+2.50 satellite every Thursday at 20:00. There will also be £5+0.50 feeders on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

"I'm delighted to finally be bringing our events into the North of England," commented Neil Channing. "I'm looking forward to seeing a lot of new faces and introducing them to the fun and friendly atmosphere of a Black Belt Live event.

"The weather might be cold" he continued, "but if there's one thing you're guaranteed in Newcastle it's a warm reception… not to mention a big bar bill and a sore head in the morning!

At our last event 40-year-old sales director Nik Stylianou bested a field of 287 to capture the title. This time it could be you taking the throne.

So don't waste your time sitting in sleazy snack bars and sucking' sickly sausage rolls; register now and join us at Aspers for the first ever Newcastle Live.

Check out our promotions page for further details.

Celebrate Christmas with League XXII

Black Belt Poker are getting into the festive spirit early this year and adding a little tinsel and a few baubles to our latest League event.

To celebrate the 22nd League we're inviting you down to the Black Belt Poker grotto to dip into Neil Channing's Christmas sack and grab yourself a free gift.

For League XXII there will be nine eclectic prizes on offer ranging from a traditional box of Quality Street to a brand spanking new high-definition Kindle Fire.

For the first time ever, you'll get to choose which prize you want with the Champion receiving first dibs, then the runner-up, and so on until the sack is empty.

The contents of Channing's sack are as follows:

James Bond DVD Boxset
Socks
Black Belt Poker League XXIII season ticket
Grand Theft Auto V video game
Sesame Street Tickle Time Elmo
Kindle Fire HD
Box of Quality Street
Monopoly Board Game
Apple iPod Shuffle

As well as the aforementioned treasures, we're also inviting one player to gamble on our special prize: a fancy, badass desktop computer with monitor and speakers.

To win the star prize, you'll have to defeat the Black Belt Poker pros in an online six-max Sit 'N' Go. Win and you'll be playing Black Belt Poker on a shiny, new desktop; lose, and you go home with nothing.

If that's not enough for you to feast on, then the top 10 will receive a complimentary 100 Belt Points while anyone who finishes in positions 11 to 20 will get to feed their sweet tooth with a Terry's Chocolate Orange.

If you can't make all the legs, then don't worry as all individual winners will be invited to compete for a Black Belt Poker tournament goodie bag in our Second Chance SNG, meaning even if you only play one event, you can still win a prize.

For those who can make all eight legs, you'll be rewarded with an additional 150 Belt Points credited into your account. That's extra value just for turning up, regardless of your final position in the standings.

League XXII will run over eight legs with tournaments taking place every Tuesday at 19:30. Each event can be located in the cardroom lobby under Scheduled > Black Belt Tournaments and costs just $5+0.50 to enter.

The first leg will take place this Tuesday, October 29.

Tokens are available in the Store for the price of 165 Spending Points. If you're a new player then opening an account is easy: simply click here and follow the step-by-step process provided.Last time Bob 'myteamouse' Bulman won his second title and a free pass into every single Ninja event. This time - as the giant finger would say - it could be you...

See our promotions page for more information.

Hoist a Host in Ninja III

 
Like a hooded mercenary lurking patiently in the shadows, Ninja is coiled and ready for action as we kick off Black Belt Poker's exclusive mini-series.

Ninja Week will serve up six exciting tournaments including an Omaha rebuy and a Hold'em bounty. What's more: buy-ins start from just $5+0.50!

Check our our promotions page to view the complete schedule.

The first tournament takes place tonight at 20:00, and will be a $10+1 No Limit Hold'em freezeout with a 2,000 starting stack and 10-minute clock.

To enter, all you have to do is locate the event in Scheduled > Black Belt Tournaments > Ninja #1 and hit 'register'.

Alternatively, you can purchase a token from the Black Belt Poker Store in exchange for Spending Points earned through our Belt-Up Rewards system.

If you don't already have an account, then setting one up is easy: simply click here to download the client and follow the step-by-step process provided.

As added value, each Ninja event will feature a special host with their assassin earning free entry into Sunday's $50+5 Main Event.

Tonight's opening bounty will be Brown Belt Jerome 'GONGONONGO' Bradpiece, who boasts $854,208 in live tournament winnings including a GUKPT title and WPT runner-up finish.

The lineup for the rest of the week is as follows.

Ninja #2           Neil 'NeilChanning' Channing
Ninja #3           Kevin 'Kevish47' Williams
Ninja #4           Jamie 'StilettoMafiosa' Burland
Ninja #5           T.B.C.

Ninja is a great chance to compete against both amateurs and pros alike, and enjoy the friendly atmosphere of a Black Belt Poker event for an affordable price.

And remember, if you manage to hoist a host, then you'll be competing for a $2,500 guaranteed prize pool in Sunday's Main Event.

Green Belt Spreads the Wealth

This Monday seven Black Belt Poker players turned a profit without having to turn on their computer or click their mouse.

It started last Thursday, as Purple and Green Belts locked horns for the latest value-added freeroll: Spread the Wealth.

The winner was Green Belt Chris jfdiwins Nichol, who earned himself free entry into the $500+30 High-Roller.

Meanwhile, every single other contestant received a share of his action with second place Peter Touagorimou Brown picking up 50 percent.

"I was actually pleased when Chris beat me heads-up," beamed Peter in the aftermath, "as I always fancied he would do well in the High-Roller."

Peter's predictions were justified as Chris finished in seventh place for $1,870.

As a result, players received the following amounts:

1st  jfdiwins -- $935.00 (50 percent share)
2nd  Touagorimou -- $467.50 (25 percent share)
3rd  2LAMCHOP2 -- $187.00 (10 percent share)
4th  Papasnook -- $93.50 (5 percent share)
5th  Elysiumjay -- $46.75 (2.5 percent share)
6th  0LuckBeerLady0 -- $46.75 (2.5 percent share)
7th  NPStars1 -- $46.75 (2.5 percent share)
8th  cheekyweeguy -- $46.75 (2.5 percent share)

A 44-year old amateur from Lancashire, Chris has been a mainstay Green Belt for over a year, and is one of the most promising talents on Black Belt Poker with several impressive results to his name.

He's also just become one of the most popular members of the community.

'Spread the Wealth' is one of several Purple Belt Freerolls that take place every two weeks, exclusive to Purple and Green Belts.

If you would like to take advantage of the value on offer, then all you have to do is reach Purple Belt (1,500 Belt Points) and you can join the party.

'Spread the Wealth' returns next month on November 07, so if you would like the chance to win money for nothing, then make sure you reach Purple by November 01.

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

See our promotions page for more information.

Play Ninja for Just One Dollar

Get ready to polish your shuriken and slice up the Ninja buy-ins as we introduce a week of satellite sunshine.

Starting tonight at 19:30 we're hosting two satellites every day with each satellite corresponding with the following week's Ninja event.

Satellites will be available from as little as $1+0.10, meaning you can get involved in Black Belt Poker's exclusive online poker series for just a single buck!

The schedule is as follows:

Monday, October 21 (19:30 & 20:30)
$2+0.20 No Limit Hold'em Freezeout (into Ninja #1)

Tuesday, October 22 (19:30 & 20:30)
$4+0.40 No Limit Hold'em Freezeout (into Ninja #2)

Wednesday, October 23 (19:30 & 20:30)
$3+0.30 No Limit Hold'em Freezeout (into Ninja #3)

Thursday, October 24 (19:30 & 20:30)
$2+0.20 No Limit Hold'em Freezeout (into Ninja #4)

Friday, October 25 (19:30 & 20:30)
$1+0.10 No Limit Hold'em Freezeout (into Ninja #5)

Saturday, October 26 (19:30 & 20:30)
$2+0.20 No Limit Hold'em Freezeout (into Mega)

Tomorrow at 20:00 there will also be a satellite into the Main Event. The buy-in is just $3 with unlimited rebuys for the first 60 minutes and one seat guaranteed.

To play, simply locate the satellites in the Black Belt Poker lobby under Scheduled > Black Belt Tournaments.

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

Ninja III is a series of fun, yet competitive tournaments exclusive to Black Belt Poker and running from October 21-27.

There are six events in total, kicking off with a $10+1 No Limit Hold'em freezeout and culminating in the $50+5 Main Event with a $2,500 guaranteed prize pool.

So don't miss out; make sure you earn your route into Ninja by ambushing our many satellites and taking advantage of the many opportunities on offer.

See our promotions page for more details.

Cold Call a Belt Freeze

October sees the birth of a brand new feature on Black Belt Poker: Belt Freeze.

We understand that players have downtime due to various factors, so for the first time ever we're given you the opportunity to purchase Belt Maintenance.

This means that if you're running bad, jetting off on holiday, or simply want to take a break from the tables, you can do so without the risk of losing your Belt.

With a Belt Freeze, you'll be able to hold onto your Belt for another month regardless of Belt Points, and any points earned during the month of purchase will carry over to the following month.

What's more, you'll still remain eligible for all the rewards and benefits of your frozen Belt Level.

To order your Belt Freeze, simply log in to your community account and select the Belt Freeze that corresponds to your current Belt from the 'Merchandise' section of the Store.

A Belt Freeze costs 50% of your maintenance target. For example, if you are Purple Belt, and don't think you can reach the 1,500 Belt Points required for Belt maintenance but would like to remain at your current Belt level, then you can purchase a Belt Freeze for 750 Spending Points.

We'll then manually maintain your Belt on the first of the month.

So, there's no need to leave yourself out in the cold by dropping down a Belt; order a Belt Freeze and guarantee yourself another month of poker fun and frolics. 

After all, a cold deck doesn't always have to be bad...

Please see our promotions page for more information.

Bulman Locks Up League XXI

Earlier this week Purple Belt Bob myteamouse Bulman became League Champion, collecting his second title and a Season Ticket into the upcoming Ninja.

Having triumphed in League XI two years ago, myteamouse joins an elite group of two-time victors that also includes werrrrd, JHobbit1 and bornTOflirt.

Consequently, myteamouse will be playing every single Ninja event for free. Meanwhile, 26 other seats were given out to the other players who finished in the top 20.

Ninja III takes place on October 21-27 and features six affordable events, culminating in a $50+5 Main Event with a $2,500 guaranteed prize pool.

A second consecutive fifth place finish was enough to seal the deal for myteamouse, who finished 26 points ahead of runner-up Steve HoltenderCnaC Udell.

The final leg saw Karl KBV1TALS Briggs top a field of 51 for an $81.61 first prize. This elevated him into the top 20 where he finished in 15th place.

1st  KBV1TALS -- $81.61
2nd  mavperth -- $53.55
3rd  CheckNorris76 -- $38.25
4th  HoltenderCnaC -- $25.75
5th  myteamouse -- $19.38
6th  CareybearBBP -- $14.28
7th  TheSimian -- $11.73
8th  flipfone -- $10.45

A total of 116 players competed in League XXI. The top four was a Belt rainbow with Purple, Orange, Yellow and Green all represented.

1st  myteamouse -- Ninja Season Ticket & Personalised Hoodie (469 points)
2nd  HoltenderCnaC -- Entry into Ninja events #1, #2, #3, #4 & #6 (443 points)
3rd  JHobbit1 -- Entry into Ninja events #2, #3 & #6 (407 points)
4th  Touagorimou -- Entry into Ninja events #2 & #6 (398 points)
5th  mavperth -- Entry into Ninja event #6 (395 points)
6th  1894IAIN -- Entry into Ninja event #6 (389 points)
7th  CheckNorris -- Entry into Ninja event #6 (371 points)
=8th  Papasnook -- Entry into Ninja event #6 (368 points)
=8th  TheSimian -- Entry into Ninja event #6 (368 points)
10th  BoraBoraBoy -- Entry into Ninja event #6 (364 points)
11th  WiseOwlBB -- Entry into Ninja event #6 (360 points)
12th  ourkidsid -- Entry into Ninja event #6 (356 points)
13th  liquidpoker101 -- Entry into Ninja event #6 (349 points)
14th  eixip50 -- Entry into Ninja event #6 (344 points)
15th  KBV1TALS -- Entry into Ninja event #6 (329 points)
16th  ChipRead77 -- Entry into Ninja event #6 (326 points)
17th  insider66666 -- Entry into Ninja event #6 (317 points)
=18th  Barty1uk -- Entry into Ninja event #6 (314 points)
=18th  CareybearBBP -- Entry into Ninja event #6 (314 points)
20th  nickhem1 -- Entry into Ninja event #6 (311 points)

The next League will kick off on Tuesday, October 15 at the usual time of 19:30. But before then, be sure to check out our Ninja satellite next Tuesday at 20:30.

The buy-in is just $3+0.30 with unlimited rebuys for the first hour, and one seat guaranteed into the Ninja Main Event.

Other results:

Turbo Takedown (Monday, 20:30) - 14 runners:

1st  JosseWales -- $63.00
2nd  UliKoko -- $42.00
3rd  1894IAIN -- $21.00
4th  flipfone -- $14.00

Nifty at Nine (Monday, 21:00) - 24 runners:

1st  liquidpoker101 -- 500 Belt Points
2nd  cikarang5 -- 350 Belt Points
3rd  1894IAIN -- 225 Belt Points
4th  eixip50 -- 125 Belt Points
5th  LillJem -- 50 Belt Points

'The Season Ticket Giveaway' Orange Belt Freeroll (Wednesday, 19:30) - 29 runners:

1st  aaarggghhh -- Full League Season
2nd  UliKoko -- 7 League Matches
3rd  cikarang5 -- 6 League Matches
4th  thehingster -- 5 League Matches
5th  S0lution -- 4 League Matches
6th  dionysian -- 3 League Matches
7th  worldwarten -- 2 League Matches
8th  themackem1968 -- 1 League Match

Deepstack Mulligan (Wednesday, 20:30) - 16 runners:

1st  liquidpoker101 -- $108.00 (50 Belt Points)
2nd  worldwarten -- $72.00 (30 Belt Points)
3rd  2LAMCHOP2 -- $36.00 (20 Belt Points)
4th  nickhem1 -- $24.00 (5 Belt Points)
5th  dionysian (5 Belt Points)

Yellow Belt No-Lose Deepstack (Thursday, 20:00) - 43 runners:

1st  Bartukbb -- $31.00
2nd  7onyB -- $21.00
3rd  Mor1hei -- $13.50
4th  kippery -- $10.50
5th  D0l14hyd3 -- $8.50
6th  BlackMadonna26 -- $7.00
7th  AlbusBB -- $6.00
8th  BeatTheDonk123 -- $5.00
9th  ajb456 -- $4.00
10th  1PedroMex -- $3.50

Deepstack Mulligan satellite (Thursday, 21:00) - 5 runners:

1st  NPStars1 -- Deepstack Mulligan seat ($15+1.50)
2nd  PastiemanCnaC
3rd  Touagorimou
4th  CareybearBBP
5th  worldwarten


Previous Reports:

The League Goes Ninja
Week 1 - Simple For SimonWeek 2 - Meaty Win for 'Veg41'
Week 3 - 'Forgot 2piknik' Remembers to Win Leg 3
Week 4 - Not a Hab-Bad Day for ThompsonWeek 5 - Great Scott! 'Aspersmick' Wins Leg 5
Week 6 - 'Liquidpoker' Makes a Splash
Week 7 - Craig Tops the List