All Change at Station Channing

Sida Yuen, once staying in the same Vegas mansion, lounging by the same pool, walking the halls of the World Series venues with Neil Channing under the Black Belt Poker banner, has now been eliminated by the man in white (with an incorrectly tied black belt, according to many real martial arts practitioners in the crowd today). They have History, and that probably influenced the preflop action... Channing raised to 900, and Yuen then moved all in for 7,400. Call - with K-Q, but Yuen had made his move with K-8 so he was probably in about as good shape as he could possibly have been. Soul read? Who knows, but Neil Channing looks like he's taking winning his own site's tournament very seriously indeed. Another pot later and he's up to 55k.


Adam Latimer (right), another of the Vegas Eight from last year has also fallen by the tournament wayside, and the total number of players remaining has just now dropped below 100. It's all-change at the top too, as we've lost both Yung Sung Hee and Snoopy (Adam Goulding), it looks like, both of whom had vied for the topspot, and held it for a while, earlier in the day! How does a 50k stack disappear like that? Well, if you're erstwhile chip monster Adam Stoneham, it happens when you see a flop of 4x-4h-7h with Giovanni Pennetta holding Kh-Qh, then hit the flush with the Jh turn, get stacks in only to find Pennetta with Ah-8h! He's seen 40k of his stack fly over to Pennetta who's looking very healthy.

Incidentally, Snoopy sauntered out for a burger during the last 15 minute break thinking it was the dinner break. While he casually munched his fries I mentioned that he probably ought to be getting back, and he ran off like he'd been shot out of a cannon. He missed a whole orbit, and his last stand came with a K-T. He raised, the big blind just flat called - with Aces, I should probably add - and a J-Q-x flop got the rest of it in. Mr. Aces check-raised, and Snoopy went for the shove option (thinking that his King too might be good if it paired) and no draw later he was on the rail.

Full Chip Counts End Level 6

Adam Stoneham - 69,075
David Colclough - 67,225
Antonis Poulengeris - 61,550
Dean Sanders - 59,475
Kin Yeung - 59,325
Alex James - 57,850
Tony Lang - 54,175
Anthony Magnier - 51,250
Karl Mahrenholz - 50,125
Pratik Ghatge - 49,475
Richard Wheatley - 44,850
Andrea Boschiero - 44,000
Dominic Kay - 43,300
Kim Vernon - 41,300
David Corkett - 41,175
Hugo Martin - 39,075
Paul Parker - 37,600
Ricky Smith - 36,725
Anthony Fraser - 36,325
Kevin Williams - 36,075
Tomasz Jedlecki - 35,750
Anson Law - 35,525
Oneib Saeed - 34,975
Charles Chattha - 34,675
Hassan Uddin - 34,000
Peter Wigglesworth - 33,575
Stephen Parkerellwood - 33,475
Adam Reid - 33,275
Chun Law - 33,225
David Kavanah - 32,775
Catherine O'Brien - 31,425
Gemal Husnu - 31,025
Peter Derrick - 30,775
Wilson Chan - 30,700
Ian Frazer - 30,350
Lewis Higham - 30,025
Gavin Hall - 29,500
James Wharmby - 29,275
Deborah Worley-Roberts - 28,375
Paul Romain - 28,325
Stuart Prior - 27,875
Giovanni Pennetta - 27,750
John Thompson - 27,525
Shane Dewsbury - 27,125
Richard Stanley - 26,900
Mark Spain - 26,475
Richard Garcia - 25,750
Stephen Draper - 24,400
Neil Channing - 24,175
Tom Drew - 24,050
Craig Wakeham - 23,875
Robert Jarrettsmith - 23,575
Lee Brookepearce - 23,325
Paul Twaddle - 23,150
Nicholas Aly - 22,800
Michael Ellis - 22,675
Stephen Draper - 22,300
Saigari Balasubramaniam - 22,175
Yigit Isilsoy - 22,000
Darren White - 21,700
Matt Perrins - 21,500
Anthony Fraser - 21,100
Karl Mahrenholz - 20,675
Michael Butlin - 20,125
Ermyas Birru - 20,025
Alexander Gardiner - 19,950
Gerry Bishop - 19,775
Pramesh Bansi - 19,700
Nicholas Stinson - 19,400
Trevor Spain - 19,150
Douglas Hogan - 19,075
Natasha Dwyer - 18,725
Philip Chan - 18,575
Kirit Patel - 18,325
Craig McCorkell - 18,125
Adam Goulding - 18,100
Jenyue Chiang - 17,975
Andrew Brisland - 17,550
Sean Bolden - 17,325
Toby Lewis - 17,175
Alfie Baldwin - 17,025
Daren Lury - 16,850
Paul Storey-Smith - 16,800
Toby Booth - 16,775
Adam Jones - 16,600
Nicholas Woodward - 16,475
Anthony Wright - 16,300
Ricky Smith - 15,975
Alfie Baldwin - 15,650
Nicholas Wright - 15,625
Hugh Gribbin - 15,375
Philip Conneller - 15,025
Colin Mccreadie - 14,925
James Mitchell - 14,900
Jake Cody - 14,800
Steven Oditt - 14,175
Jerome Bradpiece - 13,875
Richard Hinds - 13,825
Allan Connolly - 13,575
James Murphy - 13,500
Jack Mcdermott - 13,250
Mario Champou - 12,825
Matthew Broughton - 12,400
Catherine O'Brien - 12,350
Clark Mckenzie - 12,200
Rafiq Patel - 12,175
India Storrar - 12,150
James Erwood - 10,850
Bridie Gribbin - 10,775
Sida Yuwn - 10,700
Kevin Aylesbury - 10,200
Rory Mccafferty - 9,075
Thomas Bull - 8,925
David Ellis - 8,400
Lee Clarke - 6,725
Akshay Reddy - 5,950
Paul Storey-Smith - 5,475
Jack Sambrook - 4,375
Jake Cody - 2,250
Helen Saperia - 1,600

Blondie Burns Wood

Dave Colclough scoops the pot of the day so far - and is now at the giddy heights of 80k, and our new chip leader - no chance for anyone to get his Bounty (at least in one go) at the moment!

It turns out that the (what's the opposite of beneficiary? Donor? Maleficiary?) guy who lost the huge pot was Ross Wood, who'd built up his stack a little and got involved for his tournament life with AQ thusly:

Wood was one of several players who made it to a Q-rag-rag two-diamond flop, and proceeded to raise when Colclough bet out. Colclough called and they saw a second Queen emerge on the turn. Now Check to Wood, who bet, once again called. An offsuit King on the river, and Colclough, according to Wood, now shipped it all in for around 20k+ (there being about half that in the pot...). He got the call - and his K-Q had hit a good river indeed.

Joining the really very cheery-sounding Mr. Wood on the rail, in various levels of cheer, no doubt:

Lee Crane
Ross Wood
Paul Nathan
Lee Innes
Richard Cook
Richard Pollard
Will Kassouf
Jon Woodfield
Nick Gibson
Hugh Kirton

Forever Yung

Yung Sung Hee has been tearing up her table, building a stack of 50k by mid level 5. Up there with the very top of the chip pile, she's been popping up at London tournaments building stacks worthy of note and today looks to have been doing the same. In fact, I see a camera trained on that table right now, so I have a feeling if you're watching TheNutz.tv coverage you'll be watching her in action.

Other Top Chips:

Kin Yeung - 43,600
Toby Booth - 42,400
Richard Hinds - 36,600
Scott Mcgovern - 48,000
Trevor Spain - 40,000
Kim Vernon - 43,300
Dominic Kay - 35,300
Antonis Poulengeris - 38,000

Stoneham Irons Out Table

Nicholas Iron is busto and Adam Stoneham is your probable chip leader at the 100/200 blind level- with 50k in an impressive stack which he's been getting quietly, but getting relentlessly. Just recently I saw him absorb an extra 3k from David Corkett with a bet on the river on a board of 6s-3s-Jc-7c...As where the river Ace had brought what could be seen as possibly a poor card for Stoneham's Kd-Kc... Nevertheless, he bet it, was called, showed his hand, and was good for a c.10k pot!

Minutes later Nicholas Iron, with the same hand, flatted a Mike Ellis raise with his own Kc-Kh. Stoneham threebet, with what turned out to be 6c-9c, and while Ellis passed, Iron flat called this too. It all got in on a Qs-4c-2c flop, with Stoneham's flush draw hitting on the turn (and no further clubs ruining his party). "FFS," said Iron, getting up, but then patted Stoneham on the back and said, "Well played, mate," before taking his leave.

Also busto this level: Tony Harvey, James Barber, Paul Munday.

In the running for the Orange Belt $500 Last Longer Bonus today:

Adam Chip leader Stoneham
Allan Connolly
Andy Brisland
Catheriine O'Brien
Craig Wakeham
Giovanni Pennetta
Ian Frazer
Kevin Williams
Mark Brassington
Paul Marrow
Paul Romain
Paul Storey-Smith
Ryan Williams
Shaun Herran-Venables
Toby Lewis
Tom Drew
Lee Innes

Time, Gentlemen (and Ladies!)

The first two levels have seen some impressive dwells over pots which have been pretty massive considering the starting blinds were just 25/50, and everyone started with 20,000 chips!

Two players have hit the rail - the first within 15 minutes. Young Vincent Diver was the victim of his own set of Aces. He'd raised under the gun, and picked up only the big blind for company to the Ad-Td-5c flop. Feeling quite reasonably that he'd hit this flop rather well, he bet 3/4 pot when it was checked to him, and received a call, and an offsuit 2 on the turn. "I thought he might be on a flush draw, maybe another set," said Vincent when he got raised here - opting just to flat call. The river was something safe-looking like a black Eight, and then it all went nuts - 2k, raised to 7.5k, minraise back, shove, call. His AAA was no good against the offsuit 3-4 of his opponent who'd spiked the perfect gutshot on the turn and got the lot.

On the other side of the room, and a level later, and Helen Saperia gives a full double up to Kim Vernon, leaving herself just 1k to play wth. Time was called on her (possibly by the lady herself, but it had been a good few minutes by this point) as she looked in tortured fashion at a 2c-Ad-Tc-Td board. Her opponent had bet out 5k into a very healthy 11k pot, and she was really in the tank, and it didn't look comfortable. She sat back, hand on forehead, then leaned over the table, talking to herself just a little for good measure...

Finally, "Time! One minute..." She suddenly announced, "All in," and Vernon, with a sort of shrug, put the last of his chips over the line too. He showed AK, now ahead of her A-2 which had flopped two pair but been counterfeited by the second 10. A harmless Jack on the river and Kim Vernon is over 30k.

Also chipped up:

Adam Snoopy Goulding - 35,000
Kevin Williams - 36,000
Antonis Poulengis - 36,500
Richard Wheatley - 28,000
Ross Wood - 27,000
Praz Bansi - 25,300
Dean Sanders - 35,000
Pratik Ghatge - 38,000
Nicholas Stinson - 34,000
Andrea Boschiero - 36,500

Very chipped down (in fact, busto):

James Pilgrim
Paul Marrow
Andy Ward (despite getting dealt Aces four times in the first level!)
Barny Boatman (saw him getting it all in as a short stack with AK vs TT, then watching the board run out 2s-5d-6s...3s...4h to chop it to the general amusement of the table)
William Davies



Hanging on by nails: Jesse May. A lot went in earlier when he too had time called on him after being raised to 11k by Kevin Williams on the river, the board reading 5c-Th-Qh-2d-3h. He'd bet 2k, and was now agonising over putting the rest of his chips on the line - he made the call with a five-high flush, only to be instantly shown the nut flush by Wlliams. Down to less than 1k and overheard recently being urged to shove preflop by his neighbour: "You've got to go all in,"

Black Belt London Live Underway!

The first live event from Black Belt Poker has officially kicked off, with a judo-suited Neil Channing (I kid you not - pictures coming) introducing the bounties and reminding everyone of the bonuses on offer, before Jesse May got the chance to utter the famous four words which get the cards in the air, "Shuffle Up and Deal!"

Our full list of players for Day 1A is now available:

Adam Goulding (Early chip leader, as well as top alphabetically, after getting a King-flush vs. Queen-flush)
Adam Jones
Adam Latimer
Adam Reid
adam stoneham
Akshay Reddy
alex james
Alexander Gardiner
Alfie Baldwin
Allan Connolly
andrea boschiero
Andrew Brisland
andrew charalambous
andrew miles
Andrew Seden
Andrew Ward
Anne Laymond
Anson Law
anthony fraser
Anthony Wright
Antonis Poulengeris
Antony Magnier
barney gribbin
barny boatman
Ben Booth
Bridie Gribbin
Catherine O'Brien
Charles Chattha
Chun Ho Law
Clark Mckenzie
Colin McCreadie
Craig McCorkell
Craig Wakeham
Daren Lury
DARREN WHITE
David Colclough
David Corkett
david ellis
david kavanah
Dean Sanders
Deborah Worley-Roberts
Dominic Kay
Douglas Hogan
Ermyas Birru
Gavin Hall
gemal husnu
gerald ringe
Gerry Bishop
Giovanni Pennetta
Graham Pound
Hassan Uddin
Helen Saperia
Hugh Gribbin
Hugh Kirton
hugo martin
ian frazer
India Storrar
Jack McDermott
Jack Sambrook
Jake Cody
James Barber
james erwood
James Greenwood
James Mitchell
James Murphy
Jen-Yue Chiang
James Pilgrim
Jerome Bradpiece
Jesse May
Jim Wharmby
john thompson
Jon Woodfield
Jonathon Prested
Julian Quance
karim louis
Karl Mahrenholz
kevin aylesbury
Kevin Williams
Kim Vernon
kin yeung
Kirit Patel
Lee Brooke-Pearce
lee clarke
Lee Crane
Lee Innes
Lewis Higham
Luke Smith
mario champou
Mark Allen
mark brassington
mark spain
matt perrins
Matthew Broughton
Michael Butlin
michael ellis
Natasha Dwyer
Neil Channing
nicholas aly
Nicholas Gibson
nicholas iron
nicholas stinson
Nicholas Wright
nick woodward
oneib saeed
Paul Jackson
paul marrow
paul munday
Paul Nathan
paul parker
Paul Romain
Paul Storey-Smith
Paul Twaddle
peter derrick
Peter Sheridan
Peter Wigglesworth
Philip Chan
Philip Conneller
pratik ghatge
praz bansi
richard ashby
Rafiq Patel
richard cook
Richard Garcia
Richard Hinds
Richard Pollard
Richard Smith
richard stanley
richard wheatley
Ricky Smith
Rob Jarrett-Smith
Robbie Wooldridge
Rory McCafferty
Ross Wood
Ryan Williams
saigari balasubramaniam
scott mcgovern
Sean Bolden
SHANE DEWSBURY
Shaun Herran-Venables
Sida Yuwn
stephen draper
Stephen Parker-Ellwood
Steven Oditt
Stuart Prior
Thomas Bull
Toby Booth
Toby Lewis
Tom Drew
Tomasz Jedlecki
tony harvey
Tony Lang
Trevor Spain
vach nankoosing
Vincent Diver
William Davies
William Kassouf
wilson chan
Yigit Isilsoy

FullFlush Talks Premier League

Read blog...

Fresh off his recent Vegas excursion, everybody’s favourite jakey-wearing online pro is back to blog about his experiences in this year’s PartyPoker Premier League IV.

Having been selected to play in Matchroom’s high-profile $100,000 buy-in event, Luke ‘FullFlush’ Schwartz sailed through his heats before finishing second to eventual winner David Benyamine for a $200,000+ payday.

In his entertaining, no-holds-barred blog, FullFlush discusses everything from the structure to his thoughts on last year’s champion JC Tran. What’s more, FullFlush identifies some of the key hands he played and shares his thought process as the hands played out.

Talking about the infamous Benyamine clash, FullFlush comments, “If he has K-9 or a set, fuck it, I'm in the playoffs and obviously a big favourite heads-up versus anyone in a best of three, so I just jammed for like 90,000 and he had to fold his 4-3. It was a sick own.”

On the big Timoshenko bluff, FullFlush says, “I knew that he knew that I knew he could be raising light with his isolation, so I just shoved pretty quickly for like 160,000 more thinking that although he's not going to have any two, he has a lot of non-premium hands that have to fold. When he didn't snap, I knew I was a genius.”

If you want to read more of FullFlush’s “sick owns” as well as his thoughts of the event as a whole, then be sure to check out his blog which comes in two parts:

Mar 09 - Premier League
Mar 10 – Premier League 2

Also see our review of the PartyPoker Premier League IV:

Premier League Review – Part One: Breaking the Mold
Premier League Review – Part Two: Party Politics
Premier League Review – Part Three: Telly Addicts
Premier League Review – Part Four: Philling His Boots
Premier League Review – Part Five: Channing’s Top Tips
Premier League Review - Part Six: Turnin' Up the Heat
Premier League Review - Part Seven: French Revolution

London Live Sold Out!

With just one day to go, the Black Belt London Live is now officially sold out. Registration for the event closed at 12pm earlier today, at which time the maximum of 300 players had been reached with 150 participating in each starting day.

Although James Akenhead, Praz Bansi, Marty Smyth and Julian Thew registered a while ago, this week has seen yet more sponsored pros confirmed with Dave Colclough, Laurence Houghton, Liam Flood and recent EPT Deauville winner Jake Cody stumping up the $200+20 buy-in fee.

As previously reported, eight pros will also have bounties on their head with the assassins receiving a signed photo and Black Belt Poker belt. The bounties are as follows:

Marty Smyth
Jesse May
Praz Bansi
Julian Thew
James Akenhead
Dave Colclough
Neil Channing
Nik Persaud

If you like your chances, or fancy a flutter on one of the participants, then Boylesports.com have opened a book up on the event with James Akenhead the tournament favourite at 33/1. To place a bet, simply visit Boylesports.com and select the ‘Poker’ in the left-hand menu.

The London Live is set to become one of the UK’s best value tournaments to date. As well as $500 last-longers for Orange Belts, Purple Belts (and above) will receive $15,000 added to first prize, and if a Green Belt (or above) takes the title, they will earn an additional $25,000, thus making first prize a spectacular $40,000!

The full payout structure is as follows:

1 $15,000
2 $10,000
3 $6,000
4 $4,500
5 $3,500
6 $2,500
7 $2,000
8 $1,500
9 $1,000
10 $700
11 - 19 $500
20 - 30 $350
31 - 36 $300
37 - 43 $250
44 - 50 $200

The tournament is also one of the best structured tournaments around relative to the buy-in, with players receiving 20,000 starting stacks and a 45 minute clock. For full details of both the blind structure, please visit our ‘Promotions’ page.

The London Live is expected to be a fun-filled event, and even more so with the presence of the ever-popular AWOP (A World of Poker) blogging team who will be supplying live coverage of the event through their forum updates and the innovative nuts.tv. Viewers will also be able to access live streaming from the Black Belt Poker homepage.

Day 1A kicks off tomorrow at 12pm. Black Belt Poker would like to take this opportunity to thank those who have both supported the event and anyone who has utilised the site since we first launched in April. We wish you the very best of luck in the 2010 Black Belt London Live.

Akenhead 33/1 to Win London Live

With the Black Belt London Live just a few days away, Boylespoker.com have decided to run a book for all entrants with WSOP finalist and recent Poker Million winner James Akenhead the favourite to take down the $15,000 first prize at 33/1.

Hot on his heels will be fellow Hit Squadder Praz Bansi, as well as EPT and double GUKPT winner Julian Thew, both of whom are priced at 40/1. Black Belt Poker co-founder and 2008 Irish Open Champion Neil Channing, meanwhile, is being offered 50/1, whilst Nik Persaud is just a few spots down at 66/1.

Sensei Persaud isn’t the only Black Belt Poker sponsored pro playing the inaugural event, however, as Brown Belts James Mitchell, Jerome Bradpiece, Adam Latimer and Hugh Kirton will also have their eyes on the title, as well as former Graders Sida Yuen, Toby Lewis, Chaz Chattha, and Neil Blatchley. This year’s Grading is equally well represented with Ramsey Ajram, Joe Roberts, Jamie Burland, Gerrard Harraghy, Gavin Hall, Owen Robinson and Rob Jarrett-Smith all offered odds of 100/1 or better.

The London Live is Black Belt Poker’s first foray into the live tournament scene, with 300 players ambushing the Grosvenor Victoria Casino this Friday and Saturday. As well as bounties on various players such as 2007 Irish Open Champion Marty Smyth, Black Belt Poker are also offering mouth-watering Belt Bonuses for its players with Green Belts and above receiving an additional $25,000 onto first prize, Purple Belt $15,000, and four $500 last-longers for Orange Belts.

As well as a friendly atmosphere, this will be a highly fun event with lots of added value, and now’s your chance to get in on the action by placing a bet on either yourself, or a player you believe to be worth a punt. If you fancy a flutter, then simply visit Boylesports.com to place your bet and we look forward to seeing you at the 2010 Black Belt London Live.

Day 1B Sold Out!

It’s official: Day 1B of the Black Belt London Live has sold out meaning players will have to play Day 1A if they want to compete in Black Belt Poker’s first ever live tournament.

There are currently 68 seats remaining, but be quick as tickets are selling like hot cakes at a cake-eating contest with the event likely to sell out completely within the next few days. Playing in Day 1A will be a number of familiar names including Neil Channing, James Mitchell, Jesse May, Ian Frazer and high stakes pro Richard ‘Chufty’ Ashby.

The Black Belt London Live will take place from Friday, March 12 to Sunday, March 14 at the Grosvenor Victoria, London, with the winner taking home a guaranteed $15,000 prize. What’s more, if the Champion is a Green Belt or above, he’ll win an additional $25,000! Purple Belts will receive an extra $15,000 whilst all Orange Belts will compete for four $500 last longers.

The tournament will be a deep stacked $200+20 No Limit Hold’em freezeout with 20,000 starting stacks and 45 minute blinds. Already confirmed are James Akenhead, Nik Persaud, Praz Bansi and Marty Smyth, all of whom will have bounties on their heads. Anyone who eliminates a bounty will also receive a signed photo of their victim.

Day 1B may be full, but it’s not too late to register for what is expected to be a feast of poker festivity with much fun had all around. To register is easy: simply download the Black Belt Poker software, make the necessary deposit and find ‘Black Belt London Live Day 1A’ in the tournament lobby. To participate, you must register online, so don’t leave it ‘til the last day.

Oscar Night on Black Belt Poker

Always wondered how Martin Scorsese felt when he picked up that elusive Oscar, or what was going through Gwyneth Paltrow’s mind when she was blubbered her way through the acceptance speech? Well, we can’t guarantee you an award for achievements in film, but we can give you the chance to experience what it’s like to be a winner on Oscar Night.

This Sunday, Black Belt Poker are braced to celebrate the 2010 Academy Awards by hosting our Oscar Hat-Trick event, a $3 No Limit Hold’em rebuy frenzy starting at 12 midnight. To coincide with this year’s Oscars, we’ll be awarding the winner of the Oscar Hat-Trick Rebuy a seat in the Black Belt London Live, as long as three conditions are met on the other side of the Pond:

(1) Avatar wins Best Picture
(2) Jeff Bridges wins Best Actor in a Leading Role
(3) Sandra Bullock wins Best Actress in a Leading Role

If the above nominations win their respective categories, then we’ll give away a London Live seat absolutely free, with the winner joining the likes of Neil Channing, James Akenhead and Richard Ashby at the Vic on March 12-14 to battle it out for the $15,000 first prize.

Even if those nominations don’t win, the Oscars will still be an entertaining night on Black Belt Poker with Sensei Channing opening up his ‘Neil Channing’ cash table for a one-off night of Challenge Channing. So, if you fancy taking on the 2008 Irish Open Champion at $0.25/0.50, then take your seat at Table Neil Channing between the times of 7-8pm and 9-10pm.

If you want the red carpet treatment and a night in with stars (that’s Neil, by the way), then be sure to log into Black Belt Poker this Sunday for Oscar Night and your chance of winning a seat in the inaugural London Live.

Better blow the dust off my suit then.

To open an account on Black Belt Poker and register for the event, download the poker client and follow the simple steps provided.

Vic Hosts Inaugural Academy

Last Saturday, Black Belt Poker and Bluff Europe combined forces to present the first ever Academy, a day dedicated to finding those leaks and filling those holes. On hand to offer their expert advice were Irish Open Champion and Vic veteran Neil Channing, online pro and serial GUKPT finalist Nik Persaud, Brown Belt and former iPoker Monthly Million finalist Hugh Kirton, and Bluff Europe’s host extraordinaire Alex Rousso.

Held at the Grosvenor Victoria in London, the Academy examined a number of topics ranging from the Fundamental Theorem of Poker to table psychology. Players were also given the chance to watch televised hands and hear the expert analysis of the team, as well as participate in interactive exercises in which the mentors would take people through live hands and dissect every decision made.

During one of the breaks, I caught up with Sensei Persaud to hear what he thought of the day so far and also his views on educating oneself on the intricacies of the game.

http://www.vimeo.com/9456726

As part of the package, attendees were invited to play the Vic’s £50 No Limit Hold’em freezeout, being held later that evening. As an added bonus, the last three remaining Black Belt Poker players in the event would win themselves a free seat into the London Live, a $220 No Limit Hold’em Freezeout scheduled for March 12-14. The three winners were Andy Brisland, David Sparks and Kevin Stevens. The latter of those has detailed his experience in an article for Black Belt Poker. Click here to read Part One.

Joining the aforementioned at the Academy were a number of other BBP members including Purple Belts Lee Innes and Steve Dickson, Orange Belt Paul Harrison, and current Grader Carey Hollick. During dinner, I spoke to Purple Belt Gavin Hall to discuss what he was looking for from the Academy and also his progress in the current Grading.

http://www.vimeo.com/9456695

Gavin's article: Wax On Wax Off: Stages of Poker Evolution – Part One/

The Black Belt Academy was deemed a huge success by both mentors and students alike, and is likely to be returning to the Vic in the very near future. To book your seat in the next Academy, you can either buy in directly via cheque (contact info@blackbeltpoker.com for more details), or earn your way in for absolutely nothing by playing in Orange Belt freeroll which takes place on the last Monday of every month on the Black Belt Poker skin. The next one is this coming Monday, so register now and we look forward to seeing you at the next Academy.

Click here for photos from the event.

Movers & Shakers – January

We’ve been tangoed!

It may be a new year, but Black Belt Poker are kicking off 2010 as they ended 2009 with a plethora of familiar names coming aboard the Belt-Up Bus in an attempt to scale the ranks and become the first ever Black Belt.

Incredibly, there are 45 new Orange Belts at Black Belt Poker including successful pros such as 2007 Blackpool GUKPT Champion Paul Bracken, back-to-back TV winner Ian Frazer, triple WSOP finalist Stuart Fox, and English Open Poker Champion David LaRonde. Look even closer, however, and you’ll also notice the inclusion of League II winner Mark Brassington, as well as current Grader John Hayes.

But it’s higher up where perhaps most praise should be issued, as now proudly sporting a shiny, Purple Belt is everyone’s favourtie self-proclaimed hobbit, Adam ‘JHobbit1’ Saunders. A familiar name to the community through his constant presence and title of League I Winner, Adam is one of Black Belt Poker’s most loyal members and certainly deserving of his new status.

Congratulations must also go to former Grader Chaz Chattha who has returned to Black Belt Poker to work his way back up the rankings and hopefully represent Black Belt Poker in future tournaments. He is now a Blue Belt again and will be keenly eying up Brown.

Of course, with all these new Belt statuses come new incentives and benefits, the latest of which is just around the corner: the Deepstack Payback, a deepstacked $20+2 No Limit Hold’em freezeout.

Anyone can enter this tournament, but if you take down the event as an Orange Belt we’ll add 25 percent to prize pool. If you’re Purple or above, make that 50 percent! What’s more, there are two $100 bounties up for grabs each week in the shape of the Black Belt Pros. The tournament starts tomorrow at 6pm, so sign up now!

Black Belt Poker would like to congratulate the following players on their achievement for December and wish you the very best of luck at the tables for the month of January:

Blue:

Chaz Chattha

Purple:

Adam Saunders
Ben Gross
Adam Lennox
Warren Wooldridge

Orange:

David Smith
Rob Weston
Mark Brewis
Chris Knightly
Paul Bracken
Adam York
Samuel Grafton
Martin Nixon
Stephen Knowles
Kristian Dawson
David LaRonde
Adam Stoneham
Andrew West
Julien Thabault
Abishek Khaitan
Tom Smith
Jonathan Lundy
Paul Romain
John Hayes
Robbie Wooldridge
Nicky Evans
Simon Herrick
Denison Ranson
Mark Brassington
Keir Fitzgibbon
Natasha Dwyer
Simon Shaw
Catherine O'Brien
Peter Rhodes
Matt McKinlay
Nick Mazur
Mark Cooper
Craig Wakeham
Stuart Fox
Lorcan Fox
Lee Harrison
Iwan Jones
Michael Wootten
Ian Frazer
George Frangeskou
Andrea Boschiero
Simon Cameron
Scott Shelley
Chris Andreou
Frode Gjesdal

For more information on the Black Belt Poker cardroom, the Belt-Up rewards system, or any of our promotions, please visit our help pages in the ‘Play Poker’ section of the site.

Black Belt Academy

Roses, chocolates, dinner – what better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than telling your other half that you’ve just become a better poker player? Next Saturday, February 13, 2010, we’re offering readers just that: the opportunity to improve their game through Black Belt Poker.

In partnership with Bluff Europe, Black Belt Poker are proud to present to you their inaugural Black Belt Academy in which we’ll attempt to identify those leaks and fill any holes in your game. Heading the Academy will be two of the UK’s finest players in 2008 Irish Open Champion Neil Channing and online stalwart Nik Persaud.

The Black Belt Academy is a snip at £199 and will take place from 1-7pm at the Grosvenor Victoria Casino in London. The schedule is as follows and will include presentations from Bluff Europe’s Alex Rousso and Black Belt Poker Brown Belt and former Grader Hugh Kirton.

12.30 – 1.00 Registration
1.00 – 2.00 Alex Rousso – Metalearning
2.00 – 2.30 Live Hand exercises – pros review your play
2.30 – 2.45 Break
2.45 – 3.30 Nik Persaud – Fundamental Theorem of Poker
3.30 – 4.00 Live Hand exercises – pros review your play
4.00 – 4.30 Break with sandwiches and drinks
4.30 – 5.00 Interactive exercise: what happened next?
5.00 – 5.45 Channing reveals: Neil explains some TV hands he played
5.45 – 6.15 Live Hand exercises – pros review your play
6.15 – 7.00 Hugh Kirton – Psychology of Poker

Also included in the Academy fee is entry into the Vic’s £50+5 buy-in tournament, scheduled to commence at 7.30pm. Those playing as part of the Academy will automatically be eligible for our last-longer competition, in which the three remaining Academy participants will win entry into the Black Belt London Live in March, a deep-stacked, added value tournament worth $200+20.

This is an incredible opportunity for players looking to move their game onto the next level and a great chance to learn from some of the best mentors in the business. If you would like to secure your seat, then it’s not too late. To purchase a ticket sans tournament buy-in (£150) check out http://www.bluffeurope.com/pokeracademy/, or for entry into the tournament and the chance to participate in the Black Belt London Live, contact jen@blackbeltpoker.com.

BBP Cardroom Receives Major Update

This year, iPoker announced a number of brand new updates to the iPoker network, all of which have now been released on the Black Belt Poker skin.

The most welcome arrival will no doubt be the introduction of resizable tables. A long awaited addition, players will be pleased to hear that tables, along with the ability to tile and cascade, can now be altered to suit individual tastes by clicking on the corner of the table and dragging it to the desired size.

Perhaps second to resizable tables is the new time bank options. For a while now, tournament players have been given little time in which to act and make a decision, but with iPoker’s new time bank feature, they can add some invaluable thinking time to their clock when making those tough decisions.

The time bank and turn time settings are as follows:

$5-$49 MTTs: 30 sec time bank, 60 sec final table time bank, 20 secs of time to act
$50+ MTTs: 60 sec time bank, 90 sec final table time bank, 20 secs of time to act
$10+ Tb MTTs: 30 sec time bank, 45 sec final table time bank, 18 secs of time to act
$10+ SNGs: 30 sec time bank, 15 secs of time to act
$20+ Tb SNGs: 12 sec time bank, 12 secs of time to act
Super Tbs: 12 secs of time to act

Our more astute players will also have noticed dramatic changes in both the layout and look of the tables. Gone are the large, clunky figures, to be replaced by smaller, more appropriate avatars which can be both changed and blocked as the player wishes. Players can now choose where they sit, simply by right-clicking on a seat and selecting the ‘sit me here’ option. And if that isn’t clear enough, then there is also a spotlight that shines above the player with the decision, so users always know where the action lies.

There are also changes to the chat box, with players given more space in which to write notes. The chat box itself is more concise than before, and now displays all the relevant information such as tournament information, player stats and hand histories. There are even emoticons for those times when words simply can’t express that feeling of elation when you bust an opponent’s aces.

Along with the addition of Razz, the three-quarter pot bet button, hand-for-hand, and limits on how many tables heads-up players can sit out at, the new iPoker changes should appease the customer base and make the whole experience of playing on Black Belt Poker that much more pleasurable, for both amateurs and pros alike. It will also prove that iPoker are keen to listen to the views of players and make the necessary changes to enhance the playing experience.

To check out these changes, all you have to do is boot up the Black Belt Poker client as per usual. The updates will be added automatically. If you don’t have an account, then don’t fret, it’s easy to create one. Simply download the poker client and follow the step-by-step process. Good luck at the tables and may the cards be with you.

Grading II: Dublin Two-O Announced

Today witnesses the start of Grading II: Destination Dublin, in which Graders will battle it out over a six-week period for a mouth-watering package to the 2010 Irish Open worth €6,500 and automatic promotion to Blue Belt status.

In total, 70 players registered their interest in partaking in the Grading II, and on Monday, January 18, players partook in a Pre-Selection Grading Week in order to cut-down the numbers to those who were capable of completing the hours.

In the end, 20 players successfully completed the Pre-Grading, thus proving they were worthy contenders for Grading II. They have now become proud members of the Dublin Two-O and will begin competing for one of three Irish Open packages in an effort to follow in the footsteps of 2008 Champion and Black Belt Poker co-founder Neil Channing.

They are:

Ramsey Ajram
Ermyas Birru
Andy Brisland
Jamie Burland
Mike Carroll
Lee Clarke
Javed Ghazi
Adam Goulding
Gavin Hall
Gerard Harraghy
John Hayes
Richard Hinds
Rob Jarrett-Smith
Tomasz Jedlecki
Simon Mairs
Martin Rice
Joe Roberts
Owen Robinson
Mike Shaw
Kevin Williams

The Dublin Two-O are an eclectic mix made up of 6 Yellow Belts, 7 Orange Belts, 4 Purple Belts, and 3 Green Belts. However, whatever their level, all 20 will be asked to complete 480 table hours (720 for STT players) over a six-week period, partaking at stakes of $0.25/0.50 and upwards for the opening four weeks, and $0.50/1 and upwards for the final two weeks.

One player who will be keen to do well is Ramsey Ajram. A live pro from London, Ajram was a member of the Vegas Five-O who competed in Grading I, but sadly had to drop out during the final week due to illness. Ajram is the only member of the Dublin Two-O who has experience in a prior Grading.

Without further ado, all that remains is to wish all the Graders the very best of luck. If you would like to follow their progress, then be sure to check out the Graders’ Board in our ‘Groups’ section which will shortly become accessible to the Dublin Two-O.

Grading Starts Tomorrow

It’s the eve of the Black Belt Poker Grading, and those who managed to survive the recent Pre-Grading and the scrutiny of the judging team will no doubt be preparing for a gruelling, but ultimately rewarding six weeks.

Last year’s Grading saw a plethora of familiar names battle it out over an intense four-week period for the honour of being a member of the Vegas 8 and winning their dream trip to Vegas. This year, however, we decided to make the Grading accessible to a wider audience rather than just name pros with a one-week Selection period that allowed anyone to enter.

Those that successfully made it through to the other end will now have to compete with other Graders for the next month and a half. But this time around, the schedule is less hectic, in order to cater for those with full-time jobs or family commitments. Instead of forcing Graders to play a set number of hours a day at a certain level, they will be asked to play a total of 480 any-combination cash table-hours at stakes of $0.25/0.50 plus ($0.50/1 for the final two weeks).

Whilst this means that higher stake players will win or lose more money, we’ll be closely inspecting bbs/100 to ensure that everyone is given a fair assessment. Other judging categories will include ‘commitment’ – completing the hours, attending workshops, and showing a willingness to improve – and ‘contribution’ – submitting editorial content, speaking at workshops, and assisting others.

It’s going to be a slog, but it’ll be worth it with Graders being given the opportunity to not only learn from each other, but also receive exclusive mentoring from Black Belt Poker co-founders and poker pros Neil Channing and Nik Persaud. Of course, there are also the fabulous prizes, with the top performers not only winning a magnificent Irish Open package, but also being awarded Blue Belt status, a total prize equating to 100,000 Belt Points. Even those who just miss out will automatically be promoted to Green Belt, and those who don’t finish the course will earn 2,500 Belt Points for each week completed.

This is an educational process for everyone involved and whilst we expect it to be hard work, it will also be enjoyable and rewarding. Good luck to those starting their journey tomorrow, and keep your eyes peeled as we announce the lucky contestants to be taking part in Grading II: Destination Dublin.

League III: London Live

Exciting news this week as Black Belt Poker announced details of their latest league event. Scheduled to commence next Tuesday, Black Belt Poker League III will differ from prior leagues in a number of ways.

Firstly, the League will take place over five legs, rather than the usual ten, meaning participants have less of a commitment to make if they are to have a realistic chance of taking gold.

Secondly, points will be calculated in reverse order of elimination and will be dependent on the numberof runners for each leg with your score correlating with your finishing position. So, if there are 50 runners, first place will receive 50 points, second 49, third 48, and so on.

Finally, as well as Belt Points for the top five, Black Belt Poker will award the first place finisher over the five-week period a free seat into the Black Belt London Live, a deepstack $220 freezeout taking place at the Grosvenor Victoria Casino from Friday, March 12 to Sunday, March 14.

The prizes are therefore as follows:

1st = BBLL Seat
2nd = 750 Belt Points
3rd = 500 Belt Points
4th = 250 Belt Points
5th = 125 Belt Points

The League is open to all Yellow Belts and above and will run from Tuesday, February 2 to Tuesday, March 2, at 8.30pm on the Black Belt Poker skin. Each event will be a $5+0.50 No Limit Hold’em freezeout and players are free to join the League at any point.

If you aren’t currently a Yellow Belt, or have yet to download the poker client, then don’t fret, as you can still play the League. Simply download the poker client, follow the directions and make a minimum deposit of $10 to be eligible to register for the event.

This is an unmissable opportunity for players of all types to get their hands on a free seat into the Black Belt London Live. With a plethora of exciting features such as bounties, last-longers and Belt bonuses, this is a great chance to take advantage of some of the value at Black Belt Poker, whilst enjoying the experience of meeting the stars and playing a deepstacked tournament amid a friendly atmosphere.

'russellhansen' Wins BBP League II

Tuesday night witnessed the final leg of the Black Belt Poker League II in which a total of 93 players competed over a ten-week period to determine Black Belt Poker’s true MTT king. Among those participating were Brown Belt James Mitchell, League I winner Adam ‘JHobbit1’ Saunders, Black Belt co-founders Neil Channing and Nik Persaud, and Paul Marrow, the latter of whom recently finished in second place in the Dublin UKIPT for a whopping €103,500.

However, despite the fierce competition, it was Yellow Belt Mark ‘russellhansen’ Brassington who took top honours, sealing gold before the final leg had even taken place. Nevertheless, he still finished in seventh place in Leg 10, taking his total points score up to an incredible 98 points, 20 points ahead of that of second! As a result of his victory, Mark won the first prize of 2,500 Belt Points (enough to maintain Purple Belt for a month), BBP merchandise, and, of course, the coveted bragging rights.

Second place went to Orange Belt Lee ‘virtusxetxhonor’ Clarke, the early pace setter putting in a fine performance with 76 points. Not too far behind him were Denison ‘Ranny99’ Ranson in third and Black Belt Poker’s first ever Green Belt Mike ‘Belterman’ Caroll picking up fourth.

The final positions and subsequent prizes were as follows:

1st = ruseellhansen – 96 points (2,500 Belt Points plus merchandise)
2nd = virtusxetxhonor – 76 points (1,500 Belt Points plus merchandise)
3rd = Ranny99 – 59 points (1,000 Belt Points plus merchandise)
4th = Belterman – 50 points (500 Belt Points)
5th = TheGayWaiter – 48 points (350 Belt Points)
6th = JHobbit1 – 47 points (275 Belt Points)
7th = paulmarrow – 44 points (225 Belt Points)
8th = gnomeeee – 42 points (175 Belt Points)
9th = mavperth – 40 points (125 Belt Points)
10th = RazzHands – 38 points (100 Belt Points)

Congratulations to all those who placed in the top 10, and we look forward to seeing you all in Black Belt Poker League III which starts this Tuesday, Feb 2 at 8:30pm.

Channing in Oz

There are few tournaments on the poker calendar that have the staying power of the Aussie Millions, but every year, poker fanatics arrive on Ozzie shores in their droves, all eager to stump up the $10,500 buy-in and replicate the achievements of winners past.

This week, a total of 746 pitched up at the Crown Casino in Melbourne, an improvement on last year’s 681 field in which local hero Stewart Scott prevailed to win the A$2 million first prize. Searching for gold this time around are the likes of Phil Ivey, John Juanda, Jeff Lisandro, Barry Greenstein and Tony G, as well as British hopes Karl Mahrenholz, JP Kelly, Keith Hawkins and recent WSOP finalist James Akenhead.

Also flying the flag and representing the London faithful is Black Belt Poker’s Neil Channing. Drawn on the feature table, Channing faced tough company with Casey Kastle, Erik Seidel, Annette Obrestad and a big Vegas and Internet Limit player who called himself Crazy Mike.

“Crazy Mike soon appeared to be in the top three most annoying people I'd played with,” reported Channing. “I let him bluff me twice and went down to just 11,000 from my 20,000 starting stack. I steamed a little bit and decided to three-bet him with 8-6 off-suit. I then floated on the flop and raised him on the turn of a A-K-8-T board, committing about 5,000 of my remaining chips. He called me a total nit and folded. I didn't show.”

Having risen to 31,000 with K-K versus Kastle’s missed draw, Channing quickly broke the 48,000 mark with an average of 26,000, but just as he was beginning to pick up pace, K-K ran into A-A to bash him back down to 11,000. “I worked my bollocks off to get my stack up and was raising 70 percent of hands at the time,” continued Channing. “He was in a squeeze spot too, fml.”

But despite this loss, Channing’s fortune did show signs of changing when he pushed with Q-6 and managed to crack aces to stay alive. “The woman didn’t take it too well,” revealed Channing. “She spent the next three hours whining and kept making comments while I was in pots and about to act. I had to call the floor to complain. With 25 minutes to go I was very frustrated. This woman had gifted Annette about 35,000 and all she could do was moan about a few thousand the bad beat with me had cost her. In one hand I called a raise from a tight guy with T-9 of diamonds. As I did, durrrr stopped to chat to me and shook my hand. The woman went all in for about 1,000 and it was 7,000 for me to call after the other guy folded. I was getting 2:1, durrrr had touched me and now I could knock out this miserable woman. I called, she showed 3-3 and I rivered a 10. I told her I wouldn’t usually call but I'd done it out of spite.”

Following this amusing kafuffle, Channing’s day continued to improve with a lucrative final 45 minutes which saw him finishing the day with 57,400 and in 18th position out of the 120 that survived. “Such a tough day,” concluded Channing. “I felt I played my best, but now I really need to get some sleep.”

With Day 1C also drawing to a close, Day Two is just around the corner and Channing will be in confident spirits having survived a turbulent opening few levels. Whilst the likes of Joe Hachem, Chris Ferguson, Chris Moorman and former International bowler Shane Warne fell at the first hurdle, the remaining field is still rife with big names with Sorel Mizzi perhaps the most notable pace-setter with 112,300. Pierre Aoukar is the chip leader with 171,700

But with a renewed confidence, Neil Channing will be hot on their heels for the remainer of the comp, keen to add some more silverware to the trophy cupboard. To see if Channing can become this year’s Aussie Champion, keep your eyes peeled on Black Belt Poker for further updates.

Academy Freeroll: Last Chance Saloon

Garfield might hate Mondays, but there’s no reason for you to feel the same as this Monday, Black Belt Poker look to soothe those weekend hangovers with the final Academy freeroll.

Exclusive to Orange Belts, this last chance saloon satellite will see players battle it out for one of two guaranteed seats into the inaugural Black Belt Poker Academy in association with Bluff Magazine.

Scheduled for Saturday, February 13, 2010 at the Grosvenor Victoria Casino in London, the Black Belt Poker Academy will give players the opportunity to learn from professional players such as Nik Persaud and 2008 Irish Open Champion Neil Channing.

The freeroll takes place at 8pm and will only be open to those who have reached Orange Belt on the Belt-Up rewards scheme. With a total of £300 up for grabs for an investment of zero, this presents excellent value and is one of many benefits of being a higher Belt on Black Belt Poker. To play, simply boot up the poker client, search for scheduled > Black Belt tournaments > Orange Belt Bootcamp FR, and click register in the bottom right hand corner.

If you aren’t able to make the freeroll, then don’t fret, as you can still purchase your seat directly. At £150, the Academy is a snip, and a great way to improve your game through mentoring from two of the UK’s most successful players, so secure your seat now. To purchase a ticket, simply contact info@blackbeltpoker.com.

If you’re not currently an Orange Belt then be sure you check out our Belt-Up Rewards scheme to see how you can scale the ranks and take advantage of all the spectacular bonuses on offer.

For more details on the Black Belt Poker Academy (in association with Bluff Magazine), click here.

Make Mine a Double

If you think the only doubles in poker are confined to an increase in your stack or the latest order at the bar, then think again, as this February, Black Belt Poker brings to you a brand, spanking new promotion which will reward our double-up STT players.

In conjunction with iPoker, the Double-Up STT Promotion will offer double-up STT players an added incentive in the form of four weeklong leader boards, taking place on the following dates:

Mon, Feb 1 – Sun, Feb 7
Mon, Feb 8 – Sun, Feb 14
Mon, Feb 15 – Sun, Feb 21
Mon, Feb 22 – Sun, Feb 28

Scoring is simple: for merely participating in the STT, you will receive points equivalent to the buy-in. If you manage to survive and emerge as one of the victors, then you will receive points equivalent to twice the buy-in.

For each week there will be three groups of prizes dependant on the buy-in. The groups are:

$1-$5 buy-in: 150 places paid, $750 first prize
$10-$30 buy-in: 75 places paid, $2,500 first prize
$50 + buy-in: 50 places paid, $5,500 first prize

And that’s not all: if you bubble a certain part of the money ladder, or finish in 11th or 1st place, you will be automatically allocated a seat worth $535 in the iPoker Monthly Million. We are also offering 120 seats in a Monthly Million satellite (28 seats available) to those who miss out on a league finish by 10 places.

If you’ve been considering participating in the Grading, then this is a cracking opportunity to not only give yourself a chance of winning one of eight packages to the 2010 Irish Open, but also take advantage of our latest promotion by placing in one of the weekly leader boards.

Although the Pre-Grading commences tomorrow, it’s not too late to enrol. All you have to do is find the relevant option in the ‘settings’ of your community account, play the required hours, and send us your hand histories. It really is as simple as that, and even if you don’t make it into the Grading, we’ll promote you to Purple Belt as a thank you for your participation.

See here for more details.

Grading Selection: Just Two Days to Go

In just two days time, numerous online players from across the nation will be battling it out for one of 50 places on this year’s Black Belt Poker Grading and the chance to not only fast-track their way to Blue Belt status, but win one of eight mouth-watering Irish Open packages – a prize totalling 100,000 Belt Points!

Commencing on Monday, January 18, 2010, the one-week Grading Selection will see players ambushing the tables in order to complete 80 any-combination cash table-hours at any stakes from $0.25/$0.50 upwards, or 120 any-combination STT table-hours with a minimum buy-in of $20. At the end of the week, they will submit their hand histories to Black Belt Poker HQ, and the 50 players who performed best under the three marking categories will then go onto the six-week Grading as a proud member of the Dublin Five-O.

The Grading, which takes place from Monday, Feb 1 to Sunday, March 14, offers a number of alluring prizes. Simply for completing the Grading, you will receive 25,500 Belt Points, which equates to over four months’ worth of Green Belt Maintenance. If, however, you are fortunate enough to finish in the top eight, you will be jetting off to Dublin to play in the Irish Open as one of our sponsored Blue Belts!

This is an incredible opportunity to play in one of the world’s most prestigious tournaments, and it’s not too late to enrol! All you have to do is find the relevant option in the ‘settings’ of your community account, play the required hours, and send us your hand histories. It really is as simple as that, and even if you don’t make it into the Grading, we’ll promote you to Purple Belt as a thank you for your participation.

This truly is a no lose situation for all you poker fanatics out there and a great opportunity to echo the achievements of Black Belt Poker co-founder and 2008 Irish Champion Neil Channing. We wish you the best of luck at the tables and look forward to seeing 50 of you in a few weeks’ time

See here for more details.

Channing Wins $104,000 in Monthly Million

2009 was a disappointing year for Neil Channing, but with the New Year comes a new start, and 2010 couldn’t have started much better for the former Irish Open Champion. There were a number of high profile players playing the Monthly Million on Black Belt Poker, but it was fittingly the Black Belt Poker co-founder who rose highest, finishing in second place for an incredible $104,000.

Although forced to endure a roller coaster start in which his stack fluctuated from 10,000 to 7,000 to 26,000 to 17,000, Channing managed to double up to 38,000 (16,000 average) courtesy of TV specialist Ian Frazer when his 8-7 suited flopped a pair of eights against Frazer’s Q-J suited. Following a good run in which his big hands stood up, Neil found himself in the top 10 with 300 of the 1,650 plus field left.

Despite having aces cracked by pocket eights with 30 players remaining, Channing managed to make it comfortably to the final, a table which he shared with online pro and SCOOP Five-Card Draw winner David ‘sexygee’ Gent. “I played David a lot throughout the event,” reported Channing. “He’s a really good player and seems to know what he is doing.”

With just four players remaining, Channing missed an open-ended straight flush draw to leave himself with 135,000 of the 16 million in play, blinds of 25,000/50,000, but despite having less than three big blinds he managed to complete a comeback of Rocky proportions to find himself heads-up with a 10:6 million chip advantage.

With $200,000.20 up for grabs, there was plenty to play for, but a failed A-Q versus A-5 encounter left Channing crippled, and a hand or two later and he was gone, happy with his $104,000 payday, but disappointed not to have taken top honours.

“My heads-up opponent was a Greek guy who’d won the first ECOOP event,” said Channing. “He was a pretty good player. When we were heads-up, he seemed keen to do a deal, but I don’t think it’s possible on iPoker between skins. The structure was pretty top heavy and he asked me if the money meant much. I answered, ‘It’s all money, it’s never a bad thing to have more of it.’ Overall, I was really pleased with how I played.”

“I had some great support,” gleamed Channing. “There was a long thread on Black Belt Poker with people posting their good luck messages, and I was also being railed by friends such as Andy Ward, Paul Zimbler and Jeff Kimber, which helped spur me on.”

This was Black Belt Poker’s first ever Monthly Million, and as a cardroom looking to become a major player on the iPoker network, we’ll be hosting the event in February too. If you fancy going one step further than Channing and taking the lion’s share of the one million guaranteed prize pool, then why not register an account and play the event at Black Belt Poker? To open a cardroom account, download the poker client and follow the simple step-by-step guide.

Click here to read about Channing’s key hands that saw him finish second in Black Belt Poker's first ever Monthly Million.

FullFlush: “I’m as Good as Isildur”

Read blog...

The final digit on the calendar might be different, but Luke Schwartz is kicking off 2010 in typically controversial fashion by offering his brutally honest perspective on the poker world.

Few were able to evade the FullFlush wrath in 2009, and I doubt many will escape this time around either. In his latest blog entry, it’s Great Dane Gus Hansen who’s the recipient of the first swipe, Schwartz commenting, “I’m not surprised Gus Hansen lost more than anyone else, he’s one of the worst players in poker.”

Also returning to the docks is Tom ‘durrrr’ Dwan, everyone’s favourite eye-roller still out of favour with the cheeky cockney as Schwartz continues to show his disdain for Full Tilt’s latest recruit. “He's so lucky that he got that Full Tilt deal when he did. He's meant to be broke, but now he's guaranteed like two mil a year or something.”

If there’s one player that Schwartz admires, then it’s Isildur, the Swedish sensation sharing the Londoner’s unrelenting aggression and incredible lack of fear when it comes to taking on the ‘big boys’. And it’s not just his testicular fortitude that he believes they have in common, but also their skillset, Schwartz adding, “I’m running bad at the moment, but I’d still put myself in the top three. I’m as good as Isildur.”

FullFlush may not be to everyone’s taste, but like Isildur, he has undoubtedly shaken up online poker and made the nosebleed tables a much more entertaining place. If you want to hear more from one of the UK’s most brash, but talented young players., then read his blog now by clicking the link below:

Read blog...

Also see:

Isildur: A Pro's Perspective - Part One: A Hero Arrives
Isildur: A Pro's Perspective - Part Two: Snakes & Ladders
Isildur: A Pro's Perspective - Part Three: Battle of Hastings

Grading II: Destination Dublin

2010 is braced to start with a bang as this January, Black Belt Poker will be hosting Grading II: Destination Dublin. Just 11 days away, the Grading will offer players the chance to win one of eight packages to the Irish Open in April, as well as fast-track their way to Blue Belt – a total package worth 100,000 Belt Points!

The Grading will officially kick off on Monday, February 1, when 50 competitors, the Dublin Five-O, will play 480 individual table hours over a six-week period with players being judged across three categories: commitment, contribution, and table performance. The top eight performers will then become the Dublin 8 and find themselves jetting off to play in one of the world’s biggest tournaments.

If you don’t make it into the Dublin 8, then don’t fret, as we’re awarding all players who complete the Grading process 25,500 Belt Points, which equates to a total of four months of Green Belt maintenance. Even if you don’t finish the Grading, we’ll credit your account with 2,500 points for each week completed.

Only 50 players can make it into the Grading, so we have set up a Grading Selection Week in which to whittle down participants. Taking place from Monday, January 18 to Sunday, January 24, players will need to play 80 table hours (less if you multi-table) at any stakes from $0.25/0.50 upwards. Of course, variance can prove a big factor over seven days, so priority is given to those who complete the hours and prove themselves capable of attempting the Grading.

Grading II offers players not only the chance to follow in the footsteps of 2008 Irish Open Champion Neil Channing, but also a faster route to scaling the Belt-Up Rewards System and reaching a higher Belt status. With players attending two of three Workshops, the Grading also gives players the opportunity to improve their play, hear from the Black Belt Poker pros, and discuss the game with like-minded people.

To register your interest in this year’s Grading, then simply email grading@blackbeltpoker.com. For more details, check out our events page and we look forward to seeing you at the tables in 11 days times.

Grundy Talks Isildur

Over the last few months, everyone’s had something to say about Isildur. Forums have been swamped with comments, magazines have published numerous snippets, and sites are continually asking questions about poker’s latest, and possibly greatest sensation.

However, most of the comments have derived from the rail, and rarely have the pro’s themselves, the people who know what it’s like to be a professional poker player, play large stakes, and endure swings that are larger than my annual salary, offered their thoughts on Isildur.

At Black Belt Poker, we’re going to give you just that: views from the pro’s. In an exclusive series of articles focused on the mysterious Isildur, you’ll hear from pro’s such as Nik Persaud, Roland De Wolfe, Luke ‘FullFlush’ Schwartz, Ben Grundy and the Voice of Poker Jesse May, their thoughts intertwined with a recap of the story, the incredible tale that is the rise and fall of Isildur.

Having recently posted his ‘Total Lifetime Graph’ on his blog, of which boasted a gargantuan seven million plus profit, high stakes online pro Ben Grundy is probably in the best position to comment due to his experiences at the high stakes Omaha tables. In fact, the ‘Milybarkid’ has played Blom90 before on the European sites, and although never crossed Isildur on Full Tilt, was reportedly very close to playing him:

“I’ve never played against the Isildur account, but I would have taken him on at $100/200 if I’d had the chance, but after he got a proper ‘roll on Full Tilt he only wanted to play $200/400 and bigger.”

To read more and hear what the pro’s have to say about Isildur, then check out the article now and keep your eyes peeled for more content as the week progresses.

Read Part One…

Movers & Shakers - December

The festive period tends to create a certain level of stagnancy online, but at Black Belt Poker, a number of players were still badgering away at the virtual felt in order to secure a brand new shiny belt to go along with the rest of their Christmas prezzies.

In all, 15 players received a well-deserved promotion for achievements in December, including nine Orange Belts, five Purple and one Green. Perhaps most notable in his presence is Paul ‘badpab’ Foltyn, the 2008 GUKPT Grand Final Champion and a permanent fixture in the UK top 10 online rankings.

This is a great time on Black Belt Poker to become an Orange Belt or above. As well as the numerous benefits offered by our unique Belt-Up Rewards System, including a higher rate of earning Belt Points, perhaps the best reward is becoming eligible for our Deepstack Payback bonuses.

Taking place on the first Sunday of every month, the Deepstack Payback is a $20+2 No Limit Hold’em freezeout event open to everyone, but of particular value to our players who have successfully worked their way up to Orange Belt or above. If you win the event as an Orange Belt, we’ll add an additional 25 percent to first prize, and if you’re Purple Belt or above, you’ll receive an extra 50 percent! On top of that, we offer two $50 bounties every tournament.

Last night, Purple Belt Jamie Burland won only our second ever Deepstack Payback, taking away an extra 50 percent as a result. Also profiting were Warren Wooldridge and Ben Pooley who eliminated Black Belt Pros and tournament bounties Neil Channing and Hugh Kirton respectively.

To reap those rewards in the next Deepstack Payback, make sure you are Orange Belt or above by the end of this month by earning 500 points by the turn of the month. If you achieve this, you will become a January Mover & Shaker and be free to take advantage of the high value Deepstack Payback bonuses.

Black Belt Poker would like to congratulate the following players on their achievement for December and wish you the very best of luck at the tables for the month of January:

Green:

Adam Goulding

Purple:

Gavin Hall
Steve Rigby
Jamie Burland
Stephen Dickson
Andrew Miles

Orange:

Phil Heald
Paul Foltyn
Mandy Card
Carey Hollick
Mark Valentine
Mike Hill
Paul Read
Rob Taylor
Tom Drewell

For more information on the Black Belt Poker cardroom, the Belt-Up rewards system, or any of our promotions, please visit our help pages in the ‘Play Poker’ section of the site.

Deepstack Payback – Tonight!

The weather is getting chilly outside so tonight at 6pm, the Black Belt Poker team is bringing you a winter warmer. No, it's not a fleece, scarf or pair of gloves, but a present you won’t have found nestling under your Christmas tree: our second ever Deepstack Payback Freezeout Tournament.

This event, scheduled for the first Sunday of every month, is not called Payback for nothing either. As a token of our appreciation for those who have worked their way through the Belt-Up Rewards System, Black Belt Poker are offering added value for our higher Belts: if the winner is an Orange Belt, he/she will receive an additional 25 percent on top of first prize, while Greens or above will bag an additional 50 percent!

Hold up, there's more. As well as the aforementioned bonuses, you'll also get a cash boost of $50 if you manage to Bust a Brown Belt, two of whom will be participating in the event. Take down one of our Pros, and that $50 is yours!

Last month, Jack ‘UGotWTFpwned’ Sambrook topped the 20-strong field, picking up a total of $350 - $200 for winning the tournament, $100 for being a Green Belt, and an extra $50 for eliminating Brown Belt James ‘MixedBag1’ Mitchell. Tonight, you could do the same.

To take part, simply boot up the Black Belt Poker client and find the tournament in ‘scheduled’. The buy-in is $20+2 or, alternatively, you can use your Spending Points to purchase a Deepstack Payback Tournament Token. If you don’t already have an account, then download the poker client and follow the simple steps.

You'll start with 3,000 chips and will battle your way through 15-minute blinds of No Limit Hold'em. Are you ready to step up to the plate and be crowned our Deepstack Payback Freezeout champion? As the saying aptly puts it: you've gotta be in it to win it, and the value doesn’t get much better than this.