Nut High for Cochran

The League had a nutty flavour this week as Black Belt Poker stalwart Russ nicenutter Cochran sealed his first ever title in the second leg of the current campaign.

Victory didn't come easy; and after surviving the majority of a 91-strong field, he was left with the toughest of final hurdles: defending League Champion Mark bornTOflirt Atkinson.

But despite the scale of the challenge, nicenutter maintained his composure to top the poker charts for the evening and net himself a tidy $125.17.

Also making the final table was Orange Belt Nick nickhem1 Hemming, while new faces Quasar999 and Schitzzz also featured. Leg 1 winner Paul 2LAMCHOP2 Lamonby floundered in 75th.

1st  nicenutter -- $125.17
2nd  bornTOflirt -- $84.17
3rd  kippery -- $63.70
4th  Quasar999 --$43.22
5th  stevegw -- $31.85
6th  nickhem1 -- $23.88
7th  DarkPrincess13 -- $19.33
8th  Schitzzz -- $15.9210
9th  liquidoker101 -- $13.65
10th  BoatDrink -- $11.37
11th  NPenfold666 -- $11.37
12th  1stewtelf -- $11.37

Despite this week's glory, nicenutter is unable to squeeze into the top 20 placings, the pack instead being led by David kippery Read who followed up last week's 11th place finish with a bronze medal this time around.

1st  kippery -- 211 points
2nd  bornTOflirt -- 193 points
3rd  WiseOwlBB -- 187 points
4th  clevski1 -- 180 points
5th  forgot2piknik -- 178 points
6th  Schitzzz -- 177 points
7th  VBlueBBP -- 174 points
8th  stevegw -- 171 points
9th  HammerHorror -- 171 points
10th  UliKoko -- 170 points
11th  2LAMCHOP2 -- 160 points
12th  myteamouse -- 160 points
13th  RykanShadow -- 159 points
14th  moriarty3 -- 158 points
15th  Quasar999 -- 157 points
16th  PastiemanCnaC -- 157 points
17th  ToddCoxeter -- 156 points
18th  13kendo13 -- 153 points
19th  NPenfold666 -- 145 points
20th  cheekyweeguy -- 143 points

Black Belt Poker has been a hotbed of poker over the last several days, including the Deepstack Mulligan, which was conquered by JHobbit1 for 94.50 bucks and 50 Belt Points.

1st  JHobbit1 -- $94.50 (50 Belt Points)
2nd  eixip50 -- $63.00 (30 Belt Points)
3rd  UliKoko -- $31.50 (10 Belt Points)
4th  Touagorimou -- $21.00 (10 Belt Points)
5th  generalshifty (5 Belt Points)
On Monday, ourkidsid took down the Turbo Takedown and sprinterz turned 50 Belt Points into a free month at Orange with victory in the Nifty at Nine. Meanwhile, EthanH30 bested 39 others to win the Yellow Belt Freeroll and take full advantage of the $100 in added money.

Perhaps the most sought after prize, however, comes courtesy of our recently erected East End Live satellites, in which qualifiers get to play for the lion's share of $50,000 at our next event in Stratford.

Being crowned Champion has all the elements of a fairytale, and last night Kim insider66666 Vernon experienced the first two chapters by winning a satellite token in the latest Orange Belt Freeroll, before sewing up his ticket the following evening.

1st  insider66666 -- East End Live seat ($200+25)
2nd  slapdash1248 -- $37.50
3rd  ajaybhadresa -- $22.50
4th  paul6543 -- $15.00

If you would like to repeat his feat, then be sure to join us every Thursday at 20:00 for our $30+3 freezeout. And for those with tender wallets, there are $5+0.50 feeders on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

If you would prefer to buy in directly, then you can do so by locating the tournament in the Black Belt Poker lobby (Scheduled > Black Belt Tournaments) and hitting the 'register' button on your chosen day.

But, be quick, as each day is capped at 200 runners and there's a high chance of selling out.

Previous reports:

League XIX Starts TonightNo Chop for Lamonby

Grab a Grand in the Grand National

 
This Saturday, Black Belt Poker are celebrating one of the biggest sporting events of the year with a race of our very own.

The Grand Grand National is a $50+5 freezeout with a $2,500 guaranteed prize pool. The starter's gun will fire at 20:00 on Saturday, April 06.

To register simply locate the event in the Black Belt Poker lobby under Scheduled > Black Belt Tournaments.

As always, you're an odds on favourite to enjoy some juicy value, and for this event we're adding an extra $1,000 to your first prize if you can correctly predict the next Grand National Champion.
The current favourite to race to victory is On His Own, while some may fancy Seabass, Cappa Bleu or Colbert Station to edge a photo finish. At 200:1, Mortimer's Cross might be worth giving a wide berth.

To make your prediction, simply post the name of the horse in the groups thread titled 'The Grand Grand National' before the beginning of the race.

Click here to open a community account if you don't already have one.

You can always bank on us to cater for all bankrolls, and on Friday, April 05 at 20:00 we're holding a $10+1 Mega satellite with five seats guaranteed into The Grand Grand National.

"Even the most sensible of people can't resist a flutter on Grand National day," suggested Neil Channing, "and we thought we'd do the same at Black Belt Poker and gamble a grand. This is a great opportunity to boost your bankroll and give us a right 'mare."

The Grand National is scheduled to start at 16:15, so saddle up and join us this Saturday for what will be a bumper event. You're under starter's orders.

See here for terms and conditions.

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

No Chop for Lamonby

 
It was all systems go this week as the Black Belt Poker League returned to Super Tuesday, this time offering two lucky players a free seat into Samurai, an exclusive $250+25 freezeout with a $10,000 guaranteed prize pool.

A total of 117 were determined to get off to the best possible start, but only one could achieve that goal: Orange Belt Paul 2LAMCHOP2 Lamonby, who less than a week ago had earned a free one-to-one session with acclaimed coach Jared Tendler courtesy of the Mental Mayhem Orange Belt Freeroll.

This score, however, netted him $146.29 in spondoolies, while second place finisher Mark VBlueBBP Varela received $99.45. Failing to make the money but finishing in a credible 33rd place was reigning League Champion Mark bornTOflirt Atkinson.

1st  2LAMCHOP2 -- $146.29
2nd  VBlueBBP -- $99.45
3rd  themeatball -- $76.05
4th  PastiemanCnAC -- $54.11
5th  myteamouse -- $38.02
6th  WiseOwlBB -- $30.71
7th  HammerHorror -- $24.86
8th  TeeDeeEye1 -- $20.47
9th  0LuckyBeerLady0 -- $16.08
10th  russellhansen -- $14.04
11th  kippery -- $14.04
12th  forgot2piknik -- $14.04
13th  eixip50 -- $12.28
14th  BlackMadonna26 -- $12.28
15th  sandy1611 -- $12.28

As a result, the initial standings are as such:

1st  2LAMCHOP2 -- 142 points
2nd  VBlueBBP -- 134 points
3rd  themeatball -- 130 points
4th  PastiemanCnAC -- 126 points
5th  myteamouse -- 123 points
6th  WiseOwlBB -- 120 points
7th  HammerHorror -- 117 points
8th  TeeDeeEye1 -- 114 points
9th  0LuckyBeerLady0 -- 111 points
10th  russellhansen -- 109 points
11th  kippery -- 107 points
12th  forgot2piknik -- 106 points
13th  eixip50 -- 105 points
14th  BlackMadonna26 -- 104 points
15th  sandy1611 -- 103 points
16th  clevski -- 102 points
17th  floppingjim -- 101 points
18th  baligirl13 -- 100 points
19th  ToddCoxeter -- 99 points
20th  moriarty3 -- 98 points

With just one leg in the bag and extra points for making the final table, it's not too late for you to join in if you missed Leg 1. The League is open to all Yellow Belts and above, and takes place every Tuesday at 19:30.

Also enjoying fruitful times is Adam JHobbit1 Saunders, who completed an impressive double by taking down the Deepstack Mulligan and Orange Belt Freeroll in the same night. For the latter, he's earned $100 of sponsorship in Neil Channing as he heads to Dublin for the Irish Open in a bid to repeat his winning performance from the 2008.

1st  JHobbit1 -- $67.50 (50 Belt Points)
2nd  stevegw -- $40.50 (30 Belt Points)
3rd  Touagorimou -- $27.00 (20 Belt Points)
4th  dionysian (10 Belt Points)
5th  S0lution (5 Belt PointS)

1st  JHobbit1 -- $100 sponsorship
2nd  Ourkid888 -- $50 sponsorship
3rd  ourkidsid -- $25 sponsorship
4th  TheSimian -- $25 sponsorship

This week witnessed the announcement of East End Live II, which will grace Stratford shores this May 10-12. We're not hanging around; satellites are already up and running, with the first one taking place tonight at 20:00. The buy-in is $30+3 with one seat guaranteed, and for those practising disciplined bankroll management, there's a $5+0.50 feeder an hour earlier at 19:00.

To buy in directly, simply locate the tournament in Scheduled > Black Belt Tournaments and click 'register'.


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

League XIX Starts Tonight

East End Live Returns to Stratford

 
The Olympics may be forming a distant memory, but the games will continue in Stratford with Black Belt Poker's latest live event.

East End Live II will span three days from May 10-12 with players choosing from two starting days before advancing to Sunday to battle it out over a $50,000 guaranteed prize pool.

After a successful debut last year, East End Live will be returning to the popular Aspers Casino in Westfield, which boasts a 65,000-square foot casino and 24/7 poker room.

Registration is already available in the Black Belt Poker lobby under Scheduled > Black Belt Tournaments. Alternatively, you can purchase a token from the Black Belt Poker Store.

The buy-in will be $200+20, but to cater for bankrolls of all sizes we're hosting a plethora of satellites, starting with a $30+3 freezeout tomorrow at 20:00 with one seat guaranteed.

"We're delighted to be returning to Aspers for East End Live," commented Black Belt Poker co-founder Neil Channing. "It's quickly become one of the best places to play poker in the country, and if last time is anything to go by, players can look forward to another fun and exciting event."

Last year, 20-year old Sonny Pomroy became the inaugural Champion when he defeated a field of 391 to capture the illustrious title and $13,300 first prize.

If you're yet to attend a Black Belt Live event and would like to not only follow in Sonny's footsteps, but also experience a deep-stacked tournament at an affordable price, then make sure you join us this May.

Let the games recommence!

See our promotions page for more details, including FAQ.

Channing Sales to Victory

The Spring Sales kicked off with a bang last night as Black Belt Neil Channing proved he's more than just a face by taking down the opening event.

The action commenced with the $20,000 Guaranteed Rebuy, a tournament that usually costs $50+5, but was sliced in half to just $25+2.50.

A total of 303 took advantage of the discount, but it was the 2008 Irish Open and 2010 GUKPT Champion who led the way with a first place finish for a marvellous $4,162.95.

Must be nice.

He wasn't the only Black Belt Poker player to reap the rewards; picking up the bronze medal for $2,378.75 was 'Pepper4000', while 'Pokerchu38' collected $324.37 in 11th.

"Having spent the whole day telling people how great the Spring Sales events are, I convinced myself that I just had to play," beamed Channing. "It was around three hundred players and about seven hours later that I saw the amazing graphics that pop-up when you win an event on Black Belt Poker.

"It's lucky I'm such a great salesman."

Although Black Belt Poker were unable to make their mark on the Omaha event later that evening, there's another chance tonight with the $10,000 GP Freezeout at 19:00.

The buy-in is usually $50+5, but we're once again slashing the price by 50 percent so you can battle it out for the same fantastic guarantee at the reduced cost of $25+2.50.

The Spring Sales is a series of 30 tournaments with discounts of up to 70 percent, along with 4 added-money events. In total, we're guaranteeing over $600,000 in prize pools.

Discounts include the $30+3 Wednesday $25,000 GTD which is now just $10+1, and the $200+15 $200,000 Sunday Special which has been knocked down to a mere $120+10.

If you think you can echo the achievement of Channing, then check out all the events now via the Black Belt Poker lobby under Scheduled > Spring Sales.

See the boards to keep up with all the action and update other members on your progress, or use the hashtag #bbsales when Tweeting.

Click here for more information on the Spring Sales.

League XIX Starts Tonight

 
Two weeks ago, Yellow Belt Mark bornTOflirt Atkinson raised the bar when he took down League XVIII, capturing his second League crown in crushing style and earning himself a free seat into the upcoming East End Live II.

For the League's nineteenth outing, we're swapping brick and mortar for the cyber felt and inviting Black Belt Poker's finest warriors to battle for one of two free seats into Samurai.

Armed with a $10,000 guaranteed prize pool and a $250+25 entry fee, Samurai is a quarterly online tournament exclusive to Black Belt Poker, meaning you don't have to defeat hundreds of opponents to win a major prize.

There are weekly satellites from as little as $5+0.50, but with League XIX you can qualify for free. The first leg takes place tonight, Tuesday, March 26 and costs just $5+0.50 to play. The tournament is open to Yellow Belts and above.

As usual, the League will run over eight legs, taking place every Tuesday at 19:30. The event can be located in the lobby under Scheduled > Black Belt Tournaments. You can also buy in using Belt Points by purchasing a token in the Black Belt Poker Store.

Points for each leg will be awarded in reverse order, so that in a 50-runner event, 50th would earn 1 point, and 1st 50 points. The top 10 finishers per leg receive the following additional points:

1st          25 Points
2nd         18 Points
3rd          15 Points
4th          12 Points
5th          10 Points
6th          08 Points
7th          06 Points
8th          04 Points
9th          02 Points
10th        01 Point

This time, we're also giving away satellite seats to those who make it into the top 10, but just miss out on a star prize. Meanwhile, positions 11-20 will all receive 100 Belt Points a piece:

1st         Samurai Seat & Personalised Hoodie
2nd        $35+3.50 Samurai Mega Satellite Seat
3rd         $35+3.50 Samurai Mega Satellite Seat
4th         $35+3.50 Samurai Mega Satellite Seat
5th         $35+3.50 Samurai Mega Satellite Seat
6th         3 x $5+0.50 Samurai Satellite Rebuy Seats
7th         2 x $5+0.50 Samurai Satellite Rebuy Seats
8th         2 x $5+0.50 Samurai Satellite Rebuy Seats
9th         $5+0.50 Samurai Satellite Rebuy Seat
10th       $5+0.50 Samurai Satellite Rebuy Seat11-20th  100 Belt Points

We're also offering all leg winners who missed out on the top two spots one final bite of the cherry in a Second Chance SNG. The SNG will take place the week following the final leg of the League on Tuesday, May 21, with the last man sitting reaping the same rewards as the overall winners and earning free entry into Samurai on May 22.
This means that even if you're in last place with just one leg to go, you still have a chance of winning the star prize!

And it doesn't end there. Anyone who manages to sweet-talk the Mrs. (or Mr.) and escape to the computer to play all eight league legs will be rewarded with an additional 150 Belt Points. That's extra value just for turning up, regardless of your final position in the standings!

BornTOflirt dominated the most recent League. Next time - as the giant blue finger would say - it could be you...

Previous Winners:

League I:            Adam Saunders
League II:           Mark Brassington
League III:          David Meunier
League IV:          Andy Brisland
League V:           Trevor Myers
League VI:          Mark Ranson
League VII:         Tom Drew
League VIII:        Trevor Ingman
League IX:          Jamie Burland
League X:           Tom Drew
League XI:          Robert Bulman
League XII:         Mark Atkinson
League XIII:         Adam Saunders
League XIV:         Craig McKelvie
League XV:          Stephen Dickson        
League XVI:         Robbie Ayres
League XVII:        Spencer Lawrence
League XVIII:       Mark Atkinson
League XIX:          ?...

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

Monkey Magic Bimonthly Freeroll

 
We've got some great monkey news for you today as Black Belt Poker announce their latest loyalty freeroll: Monkey Magic.

Monkey Magic is a new exclusive freeroll in which players are invited to grab a monkey, and scrap it out for a cool $500 in online tournament entries.

The winning player will earn entry into a dozen online events such as the $250+25 Samurai, the $80+8 Sunday Warm-Up, and every single one of Black Belt Poker's weekly tournaments.

Meanwhile, second and third place will both receive entry into seven juicy events, totalling $200 and $100 respectively.

Replacing Grab a Grand, the new Monkey Magic freeroll will take place every two months, making it that much easier to secure a seat.

To become eligible, all you have to do is be Orange Belt or above in the Belt-Up Rewards System for just two months.

Whether you're a new player, or have dropped down from a higher Belt, as long as you are a minimum of Orange Belt, you will be invited to play.

The first event will take place on Thursday, June 06. This means that you will need to be Orange Belt for May 01, and then hold on to your Belt for June 01.

There's no monkey business going on here - we're truly offering you $500 in free entries just for playing on Black Belt Poker.

Getting to Orange Belt is a doddle, and requires players to earn a mere 500 Belt Points through their play at the Black Belt Poker skin.

Even if you're yet to sign up to Black Belt Poker, you still have over five weeks to hit Orange for May and be in contention for the freeroll.

To open an account, simply click here and follow the step-by-step process provided.
Orange Belt already brings a plethora of other rewards, including our weekly Orange Belt Freerolls. Only last night, Paul Lamonby won a free 1-to-1 training session with acclaimed poker coach Jared Tendler in our first ever Mental Mayhem Freeroll.

If you want to take advantage, then join us at Orange Belt and make sure you maintain your Belt for the first ever Monkey Magic.

See here for more information, including a breakdown of the prizes.

Blue Belt Hits for Four at WPT

 
The WPT National made its London debut this week as it graced the shores of Aspers Casino in Stratford.

A total of 218 stumped up the $1,650 entry fee, including Blue Belt and reigning Nottingham Live Champion Kevin 'Kevish47' Williams.

With recent cashes at UKIPT Edinburgh and GUKPT London, Kevin carried his momentum into this event with yet another in-the-money finish.

This time, however, he worked his way onto the final fifth in chips with 394,000. Meanwhile, veteran Carlo Citrone sat on a short stack of 66,000 and chip leader Elior Sion held 1,731,000.

Despite a dogged showing, Kevin ultimately departed in a respectable fourth place, picking up a round £25,000 for his troubles.

His final hand saw him three-bet shove Kc-Tc, only to be looked up by the Kd-Jd of Robin Fisher. The Qd-8s-9c-9h-Th board was close, but no cigar, and Kevin was gone.

The eventual winner was Reece Lewis. He defeated Elior Sion heads-up with A-A versus A-T to collect the title and £80,000 first prize.

Kevin isn't the only Black Belt Poker player to have come close to gold. In March, fellow Blue Belt Jamie Burland cashed in EPT London for £11,000, while Black Belt Sam Razavi earned his first WPT cash the month prior at the L.A. Poker Classic.

In the coming weeks, Black Belt Poker will be heading to Dublin for this year's Irish Open, including Black Belt and 2008 Champion Neil Channing. Keep up to date with their progress by checking out the boards at Blackbeltpoker.com.

1st  Reece Lewis -- £80,000
2nd  Elior Sion -- £54,150
3rd  Robin Fisher -- £34,000
4th  Kevin Williams -- £25,000
5th  Rasmus Larsen -- £19,000
6th  Wang Weikang -- £15,000
7th  Carlo Citrone -- £12.500
8th  Emma Tolley -- £10,000

Mixed Fortunes for Chufty

 
Last week, Richard Ashby shared his winnings with Black Belt Poker players when he chopped the Eight-Game event at EPT London.

Although just 22 parted with the £10,000+300 buy-in, Richard was able to turn a profit when he escaped with £29,880.

Also involved in the six-way deal were Justin Bomono, Luke Schwartz and Ville Wahlbeck, the latter of whom took away the most.

Richard's win meant that four Orange Belts also enjoyed a payday courtesy of the 'Slice of the Action' Orange Belt Freeroll, in which we give away shares in our sponsored pros.

The winners were:

nickhem1 -- $289.90
paul6543 -- $144.95
ourkidsid -- $72.48
FumbDuck1 -- $72.48

Black Belt Richard Ashby is a mixed games specialist who also boasts a WSOP bracelet and an Aussie Millions final table. This score took his total live tournament earnings up to $1.65 million.

Richard isn't the only player to have showered Orange Belts with money. In May, 2011, four lucky Orange Belts received in excess of $16,000 after Sam Razavi captured his first UKIPT title in Cork.

For the final week of March, we're giving players yet another chance to win thousands by serving up slices of Black Belt Neil Channing as he returns to the Irish Open in a bid to repeat his victory from 2008.

Getting to Orange Belt is easy, and merely requires you to earn just 500 Belt Points through your play on the Black Belt Poker skin. As well as Freerolls, you will also collate points twice as fast and have the option to spend them in the Store on training, tournament tokens, merchandise, and more.

Check out our rewards page for more details.

'BornTOflirt' Wins Second League Title

 
This Tuesday, 50-year-old Mark bornTOflirt Atkinson from Carlisle became the latest Black Belt Poker League Champion, joining JHobbit1 and Werrrrd as a two-time winner.

As with his showing in League XII, Mark enjoyed a runaway victory with consecutive final tables in the last two legs seeing him cross the finishing line 70 points ahead of the chasing pack.

Although Tristan tristiano Chaplin was able to secure second with a solid 24th, Mark's eighth place finish ensured he would lap up the title with ease and receive the Holy Grail: a personalised Black Belt Poker hoodie.

With three Black Belt Live seats up for grabs, the real race was the one for bronze, with a number of players in contention. However, when the dust had settled and the smoke cleared, it was Deborah whosurmama Worley-Roberts who snapped up her ticket, preying on a slip-up from 7onyB who departed in 77th.

Meanwhile, Black Belt Poker dished out a plethora of Belt Points to the runner-ups, including 100 points to anyone who finished in positions 11-20th, one of whom was dethroned Champion Spencer dionysian Lawrence.

1st  bornTOflirt (690 points) -- Black Belt Live Seat & Hoodie
2nd  tristiano -- (620 points) -- Black Belt Live Seat
3rd  whosurmama (612 points) -- Black Belt Live Seat

4th  BubbleCloud (589 points) -- 725 Belt Points
5th  Ourkid888 (582 points) -- 600 Belt Points
6th  oudkidsid (564 points) -- 500 Belt Points
7th  Bagheira1 (557 points) -- 400 Belt Points
8th  7onyB (554 points) -- 300 Belt Points
9th  KingOfTheBongo33 (530 points) -- 200 Belt Points
10th  PhilDee64 (522 points) -- 150 Belt Points

11th  TableKnight (508 points) -- 100 Belt Points
12th  JHobbit1 (499 points) -- 100 Belt Points
=13th  BoatDrink (498 points) -- 100 Belt Points
=13th  Ruaction (498 points) -- 100 Belt Points
15th  liquidpoker101 (493 points) -- 100 Belt Points
16th  dionysian (485 points) -- 100 Belt Points
17th  ToddCoxeter (482 points) -- 100 Belt Points
18th  mikeymixitup (475 points) -- 100 Belt Points
=19th  losbert40 (469 points) -- 100 Belt Points
=19th  bagpussrocks (469 points) -- 100 Belt Points

The final leg saw 79 hopefuls take to the felt, but at the final whistle it was Michael mikeymixitup Martin who prevailed. Second place went to Mark flipfone Gray, who last week cashed an impressive four times in Ninja, including sixth in the Main Event.

1st  mikeymixitup -- $118.52
2nd  flipfone -- $79.00
3rd  ToddCoxeter -- $59.25
4th  forgot2piknik -- $39.50
5th  whosurmama -- $29.62
6th  TheSimian -- $21.72
7th  Touagorimou -- $17.77
8th  bornTOflirt -- $15.80
9th  liquidpoker101 -- $13.82

On the Wednesday, all leg winners returned to the crime scene to battle it out for a fourth seat in our Second Chance SNG. Congratulations to Leg 7 winner James jimmyt31 Turner who emerged as the last man sitting.

Many thanks to the 151 of you who participated in this season's League. If you're itching for more, then don't worry as League XIX will be coming your way soon. Keep an eye on the site for details.

See below for results from our other exclusive tournaments:

Turbo Takedown (20:30, Monday):

1st  ourkidsid -- $42.00
2nd  bagpussrocks -- $18.00
3rd  Touagorimou
4th  habbad
5th  UliKoko
6th  sprinterz

Nifty at Nine (21:00, Monday):

1st  liquidpoker101 -- 540 Belt Points
2nd  KBV1TALS -- 378 Belt Points
3rd  jimmyt31 -- 243 Belt Points
4th  bagpussrocks -- 135 Belt Points
5th  CarpyGAS -- 54 Belt Points

Spring Sales Freeroll (19:30, Wednesday):

1st  BoatDrink -- $200,000 Sunday Special token ($120+10)
2nd  Elysiumjay -- $30,000 GP Freezeout token ($50+5)
3rd  sceaga2 -- $20,000 Sunday Warm-Up token ($40+4)
4th  WiseOwlBB -- $200,000 Mega Satellite token ($25+2.50)
5th  1894IAIN -- $2,000 GP Freezeout token ($10+1)
6th  TeeDeeEye1 -- $2,000 GP Freezeout token ($10+1)
7th  Sarannedipity -- $15,000 Guaranteed token ($5+0.50)
8th  JHobbit1 -- $15,000 Guaranteed token ($5+0.50)

Deepstack Mulligan (20:30, Wednesday):

1st  dionysian -- $84.00 (100 Belt Points)
2nd  Touagorimou -- $36.00 (60 Belt Points)
3rd  S0lution (10 Belt Points)
4th  JHobbit1 (5 Belt Points)
5th  Iceman78Danny (5 Belt Points)

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

Previous reports:

Week 1 - King of League XVIII
Week 2 - 'Donielyons': The Mane Man in Leg 2
Week 3 - Nanoplankton Turns the Tables in Leg 3
Week 4 - Flirting With VictoryWeek 5 - Reflex Ruaction; Robinson Tops Leg 5Week 6 - '1stewtelf' Hits Them for SixWeek 7 - Turner Prize

Six New Freerolls Announced

You may be dazzled by value now, but the future's about to get even brighter for Orange Belts as Black Belt Poker introduce a feast of brand spanking new Freerolls for you to munch on.

Last week, Orange Belts experienced our first ever 'Sunday Sizzler', in which players fought for a seat into iPoker's biggest weekly tournament: the $200,000 Guaranteed.

Jason 'Elysiumjay' Layland was the man who picked up the $200+15 ticket, while three others received free entry into the Saturday Mega satellite.

Tonight at 19:30, players will be battling it out for a near $300 worth of tournament entries into the upcoming Spring Sales, including free entry into the $200K GTD and the Warm-Up earlier in the day. For those eager to take advantage of some of our fantastic guarantees, this is an unmissable event.

The following week, we're treating players to yet another new tournament: 'Mental Mayhem'. Top prize this time is a free one-to-one session with Jared Tendler, author of popular poker publication: The Mental Game of Poker.

Jared is an acclaimed poker coach who has mentored some of the industry's most successful players on the mental side of their game. Now is your chance to experience a private session, and find out why so many players are raving about Jared's techniques.

While we're excited to be introducing so many new events, we won't be forgetting our original freerolls, in particular Slice of the Action which once awarded four Orange Belts an incredible $16,000 when Sam Razavi became UKIPT Cork Champion.

For the final week of March, we're giving players yet another chance to win thousands by serving up slices of Black Belt Neil Channing as he returns to the Irish Open in a bid to repeat his victory from 2008. This time, however, you could be be sharing the rewards.

See our promotions page for the full upcoming schedule.

Getting to Orange Belt is easy, and merely requires you to earn just 500 Belt Points through your play at the Black Belt Poker skin. As well as Freerolls, you will also collate points twice as fast and have the option to spend them in the Store on training, tournament tokens, merchandise, and more.

If you can hit Orange Belt for April 1, then you will be eligible to play in that month's lineup, which will include the inaugural 'Warrior Whirlwind'. For the first time, we'll be giving you the chance to play the WSOP Warrior League for free where you'll compete for a number of incredible Vegas packages.

Forget the big screen, Black Belt Poker bring you more offers than you can handle as Orange Wednesday comes to your computer monitor each and every week. Check out our rewards page to see how you can join in the fun.
The six new freerolls are:

iPOPS IV Freeroll
Mental Mayhem
Spring Sales Freeroll
Sunday Sizzler
A Taste of Paradise
Warrior Whirlwind

Martin Sutcliffe Explodes to Victory in Ninja

 
Mission accomplished; Ninja has been and gone, with Martin BoomBoom999 Sutcliffe assassinating 95 others to be crowned Black Belt Poker king.

The field was littered with land mines, including recent Samurai winner Adam sirusthevirus1 Stoneham, Brown Belt Jerome GONGONONGO Bradpiece and defending Champion Hasmukh 45683ah Khodiyara.

Meanwhile, Black Belt Neil Channing inscribed a target on his forehead, offering would-be snipers a free ticket to EPT London if they could bust him from the tournament and go on to finish first.

Jason Elysiumjay Layland was the man vying for added gold when his J-2 unraveled Channing's A-K in 66th, but despite going sixth in chips with three times the average, he would ultimately fall short of the money in 21st.

A dirty dozen did manage to turn a profit, however, including Mega Satellite qualifier StakattakBBP and eighth place finisher HammerHorror, the latter of whom won his seat after eliminating bounty Ka7ieVick from Monday's opening Ninja event.

The money spots also featured a sibling combo: David DPommo Pomroy squeezed into the money in twelfth, while younger brother and inaugural East End Live Champion, Sonny SPommo Pomroy, was a gnat's nostril hair away from silverware in second.

The final hand was more explosive than a Jerry Bruckheimer flick as a ménage à trois triggered the fat lady's vocal chords.

With both opponents covered, BoomBoom999 made the call with J-J after short stack DConTour1 had moved all in with A-J and Spommo reshoved behind with A-5. The 5-T-Q flop teased, but the knaves stood firm to deliver the final pot.

Currently residing in Aberdeen, Scotland, BoomBoom999 witnessed $1,320 magically appear into his account, and became only the second Ninja Champion to date.

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.

The week got off to a jam-packed start when Steve HoltenderCnaC Udell finally found something to cheer about with victory in Ninja #1. He defeated a field of 68 to turn his $10+1 investment into $204.00. See below for the full list of results.

Many thanks to everyone who joined the party, and remember that if you participated in all six events, you will be eligible to play Wednesday's Full Ninja Freeroll in which players will be competing for a free seat into our next live event.


Ninja Main Event:

1st  BoomBoom999 -- $1,320
2nd  Spommo3 -- $888.00
3rd  DConTour1 -- $672.00
4th  StakattakBBP -- $456.00
5th  SofaKingLucky -- $336.00
6th  flipfone -- $252.00
7th  dionysian -- $204.00
8th  HammerHorror -- $168.00
9th  sprinterz -- $144.00
10th  pedders33 -- $120.00
11th  Touagorimou -- $120.00
12th  DavidBlackBelt -- $120.00

Ninja #1:

1st  HoltenderCnaC -- $204.00
2nd  Werrrrd -- $136.00
3rd  45683ah -- $102.00
4th  nicenutter -- $68.00
5th  BoraBoraBoy -- $51.00
6th  evilbow1 -- $37.40
7th  puggy1979 -- $30.60
8th  BoatDrink -- $27.20
9th  RedKiteBlackBelt -- $23.80

Ninja #2

1st  legomanips -- $390.00
2nd  UliKoko -- $224.24
3rd  flipfone -- $156.00
4th  PlayingTheB0ard -- $117.00
5th  cheekyweeguy -- $87.75

Ninja #3:

1st  13kendo13 -- $262.50
2nd  pbsef81 -- $168.75
3rd  G3OFF -- $112.50
4th  UliKoko -- $75.00
5th  flipfone -- $56.25
6th  Ruaction -- $41.25
7th  NPStars1 -- $33.75

Ninja #4:

1st  Lefox1978 -- $128.65
2nd  lionrampant27 -- $82.68
3rd  blackbeltkickbox -- $55.12
4th  insider66666 -- $36.75
5th  0LuckBeerLady0 -- $27.56
6th  themackem1968 -- $20.21
7th  nicenutter -- $16.53

Ninja #5:

1st  The3End1sN1gh -- $155.40
2nd  TeeDeeEye1 -- $105.00
3rd  ourkidsid -- $63.00
4th  tealcSVU -- $42.00
5th  HammerHorror -- $31.50
6th  flipfone -- $23.10

Bounty Winners:

Ninja #1: HammerHorror
Ninja #2: Barty1uk
Ninja #3: Ruaction
Ninja #4: LeFox1978
Ninja #5: flipfone

Ninja Main Event: Win an EPT Seat

 
Everyone knows that Neil Channing loves a gamble, and this weekend he's putting his wallet on the line once more as we garnish Ninja with an extra layer of added value.

It's time to Bust a Black Belt. If you can eliminate Neil Channing from tomorrow's Ninja Main Event and then go on to capture the title, then we'll buy you into next week's EPT London Main Event, absolutely free!

That's a seat worth £5,000+250!

The Ninja Main Event takes place tomorrow, Sunday March 10 at 20:00, and is a $50+5 No Limit Hold'em Freezeout with a $2,500 guaranteed prize pool.

Late registration is available for the opening three levels, and the tournament can be located in the lobby via: Scheduled > Black Belt Tournaments > Ninja Main Event.

If the buy-in is slightly out of your reach or you like the words 'value' and 'overlay', then you'll be pleased to hear that tonight at 20:00 we're holding an $8+0.80 Mega Satellite with a generous 10 seats guaranteed.

Tokens for both events are currently available in the Black Belt Poker Store.

Last year, online pro Hasmukh '45683ah' Khodiyara was crowned Champion when he bested a field of 84 to take away the virtual silverware and $1,155 first prize. This time it could be you.

"Ninja is always great fun, and this time we could be sending someone off to play an even bigger event," commented 2008 Irish Open Champion Neil Channing.

"The only way I can 100 percent guarantee I don't go skint is if I come first. Given my history of seconds, I think I might have a sweat..."

If you fancy the opportunity to play alongside some of Europe's biggest stars in one of poker's most prestigious tournaments, then make sure you register for tomorrow's Ninja Main Event.

See our promotions page for all the details.

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

Turner Prize

 
The League is warming up like a red hot (ahem) poker as Tuesday witnessed the penultimate leg of the eighteenth season, the man on everyone's hit list being league leader Trstian tristiano Chaplin.

On this night, however, the floor belonged to Yellow Belt James jimmyt31 Turner, who overcame a field of 87 to grab his slice of seventh heaven.

Last week's winner Stewart 1stewtelf Telford lost momentum in 53rd, while Spencer dionysian Lawrence's close-but-no-cigar 30th means he won't be retaining his crown.

1st  jimmyt31 -- $119.67
2nd  sceaga2 -- $80.47
3rd  baligirl13 -- $60.90
4th  bornTOflirt -- $41.32
5th  7onyB -- $30.45
6th  ToddCoxeter -- $22.83
7th  BoatDrink -- $18.48
8th  generalshifty -- $15.22
9th  10Royals -- $13.05
10th  cikarang5 -- $10.87
11th  veg41 -- $10.87
12th  Ruaction -- $10.87

A pivotal 63rd place finish for tristiano meant the gates were open; Mark bornTOflirt Atkinson took a giant step through with his final table appearance and is the new favourite for gold. Victory would make him the third two-time Champion.

It's a three-horse race for the title and personalised hoodie (woot), but there are three East End Live seats up for grabs, which could be feasibly snapped up by a number of players, including Leg 1 winner KingOfTheBongo33 in eighth.

1st  bornTOflirt -- 614 points
2nd  tristiano -- 564 points
3rd  7onyB -- 547 points
4th  whosurmama -- 527 points
=5th  BubbleCloud -- 520 points
=5th  Ourkid888 -- 520 points
7th  ourkidsid -- 510 points
8th  KingOfTheBongo33 -- 500 points
9th  Bagheira1 -- 492 points
10th  TableKnight -- 482 points
11th  Ruaction -- 477 points
12th  dionysian -- 472 points
13th  PhilDee64 -- 470 points
=14th  ChipRead77 -- 452 points
=14th  JHobbit1 -- 452 points
16th  BoatDrink -- 448 points
17th  losbert40 -- 430 points
18th  bagpussrocks -- 427 points
19th  TeeDeeEye1 -- 426 points
20th  lionramapant27 -- 423 points

Ninja has been absorbing the majority of the spotlight this week, but we also hosted our weekly events, such as the Turbo Takedown, which was won by… bornTOflirt! On the same night, BeatTheDonk123 won the Nifty at Nine, while Blue Belt Kevish47 topped the Mulligan on Wednesday.

The most eye-catching event of the week was perhaps the debut of Sunday Sizzler, one of a handful of new Orange Belt Freerolls that had been added to the schedule. The winner this time would earn free entry into iPoker's biggest weekly event: the $200,000 GTD.

1st  Elysiumjay -- $200K GTD ($200+15)
2nd  themackem1968 -- $200K GTD Mega Satellite token ($30+3)
3rd  cikarang5 -- $200K GTD Mega Satellite token ($30+3)
4th  baligirl13 -- $200K GTD Mega Satellite token ($30+3)

Ninja is now in full flow, with event #5 coming your way at 20:00 tonight. The event is a $5+0.50 PLO freezeout with one rebuy and add-on. Plus, we're offering a Main Event seat to anyone who can dispose of bracelet winner Richard CHUFTY11 Ashby.

If Lady Luck denies you a score during Ninja, then you'll have another shot at success in next week's concluding League leg. Don't worry if you're struggling, or have missed previous legs - just by winning this one event, you'll be eligible to compete for an East End Live seat alongside all other leg winners in our Second Chance SNG.

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

Previous reports:

Week 1: King of League XVIII
Week 2: 'Donielyons': The Mane Man in Leg 2
Week 3 - Nanoplankton Turns the Tables in Leg 3
Week 4 - Flirting With VictoryWeek 5 - Reflex Ruaction; Robinson Tops Leg 5Week 6 - '1stewtelf' Hits Them for Six

Ninjary Time; Ninja II Starts Tonight!

 
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 12-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 inaugural winner 'Ka7ieVick', who topped a field of 127 to take down the first ever Ninja event back in October.

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

Ninja #2           Jamie Burland
Ninja #3           Kevin Williams
Ninja #4           David Gentry
Ninja #5           Richard Ashby

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

And remember, if you participate in all events, you'll be invited to participate in our Full Ninja Freeroll in which players will compete for a free East End Live seat.

'1stewtelf' Hits Them for Six

 
The Black Belt Poker League witnessed another debutant winner this week as Yellow Belt Stewart 1stewtelf Telford shone brightest from a field of 85 competitors.

Leg 6 was crucial for a number of players competing for top honours, but at the final whistle it was 1stewtelf who withdrew the $116.91 having overcome the toughest of heads-up foes: Blue Belt and UKIPT Champion Jamie StilettoMafiosa Burland.

While Tony 7onyB Booth and Russ nicenutter Cochran felt the splash of the cash and final table bubbles, last week's runner-up Bagheira1 enjoyed his second consecutive final table with an eighth place finish.

1st  1stewtelf -- $116.91
2nd  StilettoMafiosa -- $78.62
3rd  Ruaction -- $59.50
4th  TeeDeeEye1 -- $40.37
5th  13kendo13 -- $29.75
6th  whosurmama -- $22.31
7th  lionrampant27 -- 418.06
8th  Bagheira1 -- $14.87
9th  2LAMCHOP2 -- $12.75
10th  nicenuter -- $10.62
11th  themackem1968 -- $10.62
12th  BubbleCloud -- $10.62

At the top of the table, Tristan tristiano Chaplin extended his lead with a 16th place finish, while whosurmama advanced to joint third alongside BubbleCloud.

In the bottom half, leg 6 winner Owen Ruaction Robinson broke into the top 20, while reigning League Champion Spencer dionysian Lawrence continues his ascent in 15th after departing in 33rd.

1st  tristiano -- 539 points
2nd  bornTOflirt -- 518 points
=3rd  whosurmama -- 491 points
=3rd  BubbleCloud -- 491 points
5th  Bagheira -- 479 points
6th  Ourkid888 -- 463 points
7th  7onyB -- 454 points
8th  ourkidsid -- 451 points
9th  JHobbit1 -- 440 points
10th  TableKnight -- 435 points
11th  KingOfTheBongo -- 431 points
12th  losbert40 -- 416 points
13th  dionysian -- 414 points
14th  PhilDee64 -- 410 points
15th  lionrampant27 -- 404 points
16th  ChipRead77 -- 402 points
17th  Ruaction -- 401 points
18th  liquidpoker101 -- 394 points
19th  omnipokerist1 -- 372 points
20th  bagpussrocks -- 365 points

Starting this Monday, March 04, Ninja will be returning your monitors with six exclusive low buy-in tournaments culminating in a $50+5 Main Event with a $2,500 guaranteed prize pool.

Daily satellites are now running, and already we've had a number of qualifiers including Ken NPStars1 Johnston who earned himself free entry into all events courtesy of Wednesday's Orange Belt Freeroll:

1st  NPStars1 -- Ninja Season Ticket
2nd  S0lution -- Main Event seat ($50+5)
3rd  ChipRead77 -- Ninja #2 seat ($25+2.50)
4th  Wally19 -- Ninja #1 seat ($10+1)
5th  myteamouse -- Ninja Mega Satellite seat ($8+0.80)
6th  losbert40 -- Ninja Mega Satellite seat ($8+0.80)

See below for the week's other results:

Turbo Takedown, Monday, 20:30

1st  ourkidsid -- $40.00
2nd  sprinterz
3rd  Touagorimou
4th  7onyB

Nifty at Nine, Monday, 21:00

1st  nicenutter -- 540 Belt Points
2nd  scousemanc11 -- 378 Belt Points
3rd  losbert40 -- 243 Belt Points
4th  BeatTheDonk123 -- 135 Belt Points
5th  jimmyt31 -- 54 Belt Points

Deepstack Mulligan, Wednesday, 20:30:

1st  deadlydaveLDN -- $67.50 (50 Belt Points)
2nd  nickhem1 -- $40.50 (30 Belt Points)
3rd  dionysian -- $27.00 (20 Belt Points)
4th  stevegw (5 Belt Points)
5th  sprinterz (5 Belt Points)

Yellow Belt No-Lose Deepstack, Thursday, 20:00

1st  BoatDrink -- $31.00
2nd  AlbusBB -- $21.00
3rd  blueborg316 -- $13.50
4th  Bartukbb -- $10.50
5th  BlackLoko -- $8.50
6th  MasterG27uk -- $7.00
7th  elijah66 -- $6.00
8th  jmpoker2006 -- $5.00
9th  Bambury -- $4.00
10th  vinvgo -- $3.50

With the Spring Sales, Grab a Grand and a fresh lineup of Orange Belt Freerolls, March is set to be a slobberknocker of a month, but you don't have to wait long for the action to kick off as tomorrow from 13:00 to 19:00 there will be a Ninja satellite every hour.

If you want to take part and secure your seat in Black Belt Poker's exclusive mini-series, then check out all our events in the cardroom lobby via Scheduled > Black Belt Tournaments.


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

Previous reports:

Week 1: King of League XVIII
Week 2: 'Donielyons': The Mane Man in Leg 2
Week 3 - Nanoplankton Turns the Tables in Leg 3
Week 4 - Flirting With VictoryWeek 5 - Reflex Ruaction; Robinson Tops Leg 5

Ninja II: Online Poker Series

 
After five months of hibernation, Ninja has returned from the shadows to infiltrate your monitor and bring you another series of exclusive online poker tournaments.

Commencing at 20:00 on Monday, March 04, Ninja is a mini-series of six eclectic events with buy-ins from as low as $5+0.50, and culminating in a $50+5 Main Event with a $2,500 guaranteed prize pool.

The full schedule is as follows:

Mon, Mar 04 - Ninja #1: $10+1 Hold'em Freezeout
Tue, Mar 05 - Ninja #2: $25+2.50 Hold'em Six-Max
Wed, Mar 06 - Ninja #3: $15+1.50 Hold'em Deepstack
Thu, Mar 07 - Ninja #4: $10+1 Hold'em Bounty Freezeout
Fri, Mar 08 - Ninja #5: $5+0.50 Omaha 1 x Rebuy
Sat, Mar 09 - Main Event Mega: $8+0.80 Hold'em Satellite
Sun, Mar 10 - Ninja Main Event: $50+5 Hold'em Freezeout

Ninja is available to players of all bankrolls with qualifiers from as little as a single buck. Daily satellites are already running including two $3+0.30 qualifiers into Ninja #3 tonight at 19:00 and 20:00.

Satellites will also be available during Ninja Week, as well an entire day of opportunity on Satellite Sunday, with qualifiers running on the hour, every hour from 13:00 right up to 19:00.

"Even I was surprised as to how popular the first Ninja was," confessed Black Belt Poker co-founder Neil Channing, "but it just goes to show that there are plenty of players looking for an affordable, but competitive series. Hopefully we can provide that.

"It also gives recreational players a chance to test their skills against some of the pros, and during Ninja Week they'll be able to compete alongside our sponsored players, and maybe even win a Main Event seat in the process."

Last time, Black Belt Poker player 'Ka7ieVick' defeated a field of 127 to capture the inaugural title, while Hasmukh 45683ah Khodiyara took down the Main Event for $1,155.00. Check out our tournaments page for the full results.

Ninja is an exciting series that offers low stakes players a chance to showcase their mad ninja poker skillz for a modest fee. If you want to play, then each Ninja can be located in the cardroom lobby via Scheduled > Black Belt Tournaments.

For more details, including satellite schedule, bounties, and Freeroll prizes, see our promotions page.

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

Stoneham Goes Forth in Samurai

 
Last night, Adam sirusthevirus1 Stoneham became the fourth Samurai Champion to date, defeating Black Belt Poker co-founder Neil Channing heads-up to collect the title and $4,347.50 first prize.

The combination of a $250+25 buy-in and $10,000 guaranteed prize pool attracted 47 to the felt, including some of online poker's finest talents: Matthew Frankland, Alex Goulder, Jerome Bradpiece and defending Champion Andrew LegendKing1 Dwyer.

Also vying for gold was Green Belt Colin cheekyweeguy Timms, multiple WSOP finalist Spencer dionysian Lawrence, and two-time League Champion Adam JHobbit1 Saunders.

Perhaps the most fortunate entrant was Richard wowsickriver Hinds; he was the recipient of a free ticket generously donated by blogger Lil Dave Nicholson who entered readers into a free prize draw on Twitter. Sadly, Richard was unable to prosper when he departed in 19th.

A number of big names suffered early exits, with poor David DavidBlackBelt Pomroy handed the wooden spoon, closely followed by Sam SamSquid1 Grafton, Kevin Kevish47 Williams and Orange Belt Freeroll qualifier Nick nickhem1 Hemming.

Instead, the final six looked as such, with Stephen eamsie007 Eames the tortured bubble when his 4d-2h was unable to unravel Ah-As despite a rollercoaster 4c-5c-2c-Ad-7h board:

redarmi1 -- 83,136
NeilChanning -- 52,473
sirusthevirus1 -- 34,120
dbaby86 -- 32,492
Bowlyflush -- 17,659
NPStars1 -- 15,850

The final table witnessed more action than a Die Hard boxset as the chip lead changed countless times. The first casualty, however, was short stack Ken NPStars1 Johnston, the Orange Belt's A-J unable to improve against Channing's A-K.

Joining him on the rail was Mega Satellite qualifier dbaby86 (J-9s vs. A-J) while not too far behind was Jack Bowlyflush Ellwood, whose double-up with A-A versus T-T wasn't enough to prevent him from falling in fourth (2-2 vs. 9-9).

After redarmi1 took the bronze, it was left to Adam sirusthevirus1 Stoneham and NeilChanning to battle it out for the remaining medals with the latter boasting a lead of 142K to 93K.

Heads-up would prove an epic affair with more ups and downs than a kangaroo on a trampoline. Having doubled through with K-Q vs. Q-7 ("Rush of blood," claimed the victim), the final hand saw Stoneham's Qc-Tc outgun Kc-Js on an exciting Ks-3h-Td-Th-7s board.

A former Brown Belt from London, Stoneham is a 28-year old online pro who specialises in heads-up poker. Along with Sam Razavi, he was one of two recipients of an Aussie Millions package when he won the Black Belt Poker Grading in 2010.

"With my track record for coming second and Adam's experience playing heads-up, it wasn't looking too peachy," confessed Channing. "It was a close battle in the end, but Adam played great and deserved the win, although I must have more silver medals than Roger Black by now…

"It was marvellous to see so many familiar names turn up for Samurai," he continued, "and also many of our regulars and satellite qualifiers who got to compete for a big prize against some of the UK's best players. There was a great atmosphere with plenty of banter, and I'm already looking forward to defending my runner-up spot in the next one."

Final results:

1st  sirusthevirus1 -- $4,347.50
2nd  NeilChanning -- $2,585.00
3rd  redarmi1 -- $1,762.50
4th  Bowlyflush -- $1,292.50
5th  dbaby86 -- $940.00
6th  NPStars1 -- $822.50

Reflex Ruaction; Robinson Tops Leg 5

 
After a series of subpar performances, Owen Ruaction Robinson has responded in emphatic fashion by taking down the fifth leg of the latest Black Belt Poker League.

A total of 91 took their seat for what was likely to prove a pivotal leg; a mere 11 points separating the top 7 and setting us up for a photo finish.

Malcolm lionrampant27 Sievwright was the unfortunate bubble, while Leg 2 winner donielyons felt the splash in 10th. This left a tough surviving 9 to head into the final, of which included Jon Ourkid888 Laight who finished 9th the week prior.

But, alas, it was Purple Belt Ruaction who took the spoils, nudging ahead of Bagheira1 to pick up the maximum league points and the $125.17 first prize.

1st  Ruaction -- $125.17
2nd  Bagheira1 -- $84.17
3rd  Ourkid888 -- $63.70
4th  losbert40 -- $43.22
5th  tristiano -- $31.85
6th  TableKnight -- $23.88
7th  blackbeltkickbox -- $19.33
8th  bornTOflirt -- $15.92
9th  JosseWales -- $13.65
10th  donielyons -- $11.37
11th  chipbustout1 -- $11.37
12th  jimmyt31 -- $11.37

Disappointing appearances from ChipRead77 (86th), whosurmama (63rd) and BubbleCloud (52nd), combined with the final table showings of bornTOflirt and tristiano mean that a gap has formed at the top for the first time this campaign with the very latter leading the way by three points.

However, that cranny can soon disappear, and with three East End Live seats up for grabs, there's still plenty to play for.

1st  tristiano -- 469 points
2nd  bornTOflirt -- 466 points
3rd  Ourkid888 -- 422 points
4th  BubbleCloud -- 417 points
5th  whosurmama -- 403 points
6th  TableKnight -- 398 points
7th  Bagheira1 -- 397 points
8th  PhilDee64 -- 396 points
9th  KingofTheBongo33 -- 393 points
10th  ourkidsid -- 388 points
11th  losbert40 -- 382 points
12th  ChipRead77 -- 382 points
13th  JHobbit1 -- 382 points
14th  7onyB -- 381 points
15th  dionysian -- 361 points
16th  DodgyEnd57 -- 355 points
17th  BoatDrink -- 350 points
18th  liquidpoker101 -- 340 points
19th  JustinBieber -- 335 points
20th  forgot2piknik -- 333 points

The word of the week is 'Samurai', and we're now just hours away from the Main Event. If you want to play, then entering is easy: simply locate the tournament in the lobby via Scheduled > Black Belt Tournaments > Samurai and click 'register'.

A number of players have already earned their seat including defending Champion Andrew LegendKing1 Dwyer, and the following eight players who took advantage of the overlay in last night's $30+3 Mega Satellite:

sprinterz
flipfone
Ruaction
NinjamanUK
nickhem1
FumbDuck1
dbaby86
dizzybindon

The action kicks off tonight at 20:00, only on Black Belt Poker. The buy-in is $250+25, and the prize pool is guaranteed at a generous $10,000.

In other news, dionysian took down the Takedown and Elysiumjay triumphed in the Nifty at Nine. Tonight also sees our weekly Deepstack Mulligan at 20:30, and the latest Orange Belt Freeroll an hour earlier at 19:30.


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

Previous reports:

Week 1: King of League XVIII
Week 2: 'Donielyons': The Mane Man in Leg 2
Week 3 - Nanoplankton Turns the Tables in Leg 3
Week 4 - Flirting With Victory

Samurai Mega - Eight Seats Guaranteed!

Like a merciless warrior braced to charge into the battlefield, the Samurai is back this week with a thirst for action and a terrifying look etched on its face.

Metal will clash at 20:00 on Wednesday, February 20 with players battling over a $10,000 guaranteed prize pool.

Direct entry is now available in the tournament lobby via: Scheduled > Black Belt Tournaments > Samurai.

Already parting with the $250+25 buy-in are Neil Channing and Blue Belt Kevin Williams, while reigning Champion Andrew 'LegendKing1' Dwyer qualified through a satellite.

If you would like to join them in playing our biggest exclusive event, then it's not too late to book your seat for a reduced fee.

Keep it under your helmet, but tomorrow, Tuesday, February 19 at 20:00 we're guaranteeing an inconceivable eight seats into the $250+25 Main Event with our Samurai Mega Satellite.

Last time just 37 players competed in the satellite, meaning 5 lucky players enjoyed the taste of value.

And it looks as though we've forgotten our armour once again...

With a buy-in of just $30+3 and more guaranteed seats than ever before, there's an even higher chance of overlay!

$5+0.50 feeders are available both tonight and tomorrow, making this is an unmissable chance to win a big first prize for a small investment and become the next Samurai Champion.

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

Flirting With Victory

 
It's closer than close in the Black Belt Poker League as Mark bornTOflirt Atkinson hits top spot by just a single point following victory in Leg 4.

The halfway point attracted 90 players to the cyber felt, but it was League XII winner bornTOflirt who captured top honours, picking off puggy1979 heads-up for the $123.76 payday.

Although a fishmonger by trade (and part-time wrestler), bornTOflirt had to better a few sharks along the way, including Blue Belt Jamie StilettoMafiosa Burland, Joe JustinBieber Roberts and two-time Champion Tom Werrrrd Drew.

But while they floundered, other shone, such as reigning Champion Spencer dionysian Lawrence (with a solid 21st) and Tony 7ony Booth, who moved up a rung from his eight place finish last week.

1st  bornTOflirt -- $123.76
2nd  puggy1979 -- $83.25
3rd  FumbDuck1 -- $63.00
4th  whosurmama -- $42.75
5th  kippery -- $31.50
6th  BubbleCloud -- $23.62
7th  7onyB -- $19.12
8th  forgot2piknik -- $15.75
9th  Ourkid888 -- $13.50
10th  mikeymixitup -- $11.25
11th  Bagheira1 -- $11.25
12th  tealsSVU -- $11.25

Recent results mean that the overall standings are tighter than an Italian waiter's pants with a mere 11 points separating the top seven.

There's been a changing of the guards at the top, however, with KingOFTheBongo33, tristiano and ChipRead77 replaced by a fresh-faced trio, all of whom final-tabled Leg 4.

1st  bornTOflirt -- 378 points
2nd  BubbleCloud -- 377 points
3rd  wosurmama -- 374 points
4th  ChipRead77 -- 373 points
5th  tristiano -- 372 points
6th  KingOfTheBongo33 -- 368 points
7th  JHobbit1 -- 367 points
8th  PhilDee64 -- 353 points
9th  JustinBieber -- 335 points
10th  DodgyEnd57 -- 329 points

In the lower half of the top 20, the ourkids are waiting patiently in the wings, while dionysian is lurking sinisterly in equal 17th.

11th  ourkidsid -- 320 points
12th  ourkid888 -- 318 points
13th  7onyB -- 314 points
14th  TableKnight -- 304 points
15th  liquidpoker101 -- 302 points
16th  BoatDrink -- 300 points
=17th  Bagheira1 -- 289 points
=17th  dionysian -- 289 points
19th  stevegw -- 288 points
20th  losbert20 -- 282 points

If excitement is boiling over in the League, then the pot is about to explode with Samurai less than a week away.

As always, there's plenty of action, including a $35+3.50 satellite tonight at 20:00, the lineup of which will include 7onyB, JHobbit1 and goneflushfishing who qualified through $5+0.50 feeders.

A handful of players have already secured their seat into the $250+25 Main Event, such as Beverley baligirl13 Monks who was anything but quiet in the Samurai Showdown:

1st  baligirl13 -- Samurai seat ($250+25)
2nd  Wally19 -- Samurai satellite token ($35+3.50)
3rd  habbad -- Samurai satellite feeder token ($5+0.50)
4th  eixip50 -- Samurai satellite feeder token ($5+0.50)

In other news, Touaogrimou won his second consecutive Turbo Takdown, while 2LAMCHOP2 managed to deny S0lution his umpteenth win in the Mulligan. Meanwhile, Carey CareybearBBP Hollick guaranteed herself Orange Belt for another month in the Nifty at Nine.

Don't forget, Samurai kicks off at 21:00 on Wednesday, February 20, with a guaranteed prize pool of $10,000. If you want to buy in directly then you can do so by locating the event in the tournament lobby under Scheduled > Black Belt Tournaments, or, alternatively, purchase a token from the Black Belt Poker Store.


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

Previous reports:

Week 1: King of League XVIII
Week 2: 'Donielyons': The Mane Man in Leg 2
Week 3 - Nanoplankton Turns the Tables in Leg 3

'Nanoplankton' Turns the Tables in Leg 3

 
It was poker 101 this week as just over the century made it to the third leg of the Black Belt Poker League, all with the eyes firmly fixated on a ticket to the East End Live.

Blue Belt Jamie StilettoMafiosa Burland has some work to do; he picked up the wooden spoon, while Tom Werrrrd Drew (90th) and Leg 2 winner dionielyons (70th) fared little better.

The spoils instead went to an eclectic mix of faces, both old and new, with Yellow Belt Steve Nanoplankton Marskell picking up his first victory to date.

In second lay Deborah whoseurmama Worley-Roberts, while Leg 1 winner Joe KingOfTheBongo33 Campbell completed the podium in third.

1st  Nanoplankton -- $126.29
2nd  whoseurmama -- $85.85
3rd  KingOfTheBongo33 -- $65.65
4th  BoatDrink -- $46.71
5th  DodgyEnd57 -- $32.82
6th  ToddCoxeter -- $26.51
7th  stevegw -- $21.46
8th  7onyB -- $17.67
9th  tentofollow -- $13.88
10th  LizLemmon -- $12.12
11th  ChipRead77 -- $12.12
12th  sprinterz -- $12.12
13th  JHobbit1 -- $10.60
14th  cikarang5 -- $10.60
15th  Bagheira1 -- $10.60

Two final tables means KingOfTheBongo33 is top of the tree with 320 points, while hot on his heels is former Champion Craig ChipRead77 McKelvie (a.k.a. Mr. Consistent with a 12th, 9th and 11th placing).

1st  KingOfTheBongo33 -- 320 points
2nd  ChipRead77 -- 309 points
3rd  tristiano -- 306 points
4th  JHobbit1 -- 296 points
5th  JustinBiever -- 286 points
=6th  liquidpoker101 -- 285 points
=6th  PhilDee64 -- 285 points
8th  BubbleCloud -- 284 points
9th  whosurmama -- 275 points
10th  losbert40 -- 273 points
=11th  DodgyEnd57 -- 267 points
=11th  ourkidsid -- 267 points
=13th  setmina -- 265 points
=13th  stevegw -- 265 points
15th  bornTOflirt -- 263 points
16th  TableKnight -- 247 points
17th  bagpussrocks -- 244 points
=18th  omnipokerist1 -- 240 points
=18th  NPStars1 -- 240 points
20th  BoatDrink -- 239 points

The race to Samurai is starting to pick up pace with another two seats handed out to HammerHorror, and then Paul cikarang5 Monks who took down the Orange Belt Freeroll:

1st  cikarang5 -- Samurai seat ($250+25)
2nd  Ourkid888 -- Samurai satellite token ($35+3.50)
3rd  sprinterz -- Samurai satellite feeder token ($5+0.50)
4th  Wally19 -- Samurai satellite feeder token ($5+0.50)

Samurai takes place on Wednesday, February 20, and it's not too late for you to secure your spot. Tonight at 20:00 is the first $35+3.50 satellite with one seat guaranteed into the $250+25 Main Event.

Our regular tournaments attracted the usual names, one of whom was Nick nickhem1 Hemming who captured Mulligan gold:

1st  nickhem1 -- $90.00 (50 Belt Points)
2nd  stevegw (30 Belt Points)
3rd  Touagorimou (20 Belt Points)
4th  S0lution (5 Belt Points)
5th  liquidpoker101 (5 Belt Points)
6th  2LAMCHOP2

Meanwhile, bagpussrocks was denied a hattrick of Takedown wins by Purple Belt Touagorimou, while BoatDrink stayed afloat in the Nifty at Nine.

1st  Touagorimou -- $50.00
2nd  diiscostu
3rd  bagpussrocks
4th  7onyB
5th  bidbo

1st  BoatDrink -- 520 Belt Points
2nd  baligirl13 -- 364 Belt Points
3rd  bagpussrocks -- 234 Belt Points
4th  Sarannedipity -- 130 Belt Points
5th  BeatTheDonk123 -- 52 Belt Points

Black Belt Poker host exclusive tournaments each and every week, so check out the upcoming schedule and be sure to join in the fun:

Mon, 20:30: $10+1 Turbo Takedown
Mon, 21:00: 50 SPs Nifty at Nine
Mon, 21:00: $5+0.50 Samurai Feeder
Tue, 19:30: $5+0.50 League, Leg 4
Tue, 20:00: $5+0.50 Samurai Rebuy Satellite
Tue, 21:00: $5+0.50 Samurai Feeder
Wed, 19:30: Samurai Showdown Orange Belt Freeroll
Wed, 20:30: $15+1.50 Deepstack Mulligan
Wed, 21:00: $5+0.50 Samurai Feeder
Thu, 20:00: $35+3.50 Samurai Satellite
Thu, 20:00: $1 Yellow Belt No-Lose Deepstack
Thu, 20:30: $2+0.20 Turbo Takedown Satellite
Thu, 21:00: $3+0.30 Deepstack Mulligan Satellite

See our Tournaments page for more information.


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

Week 1: King of League XVIII
Week 2: 'Donielyons': The Mane Man in Leg 2

Black Belts Return to Oz

Black Belt Poker made their annual trip Down Under this year when two Black Belts warmed up the poker barbie at the 2013 Aussie Millions.

The Men at Work were former finalist Richard Ashby and 2008 Irish Open Champion Neil Channing, both of whom were hoping to replicate the feat of Oliver Speidel who triumphed 12 months prior.

But before the Main Event, the experienced duo tackled the many side events with Richard looking for a repeat performance of his Eight-Game victory in 2011.

Although no trophies were captured, Richard did manage a cash in the A$1,100 Shootout, while Neil enjoyed a ninth place finish in the A$1,150 Six-Max for A$8,000.

Just one day later, Neil went one table better in the $1,150 Rebuy when he made the final in fifth for a not-to-be-sniffed-at A$24,000. Just one rung above was bracelet winner Craig McCorkell.

Despite having 'gddays' in the A$10,000 Main Event, Day 2 would prove a cruel affair for both Black Belts as they fell painfully short of the money.

"This is one of my favourite events on the poker calendar," revealed Channing, "but Australia hasn't been kind to me. I suffered gout when I was here a couple of years ago, but missing out on the money is just as painful."

"I've played the Main four times and finished in the top twenty percent each time, but never cashed. This year I had a great table, but ran bad with odd hands on Day 2 and ended up shoving 16 big blinds with A-T… the board was far from marvellous."

Richard's exit was particularly frustrating. With blinds of 2,000/4,000, he three-bet to 27,000 before getting it all in on a 3-4-5 flop. His opponent tabled 5-5 and that was all she wrote for the 2010 bracelet winner.

Struth!

At time of writing, just seven remain with Dan Shak leading the way and Patrik Antonius lurking nearby in third. Other notable cashes include Phil Ivey, Brandon Adams, James Obst and Brit Joey Lovelady.

As for the Black Belts, they'll be returning to their attention to the UK circuit, and in particular the UKIPT in Cork and GUKPT London at Neil's second home, The Grosvenor Victoria.