Sneak into Ninja

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

Starting at 20:00 on Monday, September 24, we're hosting two satellites every day with each satellite corresponding with the following week's Ninja event.

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

The schedule is as follows:

Monday, September 24 (20:00 & 21:00)$2+0.20 No Limit Hold'em Freezeout (into Ninja #1)

Tuesday, September 25 (20:00 & 21:00)
$4+0.40 No Limit Hold'em Freezeout (into Ninja #2)

Wednesday, September 26 (20:00 & 21:00)
$3+0.30 No Limit Hold'em Freezeout (into Ninja #3)

Thursday, September 27 (20:00 & 21:00)
$2+0.20 No Limit Hold'em Freezeout (into Ninja #4)

Friday, September 28 (20:00 & 21:00)
$1+0.10 No Limit Hold'em Freezeout (into Ninja #5)

Saturday, September 29 (20:00 & 21:00)
$2+0.20 No Limit Hold'em Freezeout (into Mega)

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

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

Ninja is a recently announced series of fun, yet competitive tournaments exclusive to Black Belt Poker and running from October 1-7.

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

What's more, each event will be hosted by a Black Belt Poker pro; sniper them down, and you'll win free entry into the Main Event.

Along with our Full Ninja Freeroll and Nightly Nifty tournaments, Ninja is destined to be a high value week of poker festivity for a minimal investment.

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

See our promotions page for more details.

Sweet Sixteen for 'BobbersAllin'

 
The sixteenth Black Belt Poker League reached its exciting conclusion this week with Yellow Belt Robbie BobbersAllin Ayres pipping Spencer dionysian Lawrence to the poker post and becoming the latest Champion.

Heading into the eighth and final leg, BobbersAllin was just one point behind pacesetter dionysian after taking down Leg 7. The objective was thus crystal clear: finish higher than his nemesis to evade defeat.

The standings threatened a photo finish, and that's precisely what we got as our spotlight players danced through the 83-strong field to ambush another final table alongside the likes of Russ nicenutter Cochran and Steve stevegw Westcott.

With added points for reaching the final table, this meant that whoever finished highest would be crowned Champion.

The key hand, however, occurred with two tables remaining. All in for five big blinds with 9s-9h, BobbersAllin needed to evade a bullet against the As-8c of dionysian, but was unable to do so as the flop came Kh-Qd-Ac with the Ad on the turn for good measure. However, the miracle 9c arrived on the river to keep both his hopes and tournament life alive.

This roller coaster would prove a crucial ride for BobbersAllin, who carried his stack over to the final table before finishing in fifth place, just one place ahead of dionysian who was forced to settle for seventh, and second place overall.

1st  nickhem1 -- $114.17
2nd  lionrampant27 -- $76.77
3rd  stevegw -- $58.10
4th  habbad -- $39.42
5th  BobbersAllin -- $29.05
6th  dionysian -- $21.78
7th  ToddCoxeter -- $17.63
8th  nicenutter -- $14.52
9th  bas2604 -- $12.45
10th  VBlueBBP -- $10.37
11th  shaolin4aces -- $10.37
12th  ourkidsid -- $10.37

The final leg drama means that BobbersAllin wins League XVI by just two points, taking away a hard-earned 2,500 Belt Points, as well as a personalised hoodie.

With dionysian collecting silver, the third spot on the podium goes to Simon ourkidsid Herrick whose 12th place was enough to leapfrog PhilDee64 who finished a disappointing 54th.

At the other end of the spectrum, Rykanshadow and Leg 5 winner BoatDrink both snuck into the prize positions at the last moment with 21st and 33rd respectively.

1st  BobbersAllin (657 points) -- 2,500 Belt Points & Personalised Hoodie
2nd  dionysian (655 points) -- 2,000 Belt Points
3rd  ourkidsid (592 points) -- 1,750 Belt Points
4th  PhilDee64 (586 points) -- 1,500 Belt Points
5th  Barty1uk (559 points) -- 1,250 Belt Points
6th  mavperth (548 points) -- 1,000 Belt Points
7th  Iceman78Danny (529 points) -- 750 Belt Points
8th  bornTOflirt (526 points) -- 500 Belt Points
9th  NPStars1 (518 points) -- 300 Belt Points
10th  bas2604 (515 points) -- 200 Belt Points
11th  veg41 (514 points) -- 100 Belt Points
12th  VBlueBBP (505 points) -- 100 Belt Points
=13th  tealcSVU (499 points) -- 100 Belt Points
=13th  pbsef81 (499 points) -- 100 Belt Points
15th  Ourkid888 (495 points) -- 100 Belt Points
16th  Mrdroodle (492 points) -- 100 Belt Points
17th  BoatDrink (483 points) -- 100 Belt Points
18th  Wally19 (475 points) -- 100 Belt Points
19th  13kendo13 (469 points) -- 100 Belt Points
20th  RykanShadow (466 points) -- 100 Belt Points

With more drama than an Eastenders' omnibus, it would have been easy to overlook the eventual winner of Leg 8; that man was Orange Belt Nick nickhem1 Hemming, who received $114.17 and the final spot in our Second Chance SNG.

The following players (excluding Champion BobbersAllin) will be battling it out for 2,500 Belt Points in next week's event:

Leg 1: TheSimian
Leg 2: mrdroodle
Leg 3: UsainZeus88
Leg 4: bas2604
Leg 5: BoatDrink
Leg 6: Ourkid888
Leg 7: BobbersAllin
Leg 8: nickhem1

If winning Leg 8 wasn't impressive enough, nickhem1 returned the following night to best a field of 18 in the Deepstack Mulligan, this time for a $121.50 reward. Second place went to dionysian who is likely sick of this position already.

1st  nickhem1 -- $121.50 (50 Belt Points)
2nd  dionysian -- $81.00 (30 Belt Points)
3rd  JHobbit1 -- $40.50 (10 Belt Points)
4th  Touagorimou -- $27.00 (10 Belt Points)
5th  ourkidsid (5 Belt Points)

The League may be done and dusted, but Ninja is fast-approaching. For those unaware, Ninja is a series of exclusive online poker tournaments with added value and a £2,500 guaranteed Main Event.

See our promotions page for more information.

On Wednesday, we offered our loyal players free entry into every single Ninja tournament, including the Full Ninja Freeroll for those who compete in all events. It was Colin cheekyweeguy Timms who lapped up the added value.

1st  cheekyweeguy -- Ninja Season Ticket ($126.50)
2nd  dionysian -- Main Event seat ($50+5)
3rd  7onyB -- Ninja #2 seat ($25+2.50)
4th  WiseOwlBB -- Ninja #1 seat ($10+1)
5th  ourkidsid -- Ninja Mega Satellite seat ($8+0.80)
6th  myteamouse -- Ninja Mega Satellite seat ($8+0.80)

If you want to join cheekyweeguy but are working from a limited bankroll, then don't fear as starting Monday, September 24, there will be two satellites every day for the corresponding event the following week. In addition, we're guaranteeing 10 seats with a Main Event Mega Satellite on October 6.

Along with bounties in each tournament, Ninja represents incredible value at an affordable price, and is an unmissable opportunity for recreational low stakes players looking to win a nice prize and capture some much-sought after bragging rights.

So join us next week and showcase your mad ninja poker skills to the rest of Black Belt Poker.

If you don't already have an account, then opening one is easy: simply download the poker client and follow the step-by-step process provided.
Previous League reports:
League XVI - Prizes Make PointsWeek 1 - Simon Says... Morris Dances AheadWeek 2 - Leg 2; A Doddle for 'mrdroodle'Week 3 - Bruce Plays His Cards Right in Leg 3Week 4 - Making a Staitment
Week 5 - 'BoatDrink' Ships ItWeek 6 - A Laight Surge
Week 7 - Ayres to the Throne in Leg 7

Ninja: Online Poker Series

 
Join us in the shadows this autumn for Ninja, a series of online tournaments exclusive to Black Belt Poker.

Kicking off on Monday, October 1, Ninja will see players infiltrate the cyber felt for six eclectic tournaments with buy-ins starting from as little 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:

Ninja #1 - Monday, October 01 (20:00)
$10+1 No Limit Hold'em Freezeout

Ninja #2 - Tuesday, October 02 (20:00)
$25+2.50 No Limit Hold'em Six-Max Freezeout

Ninja #3 - Wednesday, October 03 (20:00)
$15+1.50 No Limit Hold'em Deep Stack Freezeout

Ninja #4 - Thursday, October 04 (20:00)
$10+1 No Limit Hold'em Turbo 1 x Rebuy / Add-on

Ninja #5 - Friday, October 05 (20:00)
$5+0.50 Pot Limit Omaha 1 x Rebuy & Add-on

Saturday, October 06 (20:00)
$8+0.80 No Limit Hold'em Mega Satellite (10 seats guaranteed)

Ninja Main Event - Sunday, October 07 (20:00)
$50+5 No Limit Hold'em Freezeout ($2,500 GTD)

Each event will be hosted by a Black Belt Poker pro; turn assassin and eliminate a pro and we’ll give you free entry into the Main Event.

What’s more, if you participate in all six Ninja events, you’ll be eligible to play our Full Ninja Freeroll and compete for a number of unique prizes.

Ninja is available to players of all bankrolls with qualifiers from as little as a single buck. At 20:30 during Ninja Week, there will be a satellite into the following day's Ninja event, as well as satellites all throughout the prior week.

And for those in need of more than one table, the Nightly Nifty at 21:00 is a brand new tournament that allows players to win a month's worth of Orange Belt maintenance in just one night.

Entry is just 50 Belt Points with players competing for a guaranteed 1,250 Belt Points prize pool. Tokens will become available in the Black Belt Poker Store within the next few days.

Ninja is an exciting new 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.

Ayres to the Throne in Leg 7

 It was a magnificent seven for Yellow Belt Robbie BobbersAllin Ayres this Tuesday as he was knighted champion for a week in the Black Belt Poker League.

Leg 7 attracted 81 to the felt, including a star-studded final table that included two former Champions in Mark 99Ranny Ranson (League VI) and Blue Belt Jamie StilettoMafiosa Burland (League IX), the latter of whom provided the final hurdle.

Following a competitive heads-up battle, BobbersAllin dispatched of the former UKIPT winner to capture top spot and the $111.41 first prize.

1st  BobbersAllin -- $111.41
2nd  StilettoMafiosa -- $74.92
3rd  99Ranny -- $56.70
4th  lionrampant27 -- $38.47
5th  NPStars1 -- $28.35
6th  VBlueBBP -- $21.26
7th  PhilDee64 -- $17.21
8th  CarpyGAS -- $14.17
9th  JosseWales -- $12.15
10th  TheZartog -- $10.12
11th  BoraBoraBoy -- $10.12
12th  WiseOwlBB -- $10.12

In total, 160 have given the League a crack this season, but it's recent Grab a Grand winner Spencer dionysian Lawrence who leads the way with 569 points. However, BobbersAllin's victory means he's just one point behind.

Meanwhile, Philip PhilDee64 Dronfield has jumped from fifth to third after an impressive final table showing.

1st  dionysian -- 569 points
2nd  BobbersAllin -- 568 points
3rd  PhilDee64 -- 556 points
4th  ourkidsid -- 520 points
5th  mavperth -- 516 points
6th  Barty1uk -- 495 points
7th  Iceman78Danny -- 491 points
8th  tealcSVU -- 487 points
9th  Mrdroodle -- 465 points
10th  pbsef81 -- 462 points
11th  bornTOflirt -- 461 points
12th  veg41 -- 458 points
13th  NPStars1 -- 457 points
14th  Ourkid888 -- 448 points
15th  bas2604 -- 438 points
16th  VBlueBBP -- 430 points
17th  CarpyGAS -- 428 points
18th  13kendo13 -- 427 points
19th  Wally19 -- 426 points
20th  BoatDrink -- 420 points

The very next day, 40 Black Belt Poker players had themselves an orgy… of the Omaha variant, in our latest Orange Belt Freeroll. Gary browndog0 Brown and Colin cheekyweeguy Timms will now be playing the Monday Night Omaha event for free.

1st  browndog0 -- Monday Night Omaha seat ($100+9)
2nd  cheekyweeguy -- Monday Night Omaha seat ($100+9)
3rd  PhilDee64 -- Monday Night Omaha satellite seat ($20+2)
4th  WiseOwlBB -- Monday Night Omaha satellite seat ($20+2)

At the same time, the Deepstack Mulligan was running parallel with Paul 2LAMCHOP2 Lamonby picking up the win.

1st  2LAMCHOP2 -- $121.50 (50 Belt Points)
2nd  StilettoMafiosa -- $81.00 (120 Belt Points)
3rd  DBPlatypus -- $40.50 (10 Belt Points)
4th  ourkidsid -- $27.00 (5 Belt Points)
5th  losbert40 (5 Belt Points)

With the League threatening another photo finish, next week should be another slobberknocker on Black Belt Poker, so make sure you join us. Remember, 20 get paid this time around, and even if you haven't played a single leg before, you can still earn entry into the Second Chance SNG in which all leg winners will compete for a juicy 2,500 Belt Points.

Please also note that we have updated our tournaments page so you can view all the details from past league. Click here to take a look.

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


Previous League reports:
League XVI - Prizes Make PointsWeek 1 - Simon Says... Morris Dances AheadWeek 2 - Leg 2; A Doddle for 'mrdroodle'Week 3 - Bruce Plays His Cards Right in Leg 3Week 4 - Making a Staitment
Week 5 - 'BoatDrink' Ships ItWeek 6 - A Laight Surge

Spencer Lawrence Grabs a Grand

Last week, Orange Belt Spencer dionysian Lawrence topped a field of 48 in Grab a Grand III, Black Belt Poker's exclusive quarterly freeroll.

In doing so, he earned himself a cool $1,000 in online tournament entries, including free passage into events such as Samurai and the weekly $150,000 Guaranteed.

A 33-year old poker player from London, Spencer is a mixed games specialist with three WSOP final tables to his name, including the $2,500 H.O.R.S.E at the 2008 WSOPE. He's also leading the current Black Belt Poker League with just two legs remaining.

At Nottingham Live II, Spencer bravely volunteered to join Koddzilla's Carps and don full clown attire in aid of Cancer Research. On that occasion, however, he was left red-faced after evading the wooden spoon by just one spot.

But last week he enjoyed a return to form with a final table in the league, followed by victory in Grab a Grand. He now joins Ciaran HesGot2Aces Cole and Owen Ruaction Robinson as one of only three Grab a Grand Champions.

Grab a Grand takes place four times a year, and is only available to those who have been Orange Belt or above for a minimum of three months. If you are Purple or Green Belt at the time of the tournament, then first prize increases to $1,250 and $1,500 respectively.

If you would like to participate in our next Grab a Grand event, then simply work your way up to Orange and hold onto that Belt for a further three months. For example, if you reached Orange on October 1, and were still Orange on November 1 and December 1, you would become eligible for the freeroll.

See our promotions page for more information.

A Laight Surge

Jon Ourkid888 Laight played for Cancer Research at Nottingham Live as one of Koddzilla's Carps, but there was no clowning around in the Black Belt Poker League as he took gold in this week's Leg 6.

He bested a field of 87 en route to victory, including a fresh-faced final table that included fellow Carp Spencer dionysian Lawrence. After edging Fieldmarrshal heads-up, Ourkid888 took top honours and the first prize of $121.00.

1st  Ourkid888 -- $121.00
2nd  Fieldmarrshal -- $81.40
3rd  CarpyGAS -- $61.60
4th  njw1978 -- $41.80
5th  gazthechippy -- $30.80
6th  PhilDee64 -- $23.10
7th  dionysian -- $18.70
8th  eixip50 -- $15.40
9th  tealSVU -- $13.20
10th  pbsef81 -- $11.00
11th  TeeDeeEye1 -- $11.00
12th  bornTOflirt -- $11.00

Victory means Ourkid888 has sprinted into the top 10, and is still in with a shout of topping the table with two legs remaining. However, he'll have to catch dionysian, whose final table appearance means he now leads Simon ourkidsid Herrick by six points.

1st  dionysian -- 501 points
2nd  ourkidsid -- 495 points
3rd  Iceman78Danny -- 485 points
4th  tealSVU -- 483 points
5th  PhilDee64 -- 475 points
6th  mavperth -- 473 points
7th  BobbersAllin -- 462 points
8th  Ourkid888 -- 445 points
9th  Barty1uk -- 440 points
10th  pbsef81 -- 429 points
11th  Wally19 -- 426 points
12th  bornTOflirt -- 413 points
13th  BoatDrink -- 402 points
14th  Mrdroddle -- 400 points
15th  13kendo13 -- 398 points
16th  veg41 -- 389 points
17th  ChipRead77 -- 388 points
18th  bas2604 -- 381 points
19th  BubbleCloud -- 379 points
20th  NPStars1 -- 370 points

There was a new name at the top of the list in this week's Deepstack Mulligan, Stephen Mona821 Monaghan capturing the $121.50 prize, with fellow Orange Belt Stephen eixip50 Andrews in second.

1st  mona821 -- $121.50 (50 Belt Points)
2nd  eixip50 -- $81.00 (30 Belt Points)
3rd  nickhem1 -- $40.40 (10 Belt Points)
4th  UliKoko -- $27.00 (5 Belt Points)
5th  diiscostu (5 Belt Points)

On Saturday, we welcome the return of the Black Belt Poker Academy, this time hosted by the Genting Mint Cromwell Casino in South Kensington. The topic will be Preflop Aggression with mentors Alex Rousso and Jerome Bradpiece.

Last night, 41 players battled it out for a free ticket in the latest Enlightenment Freeroll. The winner was Paul pauloc3 Corrway.

1st  pauloc3 -- Black Belt Academy (£99)
2nd  themackem1968 -- 1-to-1 Enlightenment
3rd  browndog0 -- 2 Dojo Session Tickets
4th  paul6543 -- 1 Dojo Session Tickets

And later that evening, Chris losbert40 Osborne joined Paul when he won the $10+1 satellite.

1st  losbert40 - Black Belt Academy Seat (£99)
2nd  cheekyweeguy
3rd  Touagorimou
4th  Lidg1
5th  JKitin
6th  diiscostu

If you fell short in the aforementioned qualifiers, then it's not too late to book your seat. Tickets are a snip at just £99. If you would like to attend, then please drop us an email at training@blackbeltpoker.com, or purchase a token via the Black Belt Poker Store.

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


Previous League reports:
League XVI - Prizes Make PointsWeek 1 - Simon Says... Morris Dances AheadWeek 2 - Leg 2; A Doddle for 'mrdroodle'Week 3 - Bruce Plays His Cards Right in Leg 3Week 4 - Making a Staitment
Week 5 - 'BoatDrink' Ships It

Win an Academy Seat for 10 Bucks!

This Saturday, September 8, we're inviting you in for a poker pit stop with our latest Black Belt Poker Academy: Preflop Aggro - How to Beat the Kids at Their Own Game.

In recent times, preflop warfare has become a major part of the game, and for successful pros like Vanessa Selbst, Isildur and recent APPT Champion Sam Razavi, aggression is a key weapon in their arsenal.

If you would like to learn how to add aggression to your game, whilst also developing skills in dealing with aggressive play, then join us this Saturday at the Genting Mint Cromwell Casino in South Kensington.

Tickets are a snip at just £99 with attendees treated to six hours of lectures and demonstrations, as well as workshops within smaller groups. To book your seat, simply drop us an email at training@blackbeltpoker.com, or purchase a ticket via the Black Belt Poker Store.

Joining head coach Alex Rousso will be Brown Belt Jerome Bradpiece. A cash game pro by day, Jerome is also well versed in tournaments, and boasts $725K in live tournament winnings including a GUKPT title and WSOPE final table.

The schedule for the day is as follows:

     Intro: The Basics of Preflop Aggression
     Workshop: 200BB Deep, No Ante; Nits & TAGs vs. LAGs!
     Mid Stages: Merged Ranges, Opponent Types and Tendencies
     Workshop: 100-50BB Deep, with Antes; Smallball vs. LAG
     Late Stages: ICM, Polarising Ranges & Going All-In
     Workshop: 50-25BB Deep, with Antes
     Recap & Open Session with Figures & Tables

For those seeking an even cheaper option, then be sure to check out tomorrow's qualifier. At 20:00, Black Belt Poker are hosting an exclusive satellite with one seat guaranteed. The buy-in is just $10+1.

On the same evening, Orange Belts will have the opportunity to attend for free with this week's Enlightenment Freeroll. The action starts at 20:00, with the winner securing himself a spot at Saturday's event.

Preflop aggression is a huge element of modern poker, and a skill all players should seek to develop, so if you're determined to improve your game and keep up with the curb, then be sure to snap up your Academy seat now.

For more information, see our training page.

Sam Razavi Wins APPT Melbourne

 
It was champagne all around earlier today as Black Belt Poker pro Sam Razavi became Master of Melbourne by taking down the latest leg of the APPT (Asia Pacific Poker Tour).

The Crown Casino played host to the week's poker fun and frolics, with 257 handing over the A$4,700 buy-in in hope of striking gold. After surviving three days on the battlefield, just nine remained with Sam sitting comfortably in second.

Sam was active on the final table, but managed to avoid the monster pots. He did, however, cause the first casualty of the day, disposing of a short-stacked Brendon Rubie with J-J versus Q-J having doubled him up just one hand previous.

It wasn't until short-handed that Sam truly began to excel, aiding the descent of fellow Brit Wayne Bentley before taking a small chip lead into the final three.

The podium-placers would engage in a long, hard-fought battle in which the chip lead changed multiple times. At one stage, Sam's stack was heading south, but a pivotal double-up with 9-9 vs. A-Ko provided some much-needed momentum that would see him reclaim the lead.

With confidence high, Sam defended his big blind to a raise from Tom Grigg, before calling continuation bets on the 7c-7h-5s flop and Qh turn. Sam's shove on the 3d river was then check-called all-in by Grigg who could only muck upon being shown 5h-5d for the flopped full house.

'Lovely. Beautiful,' as our hero would say.

As a result, Sam boasted a 3:1 chip lead heading into heads-up, and he secured the title in under 10 minutes. He was behind on the final hand with Ks-Ts versus Keith Walker's Jd-Jc, but an As-2d-5s-8s-Js board gave Sam hot flushes and the win.

Having finished second in Cebu, and then final-tabled the Macau leg, it was third time lucky for Sam who capped off another lucrative trip with victory in Melbourne, 18 months after finishing sixth in the Aussie Millions at the same venue.

In just a few years, Sam has collated a whopping $838,437 in live tournament winnings and a record of results longer than Mr. Tickle's arms, including a UKIPT title and several WSOP cashes.

"I feel amazing, because when we got three-way, I started dwindling," commented Sam in the post-match interview. "It felt like it was slipping away, and then just like that, it turned around… Everything just seemed to work out in the end."

"It was pretty tough. I know Brendon [Rubie] is a really good player and I was really concerned about having him on the table. It's a shame he went out, commiserations, but I wasn't too upset…"

A Black Belt in the Belt-Up Rewards System, Sam can be found playing on Black Belt Poker, and is a regular at Black Belt Live Events.

At the recent Nottingham Live II, he and friend Babis Lappas helped raise $2,500 for Cancer Research when Koddzilla's Carps ambushed Dusk Till Dawn dressed in full clown attire.

There was nothing fishy about today's display, though - Sam Razavi finishes on top Down Under to become 2012 APT Melbourne Champion, taking away the illustrious title and $326,125 first prize.

Or, in Koddzilla currency: 46,707 Jägerbombs.

1st  Sam Razavi -- A$326,125
2nd  Keith Walker -- A$205,345
3rd  Tom Grigg -- A$114,750
4th  Wayne Bentley -- A$87,575
5th  Gary Benson -- A$72,475
6th  James Bills -- A$57,375
7th  Kristian Lunardi -- A$45,300
8th  Nigel Andrews -- A$36,250
9th  Brendon Rubie -- A$27,175

Ogilvie Crowned Lord of the Samurai

Last night, 46 poker warriors sharpened their Bushido blades for Samurai, Black Belt Poker's exclusive $250+25 quarterly freezeout with a $10,000 guaranteed prize pool.

Sole surviving Samurai was Fredrik YoungTeddy Ogilvie. He defeated IlikeSpades heads-up to prise open the $4,600 treasure chest, whilst Orange Belt Geoff G3OFF Douglas snuck onto the podium in third.

Lady Luck was seated beside Ogilvie right from the start as he aided the descent of the tournament's first casualty. Victim Keith Stingerz79 Nettleship at least had a bad beat story to accompany his wooden spoon:

All in with A-Ks versus Ah-Kh, Stingerz79 seemed destined for half the pot until a Jh turn teased a Royal Flush draw only for a Th to deal the devastating blow - a river card that would have made even Phil Ivey's poker face wince.

From thereon in, Ogilvie never looked back, capturing the title a few hours later and joining inaugural winner Alan Vinson as one of only two Samurai champions.

A 29-year old poker pro from London, Ogilvie is a cash game stalwart who frequents the Vic, as well as the big cash games in Macau. He has also been nominated as 'Best Cash Player' in this year's British Poker Awards.

The Samurai once again served up a field of both poker pros and amateurs alike, with online qualifiers joining the likes of Ian IFRAZER Frazer, Toby eightenofclub Lewis, and Richard CHUFTY11 Ashby at the virtual felt.

Bubbling the final table in seventh was Shane nobby5 Norman, who had won his seat after dressing up as a clown for Nottingham Live and making the final as one of Koddzilla's Carps. In doing so, he raised $1,900 for Cancer Research.

Squeezing into the money was Adam JHobbit1 Saunders. He cashed for $920, having recently started a thread on the boards titled 'Has the Magic Gone?'. He later added: "I would like to say a big thank you for all your advice and support; just shows I'm in the right site / place anyway."

Many thanks to those who played this month's Samurai - keep your eyes peeled for the confirmed date of Samurai III. Meanwhile, you can catch our League, as always, every Tuesday at 19:30.

1st  YoungTeddy -- $4600.00
2nd  IlikeSpades -- $2,875.00
3rd  G3OFF -- $1,840.00
4th  WarrenW -- $1,265.00
5th  JHobbit1 -- $920.00
6th  Touagorimou

BoatDrink Ships Leg 5

It was five alive this week as the Black Belt Poker League returned to the cyber felt. A healthy 95 took their seat, but it was a familiar name that lapped up top honours: Andy BoatDrink Butcher.

Competition was stiff, however: former Champion Mark 99Ranny Ranson finished seventh, and Blue Belt and UKIPT winner Jamie StilettoMafiosa Burland was pipped at the post by the Orange Belt.

As a result, BoatDrink collected $130.67, as well as a spot in our Second Chance SNG, the winner of which will receive a cool 2,500 Belt Points.

1st  BoatDrink -- $130.67
2nd  StilettoMafiosa -- $87.87
3rd  mavperth -- $66.50
4th  mozchops -- $45.12
5th  Sarannedipity -- $33.25
6th  Eastbeast90 -- $24.93
7th  99Ranny -- $20.18
8th  stevegw -- $16.62
9th  13kendo13 -- $14.25
10th  JKitin -- $11.87
11th  livinginhope2 -- $11.87
12th  UsainZeus988 -- $11.87

In the overall standings, BobbersAllin snatched top spot off ourkidsid after finishing 22nd, whilst Iceman78Danny's 31st place was enough to overtake dionysian into 3rd. But with only 56 points separating the top 10, it's still anyone's game.

1st  BobbersAllin -- 438 points
2nd  ourkidsid -- 422 points
3rd  Iceman78Danny -- 417 points
4th  dionysian -- 413 points
5th  tealcSVU -- 401 points
6th  mavperth -- 398 points
7th  Barty1uk -- 392 points
8th  BoatDrink -- 388 points
9th  PhilDee64 -- 384 points
10th  Wally19 -- 382 points
11th  bas2604 -- 365 points
12th  13kendo13 -- 359 points
13th  veg41 -- 356 points
14th  pbsef81 -- 349 points
15th  RykanShadow -- 346 points
16th  baligirl13 -- 344 points
17th  bornTOflirt -- 336 points
18th  Mrdroodle -- 335 points
=19th  NPStars1 -- 332 points
=19th  BubbleCloud -- 332 points

This week sees the return of Samurai, and in last night's satellite, Black Belt Poker guaranteed four seats into the $250+25 Main Event, taking place tonight at 20:00.

The qualifiers were: Elysiumjay, TFMonty007, goneflushfishin, and bornTOflirt, whilst a nice consolation prize of $195.00 went to turnupturnip in fifth.

This left one final path: the Samurai Showdown Orange Belt Freeroll. 51 of Black Belt Poker's finest took a shot, but only one lucky player could walk away with the star prize. That man was Nick nickhem1 Hemming.

1st  nickhem1 -- Samurai seat ($250+25)
2nd  bas2604 -- Samurai satellite seat ($35+3.50)
3rd  LegendKing1 -- Samurai feeder seat ($5+0.50)
4th  tealcSVU -- Samurai feeder seat ($5+0.50)
5th  HammerHorror

The qualifiers might be done and dusted, but this doesn't mean you can't get your feet wet. Direct registration is now available via the tournament lobby and there will also be late registration on offer for any latecomers.

The tournament is guaranteed $10,000 in prize money, so there could be an overlay - be sure to check it out under Scheduled > Black Belt Tournaments > The Samurai.

Finally, the trusted Mulligan was back again, and after a runner-up spot in the previous night's league bout, Jamie Burland proved he's not just a face by besting a field of 20 for a $135.00 payday.

1st  StilettoMafiosa -- $135.00 (200 Belt Points)
2nd  Touagorimou -- $90.00 (60 Belt Points)
3rd  TheZartog -- $45.00 (20 Belt Points)
4th  2LAMCHOP2 -- $30.00 (5 Belt Points)
5th  7onyB (5 Belt Points)

Previous League reports:

League XVI - Prizes Make PointsWeek 1 - Simon Says... Morris Dances AheadWeek 2 - Leg 2; A Doddle for 'mrdroodle'Week 3 - Bruce Plays His Cards Right in Leg 3

Samurai: Feeder Frenzy

 
The British summer may have finally made its appearance, but this week Black Belt Poker will be spreading a little sunshine of our own with our exclusive online event: Samurai.

Scheduled for 20:00, this Thursday, August 30, Samurai is a $250+25 deepstack freezeout with a $10,000 guarantee. Last time, Alan Vinson collected $4,480 when he captured the inaugural title.

If you would love to become only the second ever Champion, but are working from a limited bankroll, then we have some great news:

On Wednesday, August 29, Black Belt Poker are hosting a one-off Mega Satellite. The buy-in will be $35+3.50 with four seats guaranteed into the following day's Samurai.

In addition, there will be a feeder frenzy leading up to the Mega with $5+0.50 qualifiers running every half an hour on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.

The first feeder kicks off tonight at 18:00, followed by a further six feeders with the final one taking place at 21:00. If you want to turn a small acorn of an investment into a giant redwood of a cash prize, then this is the route for you.

Tokens for both the Mega Satellite and preceding feeders are now available in the Store.

Of course, if you have more money than Scooge McDuck and would prefer to skip the qualifiers and buy in directly, then you can do so by locating the tournament in the lobby and selecting 'register'.

The tournament can be found under: Scheduled > Black Belt Tournaments > The Samurai.

Alternatively, you can purchase a token from the Black Belt Poker Store for 8,250 Spending Points.

Good luck on the battlefield.

Leg 4: Making a Staitment

The Black Belt Poker League reached its halfway point this week as 98 battled it out at the cyber felt. The winner would not only secure 123 points, but also a seat in our Second Chance SNG in which all leg winners compete for 2,500 Belt Points.

The fourth player to join the lineup was Orange Belt Bradley bas2604 Staight, who won the second leg of the previous season.

This time, he picked up $134.76 for first prize, just pipping fellow Orange Belt Simon ourkidsid Herrick at the poker post, who improved his seventh place finish last week with a runner-up spot this time around.

Taking bronze was BobbersAllin - who also made his second consecutive final table - whilst close-but-no-cigar places went to Blue Belt Kevin Kevish47 Williams (15th), Leg 3 winner Bruce UsainZeus88 Jones (14th) and bubbleboy Peter Touagorimou Brown (13th).

1st  bas2604 -- $134.76
2nd  ourkidsid -- $90.65
3rd  BobbersAllin -- $68.60
4th  TheZartog -- $46.55
5th  WiseOwlBB -- $34.30
6th  NPStars1 -- $25.72
7th  PhilDee64 -- $20.82
8th  veg41 -- $17.15
9th  tentofollow -- $14.70
10th  CarpyGAS -- $12.25
11th  thehingster -- $12.25
12th  losbert40 -- $12.25

Ourkidsid's third top 10 finish means he's now 10 points clear at the top, with BobbersAllin slotting into second. Completing the trio of Orange Belts is Spencer dionysian Lawrence, whose 22nd place finish was enough to see him leapfrog Iceman78Danny and Spalding91 into third.

1st  ourkidsid -- 374 points
2nd  BobbersAllin -- 364 points
3rd  dionysian -- 354 points
4th  Iceman78Danny -- 352 points
5th  baligirl13 -- 344 points
=6th  Ourkid888 -- 326 points
=6th  RykanShadow -- 326 points
=6th  pbsef -- 326 points
9th  tealvSVU -- 320 points
10th  NPStars1 -- 318 points
11th  Wally19 -- 310 points
=12th  PhilDee64 -- 309 points
=12th  Barty1uk -- 309 points
14th  bas2604 -- 301 points
15th  Spalding91 -- 298 points
16th  ChipRead77 -- 295 points
=17th  Mrdroodle -- 290 points
=17th  mavperth -- 290 points
=19th  losbert40 -- 288 points
=19th  RedKiteBlackBelt -- 288 points
=19th  2LAMCHOP2 -- 288 points

With the League dust settled, it was time for a slice of deep-stack action in the Mulligan. This week's victor was Paul 2LAMCHOP2 Lamonby, with former League Champion Mark 99Ranny Ranson grabbing second.

1st  2LAMCHOP2 -- $90.00 (50 Belt Points)
2nd  99Ranny -- $54.00 (30 Belt Points)
3rd  dionysian -- $36.00 (10 Belt Points)
4th  Ourkid888 (5 Belt Points)
5th  g1m3n3s (5 Belt Points)
Running parallel to the Mulligan was our latest Orange Belt Freeroll: Slice of the Action. Congratulations to our four winners, who will now have a share of Neil Channing in September's English Poker Open.

1st  HammerHorror -- $100 sponsorship
2nd  slipfone -- $50 sponsorship
3rd  TFMonty007 -- $25 sponsorship
4th  WiseOwlBB -- $25 sponsorship

Tonight, at 20:00, is the penultimate qualifier for next week's Samurai, a $250+25 freezeout exclusive to Black Belt Poker players, yet armed with a $10,000 guaranteed prize pool.

The super satellite is a $35+3.50 buy-in commencing at 20:00, and already there are three confirmed entrants with myteamouse, 7onyB and Elysiumjay scrapping their way through $5+0.50 feeders.

If you want to skip the cheaper route, then direct buy in is available via the tournament lobby. Simply locate the event under Scheduled > Black Belt Tournaments and hit 'register' to enter.

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


Previous League reports:

League XVI - Prizes Make Points
Week 1 - Simon Says... Morris Dances AheadWeek 2 - Leg 2; A Doddle for 'mrdroodle'
Week 3 - Bruce Plays His Cards Right in Leg 3

Bruce Plays His Cards Right in Leg 3

Nottingham Live may be done and dusted, but it was business as usual on Blackbeltpoker.com this week as the Black Belt Poker League returned for its third leg.

The final table produced a fresh-faced lineup from Leg 2, including Purple Belt and former Champion Bob myteamouse Bulman. Although myteamouse snuck onto the podium, the gold medal went to Bruce UsainZeus88 Jones who pipped MajorMustard at the finishing iine.

1st  UsainZeus88 -- $136.17
2nd  MajorMustard -- $91.57
3rd  myteamouse -- $69.30
4th  13kendo13 -- $47.02
5th  BobbersAllin -- $34.65
6th  RykanShadow -- $25.98
7th  ourkidsid -- $21.03
8th  RedKiteBlackBelt -- $17.32
9th  tealcSVU -- $14.85
10th  ToddCoxeter -- $12.37
11th  StilettoMafiosa -- $12.37
12th  a1lecs -- $12.37

With below-par performances from the league leaders, the standings are wide open with Beverley baligirl13 Monks just about holding onto top spot after a 64th finish. Just one point behind is Koddzilla Carp Jon Ourkid888 Laight who leapt from 4th to 2nd after going out in 30th.

UsainZeus88's victory wasn't enough to see him break into the top 20 / prize points, but he at least secured his seat into the Second Chance SNG in which all leg winners will compete for a bonus 2,500 Belt Points.

1st  baligirl13 -- 290 points
2nd  Ourkid888 -- 289 points
3rd  RykanShadow -- 283 points
4th  Spalding91 -- 279 points
5th  Iceman78Danny -- 278 points
6th  dionysian -- 277 points
7th  ourkidsid -- 259 points
8th  BobbersAllin -- 253 points
9th  2LAMCHOP2 -- 252 points
10th  tealcSVU -- 250 points
11th  13kendo13 -- 249 points
12th  pbsef81 -- 246 points
13th  Wally19 -- 241 points
14th  Mrdroodle -- 241 points
15th  mavperth -- 239 points
16th  JonGill3000 -- 238 points
17th  ChipRead77 -- 233 points
18th  mikeymixitup -- 232 points
19th  VBlueBBP -- 232 points
20th  flipfone -- 231 points

On the following evening, 44 Orange Belts registered for the returning Barney Rubble freeroll, in which the winners received tokens into the daily $10+1 freezeout on Black Belt Poker. Last man standing was tandy26, who earned five shots - and if he cashes in any of them, we'll double his money!

1st  tandy26 -- 5 tokens
2nd  TheZartog -- 3 tokens
3rd  eixip50 -- 1 token

The Deepstack Mulligan was back again, this time with a 23-strong field. No Kevin Birt in the top five paved the way for Dean blackbeltkickbox Aldred to capture the temporary crown.

1st  blackbeltkickbox -- $138.00 (50 Belt Points)
2nd  Ourkid888 -- $93.15 (30 Belt Ponts)
3rd  mona821 -- $51.75 (10 Belt Points)
4th  ourkidsid -- $34.50 (5 Belt Points)
5th  myteamouse -- $27.60 (10 Belt Points)

Don't forget that the Samurai is almost upon us; on Thursday, August 30 at 20:00, players will compete for a $10,000 guaranteed prize pool in our quarterly $250+25 event, exclusive to Black Belt Poker players.

Tonight, at 20:00, is your chance to earn your seat for just $35+3.50. If you have a free token, then don't let it go to waste.

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


Previous League reports:

League XVI - Prizes Make PointsSimon Says... Morris Dances AheadLeg 2; A Doddle for 'mrdroodle'

Nottingham Live II Results

Main Event Results:

Event: $200+20 Main Event
Date: 10-12 Aug
Entires: 258
Prize Pool: $75,000

1st  Kevin Williams -- $15,000 ($15,825)
2nd  Jack Sambrook -- $10,000
3rd  David Craigon -- $7,500
4th  Matthew Heap -- $6,000
5th  Chris Keyworth -- $4,600
6th  Shane Norman -- $3,800
7th  Russ Swift -- $3,100
8th  Luke Bindon -- $2,500
9th  Jerome Bradpiece -- $2,000 ($2,250)
10th  Dominic Sakal -- $1,600
11th  Steven Fitzpatrick -- $1,300
12th  Adam O'Connell -- $1,100
13th  Byron Brewer -- $950
14th  Steven Parry -- $850
15th  James Smith -- $750
16th  Brett Pinder -- $650
17th  Liam Batey -- $600
18th  Craig Sidders -- $550
19th  Raghubinder Aujla -- $500
20th  Tyrone MacLean -- $500
21st  Sarah Berry -- $500 ($550)
22nd  Jalal Rasoul -- $500
23rd  Daniel Bland -- $500
24th  Matthew Holliday -- $500
25th  Mark Wilson -- $500
26th  Lee Taylor -- $500
27th  Nicholas Tony Fellone -- $500
28th  Hasmukh Khodiyara -- $450
29th  Peter Brown -- $450 ($725)
30th  Chris Dodd -- $450
31st  Sam Bowtell -- $450
32nd  Fred Wise -- $450
33rd  Richard Hurst -- $450 ($495)
34th  Mark Valentine -- $450 ($495)
35th  Clive Morrison -- $450
36th  Orlando Anderson -- $450
37th  Ramazanali Abbassi -- $400
38th  Paul Monks -- $400
39th  Nick Mazur -- $400 ($440)
40th  Marty Smyth -- $400
41st  Daniel Seabury -- $400
42nd  David Lawrence -- $400
43rd  Rob Painter -- $400
44th  Phillip Ryding -- $400
=45th  Kerryjane Craigie -- $200
=45th  Ben Glanville -- $200

Figure in brackets includes Belt Bonuses and bounties

Bounty Eliminations:

James Keys by Mike Shaw ($100)
Jamie Burland by Nick Hemming ($100)
Neil Channing by Kevin Williams ($250+25 Samurai seat)
Nik Persaud by Jalal Rasoul
Peter Wigglesworth by Kevin Williams ($250+25 Samurai seat)
Sam Razavi by Matthew Sheils
Paul Jackson by David Tompkins
Stuart Hyson by Matthew Caister
Richard Ashby by Kerryjane Craigie
Stephen Dickson by Daniel Bland
Marty Smyth by David Tompkins
Jerome Bradpiece by Shane Norman
Kevin Williams by no one!

Belt Bonuses:
1st  Kevin Williams -- $250+25 Samurai seat (Blue Belt)
9th  Jerome Bradpiece -- $250+25 Samurai seat (Brown Belt)
21st  Sarah Berry -- $50 (Orange Belt)
29th  Peter Brown -- $250+25 Samurai seat (Purple Belt)
33rd  Richard Hurst -- $45 (Orange Belt)
34th  Mark Valentine -- $45 (Orange Belt)
39th  Nick Mazur -- $40 (Orange Belt)

Koddzilla's Carps:

Kerryjane Craigie -- $200
Shane Norman -- $1,900
Marty Smyth donated $400
Total donated to Cancer Research: $2,500

Side Events Results:

Event: £50+6 £5,000 GTD
Date: 10 Aug
Entires: 92
Prize Pool: £5,000

1st  Matthew Rossetti -- £1,750
2nd  Frank Flanagan -- £1,050
3rd  Stephen O'Keeffe -- £700
4th  Weswell Ellis -- £450
5th  Joseph Cockburn -- £350
6th  William Swinscoe -- £250
7th  Phillip Leedham -- £200
8th Adam Wright -- £150
9th  Anthony Evans -- £100

Event: £15+5 £500 GTD
Date: 10 Aug
Entires: 70
Prize Pool: £1,050

1st  Philip Dudley -- £367.50
2nd  Ken Sharp - £220.50
3rd  Jeremy Carlin -- £147
4th  David Clark -- £94.50
5th  Thomas Lowery -- £73.50
6th  Malcom Coleman -- £52.50
7th  Richard Bell -- £42.00
8th  Richard Pinder -- £31.50
9th  Sam Popple -- £21.00

Event: £15+5
Date: 11 Aug
Entires: 35
Prize Pool: £525

1st  Ricky Cook -- £236.25
2nd  Tom Morley -- £141.75
3rd  Dean Aldred -- £94.50
4th  Nigel Walters -- £52.50

Event: £50+6 tubro £5,000 GTD
Date: 11 Aug
Entires: 108
Prize Pool: £5,400

1st  Vinicius Bitencourte -- £1,890
2nd  HAdley Andrews -- £1,134
3rd  Mark Smith -- £756
4th  Angus MacDonald -- £486
5th  Deborah Worley-Roberts -- £351
6th  Steven Smith -- £270
7th  Ray Mackintosh -- £189
8th  Ben Vinson -- £135
9th  Luke Bindon -- £108
10th  Tina Ainsworth -- £81

Event: £50+6 Super 50 £5,500 GTD
Date: 12 Aug
Entires: 90
Prize Pool: £5,000

1st  Jav Javed -- £1,750
2nd  Jangir Khan -- £1,050
3rd  Ruben Francis -- £700
4th  Dale Moulton -- £450
5th  Nick Woodward -- £350
6th  Roy Sharp -- £250
7th  Matthew Southam -- £200
8th  Orlando Anderson -- £150
9th  Patroklos Patroklou -- £100

Event: £25+5 £1,000 GTD
Date: 12 Aug
Entires: 89
Prize Pool: £2,225

1st  Steven Gray -- £778.75
2nd  Daniel Gatward -- £467.25
3rd  Adam Richmond -- £311.50
4th  Richard McKenzie -- £200.25
5th  Mark Langdale -- £155.75
6th  Steve Mooney -- £111.25
7th  Klimis Andreou -- £89.00
8th  Andrew Davis -- £66.75
9th  Theodorus Kryiakou -- £44.50

For more information, check out the following links:

Nottingham Live Main Event - Live coverage/upadates
Press Release: Kevin Williams Wins Nottingham Live II

Academy: Preflop Aggro!

 Sick of being bullied by more aggressive players? Is the young pro to your left three-betting all your raises? Are you being pushed out of your comfort zone?

If so, then we have the solution.

On Saturday, September 8, the Black Belt Poker team will be on hand to answer all your prayers in our latest Academy: Preflop Aggro - How to Beat the Kids at Their Own Game.

Making its debut at the Genting Casino Mint Cromwell in South Kensington, the Academy will offer players six hours of intensive training with lectures, demonstrations and workshops in smaller groups.

Poker is fast becoming a preflop game, with aggression a common attribute of many of the top players. Our expert mentors will teach you strategies needed to combat aggressive play, as well as developing the skills required to apply pressure yourself.

"A lot of players know full well that a three-bet or even a four-bet from a young hoodie is often nowhere near as strong as it is for regular players," explains head coach Alex Rousso. "The big question is what should they do about it?

"We're going to break down what an aggressive preflop strategy involves, i.e. what sort of hands and situations might justify a light three- or four-bet. Crucially, we're also going to show you how to combat it - and that doesn't always mean fighting fire with fire!"

Tickets remain a bargain-bucket price of just £99, yet the level of training will be top shelf with coaches sharing the many pearls of wisdom that they have gained from their years in the game.

To secure your seat, simply drop us a line at training@blackbeltpoker.com where you'll be guided through the various payment options. Similarly, if you are Green Belt and above, and would like to utilise your free ticket, then contact us at the same address.

Alternatively, you can purchase your seat via the Black Belt Poker Store for the reduced price of 4,250 Spending Points or take a shot at our Enlightenment Freeroll on Wednesday, September 5 in which the winner will earn a free seat.

If you want to keep up with the opposition and take on the kids at their own game, then this Academy is a must. And who knows, maybe in time you will be the one wearing the hoodie and 'bashing up' the table.

Click here for more information.

Kevin Williams Wins Nottingham Live II

While the sun was shining outside, it was raining value inside Dusk Till Dawn this week as Black Belt Poker returned to the East Midlands armed with a $75,000 guaranteed prize pool.

Nottingham Live II attracted 258 hopefuls over the weekend, but it wasn't enough to reach the guarantee as players were treated to a whopping $23,400 overlay.

After an exciting final day, it was Kevin Williams who prospered most from the added value, defeating Jack Sambrook in a short-but-sweet heads-up battle. In doing so, he scooped the $15,000 first prize as well as a big, shiny trophy.

Williams' achievement was even more admirable when glancing at the field, a fearsome lineup that included Neil Channing, Richard Ashby, Marty Smyth, Paul Jackson, James Keys and reigning Nottingham Live Champion Stuart Hyson.

The tournament had a fun atmosphere, thanks in part to Sam Razavi and Babis Lappas who sponsored six players into the event with the promise of a £2,000 Vegas package if they captured the title. The T&Cs were simple: 50% of their winnings would be donated to Cancer Research and any brave volunteers had to compete in full clown garb.

Kerryjane Craigie kindly donated her entire $200 winnings to the cause after creeping into the money, but last clown standing was Shane Norman who made the final second in chips. He was joined by Black Belt Poker sponsored pros Jerome Bradpiece and Kevin Williams.

Seat 1: Matthew Heap -- 205,500
Seat 2: Luke Bindon -- 308,500
Seat 3: Shane Norman -- 697,000
Seat 4: Jack Sambrook -- 728,500
Seat 5: Kevin Williams -- 515,000
Seat 6: David Craigon -- 441,500
Seat 7: Chris Keyworth -- 196,500
Seat 8: Russ Swift -- 448,000
Seat 9: Jerome Bradpiece -- 336,000

The final table was a brisk affair, with Jerome Bradpiece the first domino to fall when his K-Q failed to outgun the A-K of Shane Norman. He was followed by Luke Bindon in eighth whose K-J was out-flipped by Chris Keyworth's 7-7.

Perhaps the most pivotal hand of the final was played out between Kevin Williams and Russ Swift. After Williams opened and Swift defended his big blind, the latter check-raised the As-Kc-8s flop before leading out on the 9d turn and moving all in on the 5d river. Despite his fears, Williams made the call with Ah-Jd and was shown an inferior Kd-Qc to scoop both the pot and the scalp.

Sixth place went to Shane Norman, whose downfall witnessed more drama than an Eastenders omnibus. First, he doubled up Heap in a dramatic hand with A-A versus 7-7 (despite flopping a third bullet!) and then sang his swan song with Q-6 versus the 7-6 of David Craigon on a 5-8-6 flop when the river came a 4. Nevertheless, his efforts netted Cancer Research $1,900.

Two more causalities were forthcoming. Chris Keyworth was unlocked in fifth when his flopped flush draw failed to improve against Kevin Williams' K-K. Matthew Heap was then added to the rail in fourth when his short stack push with 4s-3s was looked up by the Ac-6c of Williams.

Kevin Williams then took out his third consecutive opponent, this time David Craigon whose 9-6 was unraveled by 6-3. A crab on the river brought us to our final two players with Jack Sambrook the underdog and facing a 1.4 to 2.5 chip disadvantage.

Those getting the popcorn in for a long heads-up battle were to be left disappointed; on the very first hand, Sambrook check-raised all in on the turn of 4s-6s-7d-4d board with As-Kh, but was met by a call from Williams who tabled 6d-3d. No change on the river and the fat lady belted out her opening chord.

A Blue Belt on Black Belt Poker, Kevin Williams won no fewer than three Samurai seats worth $250+25 over the weekend, two for eliminating bounties Neil Channing and Peter Wigglesworth, and another for placing in the money. He also became the first bounty to win a Black Belt Live title.

"The inhabitants of my trophy cabinet have been a little lonely of late," commented Williams, "so I'm glad they've finally got a new friend. I was disappointed at how tough the final table was, but now I can laugh at everyone who used up their one time in the Euro Millions lottery."

Nottingham Live II may have reached its exciting conclusion, but the Black Belt tournament bus will back later this month. On Thursday, August 30, the Samurai returns for its second outing, along with a $250+25 buy-in and $10,000 guaranteed prize pool.

Final Table Results:

1st  Kevin Williams -- $15,000
2nd  Jack Sambrook -- $10,000
3rd  David Craigon -- $7,500
4th  Matthew Heap - $6,000
5th  Chris Keyworth -- $4,600
6th  Shane Norman -- $3,800
7th  Russ Swift -- $3,100
8th  Luke Bindon -- $2,500
9th  Jerome Bradpiece -- $2,000

Bounty Eliminations:

James Keys by Mike Shaw
Jamie Burland by Nick Hemming
Neil Channing by Kevin Williams
Nik Persaud by Jalal Rasoul
Peter Wigglesworth by Kevin Williams
Sam Razavi by Matthew Sheils
Paul Jackson by David Tompkins
Stuart Hyson by Matthew Caister
Richard Ashby by Kerryjane Craigie
Stephen Dickson by Daniel Bland
Marty Smyth by David Tompkins
Jerome Bradpiece by Shane Norman
Kevin Williams by no one!

Click here to read the live coverage/updates.

Nottingham Live II - Day 1B Chip Counts

Click for Live Updates/Coverage...

Liam Batey -- 136,300
Daniel Bland -- 126,800
Adam O'Connell -- 117,200
Craig Sidders -- 110,400
Jerome Bradpiece -- 106,400
Anonymous -- 103,400
Brett Pinder -- 100,600
Matthew Sheils -- 88,900
Mark Wilson -- 80,200
Byron Brewer -- 79,100
Shane Norman -- 72,500
Hasmukh Khodiyara -- 70,000
Matthew Heap -- 69,500
Jack Sambrook -- 68,100
Mark French -- 68,100
Chris Keyworth -- 67,100
Tyrone MacLean -- 67,000
Fred Wise -- 62,500
Mitchell Johnson -- 61,800
Matthew Holliday -- 61,400
Chris Dodd -- 54,200
Steve Parry -- 53,200
Russ Swift -- 50,200
Stephen Monaghan -- 49,300
Nick Mazur -- 47,600
Daniel Seabury -- 46,400
Richard Hurst -- 45,400
Orlando Anderson -- 45,300
Nick Woodward -- 44,600
Sam Bowtell -- 44,500
Rob Painter -- 44,500
Darius Demetriou -- 43,300
Steven Fitzpatrick -- 43,000
Kerryjane Craigie -- 42,900
Lee Taylor -- 42,500
Richard Garcia -- 37,600
Ramazanali Abbassi -- 37,600
Phil Walker -- 36,700
Phillip Ryding -- 36,600
David Lawrence -- 36,100
Mark Valentine -- 34,800
Ben Glanville -- 32,700
Kevin Birt -- 32,600
Antony Flatman -- 32,300
Sarah Berry -- 31,900
Dean Clay -- 30,500
David Tompkins -- 29,400
Dominic Sakal -- 28,000
James Martin Smyth -- 23,900
Clive Morrison -- 23,800
Paul Monks -- 22,300
Stephen Dickson -- 22,200
Adam Carey - -21,600
James Smith -- 21,200
John Hayes -- 20,500
Gary Bauld -- 17,000
Stuart Preston -- 16,300
Peter Brown -- 12,300
Wipa Manapien -- 7,500
Bounty Eliminations:

Sam Razavi - eliminated by Matthew Sheils
Paul Jackson - eliminated by David Tompkins
Stuart Hyson - eliminated by Matthew Caister
Richard Ashby - eliminated by Kerryjane Craigie

See here for Day 1a Chip Counts...

Nottingham Live II - Day 1A Chip Counts

Click for Live Updates/Coverage...

57 started the day (well, eventually), and 9 survived. Those warriors are:

Kevin Williams (bounty) -- 251,700
Jalal Rasoul -- 158,100
Luke Bindon -- 128,400
David Craigon -- 94,100
Raghubinder Aujla -- 74,700
Jack Allen -- 44,500
Ross Wood -- 40,900
Nick Hemming -- 35,800
Gary Cornwell -- 27,800

Bounty Eliminations:

James Keys - eliminated by Mike Shaw (prize: $100)
Jamie Burland - eliminated by Nick Hemming (prize: $100)
Neil Channing - eliminated by Kevin Williams (prize: $250+25 Samurai seat)
Nik Persaud - eliminated by Jalal Rasould
Peter Wigglesworth - eliminated by Kevin Williams (prize: $250+25 Samurai seat)

Leg 2; A Doddle for 'mrdroodle'

 
The Black Belt Poker League rode into town this week with Andy mrdroodle Erskine firmly in the saddle. He bested a field of 110, which included Black Belt Poker pros Sam Razavi and Jamie Burland.

His final hurdle was Jon Ourkid888 Laight, who is set to play for Cancer Research at Nottingham Live as one of Koddzilla's Carps. Laight took away $93.50 for his troubles, whilst Mrdroodle coliected $137.52.

1st  mrdroodle -- $137.52
2nd  Ourkid888 -- $93.50
3rd  VBlueBBP -- $71.50
4th  baligirl13 -- $50.87
5th  ACarey -- $35.75
6th  flipfone -- $28.87
7th  NPStars1 -- $23.37
8th  bas2604 -- $19.25
9th  Iceman78Danny -- $15.12
10th  ourkidsid -- $13.20
11th  gazthechippy -- $13.20
12th  mikemixitup -- $13.20
13th  dionysian -- $11.55
14th  BoatDrink -- $11.55
15th  S0lution -- $11.55

Mrdroodle's win means he's jumped up to 11th in the overall standings, whilst last week's winner, Simon TheSimian Morris, has slipped to 20th.


Iceman78Danny is currently in the bronze medal spot after 11th and 9th place finishes, but the one they're all chasing is baligirl13 who is the only player to have made both final tables.
As a result, three Yellow Belts dominate the podium:

1st  baligirl13 -- 254 points
2nd  Spalding91 -- 240 points
3rd  Iceman78Danny -- 223 points
4th  Ourkid888 -- 219 points
5th  dionysian -- 213 points
6th  Heppo321 -- 208 points
7th  gazthechippy -- 208 points
8th  flipfone -- 201 points
9th  VBlueBBP -- 200 points
10th  JonGill3000 -- 197 points
11th  mrdroodle -- 195 points
12th  RykanShadow -- 181 points
13th  pbsef81 -- 181 points
14th  2LAMCHOP2 -- 179 points
15th  ChipRead77 -- 179 points
16th  direbus -- 178 points
17th  mavperth -- 177 points
18th  veg41 -- 176 points
19th  Barty1uk -- 175 points
20th  TheSimian -- 171 points

Whilst the action was fast and furious in the League, most eyes were fixated on our final week of Nottingham Live satellites. On Monday and Tuesday, two more players cemented their ticket to Dusk Till Dawn.

$15+1.50 freezeout, 15 runners:

1st  originalcynic -- Nottingham Live seat ($200+20)
2nd  aseefoAK -- $5.00
3rd  TopSicko
4th  JonGill3000
5th  robrussell

$5+0.50 rebuy, 19 runners:

1st  MichelleB1 -- Nottingham Live seat ($200+20)
2nd  myteamouse -- $115.00
3rd  JimmyTheBhoy
4th  youkickmydog
5th  HammerHorror

The aforementioned qualifiers may have left it late, but on Wednesday night there was one final opprotunity to secure a seat in our $40+4 Mega Satellite. With a generous 10 seats guaranteed, 47 players created a tidy overlay of $320 with the following players reaping the rewards and earning entry at the latest possible stage:

NPenfold666
dionysian
TrippyTits
tristiano
JimmyTheBhoy
HammerHorror
liamstuart
dbaby86
BidefordHustler
njw1978

Congratulations to all our satellite winners. We look forward to seeing you at the weekend.

This week's Orange Belt Freeroll was a slobberknocker, and one that paid down to 12 players - not bad considering only 48 played! On this occasion, the prizes were satellite tokens for the Samurai on August 30, with former League Champion Mark 99Ranny Ranson scooping the biggest reward.

1st  99Ranny -- 3 x $30+3 Samurai satellite tokens
2nd  nakgeela -- 2 x $30+3 Samurai satellite tokens
3rd  nickhem1 -- 1 x $30+3 Samurai satellite token
4th  2LAMCHOP2 -- 3 x $5+0.50 feeder Samurai satellite token
5th  BobbersAllin -- 2 x $5+0.50 feeder Samurai satellite tokens
6th  tristiano -- 2 x $5+0.50 feeder Samurai satellite tokens
7th  13kendo13 -- 2 x $5+0.50 feeder Samurai satellite tokens
8th  eixip50 -- 1 x $5+0.50 feeder Samurai satellite token
9th  paul6543 -- 1 x $5+0.50 feeder Samurai satellite token
10th  cheekyweeguy -- 1 x $5+0.50 feeder Samurai satellite token
11th  habbad -- 1 x $5+0.50 feeder Samurai satellite token
12th  CareybearBBP -- 1 x $5+0.50 feeder Samurai satellite token

To wrap up a crazy week of hot poker action, the Deepstack Mulligan was back with a bang, and last night's winner was debuting Carp Spencer dionysian Lawrence.

1st  dionysian -- $114.75 (50 Belt Points)
2nd  ourkidsid -- $76.50 (30 Belt Points)
3rd  tealcSVU -- $38.25 (10 Belt Points)
4th  losbert40 -- $25.50 (5 Belt Points)
5th  JHobbit1 (5 Belt Points)

Nottingham Live II kicks off tomorrow at 14:00, but it's not too late for you to enter: all you have to do is locate the tournament in Scheduled > Black Belt Tournaments > Day 1A/B Nottingham Live 2012 and select 'register'.

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

Previous League reports:

League XVI - Prizes Make PointsSimon Says... Morris Dances Ahead

Vote BBP: Your Cardroom Needs You

 
Get ready to blow the dust off your tuxedo and buff your 'going out' shoes as the British Poker Awards are back for a third consecutive year.

This time, Black Belt Poker have been voted for 'Best Forum', and with the trophy cabinet a little light of late we'd love some shiny metal to polish.

If you would like to help us achieve that goal, then casting your vote if easy: simply go to thebritishpokerawards.com and tick the relevant boxes.

Once you've submitted your vote, then you'll be thrown into a free draw in which five lucky voters will win a free subscription to Bluff Europe Magazine.

This means you'll get to read my column every single month!

Also nominated is Black Belt Poker co-founder Neil Channing, who has snuck into two categories this year: 'Best Poker Blogger / Social Media' and 'Poker Personality of the Year'.

Despite evading the categories for achievements in actually playing poker, Neil boasts in excess of $3.3 million in tournaments winnings, including an Irish Open title and two runner-up spots in WSOP bracelet events.

But this year he's asking for your support in his off-table antics, in particular the poker world's celebration of his sparkling personality, which is undoubtedly deserving of public recognition.

The Awards ceremony will take place on September 17, with the red carpet being rolled out aboard the Yacht H.M.S. President. If you would to find out in person whether or not Neil and the Black Belt Poker team get to share their acceptance speech, then you can purchase a ticket by clicking here.

Vote now, or forever hold hold your peace. Or wait for next year, of course, when I'm sure Neil's personality and Twitter skills will be equally as impressive as they are this year.