Bulman Takes Leg 4 by the Horns

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Previous news reports:

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

Added Value in Tonight's No-Lose Deepstack

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Overlays in Nifty at Nine

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Click here for more information.

Wiltshire Leighs Down the Law

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

Previous news reports:

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

$1,000,000 Guaranteed in iPOPS III

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

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

The full schedule is as follows:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Click here for the full satellite schedule.

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

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

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

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

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

Win Gift Vouchers This Weekend

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

See here for more information.

'Sceaga2' Wins Again!

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

Could League XVII be the one…

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

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

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

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

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

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

Click here for more information.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

Previous news reports:

Celebrate Christmas Early With Black Belt Poker
Luck Beer Lady Tonight

Jerome Grabs a Piece at WPT South Africa

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The official results are as follows:

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

Luck Beer Lady Tonight

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Previous news reports:

Celebrate Christmas Early With Black Belt Poker

One Night; Two New & Exclusive Events

 
Last night witnessed the debut of two brand spanking new tournaments, both exclusive to Black Belt Poker.

At 20:30, 32 quenched their thirst for speed in the first ever Turbo Takedown, a weekly No Limit Hold'em tournament with a $10+1 buy-in.

The winner was Orange Belt Iain 1894IAIN Brassell, who defeated Blue Belt and former UKIPT Champion Jamie Stilettomafiosa Burland heads-up to collect the $118.40 first prize.

1st  1894IAIN -- $118.40
2nd   StilettoMafiosa -- $80.00
3rd  HammerHorror -- $48.00
4th  NPenfold666 -- $32.00
5th  TeeDeeEye1 -- $24.00
6th  Mrdroodle -- $17.60

In doing so, Brassell also collected the first gift voucher of the year courtesy of The 12 Days of Christmas promotion, meaning he's now guaranteed a minimum of socks for Christmas! However, if he can use his gift voucher token to cash in the $5+0.50 $3,000 GTD event, he'll receive a gel mouse mat instead.

Of course, it doesn't have to end there; there will be plenty of opportunities to accrue gift vouchers and increase your chances of winning an Irish Open package, including the start of League XVII, in which the overall Champion will receive all 12 gift vouchers.

The 12 Days of Christmas is an exciting promotion in which players can use gift vouchers to play the daily $5+0.50 MTT during the dates of December 06-17. Depending on how many times you cash, you will win an incredible prize including the ultimate computer set-up.

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

Due to popular demand, the Nightly Nifty that featured during Ninja has now become a Black Belt Poker staple event. Relabelled the Nifty at Nine, the event takes place every Monday at 21:00 (obv) and guarantees a prize pool of 1,250 Belt Points for the mere investment of 50 Spending Points.

With 20 players turning up for last night's inaugural event, there was a juicy 250 overlay in Belt Points. The man who took full advantage was Spencer dionysian Lawrence who etched his name in history as the first ever Nifty at Nine Champion.

As a result, he earned himself 500 Belt Points, meaning he's been credited with enough points to maintain Orange Belt - not bad for one night's work. Second place went to Andy RedKiteBlackBelt Brisland.

1st dionysian -- 500 Belt Points
2nd RedKiteBlackBelt -- 350 Belt Points
3rd ourkidsid -- 225 Belt Points
4th BobbersAllin -- 125 Belt Points
5th sprinterz -- 50 Belt Points

If you would like to play next week's event, then a token is currently available in the Black Belt Poker Store.

In the meantime, be sure to join us in tonight's League, as well as Wednesday's Mulligan in which another gift voucher will be on offer for the lucky winner.

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

League XVII Starts Tomorrow

The Black Belt Poker League is once again upon us, and this time around we're giving you the opportunity to win an all-expenses paid trip to Dublin to play the 2013 Irish Open.

League XVII will run parallel with The 12 Days of Christmas promotion, in which players will be given numerous opportunities over the next seven weeks to win exclusive gift vouchers.

See here for more information.

Tomorrow night, at 19:30, we're providing you with the first chance to collate gift vouchers in the latest Black Belt Poker League.

The overall winner across the eight weekly legs will win 12 gift vouchers, meaning they'll get to play every single day of the promotion and have the optimum chance of winning the star prize.

Prizes in the League will be awarded as follows:

1st               12 Gift Vouchers
2nd              9 Gift Vouchers
3rd               8 Gift Vouchers
4th               7 Gift Vouchers
5th               6 Gift Vouchers
6th               5 Gift Vouchers
7th               4 Gift Vouchers
8th               3 Gift Vouchers
9th               2 Gift Vouchers
10th             1 Gift Voucher
11th-20th    100 Belt Points

We'll also be giving away a further 10 gift vouchers in the Second Chance SNG, in which all leg winners will battle it out until just one remains.

And if that wasn't enough, anyone who participates in all eight legs will automatically receive 200 Belt Points credited to their account, simply for turning up!

Gift vouchers will entitle players to free entry into the daily $5+0.50 $3,000 GTD tournament during the dates of December 06-17.

Dependent on how many times you cash, you will win one of a number of incredible prizes including the ultimate computer set up: desktop, tablet PC, and widescreen high-definition monitor.

Check out our promotions page for the full list of prizes.

Even if you don't cash, we'll send you a pair of socks to keep your feet warm. This means that even if you only earn one gift voucher, you'll still be guaranteed a prize!

Last time, Orange Belt Robbie Aryes captured the crown by the thinnest of margins, winning first prize of 2,500 Belt Points and the highly-sought after Black Belt Poker hoodie.

He has now etched his name in Black Belt Poker history; if you want to be next, then join us tomorrow for Leg 1.

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

For more information on the Black Belt Poker League, see our promotions page.

Celebrate Christmas Early With Black Belt Poker

This year, Black Belt Poker are inviting you to fill your Christmas stocking early with our own version of the 12 Days of Christmas.

Forget swimming swans and French hens; this year you could feast on an array of incredible prizes including an all-expenses paid trip to the 2013 Irish Open.

Over the course of the next two months, we'll be presenting you with various opportunities to collect gift vouchers, such as placing in the new League or winning the weekly Deepstack Mulligan.
Each gift voucher entitles players to free entry into the daily $5+0.50 $3,000 GTD freeezeout between the dates of December 06-17 inclusive - Black Belt Poker's 12 Days of Christmas.

Prizes will then be awarded based on the number of times you make the money:

7 Cashes     Irish Open Main Event Package
6 Cashes     Ultimate Computer Set-Up
5 Cashes     Gaming Set-Up
4 Cashes     Widescreen HD Monitor
3 Cashes     Ergonomic Mouse
2 Cashes     Swissgear Laptop Bag
1 Cash        Gel Mouse Mouse
0 Cashes     Socks

Forget partridges and pear trees; with Black Belt Poker, each cash will take you one step closer to building your ultimate computer set-up with a desktop computer, HD widescreen monitor, and tablet.
And for the hardcore gamers out there, five cashes will win you a luxury gaming chair, Xbox, joypad and two games of your choosing.

But wait, there's more... If you thought you were going to avoid socks this year, then think again - nobody goes away empty-handed on Black Belt Poker. Even if you don't cash a single time, you'll still be guaranteed a prize!

However, if you manage to make it a magnificent seven, then you could be following in the footsteps of Neil Channing and James Mitchell as the next Irish Open Champion.

So why not skip the office party this year and come and unwrap Black Belt Poker's selection of gifts? 'Tis the season for giving, and we're about to spread some poker cheer during the winter period. Make sure you join us.

Check out our promotions page for more details, including terms and conditions.

Hasmukh Khodiyara Crowned Ninja King

Last week, Black Belt Poker introduced Ninja, an exclusive online series of six events with added value, bounties and a loyalty freeroll.

Following the success of the opening five events, the decision was made to increase the guarantee of the Main Event to $4,000, as well as guaranteeing 10 seats in the previous night's Mega satellite.

As a result, a total of 84 hopefuls separated with $50+5, including Black Belt Poker sponsored pros Neil Channing, Sam Razavi, Kevin Williams, Warren Wooldridge, and Ben Meredith.

However, when the cyber dust had settled and the virtual smoke cleared, it was Yellow Belt Hasmukh 45683ah Khodiyara who was crowned the inaugural Ninja Champion.

A 25-year old online pro from Leicester, Hasmukh joined the Black Belt Poker team back in Vegas in 2011 after taking down's iPoker's WSOP Warrior Master League. Less than 12 months later, he final-tabled the UKIPT in Nottingham for £62,500.

From Warrior to Ninja, Hasmukh collected $1,155 for his win, with Jeremy slapdash1248 Rickard earning $777 in second. Bronze went to Orange Belt Peter UliKoko Derrick who picked up $588.

Ninja got off to a jam-packed start as no fewer than 127 rolled up for the opening $10+1 event. The biggest winner outside of the Main Event was Alan tealSVU Steer who lapped up $741.16 in the $25+2.50 six-max.

As well as daily satellites, Ninja Week also witnessed the debut of the Nightly Nifty, a brand new tournament in which players were invited to spin up 50 Belt Points. Congratulations to Ka7ieVick and Ourkid888 who both won two events a piece.

On Monday, Ninja Champions, Main Event finalists, and anyone who participated in all six events were invited to compete for a host of cool prizes in our Full Ninja Freeroll, although those hoping for a signed photo of Neil Channing were left disappointed.

42 took their seats, with Paul 2LAMCHOP2 Lamonby taking top honours for a gaming chair. Second place finisher Malcolm lionrampant27 Sievwright won an Xbox - much to the delight of any young relatives - and Tim HammerHorror O'Mahoney received a luxury chip set for third.

Many thanks to everyone who played Ninja. The event was a huge success and we look forward to bringing you another series in the future. Don't forget to join us this Tuesday, October 16 for the return of the Black Belt Poker League.

Ninja Main Event:

1st  45683ah -- $1,155.00
2nd  slapdash1248 -- $777.00
3rd  UliKoko -- $588.00
4th  jfdiwins -- $399.00
5th  tomhot23 -- $294.00
6th  Snotterz -- $220.50
7th  nakgeela4 -- $178.50
8th  tristiano -- $147.00
9th  Werrrrd -- $126.00
10th  mavperth -- $105.00
11th  firaldo87bbp -- $105.00
12th  LuckyMonKKey -- $105.00

Ninja #1:

1st  Ka7ieVick -- $292.15
2nd  dizzybindon -- $203.20
3rd  MathersMagoo1 -- $154.30
4th  VBlueBBP -- $114.30
5th  paul6543 -- $76.20
6th  flipfone -- $63.50
7th  lionramapnt27 -- $50.80
8th  7onyB -- $38.10
9th  S0lution -- $31.75
10th  Mrdroodle -- $28.57
11th  HammerHorror -- $28.57
12th  turlim -- $28.57
13th  jfdiwins -- $27.30
14th  russellhansen -- $27.30
15th  LillJem -- $27.30
16th  insider66666 -- $26.03
17th  MajorMustard -- $26.03
18th  tristiano -- $26.03

Ninja #2:

1st  tealcSVU -- $741.16
2nd  jimmyt31 -- $471.62
3rd  bornTOflirt -- $336.87
4th  themackem1968 -- $251.12
5th  diamonby -- $177.62
6th  4KSuited -- $116.37
7th  ACarey -- $73.50
8th  DoobieFish7 -- $73.50
9th  UsainZeus88 -- $55.12
10th  dionysian -- $55.12
11th  BobbersAllin -- $49.00
12th  G3OFF -- $49.00

Ninja #3:

1st  StilettoMafiosa -- $387.76
2nd  tentofollow -- $260.85
3rd  BoraBoraBoy -- $197.40
4th  Snotterz -- $133.95
5th  0LuckBeerLady0 -- $98.70
6th  mikeymixitup -- $74.02
7th  paul6543 -- $59.92
8th  TeeDeeEye1 -- $49.35
9th  2LAMCHOP2 -- $42.30
10th  dionysian -- $35.25
11th  SPONSORMEPLS2009 -- $35.25
12th  ChipRead77 -- $35.25

Ninja #4:

1st  UsainZeus88 -- $228.26
2nd  jfdiwins -- $153.55
3rd  TableKnight -- $116.20
4th  lionrampant27 -- $78.85
5th  HammerHorror -- $58.10
6th  adygolf -- $43.57
7th  G3OFF -- $35.27
8th  nickhem1 -- $29.05
9th  shaolin4aces -- $24.90
10th  doochats -- $20.75
11th  themackem1968 -- $20.75
12th  slapdash1248 -- $20.75

Ninja #5:

1st  themackem1968 -- $226.52
2nd  Mrdroodle -- $151.00
3rd  PaddyLemon -- $113.25
4th  7onyB -- $75.50
5th  pbsef81 -- $56.62
6th  13kendo13 -- $41.52
7th  0LuckBeerLady0 -- $33.97
8th  DareUCallMe -- $30.20
9th  blackbeltninja -- $26.42

Full Ninja Freeroll:

1st 2LAMCHOP2 -- Luxury Gaming Chair
2nd lionrampant27 -- Xbox 360
3rd HammerHorror -- Black Belt Poker Chip Set
4th Ka7ieVick -- Aston Martin Mouse
5th Snotterz -- Flying Alarm Clock
6th CareybearBBP -- USB Fridge
7th livinginhope2 -- Book: Mental Game of Poker
8th bornTOflirt -- Whiskey Stones
9th Barty1uk -- Card Shuffler

Nighty Nifty Winners:

Monday - bornTOflirt
Tuesday - Ourkid888
Wednesday -Ourkid888
Thursday - Ka7ieVick
Friday - Sarannedipity
Saturday - 2LAMCHOP2
Sunday - Ka7ieVick

Ninja Week Kicks Off In Style

Ninja got off to a fast and furious start last night as 127 hopefuls took to the cyber felt for the opening event.

The buy-in was $10+1, and the field included Neil Channing, Jamie Burland, and recent LAPT Panama finalist Sam Razavi.

The eventual winner was 'Ka7ieVick', who defeated 'dizzybindon' heads-up to become the first ever Ninja Champion.

'Ka7ieVick' also eliminated host, bounty and recent Nottingham Live II Champion Kevin Williams to earn free entry into Sunday's Main Event.

The final results were as follows:

1st Ka7ieVick -- $292.15
2nd dizzybindon -- $203.20
3rd MathersMagoo1 -- $154.30
4th VBlueBBP -- $114.30
5th paul6543 -- $76.20
6th flipfone -- $63.50
7th lionramapnt27 -- $50.80
8th 7onyB -- $38.10
9th S0lution -- $31.75
10th Mrdroodle -- $28.57
11th HammerHorror -- $28.57
12th turlim -- $28.57
13th jfdiwins -- $27.30
14th russellhansen -- $27.30
15th LillJem -- $27.30
16th insider66666 -- $26.03
17th MajorMustard -- $26.03
18th tristiano -- $26.03

Running near-parallel to Ninja was an equally inaugural event: Nightly Nifty. Despite smashing the guarantee with 38 players, Black Belt Poker added 250 Belt Points to the prize pool.

After a back and forth heads-up battle, it was former League Champion Mark 'bornTOflirt' Atkinson who took full advantage:

1st bornTOflirt -- 860 Belt Points
2nd pauloc3 -- 602 Belt Points
3rd dizzybindon -- 387 Belt Points
4th nicenutter -- 215 Belt Points
5th Barty1uk -- 86 Belt Points

The Nightly Nifty is braced to return again tonight at 20:30, so if you fancy a spin-up from 50 Belt Points, then purchase your token now from the Black Belt Poker Store. The tournament can be located via the lobby under Scheduled > Black Belt Tournaments.

Congratulations to 'mavperth', 'THISandTHAT2', and '4KindSuited' for earning entry into Ninja #2 via last night's satellite. If you would like play Ninja for a reduced price, then make sure you check out our Ninja #3 satellite tonight at 21:00. The buy-in is $3+0.30.

Good luck to everyone playing Ninja #2 tonight. The starting whistle sounds at 20:00, with a buy-in of $25+2.50. Remember, this is a six-max tournament, so the action should come thick and fast.
See our promotions page for more info.

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