London Live II: High Rollers Event

With 20 bounties carving target signs onto their forehead, the Black Belt London Live II is going to be a high profile event with more familiar faces than an entire series of Celebrity Squares. Richard Ashby, Surinder Sunar and Irish Open Champion James Mitchell are just three big names already confirmed, with another eight to be announced later in the week.

To cater for the star-power - and to offer casualties of the London Live a second bite of the financial cherry - we'll be holding a High-Roller's event at 2pm on Sunday, April 3. The tournament will be a one-day No Limit Hold'em Freezeout with a buy in of £1,000.

Many players will be unable to commit in case they make it through to Day 2 of the London Live, but a number of high-rollers have already registered their interest, including Neil Channing, David Docherty and Jake Cody, who recently won the High-Rollers event at the Nottingham UKIPT for £34,200.

Unlike the London Live, players can buy in via the Vic cashier desk with registration ending 15 minutes before kick-off.

The clock is ticking and with just four days remaining, there are only 59 seats remaining for the London Live II. If you want to be a part of the most hotly anticipated poker event of the year and battle it out for a guaranteed $100,000 prize pool, then buy in now to avoid missing out. To secure your seat, simply start the Black Belt Poker cardroom client and locate the tournament in Scheduled > London Live > BB London Live Day 1A.

As always, we recognise that not everyone boasts the bankroll of a former WPT and EPT winner, and so are giving you the chance to qualify into the London Live for a single buck. Tonight, at 8pm, we're guaranteeing two seats in a $1+01 Mega Satellite Freezeout. We're also capping the field, meaning that there will be a guaranteed overlay. The tournament is now available in Scheduled > London Live > Megasatellite. Only 60 players are registered at the moment, so this w're practically giving the seats way!

New to Black Belt Poker? Download the poker client now and check out our Belt-Up Rewards Scheme.

The Dojo Goes Live

You may be busy filling out your census, but we've got a few questions of our own: Have you secured your seat at the London Live II? Are you nervous about playing brick and mortar? Do you have limited experience at playing a deep stack? If you find yourself ticking the 'yes' box, then we might well have the remedy.

On the eve of the Black Belt London Live II, the Enlightenment Dojo Sessions will be going live for the very first time with Sensei Kevin Williams and Jamie Burland sharing their wisdom pearls across the green baize of the Grosvenor Victoria Casino in London.

Starting at 8.30pm on Thursday, March 31, the 'Great Big Live London Live Dojo' will help you shake off the shackles of the online environment, covering an array of topics such a live tells, etiquette, and common pitfalls, as well as giving you an opportunity to get used to sitting at the table, handling the chips and playing in the world famous Vic cardroom.

I'm surprised David Dickinson isn't eying this one up, because at just 300 Spending Points, this truly is a bargain. What's more, we're offering a one-time deal to book now, pay later to those with insufficient Spending Points, meaning that you will be allowed to pay after the Session, on April 1, when all the Belt transfers have taken place.

If you already have the Spending Points available, then you can secure your seat now by purchasing a token from the Black Belt Poker Store. Otherwise, drop us a line at enlightenment@blackbeltpoker.com to register your interest. But be quick, as space is limited.

Kevin and Jamie are two of Black Belt Poker's finest Sensei, and the perfect pairing to introduce you to live poker. Kevin has become a regular poker mentor, speaking at Boot Camps, Academies and even Poker in the Park, whilst Jamie last year became a UKIPT Champion when he took down the Brighton leg for £65,400. Since February of this year, they have spearheaded the Dojo Sessions, which have been regularly sold out thanks to their efforts and expertise.

So, whether this is your first live tournament, your first deep-stacked event, or you just fancy kicking off your London Live with a meet-up with fellow Black Belters, then come on down and give yourself the best possible chance of flourishing in the weekend's poker festivities.

Day 1B of London Live - Sold Out!

With just shy of a week remaining till kick-off, Day 1B of the Black Belt London Live II officially sold out earlier this afternoon, meaning that players will now have to register for Day 1A if they wish to participate in the most explosive event since the Big Bang.

As expected, we're witnessing a sudden rush as players look to secure their trip to the Grosvenor Victoria this April. Unless you want to miss the chance to play in the most plus EV event of the year, then you must buy in now to avoid disappointment. To secure your seat, simply locate the tournament in the cardroom under Scheduled > London Live > BBP London Live II Day 1A and select 'register' or, alternatively, purchase a token in the Store using your Spending Points.

The London Live will take place from Friday, April 1 to Sunday, April 3 with players fighting it out over a $100,000 prize pool and $20,000 first prize, both of which are guaranteed. In total, there will be an incredible 20 bounties playing the London Live including Richard Ashby, Jake Cody and reigning Irish Open Champion James Mitchell.

With six days remaining, it's not too late to increase your Belt Level and take advantage of the sumptuous added value on offer. Play the event as an Orange Belt and you'll receive $100 for each bounty and 10% added to all prizes, but play as Purple, and you'll earn $250 per bounty and an amazing 20% added!

With 20,000 starting stacks, 45 minute blinds and a modest $250+25 buy-in, the London Live provides players with a fun-filled, yet competitive tournament for an affordable price. What's more, we've been holding weekly satellites and this Monday we're guaranteeing two more seats in our $1 Mega Satellite, meaning that, once again, you have the chance to qualify for just a single buck.

So, don't be a fool for April 1, make sure you tie up your seat now to avoid being left behind and we look forward to seeing you next week.

Mega Money Monday Madness

We've always suspected that BBP's head honchos weren't playing with a full deck, but next week they'll be going stark-raving mad by giving away money in a one-off London Live mega satellite.

On Monday, March 28 at 8pm, Black Belt Poker will be hosting a $1 mega freezeout with not one, but two guaranteed seats into the Black Belt London Live II. The event will hold a maximum of 500 runners, meaning that on the unlikely chance that the tournament does fill up, there will still be a guaranteed overlay.

If you want to jump aboard the bandwagon and take a trip to Valuetown, then securing your seat is a doddle. Simply download the poker client, locate the tournament in Scheduled > London Live > London Live Megasatellite and click 'register'.

Even if you fall short in the mega satellite, then you'll still receive another bite of the cherry as we're staging a $1 Donkament rebuy an hour later at 9pm, giving you yet another chance to qualify for the most anticipated event on the poker calendar for a single buck. One seat will be guaranteed with the winner moving on to the $40+4 super satellite the following day.

With bounties, inflated prizes, and a $100,000 guaranteed prize pool, the London Live promises to be one of the best value events of the year, and a great opportunity for players of all types to play a fun-filled, competitive, deep-stacked event at an affordable price. With the likes of Richard Ashby, Jake Cody, and reigning Irish Open Champion James Mitchell already confirmed, the London Live is sure to be a high profile event.

Day 1B is close to selling out, so if you wish to play Saturday's starting day, then you must purchase your seat now. If you would like to buy in directly, then simply locate the event in the cardroom lobby. Alternatively, you can buy a token from the Black Belt Poker Store using any Spending Points you may have accrued. Either way, don't miss out!

Richard Ashby liked his old poker site, but when he saw the value on Black Belt Poker, he bought the company! Well, the value just got better and for just $1, players will truly be getting plenty of bang for their buck.

League IX - Backin' Black

April is proving to be a slobberknocker of a month with both the Black Belt London Live II and the latest Academy hitting Grosvenor Victoria shores. Now, in equally exciting news, the worldwide famous Black Belt Poker League has returned with not only a debuting 'X' in the roman numeracy, but also a fantastic new prize that offers you the chance to back our Black Belts in the biggest live event of the year: the World Series of Poker Main Event.

Following the dominating display of Trevor 'TeeDeeEye1' Ingman in last season's League, and Tom 'werrrrd' Drew the League prior, we've decided to spread the wealth by offering not one, not two, but three top-performing players a bite at the Vegas cherry, meaning that even if one player is pulling away from the pack in the later Legs, there will still be another two juicy prizes up for grabs!

1st 1.5% Black Belt Backing
2nd 1% Black Belt Backing
3rd 0.5% Black Belt Backing
4th 750 Belt Points
5th 600 Belt Points
6th 500 Belt Points
7th 400 Belt Points
8th 300 Belt Points
9th 200 Belt Points
10th 100 Belt Points

Black Belts Neil Channing, Richard Ashby and Sam Razavi will be giving away 1% each of their action with the League Champion being given first dibs, followed by the runner-up, and then finally third. Winners must use increments of 0.5%, with a maximum of 1% for each individual Black Belt. For example, the Champion can take 0.5% of each player or 1% of one and 0.5% of another.

Once again, the League will be an eight-week affair commencing on Tuesday, April 12, 2011 and concluding on Tuesday, May 31, 2011. As always, anyone who makes the top 10 will also receive a free DeucesCracked token which will be credited to their account upon completion of the League.

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

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

This a great opportunity to not only play a fun, yet competetive series of low-level freezeouts, but also experience the thrill of the WSOP Main Event vicariously through our Black Belts. With reigning Champion, Jonathan Duhamel, earning just shy of nine million dollars, you could potentially turn a small acorn of an investment into a huge, whopping, money-does-grow-on-them-afterall oak tree!

The League is open to all and you can join at any point, although simply making a deposit will promote you from White Belt to Yellow. Participating is easy: simply download the poker client, make a depsoit and locate the tournament in Scheduled > Black Belt Tournaments > Black Belt League VIII.

Previous Winners:

League I: Adam Saunders
League II: Mark Brassington
League III: David Meunier
League IV: Andy Brisland
League V: Trevor Myers
League VI: Mark Ranson
League VII: Tom Drew
League VIII:Trevor Ingman

BBP Academy: Giving You a Heads-Up

There is undoubtedly a strong correlation between the education of the poker audience and the level of interest in heads-up play, and with the dust of the poker boom settling and players exploring the intricacies poker has to offer, heads-up has inevitably emerged as perhaps the purest form of the game.

Next month, we shall be recognising the importance of heads-up play and analysing its finer points in our latest Academy, simply titled Heads-Up. On Saturday, April 9, Brighton's Sam Razavi joins online pro Nik Persaud and poker theorist Alex Rousso to present and discuss a variety of heads-up related topics such as adjustment, ranges, and value-betting.

Making his Academy debut, former thespian Sam Razavi is a heads-up specialist who has been playing professionally for the last several years, making a tidy profit at the $1/2 and $2/4 No Limit Hold'em tables. As one of two winners in Grading III, Sam earned a £10,000 Aussie Millions package, where he finished sixth in the Main Event for a whopping A$225,000, a figure which subsequently elevated him to Black Belt in the Belt-Up Rewards System.

As has become customary at the Black Belt Poker Academies, speakers will be open to questions, as well as inviting attendees to put their newly acquired skills into practice in three workshops. At 7.45pm, there will be an optional entry into a £50+6 tournament with a last-longer exclusive to Academy attendees. The winner of the last-longer will receive free entry into a future Academy of their choosing.

1pm Introduction (Alex Rousso)
1.15pm Style Assessment & Adjustment (Sam Razavi)
1.45pm Workshop #1
2.30pm Break
2.45pm Range Assessment (Nik Persaud)
3.15pm Workshop #2
4pm Hand Analysis
4.30pm Break
4.45pm Theory of Poker: Value-Betting vs. Bluff Induction (Sam Razavi)
5.15pm Workshop #3
5.45pm Play Analysis: Nik vs. Sam
6.30pm Q&A
7pm Seminar Ends

The Academy is capped at 30 and costs £150 per ticket. If you would like to attend, then simply send a cheque to Black Belt Poker Limited, The Rotunda, 42/3 Gloucester Crescent, London, NW1 7DL or transfer the money via the Black Belt Poker cardroom. For more information on cardroom transfers, please contact info@blackbeltpoker.com.

Alternatively, you can purchase your ticket with Spending Points earned through playing on the site. An Academy ticket is now available in the Black Belt Poker Store for 4,500 Spending Points. Simply log in to the community and select 'Store' in the top right hand menu.

The Black Belt Poker Academies are highly acclaimed and frequently receive positive reviews from attendees. If you would like to hear from some of the game's hottest talents, then don't be a fool this April, secure your seat now!

Top Gear; TeeDeeEye Wins League VIII!

For some, winning simply isn't enough, as was the case for Trevor 'TeeDeeEye1' Ingman who, last Tuesday, became the League VIII Champion in emphatic style when he took down the eighth and final leg. Much like Arsenal's impeccable showing in 2003-04 or Usain Bolt's blink-or-you'll-miss-it display in Berlin, Trevor secured his place on winners' row with the panache of a World Champion and cool, calm composure of Fonzarelli as he defeated a field of 83 - including runner-up and inaugural League Champion Adam 'JHobbit1' Saunders - to capture League gold.

Heading into the final leg, TeeDeeEye1 was already 63 points ahead of the pack with Mike 'sceaga2' Shaw his nearest competitor in second. Despite consecutive Leg victories, the hat-trick, as well as relying on his foe slipping on an early banana skin, was inevitably too much to ask, allowing TeeDeeEye1 to coast onto the final table with his name already etched into Black Belt Poker history.

If ever there were a reason to partake in the Tuesday night shenanigans, then this was it, as the three stooges - Black Belts Richard Ashby, Neil Channing and Aussie Millions finalist Sam Razavi - all put their necks on the line with a $50 bounty lurking precariously above their heads. Exiting in 24th, 44th and 60th places respectively, those booties were lapped up in relatively rapid fashion.

Although TeeDeeEye1 was the only player to have repeated his final table appearance from the week prior, there were still familiar names present in the shape of Papa 'Bambury' Wooldridge, who finished second a few weeks ago, and Rob 'SirNutFlopper' Weston, who won a trip to Vegas in last year's Quad Aces promotion. Third place went to Chris 'CroadYuk' Roadknight.

1st TeeDeeEye1 -- $127.52
2nd JHobbit1 -- $85.00
3rd CroadYuk -- $53.12
4th Bambury -- $40.37
5th Mrdroodle -- $31.87
6th Wally19 -- $25.50
7th bagpussrocks -- $21.25
8th SirNutFlopper -- $17.00
9th newrhino -- $12.75
10th Elysiumjay -- $10.62

As a result of his onslaught, TeeDeeEye1 completed the most dominating win in League history with 653 points, an incredible 135 points ahead of Andy 'Mrdroodle' Erksine who pipped sceaga2 at the runners-up post by just two points.

In all, four Orange Belts and five Yellow Belts finished in the top 10 - all of whom who will take home a DecuesCracked token a piece, as well as shower of Belt Points - including Leg 5 winner Paul 'hiddenacesBBP' Hollick who snuck into 10th at the death. Simon 'ourkidsid' Herrick was the unfortunate bubble, whilst Gavin 'TFMonty007 Hall, David 'bh0yw0nder' Docherty and League VI and VII Champions Tom 'Werrrrd' Drew and Mark '99Ranny' Ranson helped make up the teens.

1st TeeDeeEye1 -- London Live seat & DC token (653 points)
2nd Mrdroodle -- 1,000 Belt Points & DC token (518 points)
3rd sceaga2 -- 850 Belt Points & DC token (516 points)
4th DididavidBEL09 -- 750 Belt Points & DC token (500 points)
5th JimmyTheBhoy -- 600 Belt Points & DC token (489 points)
6th FlopTheNuts77 -- 500 Belt Points & DC token (462 points)
7th habbad -- 400 Belt Points & DC token (455 points)
8th JHobbit1 -- 300 Belt Points & DC token (448 points)
9th cikarang5 -- 200 Belt Points & DC token (446 points)
10th hiddenacesBBP -- 100 Belt Points & DC token (430 points)

The League may be done and dusted for another season, but with the London Live II right round the corner, it was of no surprise to see 29 hopefuls battling it out for one of four seats in the evening's super satellite. CroadYuk made up for his near miss in the League, whilst chrisstf, checkraisehtenut and iwillbustulol snapped up the remaining spots.

1st CroadYuk -- London Live seat
2nd chrisstf -- London Live seat
3rd checkraisethenut -- London Live seat
4th iwillbustulol -- London Live seat
5th KODDZILLA -- $30.00
6th RykanShadow -- $18.00
7th lalook -- $12.00

186 players participated in League VIII, but when the dust settled and the smoke cleared, there was room on the podium for just one man: Trevor Ingman. He'll be one of a 400-strong army heading to the Grosvenor Victoria this April for the Black Belt London Live II, battling it out for a guaranteed $100,000 prize pool and $20,000 first prize. If you would like to join him, then buy in now via the online cardroom in Scheduled > London Live > BBP London Live Day 1A/B.

League I: Adam Saunders
League II: Mark Brassington
League III: David Meunier
League IV: Andy Brisland
League V: Trevor Myers
League VI: Mark Ranson
League VII: Tom Drew
League VIII: Trevor Ingman

League VIII: London Live II
Werrrrd on the Streak; Leg 1 Dominance
TeeDeeEye1 Steers to Victory in Leg 2
I Should Koko; P.D. Takes Leg 3
Better Laight Than Never
An Ace Up His Sleeve
Leg 6: A Shaw Thing
League Leg 7: Shaw-ly Not

Leg 6: A Shaw Thing

It's that time of the week again where we bask in the glory of others and praise those whose rags flopped full houses and aces remained in tact; those we applaud, yet envy; and those who leap-frogged above us in the League and snapped up London Live seats that we so dearly desired. What gits, huh? Well, nearing the top of your someone-to-be-jealous-of list this week is likely Mike 'sceaga2' Shaw, as, last Super Tuesday, the former Grader overcame a 59-strong field to take down Leg 6 of League VIII.

On this occasion, the final table was rife with new faces with none of last week's finalists repeating the feat. As former League Champions David 'DididavidBEL09' Meunier and Adam 'JHobbit' Saunders lapped up seventh and fourth respectively, the title of close-but-not-cigar was left in the hands of Papa 'Bambury' Wooldridge, who was pipped at the post by the aforementioned sceaga2. $64.90 was his consolation, although $94.41 and a first League win was the ultimate goal.

Sceaga2 not only tasted League victory for the third time after taking down an impressive two Legs in the previous League, but he also wined and dined in one of Valuetown's finest restaurants having entered the tournament via a Black Belt Poker token, as did Purple Belt Gareth 'PKRLocke' Alder who finished in third.

1st sceaga2 -- $94.41
2nd Bambury -- $64.90
3rd PKRLocke -- $39.82
4th JHobbit -- $29.50
5th lionrampant27 -- $22.12
6th insider66666 -- $17.70
7th DididavidBEL09 -- $14.75
8th stevegw -- $11.80

Although Blue Belts Gavin 'TFMonty007' Hall, Jamie 'StilettoMafiosa' Burland, Simon 'AlwaysMissing' Mairs and Black Belt Richard 'CHUFTY11' Ashby were present and correct, none of them were able to make a dent in the League Standings, and in particular the top spot where Trevor 'TeeDeeEye1' Ingman pulled out another solid performance (18th) to extend his lead to 76. Meanwhile, sceaga2 climbs to fourth and DididavidBEL09 jumps into third, whilst the last two Champs - Mark '99Ranny' Ranson and Tom 'Werrrrd' Drew are lying await in the teens.

1st TeeDeeEye1 -- 481 points
2nd Mrdroodle -- 405 points
3rd DididavidBEL09 -- 398 points
4th sceaga2 -- 396 points
5th habbad -- 392 points
6th FlopTheNuts77 -- 382 points
7th ch1paccrual -- 377 points
8th JimmyTheBhoy -- 375 points
9th bh0yw0nder -- 366 points
10th tristiano -- 352 points

With Ingman cementing his commanding lead and virtually securing his London Live prize with just two Legs to go, many have been forced to focus on the proceeding satellites for a trip to the Vic, the $40+4 freezeout 30 minutes later providing the quickest and easiest route. With the intriguingly named 'thumbscrews' feeling the splash of the bubble, and the next three departures leaving with a monetary cushion, the two guaranteed seats went to unknown entity H4lfSug4r and known entity Giovanni 'Partagasd4new' Pennetta, the latter of whom went deep in the inaugural event.

1st Partagasd4new -- London Live seat
2nd H4lfSug4r -- London Live seat
3rd JHobbit1 -- $105.00
4th Touagorimou -- $63.00
5th ch1paccrual -- $42.00

If $44 is too steep, then players also have the opportunity to qualify for a single buck through our weekly $1 Donkament Satellite. Moving one rung closer to the London Live this week was Kim 'insider66666' Vernon.

1st insider66666 -- super satellite seat
2nd adygolf -- $17.00
3rd Mrdroodle -- $10.20
4th betyama -- $6.80

I won't lie; with the League's conclusion on the horizon, stopping TeeDeeEye1 is akin to halting a heard of elephants with a pea-shooter - which, for those scratching their heads, is a somewhat taxing task. But fear not, all is not lost, as points and prizes are still available for a top 10 finish, and our weekly London Live Satellites will continue until the starting whistle sounds. So, don't be shy, join us next week for another night of fun, frolics, and watching TeeDeeEye1 pull even further away. How can you resist?

If playing the Black Belt London Live II for $1 tickles your fancy, then getting started couldn't be easier. Simply download the poker client, open an account, and get registered for next week's event. See you there!

League VIII: London Live II
Werrrrd on the Streak; Leg 1 Dominance
TeeDeeEye1 Steers to Victory in Leg 2
I Should Koko; P.D. Takes Leg 3
Better Laight Than Never
An Ace Up His Sleeve

Paint It Black

The party poppers are on standby, the finger buffet is ready to go, and the entertainment has been ordered - it's party time at Black Belt Poker as we celebrate the first ever player to scale through the Belt-Up Rewards System and reach Black Belt: Sam 'KODDZILLA' Razavi.

As of today, Sam joins 2008 Irish Open Champion Neil Channing and bracelet-winner Richard 'Chufty' Ashby as one of three Black Belts. A heads-up cash specialist, Sam is a former thespian from Brighton who turned to poker when the boom was at its most explosive, lured away from a life of acting to tackle the virtual felt full-time. Several years on, and Sam is one of the faces of Black Belt Poker, the first self-made Black Belt, and the welcome recipient of $10,000 per month in live tournament backing.

Sam's rise to the top was a speedy and eventful one. Having opened up an account at the tail end of September, he worked his way to Blue Belt within just five weeks, before being tempted by Grading III and the allure of an Aussie Millions seat. Several weeks later, and Sam was on his way to Melbourne, with a Brown Belt around his waist and a £10,000 package in his pocket.

Although Lady Luck was absent early doors, Sam sliced and diced his way through a 721-thick field in the Main Event to come sixth for a mouth-watering A$225,000, competing on a final table that included James Keys, Chris Moorman, and high stakes pro Patrik Antonius. As a result, Sam earned circa 675,000 in Winning Points, which was enough to promote him to Black Belt for a minimum of five months with over $50,000 in guaranteed sponsorship.

Sam is now one of our featured bloggers and has marked the occasion with a fresh blog entry, delivered with his usual colourful tone and smattering of sardonic wit. Titled 'Year of the Monkey', Sam regales us with prop-betting tales from one of his many stops on the globe-trotting tour, as well as outlining - via analogies from the local aquarium - the various player-types he's stumbled upon along the way. As always, you'll find yourself delving deep into a surreal and potentially dangerous, but highly entertaining mind.

Everyone here at Black Belt Poker would like to congratulate Sam on his success and wish him all the best at the felt as the fist ever player to reach Black Belt via the Belt-Up Rewards System. Let the celebrations commence!

Community Interview: Sam Razavi
Hit for Sixth; Sam Wins A$225,000
Grading III Results
Blog - Prologue
Blog - The English Gentleman
Blog - Back from the Dead
Blog - A Sensible Game
Blog - Anything Is Possible
Blog - Year of the Monkey

$200,000 GTD - Tonight!

January may have come and gone, but the Winter Sales have become a permanent fixture at Black Belt Poker as we continue to offer our players more value than anywhere else.

The Winter Sales saw Black Belt Poker go discount doo-lally as we slashed the buy-ins of a number of tournaments but maintained the same fantastic guaran-damn-tees. In a sheer moment of madness, we even offered WSOP Main Event seats to anyone who eliminated Neil Channing or Richard Ashby from the $200,000 GTD. Their assassins certainly regretted not playing on Black Belt Poker.

Over a month on and it would seem that Black Belt Poker are still stuck at the funny farm as we've decided to keep the buy-in of the weekly $200,000 GTD at the cut-price of just $200+15. Already there have been overlays for this event, so we truly are giving away money.

The next event starts tonight at 7pm. With a starting stack of 10,000, the $200,000 GTD offers players a deep structure for a mouth-watering prize at a plus EV price. And if that wasn't value enough, then anyone who doesn't make the money has another chance to shine in a $5,000 second chance freeroll on Monday at 7pm.

If $215 is stretching the bankroll, then don't fret, as we're holding a host of satellites throughout the week, including a $25+2.5 mega freezeout on Saturday where not 10, not 25, but an incredible 50 guaranteed seats will be up for grabs. If you can't wait until next week, then there are plenty of satellites available today with buy-ins as low as $1.20!

Stage 2:

2.00pm -- $1.80+0.18 Turbo Rebuy (10 seats guaranteed)
3.15pm -- $2+0.20 Turbo Rebuy (5 seats guaranteed)
4.30pm -- $1.10+0.10 Rocket Rebuy (30 seats guaranteed)

Stage 1:

3.30pm -- $25+2.50 Freezeout (15 seats guaranteed)
4.15pm -- $18+1.80 Turbo Rebuy (15 seats guaranteed)
5.00pm -- $18+1.80 Turbo Rebuy (20 seats guaranteed)
5.15pm -- $25+2.50 Speed Rebuy (10 seats guaranteed)
5.30pm -- $10+1 Speed Rebuy (15 seats guaranteed)

With so much value on offer, it looks like Black Belt Poker are insane in the membrane and destined for a life in the asylum. If you want to take advantage of the lunacy, then make sure you check out the site now and ensure that you secure your seat on the Black Belt Poker bus to Valuetown.

New to Black Belt Poker? Signing up couldn't be easier. Just download the poker client, follow the simply instructions to opening an account, then locate the aforementioned events in the tournament lobby under Scheduled.

An Ace Up His Sleeve

Despite the handle, there were no accusations of concealed cards last night as Paul 'hiddenacesBBP' Hollick took down the fifth Leg of the Black Belt Poker League. Faced with a 62-strong field, hiddenacesBBP defeated an eclectic mix of pros and amateurs alike to capture treasures of just shy of $100, as well as seven days of bragging rights.

On this occasion, John 'luckyed147' Sanders was the bridesmaid, leaving former Champion Mark 'russellhansen' Brassington with the role of pageboy in third. Also finalling were Sean '10Royals' Lassman and Chris 'losbert40' Osborne who both turned Spending Points into hard cash after entering via a Black Belt Poker token.

This week saw a heavy influence of sponsored pros hit the virtual felt, but none featured in the money. Whilst Kevin 'Kevish47' Williams came close, but no cigar, in 11th, Joe 'JustinBieber' Roberts, Jerome 'GONGONONGO' Bradpiece, Gavin 'TFMonty007' Hall and Owen 'Ruaction' Robinson were quickly disposed of finishing 47th, 54th, 60th and 61st respectively.

1st hiddenacesBBP -- $99.20
2nd luckyed147 -- $68.20
3rd russellhansen -- $41.85
4th themackem1968 -- $31.00
5th cikarang5 -- $23.25
6th 10Royals -- $18.60
7th BoatDrink -- $15.50
8th losbert40 -- $12.40

Like last time, there was little movement in the League Standings, the only exception being Andy 'mrdroodle' Eskine and Ewen 'ewen51' MacRitchie who experienced a seesaw exchange with the former leap-frogging into third following a solid 12th place finish, and the latter sliding down from 6th to 16th quicker than a lard-encrusted eel after a surprise no-show.

At the top, Trevor 'TeeDeeEye1' Ingman is remaining as defiant as ever despite a mediocre 37th place finish, maintaining a comfortable lead of 64 points with three Legs remaining. His saving grace was, surely, the disappointing showing from second-place Leigh 'ch1paccrual' Wiltshire who could only muster 57th.

1st TeeDeeEye1 -- 439 points
2nd ch1paccrual -- 375 points
3rd Mrdroodle -- 356 points
4th FlopTheNuts77 -- 351 points
5th habbad -- 351 points
6th JimmyTheBhoy -- 349 points
7th DididavidBEL09 -- 339 points
8th Werrrrd -- 336 points
9th 99Ranny -- 333 points
10th bh0yw0nder -- 321 points

With Black Belt Poker guaranteeing seats, the London Live super satellite was well attended with 31 looking to secure one of four spots. In the end, they went to Joanne 'InURdreamz' Sweeney, 1894IAIN, David 'DididavidBEL09' Meunier and Chris 'youshouldstakeme' Cornelius, the latter of whom won his seat for just $5 after triumphing in Thursday's Stage 1 satellite. Meanwhile, mrdroodle, who qualified via last week's Donkament, just about made a profit as he snuck into the money in seventh.

1st youshouldstakeme -- London Live seat
2nd DididavidBEL09 -- London Live seat
3rd 1894IAIN -- London Live seat
4th InURdreamz -- London Live seat
5th disciple999 -- $70.00
6th sceaga2 -- $42.00
7th Mrdroodle -- $28.00

The final event of the night was the $1 Donkament with one guaranteed seat into next week's $40+4 super satellite. That spot went to none other than League I Champion Adam 'JHobbit1' Saunders, whose bar exploits from last year will surely be in for a repeat performance.

1st JHobbit1 -- super satellite seat
2nd insider6666 -- $19.00
3rd Anonymous
4th BoatDrink -- $7.60

Congratulations to anyone listed above; Super Tuesday is a cracking evening of poker fun and frolics, and this week was no different. If you're reading this and thinking, 'Hey, I quite fancy playing the London Live for cheap,' then fear not, as next week, Super Tuesday will be returning with the same line-up, and another chance for you to secure your spot in the hottest event of the year.

If playing the Black Belt London Live II for $1 tickles your fancy, then getting started couldn't be easier. Simply download the poker client, open an account, and get registered for next week's event. See you there!

League VIII: London Live II
Werrrrd on the Streak; Leg 1 Dominance
TeeDeeEye1 Steers to Victory in Leg 2
I Should Koko; P.D. Takes Leg 3
Better Laight Than Never

Better Laight Than Never

Last Tuesday, it was a League Supernova for 'Ourkid888' as Jon Laight found himself 'caught beneath a landslide' of triumph as he reigned supreme in Leg 4 of League VIII.

The spoils consisted of $120 and 105 League points, credited after a dogged performance that saw Ourkid888 best a field of 80. The final soldier toppled was Peter 'Merlin52' Goulding, who despite a fine showing, was unable to yield his magic to garnish a fist final-table appearance with a League victory.

Also finalling (in fifth) was Sam 'KODDZILLA' Razavi, fresh off final-tabling the recent Aussie Millions Main Event for a whopping A$225,000. Fellow Black Belt Neil Channing also featured, but could only muster a disappointing 67th place finish, whilst reigning League Champion Tom 'Werrrrd' Drew didn't fair much better in 53rd.

1st Ourkid888 -- $120.00
2nd Merlin52 -- $80.00
3rd huddy2602 -- $50.00
4th ch1paccrual -- $38.00
5th KODDZILLA -- $30.00
6th FlopTheNuts77 -- $24.00
7th ourkidsid -- $20.00
8th betyama -- $16.00
9th CareybearBBP -- $12.00
10th pbsef81 -- $10.00

Despite bubbling the final table, 11th was enough to see Trevor 'TeeDeeEye1' Ingham extend his lead at the top to 413 points, a disconcerting 44 points ahead of nearest rival Leigh 'ch1paccrual' Wiltshire who leap-frogged Ewen 'ewen51' MacRitchie into second. Meanwhile, Gavin 'TFMonty007' Hall drops from the top 10 after a frustrating 51st place finish, to be replaced by former League Champion Mark '99Ranny' Ranson who skips into ninth.

1st TeeDeeEye1 -- 413 points
2nd ch1paccrual -- 369 points
3rd FlopTheNuts77 -- 338 points
4th JimmyTheBhoy -- 325 points
5th habbad -- 311 points
6th ewen51 -- 311 points
7th Werrrrd -- 309 points
8th Mrdroodle -- 306 points
9th 99Ranny -- 302 points
10th bh0yw0nder -- 293 points

As always, defeat in the League didn't necessarily mean an early night, as 30 minutes later saw the fourth London Live super satellite kick off with 24 salivating poker fanatics looking to secure their seat in April's extravaganza. In the end, three more seats were filled, with Purple Belt Richard 'generalshifty' Hurst being joined at the Grosvenor Victoria (bar) by Deboarah 'whosurmama' Worley-Roberts and Gareth 'PKRLocke' Alder.

1st generalshifty -- $275.00
2nd whosurmama -- $275.00
3rd PKRLocke -- $275.00
4th TableKnight -- $67.50
5th DididavidBEL09 -- $40.04
6th WarSunTzu -- £27.00

The $1 Donkament into next week's super satellite was similarly well attended with Andy 'mrdroodle' Erskine topping the 24-strong field, whilst former League Champion Adam 'JHobbit1' Saunders just missing out in second.

1st Mrdroodle -- $44.00
2nd JHobbit1 -- $17.50
3rd losbert40 -- $10.50
4th betyama -- $7.00

Although Tuesday is Black Belt Poker's day of poker feasting, we also offer a snack on Thursday evening for those with big appetites. Following the starting whistle of the Yellow Belt freeroll, there's a $5 satellite at 8.30pm with one seat guaranteed into the following Tuesday's $40+4 super satellite.

This week's event was hotly contested with 17 players - including Blue Belt Joe 'JustinBieber' Roberts and League III Champion David 'DididavidBEL09' Meunier - hitting the virtual felt, but after the smoke had cleared and the dust settled, it was Chris 'youshoulstakeme' Cornelius who advanced with Grant 'betyama' Darnley forced to settle for second.

1st youshouldstakem -- super satellite seat
2nd betyama -- $20.50
3rd JustinBieber -- $12.30
4th TFMonty007 -- $8.20

The Black Belt London Live II hits Vic shores this April 1-3. It's not too late to earn your free seat by winning the League, but if you want to preempt a sellout and secure your seat early, then direct buy in is available via the site. Simply download the poker client and locate the tournament in Scheduled > London Live > BBP London Live Day 1A/1B to buy into the must-play tournament of the year.

League VIII: London Live II
Werrrrd on the Streak; Leg 1 Dominance
TeeDeeEye1 Steers to Victory in Leg 2
I Should Koko; P.D. Takes Leg 3

London Live II: Six of the Best

With no fewer than 20 bounties, this year's Black Belt London Live II promises to feature more stars than an entire series of Celebrity Squares. Today, we are proud to announce six confirmed bounties who will be adorning the Wanted posters at the Vic this April.

Fresh off winning the High Rollers event at the UKIPT Nottingham for £34,200, Jake Cody will be appearing at London Live II to showcase his talent. At just 22-years of age, Jake has already achieved feats that many veterans can only dream of and will be looking to become a Triple Crown champion in Vegas this year after winning EPT Deauville and WPT London in 2010.

One man who wears that desired gold is Marty Smyth, the Irishman having secured his bracelet in 2008 when he won the $10,000 World Championship Pot Limit Omaha event for $859,549. But this was just one of many triumphs with Marty also boasting Irish Open, World Open and Poker Million silverware, culminating to an incredible $3.8 million in live tournament winnings.

Joining Jake and Marty with targets on their heads will be Hit Squad member James Akenhead. A former train driver from London, James shot to stardom when he became a member of the November Nine in 2009, eventually falling in ninth for $1,263,602. Since then, he has gone on to greatness, finalling the WSOPE the same year, winning Poker Million VIII for $500,000, and securing a lucrative deal with sponsors Full Tilt Poker.

Completing the half-dozen of superstar bounties are the Black Belt Poker Black Belts: 2008 Irish Open and 2010 GUKPT Luton Champion Neil Channing, bracelet-winner and nosebleed Omaha pro Richard Ashby, and Grading III winner Sam Razavi, who recently finished sixth in the Aussie Millions Main Event for a delicious A$225,000.

If the above announcement has hit you for six, then check out the site for all the details. With up to $250 for eliminating a bounty, you could potentially go away with anything up to $5,000 without even making the money! But that's not where the value stops, as we're guaranteeing a $100,000 prize pool, a $20,000 first prize, a deep structure, and up to 20% added to all prizes, and all for just $250+25!

The London Live II is destined to be another roaring success and tickets are selling fast. To secure your seat, simply download the poker client, open an account, and register via the tournament lobby: Scheduled > London Live > BBP London LIve II Day 1A/1B.

Relevant links:

London Live Returns
Satellite into the London Live for $1
New Year Diary - Jake Cody
Player Interview: Jake Cody
Player Interview: Marty Smyth
Video Interview: James Akenhead

N-n-n-nineteen in N-n-n-nottingham

After just one season, the UKIPT has become the staple of the UK poker circuit with players nationwide flocking back into the casinos with a newfound desire to fight it out across the tournament felt. This week, the tour bus makes its second stop in Nottingham after a hugely successful debut last year when 650 poker fanatics crammed into the highly acclaimed Dusk Till Dawn Club.

The runner-up on that occasion was Oliver Schaffmann who took away a cool £46,700 after being pipped at the post by eventual winner Andrew Couldridge. Oliver would later become a part of Grading III, travelling from Germany to participate in the London Workshops before finally winning a £5,000 package to play all of Season 2's UKIPT Legs. Also making the final table was fellow Blue Belt Owen Robinson who finished fourth for £21,400.

This week, Oliver and Owen form part of a 19-strong team of players flying the flag for Black Belt Poker in Nottingham with the ambush spearheaded by the three Black Belts: Neil Channing, Richard Ashby, and man-of-the-moment Sam Razavi, fresh off his final table appearance in Oz when he finished sixth in the Aussie Millions Main Event for a spectacular A$225,000.

The full line-up is as follows:

Neil Channing (Black Belt)
Richard Ashby (Black Belt)
Sam Razavi (Black Belt)

Nik Persaud (Brown Belt)
Jerome Bradpiece (Brown Belt)

Ollie Schaffmann (Blue Belt)
David Docherty (Blue Belt)
Tom Drew (Blue Belt)
Joe Roberts (Blue Belt)
Simon Mairs (Blue Belt)
Adam Goulding (Blue Belt)
Warren Wooldridge (Blue Belt)
Gavin Hall (Blue Belt)
Kevin Williams (Blue Belt)
Jamie Burland (Blue Belt)
Mickey Morley (Blue Belt)
Andrew Miles (Blue Belt)
Owen Robinson (Blue Belt)
Adam Latimer (Blue Belt)

With a 15,000 starting stack and 45-minute clock, the UKIPT is snip at £500+60, and with a venue like Dusk Till Dawn, players can be assured a top class service. As such, Black Belt Poker are proud to be supporting the event and will be keen to make an impact.

Tomorrow, the likes of Jerome Bradpiece, Neil Channing and Brighton Leg Champion Jamie Burland will be hitting the green baize for Day 1a. If you would like to see if Black Belt Poker get off too a good start, then please check out the thread in 'groups' for all the latest news.

I Should Koko; P.D. Takes Leg 3

Another Tuesday and another night of poker festivity on Black Belt Poker as the poker world once again assembled over the virtual felt to battle it out for the game's most illustrious title: League VIII Champion.

This week, 91 sought to inch closer towards that dream, including Black Belts Neil Channing and Richard Ashby, the latter fresh off a side event victory in Oz. Although they could only manage 80th and 42nd respectively, others did excel, in particular last week's Leg winner Trevor 'TeeDeeEye1' Ingham, who made his second consecutive final. Meanwhile, James 'JimmyTheBoy' Carrigan echoed his final table appearance in Leg 1 but, alas, could only muster a 10th place finish.

The spoils, instead, went to Peter 'UliKoko' Derrick, the Orange Belt defeating Blue Belt and former Grader Joe 'JustinBieber' Roberts heads-up to capture his first League victory and a tasty $136.52 booty to, er… boot. In third place sat Tom 'habbad' Thompson, whilst Gareth 'garethaber' Jones just missed out on a podium finish in fourth.

1st UliKoko -- $136.52
2nd JustinBieber -- $91.00
3rd habbad -- $56.87
4th garethhaber -- $43.22
5th pbsef1 -- $34.12
6th TeeDeeEye1 -- $27.30
7th Werrrrd -- $22.75
8th SurrealKiller -- $18.20
9th sceaga2 -- $13.65
10th JimmyTheBhoy -- $11.37

After an impressive couple of weeks, TeeDeeEye1 not only holds onto his top spot, but extends it, whilst Leaigh 'ch1paccrual' Wiltshire slips all the way from 2nd to 6th following a 40th place finish. Meanwhile, Werrrrd has climbed back into the top 10, and is now joined by fellow Blue Belt Gavin 'TFMonty007' Hall who sneaks into 10th.

1st TeeDeeEye1 -- 343 points
2nd ewen51 -- 298 points
3rd JimmyTheBhoy -- 294 points
4th habbad -- 285 points
5th Werrrd -- 281 points
6th ch1paccrual -- 280 points
7th FlopTheNuts77 -- 255 points
8th Mrdroodle -- 250 points
9th bh0yw0nder -- 246 points
10th TFMonty007 -- 244 points

The increasingly popular London Live super satellite was up next, with 29 players - including Paul Marrow, Jamie Burland and David Docherty - seeking a cheap route to the Vic.

Although Richard 'generalshifty' Hurst softened the blow of a wooden-spoon performance in the League, it was Mandy 'wondrman' Card, Dojo host Kevin 'Kevish47' Williams, and former Grader John '0LuckBeerLady0' Hayes who secured their spot, whilst a mysterious unknown entity lapped up seat number four.

1st wondrwman -- London Live seat
2nd Kevish47 -- London Live seat
3rd 0LuckBeerLady0 -- London Live seat
4th Anonymous -- London Live seat
5th TableKnight -- $30.00
6th generalshifty -- $18.00
7th UsainZeus88 -- £12.00

There was similar mystery in the Donkament, as a non-Black Belt Poker player triumphed over the field of 26, with poor Carey 'Careybear' Hollick feeling the splash of the bubble.

1st Anonymous -- super satellite seat
2nd Xcomeone69X -- $17.00
3rd Anonymous
4th gnomeeee -- $6.80

And on that rebuying-frenzied note (although, this week, nobody reached the milestone of double-figured rebuys), Super Tuesday came to a close with another debutant Leg winner announced, and two more victims entered into the London Live II. As always, it was a fun-filled, roller coaster of a night; loved by many, regretted by some, but enjoyed by all. If you feel like being a part of the fun and frolics, then join us next week, same Bat-time, same Bat-channel.

Top open an account is easy: simply download the poker client and follow the step-by-step process provided.

League VIII: London Live II
Werrrrd on the Streak; Leg 1 Dominance
TeeDeeEye1 Steers to Victory in Leg 2

In De-Niall; Second for Team BBP

Led by a mystical cowboy and his trusted American wrangler, the Black Belt Poker team ambushed the APAT UK Team Championship at the tail end of January with just one goal on their mind: lassoing their foes on route to victory and capturing the illustrious title and Championship Cup.

For Team Captain Jon 'The British Cowboy' Woodfield, this was far from his first rodeo, yet he was left with the increasingly difficult responsibility of forming a team. Despite a few of the cattle escaping in the weeks leading up to the event - most notably, Aussie Millions finalist Sam Razavi, who had cantered Down Under after winning Grading III - Jon made a few last-minute substitutions to showcase a formidable and gritty line-up of card-slingers, and one that included not one, but two former League Champions:

Jon 'The British Cowboy' Woodfield (Captain)
Carey 'Careybear' Hollick (Vice Captain)
Jon Ourkid888' Laight
Julie 'Joobie538' Holness
Niall 'Firaldo87' Farrell
Mark '99Ranny' Ranson
Ebrahim 'HenryDaHaddock' Razavi
Mark 'russellhansen' Brassington

The ranch of choice was the G Casino, Bolton with 200 players competing over a £10,000 prize pool, with 50 percent of the gold going to the winning team and the rest landing in the lap of the individual winner, along with a seat into a GUKPT Main Event. With 25 teams stumping up the £400 (£50 each) buy-in - including the likes of blonde Poker, Northern Ireland Poker, Gambling Network, Live Pub Poker League and Punters' Lounge - and with a 10,000 starting stack with 45-minute blind levels, the journey was going to be a long, dogged one, with only the most resilient band of men (and ladies) coming out on top.

Although Jon led admirably from the front, and was joined on Day 2 by Julie, it was Niall whose guns were a-blazing as the team's sole representative on the final table. But heading in, Niall was sitting comfortably with 340,900, and second only to Mark Trett of the Newcastle Poker Forum who had 465,200.

Despite eliminating blonde Poker's Hugh Black on route to three-handed play, London Poker Meet-Up had already sealed team victory, thus leaving Black Belt Poker vying for the silver medal at best. Niall, however, remained focussed on the highest tier of the podium, and following a rugged battle with Helen Godfrey, finally desaddled his foe with K-2 versus K-8 all in on a K-2-x flop. As such, Niall was crowned the individual Champion - a title which was accompanied by a £1,200 treasure chest - while the Black Belt Poker team finished the weekend in a highly credible second place.

"After weeks and weeks of getting volunteers," commented Team Captain Jon Woodfield, "then replacing the ones who couldn’t get time off work and those who decided they’d rather play the GUKPT, and, of course, finding a replacement because Neil stole the team’s best player to take to Australia (although, I suppose, that ended up quite well), we finally arrived in Bolton with a team of eight players to take on the rest of the UK poker world.

"I had completely failed to appreciate Niall’s skill / luck, though," he continued, "He always seemed in control of the situation at the final table and the truly surprising element was that he never got caught out (too much) by any outdraws which could have finished him off in one blow; this held him through to the final hand where his luck gave him an outdraw with a dominated hand – but his skill advantage was illustrated by the fact that it was after he’d already hit that the chips went in. We didn’t win, but we did OK. Next year we’ll win it all."

"I have now 'adopted' Niall as my new son," added Vice Captain Carey Hollick. "He's such an amazing player; right around the bubble he raised 14 consecutive hands in a row. Listening to him talk about poker is mind-blowing and I'm very grateful for meeting him this weekend. APAT is definitely going to be attended by me more this year; the people were amazingly friendly and I haven't had more fun at a live event in so long!"

1st London Poker Meet-Up -- £2,500
2nd Black Belt Poker -- £1,500
3rd Gambling Network Forum -- £1,000

1st Niall Farrell -- £1,200
2nd Helen Godfrey -- £650
3rd Mark Trett -- £400
4th Michael Martin -- £250
5th Hugh Black -- £250
6th Andrew Cairns -- £250
7th Matthew Carter -- £250
8th Andrew Young -- £250
9th John Murray -- £250
10th Steve Redfern -- £250
11th Scott Wilson -- £100
12th Tom Stewart-Fielding -- £100
13th Richard Baker -- £100
14th Dave Stephenson -- £100
15th Kevin Ridley -- £100
16th Iain Wilson -- £100
17th Andrew Walker -- £100
18th Rob Spencer -- £100
19th Al Rayner -- £100
20th Kevin Bloor -- £100

TeeDeeEye1 Steers to Victory in Leg 2

After last week's decimation of the 132 record-breaking field, it appeared as though Tom 'Werrrrd' Drew's League dominance had rolled over into Season 8, and that anyone else who attended was simply making up the numbers. This week, however, the troops were mobilised, the fortress was built and, finally, King Drew was toppled from his throne.

That regal honour was instead bestowed upon the head of Yellow Belt Trevor 'TeeDeeEye1' Ingman, who not only made his second consecutive final table, but defeated Chris 'losbert40' Osborne heads-up to capture his first victory to date, as well as the $150 crown jewels.

Among the 100 who stumped up the $5 buy-in fee were a number of familiar faces, many of whom came close-but-no cigar, including Simon 'AlwaysMissing' Mairs, David 'bh0yw0nder' Docherty and David 'DididavidBEL09' Meunier, the latter of whom entered into the inagural London Live as reigning League Champion.

1st TeeDeeEye1 -- $150.00
2nd losbert40 -- $100.00
3rd ch1paccrual -- $62.50
4th ewen51 -- $47.50
5th AlwaysMissing -- $37.50
6th bh0yw0nder -- $30.00
7th 10Royals -- $25.00
8th 5uper5tud -- $20.00
9th DididavidBEL09 -- $15.00
10th baligirl13 -- $12.50

His 10th place finish last week means that TeeDeeEye1 is now flying high in the League Standings with 249 points, whilst Leigh 'ch1paccrual' Wiltshire (18th and 3rd) and Ewen 'ewen51' MacRitchie (14th and 4th) are snapping at his heels like alligators with toothache on 228 points a piece.

As for last week's titans, Tom and Gavin 'TFMonty007' Hall's below par performances (68th and 71st respectively) this time around mean they slip out of the top 10, thus proving that it only takes one bad showing to slide downhill quicker than an eel on a water slide.

1st TeeDeeEye1 -- 249 points
2nd ch1paccrual -- 228 points
3rd ewen51 -- 228 points
4th youshouldstakeme -- 220 points
5th DididavidBEL09 -- 215 points
6th JimmyTheBhoy -- 211 points
7th bh0ywonder -- 208 points
8th Ruaction -- 201 points
9th cikarang5 -- 196 points
10th Mrdroodle -- 195 points

Perhaps the tournament that many were checking out from the corner of their eye was the 8pm super satellite, the qualifiers of which would be heading to the London Live with a free pass: do not pass go, but do collect $275.

With 23 taking their seats, it was going to be a battle, but it was one that was jointly won by the trio of Tony '7onyB' Booth, Green Belt Mark 'allmichips' Charles, and former Grader Marty 'MJR719' Rice.

Meanwhile, Blue Belt and Enlightenment Sensei Kevin 'Kevish47' Williams felt the splash of the seat bubble, whilst fifth place Vickie 'AngelVicki48' Lambert was a gnat's pubic hair away from booking her seat for just $3 after earning a spot in last week's $1 Donkament satellite.

1st MJR719 -- London Live seat
2nd 7onyB -- London Live seat
3rd allmichips -- London Live seat
4th Kevish47 -- $47.50
5th AngelVickie48 -- $28.50
6th 1894IAIN -- $19.00

Talking of Donkament satellites, just 30 minutes later, 30 hopefuls sought to transform a $1 acorn of an investment into a giant $275 red oak tree. Nobody quite achieved that feat, although Malcolm 'lionrampant' Sievwright managed to earn his seat with just the single rebuy/add-on.

1st betyama -- super satellite seat
2nd lionrampant27 -- super satellite seat
3rd Ourkid888 -- $5.00
4th BeauNidle1 -- $3.00
5th BoatDrink -- $2.00

Although Super Tuesdays have quickly become the main focus for those heading down the London Live Brick road, we also hold a weekly $5 satellite that runs parallel with Thursday's Yellow Belt Freeroll. 15 participated last night including Carey 'Careybear' Hollick - who was one of two winners in Monday's Orange Belt Academy Freeroll - but the top dog was ultimately Rob 'SirNutFlopper' Weston, who, last year, won a trip to Las Vegas courtesy of the Quad Aces promotion. Maybe next week, he'll add the London Live to his repertoire.

1st SirNutFlopper -- super satellite seat
2nd BeauNidle1 -- $15.50
3rd TFMonty007 -- $9.30
4th NPENFOLD -- $6.20

With the London Live, recently announced Academy, and revamped Dojo Sessions, there's plenty going on at Black Belt Poker, and we'd love to have you involved. If you'd like to participate in the most competitive, but friendly Leagues in cyber space, then be sure to check us out. With only two Legs in the bag, it's not too late to join the race. Simply download the poker client, open an account, and locate Black Belt Tournaments in the cardamom lobby. Oh, and hold on tight, it's gonna be a fast ride.

League VIII: London Live II
Werrrrd on the Streak; Leg 1 Dominance

BBP Academy: The Great Debate

History has witnessed some monumental debates: is the world flat, who should and shouldn't vote, and who's better, Christina or Britney? But, of course, the greatest debate known to man is that of the three traditional tournament poker styles.

Following a brief hiatus during the festive period, the Black Belt Poker Academy is set to return this February for its first outing of the year. Due to popular demand, the returning topic will be 'Accumulating Chips in Tournaments - Part One: The Three Money-Making Tournament Styles' with mentors debating the pros and cons of the TAG, LAG and Small Ball styles.

Akin to a heated episode of Question Time, each style will be defended to the last with poker theorist Alex Rousso and UKIPT Brighton Champion Jamie Burland singing the praises of TAG and LAG respectively, whilst 2008 Irish Open Champion Neil Channing will highlight the benefits of adopting Small Ball. Meanwhile, attendees will be invited to add fuel to the fire with views and opinions of their own.

Scheduled for Saturday, February, 19, 2011, the day will run from 1pm - 7pm with the line-up as follows:

1pm Introduction
1.15pm The Tight-Agressive Style (Alex Rousso)
2pm TAG workshop
2.45pm Break
3pm The Loose-Aggressive Style (Jamie Burland)
3.45pm LAG Workshop
4.15pm Televised Hand Analysis
4.45pm Break
5pm The Small Ball Style (Neil Channing)
6.30pm Group Debate
7pm Seminar Ends

At 7.45pm, there will be an optional entry into a £50+6 tournament with a last-longer exclusive to Academy attendees. The winner of the last-longer will receive free entry into a future Academy of their choosing.

The Academy is capped at 30 and costs £150 per ticket. If you would like to attend, then simply send a cheque to Black Belt Poker Limited, The Rotunda, 42/3 Gloucester Crescent, London, NW1 7DL or transfer the money via the Black Belt Poker cardroom. For more information on cardroom transfers, please contact info@blackbeltpoker.com.

Alternatively, you can purchase your ticket with Spending Points earned through playing on the site. An Academy ticket is now available in the Black Belt Poker Store for 4,500 Spending Points. Simply log in to the community and select 'Store' in the top right hand menu.

The Black Belt Poker Academies are highly acclaimed and frequently receive positive reviews from attendees. If you would like to hear from some of the game's hottest talents, then be sure to secure your seat now and we look forward to seeing you later in the month... that's if you've survived Valentine's Day, of course.

Please note that the location will be confirmed within the next few days and will be in the London area.

Dojo Session Doors Reopen

The Age of Enlightenment may have been a philosophical era confined to the eighteenth century, but at Black Belt Poker, we're delighted to confirm that Enlightenment is still rife in 2011 with the return of our highly acclaimed Dojo Sessions.

Following a brief hiatus during January, the Dojo Sessions are braced to return for the month of February with the first Session taking place tomorrow night at 8pm. To freshen things up, there has been a changing of the guards with Black Belt Poker sponsored pros Kevin Williams and Jamie Burland now hosting the Sessions.

Jamie and Kevin were a product of the Grading in early 2010 and have since flourished as two of our most valued Blue Belts. In the summer, Jamie won the Brighton UKIPT for £65,400 before cashing in the London EPT for £21,000, whilst Kevin won a side event at the recent Galway UKIPT for €8,650 and has also given lectures at Boot Camps, Academies and the Leicester Square's Poker in the Park.

For those new to Black Belt Poker, Dojo Sessions are online lectures (often referred to as Webinars) whereby a sponsored pro presents a discussion on a certain poker topic, inviting attendees to interact and ask any questions they may have. They achieve this via such mediums as Skype and TeamViewer.

2011's first Dojo Session is titled 'HEM Workshop' and will offer a basic walkthrough with a Q&A on poker's best tracking software. Even if you already own the software, this is a must for those looking for guidance on how to correctly apply the information presented to them. At just 300 Spending Points, Dojo Sessions are an absolute bargain, and tomorrow's Session will be unique in that it will see Sensei Williams and Burland co-hosting the Session with contributions from other Blue Belts in attendance. Nowhere else will you receive such a plethora of advice from sponsored pros for such a budget price.

The schedule for February's Dojo Sessions is as follows, although if you would like to view the full schedule (included dates for March), then please see our 'Training' section on the homepage:

Thursday, February 3 (8pm) - 'The HEM Workshop' with Sensei Burland & Williams
Basic walk through and Q&A session for poker’s best tracking software.

Thursday, February 10 (8pm): 'Owning stacks!' with Sensei Burland & Williams
Using a villain’s own stack size against them.

Thursday, February 17 (8pm) - 'Thinking like a Fish' with Sensei Burland & Williams
Know your enemy, know yourself.

Thursday, February 24 (8pm) - Keeping Your Heads-Up with Sensei Tom Drew
An introduction to heads-up cash.

Dojo Sessions are available to all Yellow Belts and above. To secure your seat, simply sign into the community, click 'Store' in the top righthand menu and locate the appropriate token in 'Live Events'. You'll then be sent a confirmation email followed by details on how to attend closer to the event. However, be quick, as seats are selling fast, and there is limited attendance available.

"Whist we will be aiming this workshop mainly at people new to the software," commented Sensei Williams. "We will be also be spending time on a Q&A session workshopping any questions or problems existing users might be facing. So, come for an introduction or a refresher course on some of the best software on the market, and bring along your questions and problems!"

If you have any queries re. tomorrow's Dojo Session, then please feel free to contact us at enlightenment@blackbeltpoker.com, or the mentors directly at kevin@blackbeltpoker.com and jamie@blackbeltpoker.com.

Don't miss out on what is an incredible opportunity to join Black Belt Poker's Age of Enlightenment.

Hit for Sixth; Sam Wins A$225,000!

Armed with oodles of confidence and a swagger in his step, you'd be forgiven for thinking that Sam Razavi was overconfident and, indeed, when asked why he'd signed up for the recent Black Belt Poker Grading, duly replied: "because I've decided that I'm going to the Aussie Millions in January."

But if ever self-assurance was justified, it's in the case of the 30-year old thespian-come-poker-pro as Sam's response should have included the word "final"; not only did he sail through the Grading to earn himself a £10,000 Aussie Millions package, but he also finished sixth of an initial 721 in the Main Event for a whopping A$225,000.

Railed by mentor Neil Channing, bracelet winner Richard Ashby, and fellow Grading winner Adam Stoneham, Sam headed into the final table at the Crown Casino in Melbourne in fourth place with a stack of 1,360,000, 45 big blinds, and a simple, but potentially effective game plan: play tight early on and open up short-handed. With a torrid line-up that included Patrik Antonius and fellow Brits James Keys and Chris Moorman, the journey ahead looked bumpy, and perhaps the only consolation was that Sorel Mizzi and Randy 'nanonoko' Lew were the final two casualties from the night prior.

Sam remained true to his word and trod carefully early doors, but after Antonius snapped up eighth, Sam suffered a major setback courtesy of a nasty flush over flush encounter. Having called a raise from Keys of 70,000 with Ks-Qs, Sam reached a five-way flop of 5s-2s-3s where he check-raised David Gorr's lead of 250,000 to 575,000. Gorr called before moving all in for 2,200,000 on the 9s turn. Somehow, Razavi found the fold - and, much to his delight, was shown the As - but it was a blow that hacked his stack down to 870,000.

Although Sam managed to climb another rung of the ladder, he never fully recovered, and after pushing all in uncontested the hand before, and with the blinds at 20,000/40,000(5,000), he shoved for around 800,000 with Ad-7d. On this occasion, however, he was looked up by Keys on the button with 7h-7s. An uneventful Qs-Js-Jh-5c-9s board later and Sam's adventure Down Under had come to a close-but-no-cigar end.

"I'm slightly disappointed at the moment and felt I played a couple of hands badly," reflected Sam in the aftermath. "I would have been satisfied with $500,000, but I couldn't find any spots and it was such a strong table with Chris Moorman, Patrik Antonius. James Keys, etc. Still, not a bad result. Next stop: WPT Venice!"

The aforementioned cigar almost went to Sam's assassin, who despite reaching heads-up with a near 5:1 chip deficit, managed to turn the tables to leave foe, Gorr, with little more than a million in chips. But, alas, poker is an unpredictable game, and Gorr produced a Rocky-esque comeback of his own before putting Keys all in on the turn of a 7s-6c-3h-Kh board with Kc-4c versus 7c-3c. With the felt boasting the biggest pot of the tournament, a cruel 4s hit the river to crown Gorr Champion for an eye-watering A$2,000,000. Keys, a former Grader himself, took away A$1,035,000 for his efforts.

Overall, the Aussie Millions proved a lucrative trip for the Black Belt Poker team with Sam's stunning performance complimented by Richard's win in the 8-Game Mixed event earlier in the week. Meanwhile, Neil cashed in the $1,000 shootout, whilst Adam made the money in Event #17's six-handed freezeout.

But, of course, the day belonged to Sam. A globe-trotter currently residing in the more local shores of Brighton, Sam is more accustomed to the mid-stakes heads-up cash tables, but has been looking to transfer his success over to the tournament felt since reaching Blue Belt and becoming a sponsored pro. For his first event under the Black Belt Poker banner, it hasn't been too bad a start

1st David Gorr -- A$2,000,000
2nd James Keys -- A$1,035,000
3rd Jeff Rossiter -- A$700,000
4th Michael Ryan -- A$450,000
5th Randy Dorfman -- A$325,000
6th Sam Razavi -- A$225,000
7th Chris Moorman -- A$175,000
8th Patrik Antonius -- A$130,000

Previous reports:

Razavi Makes Aussie Millions Final
Aussie Millions: Super Sam in Last 18
Gold Rush; Aussie Triumph for Ashby
Report From Down Under
The Aussie FishFiles: Prologue
Community Interview: Sam Razavi