Meet The Pros

Phil Ivey

  • Considered the best poker player in the world
  • 5 WSOP Bracelets before his 30th birthday
  • 1 WPT Championship

Learn, Chat and Play with Phil in London!

Phil Ivey plays online exclusively at Full Tilt Poker.

Phil grew up in New Jersey, where he started his pro poker career in Atlantic City.

Phil won his first World Series of Poker title at the age of 23 when he beat Phil Hellmuth and Amarillo Slim in the Pot-Limit Omaha event. Two years later in 2002, he won three more WSOP titles. Phil also won two Bellagio tournaments, one World Poker Open tournament, two Commerce tournaments, and has made his share of World Poker Tour final tables. Phil Ivey

2005 was a good year, with two more WPT final tables, a second place finish in the WSOP Circuit Event at Harrah's Lake Tahoe, and the addition of his fifth WSOP bracelet in the $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha tournament. Phil won $1 million for his first-place finish at the Monte Carlo Millions tournament. Amazingly, only 24 hours later, he won an additional $600,000 for his first-place finish at "The FullTiltPoker.Net Invitational Live from Monte Carlo."

In January 2006, Phil received three incredible honors, being named Player of the Year by All In Magazine, Bluff Magazine, and the UK Gaming Awards.

Most recently, Phil placed second in the Omaha Hi/Lo event and third in $50,000 HORSE event at the 2006 WSOP. With these two events, he was able to cash for more than $800,000. In February 2008, Phil won his first-ever WPT Championship, taking down the title at the Los Angeles Poker Classic. It was Phil’s record-setting eighth appearance at a WPT final table, and the victory moved him into the top-10 on the all-time tournament money list.

Away from the felt, Phil can often be found on the greens near his Las Vegas home where he lives with his wife.

Phil Ivey

  • 5 WSOP Bracelets
  • 2 WSOP Rings
  • 2 WSOP-Ringe
  • WSOP Main Event Champion 2000

Learn, Chat and Play with Chris in London!

Chris Ferguson plays online exclusively at Full Tilt Poker.

By 1999, Chris had spent exactly half his life at UCLA. After five years as an undergrad and another 13 as a graduate student, UCLA awarded him a Ph.D. in Computer Science and told him it was time to leave the nest of academia. He went reluctantly.

He didn't wander very far. A year later and only 300 miles away, it was new school meets old school as Chris defeated TJ Cloutier to win the Main Event in the 2000 World Series of Poker. It marked the beginning of a professional career, with a record unmatched by any player of the last decade.

Long before any of today's popular poker sites existed, Chris started playing over the Internet on an IRC channel, and quickly became its highest ranked tournament player. In 1994, he recognized that his knowledge of game theory was a powerful weapon and began playing in the small tournaments in and around LA. A year later, Chris played in his first World Series of Poker event. Despite playing relatively few tournaments in those first five years, he made seven final tables and had 12 money finishes, peaking at fourth place.

In the new millennia, he made his mark.

Chris won the Championship Event in 2000, now famously chronicled in James McManus' Positively Fifth Street. It was his second bracelet that year, following his win in the 7-Card Stud event. A well-rounded player, Chris won his next bracelet in the 2001 Omaha Hi/Lo Split event, followed by two more wins in 2003.

Since he started playing in the World Series, he has won a total of five bracelets, made 25 final tables, and had more money finishes (42) than any other player. Add in three World Series of Poker Circuit championship rings and, Chris has earned more than $6.7 million playing poker in the WSOP and WSOPC alone.

In March 2008 Chris navigated his way through a tough 64-person field to score a win at the National Heads-Up Poker Championship. Having made the final three out of the last four years, Chris showed why he is considered one of the world's most skilled poker players.

Chris recently returned to the world of online poker, this time applying his own ideas to improve Internet poker. He put together a team of players and programmers to design the software for FullTiltPoker.com, and now focuses on ensuring that Full Tilt Poker's customers have the best software and the best games in the industry.

His talent with playing cards doesn't stop at the poker table. He is well known for his ability to cut a carrot in half by throwing a regular playing card from a distance of 10 feet. When he's not slicing vegetables, you can probably find Chris dancing West Coast Swing in a local club. Whether it's cutting up a fruit salad or cutting a rug, he is constantly challenging himself to learn something new. Because although UCLA may have told him it was time to go, Chris has never really left school.

Phil Ivey

  • Nicknamed "The Sheep"
  • The first player to win Championship titles on both the WPT and EPT
  • 3rd place in the WPT Championship

Learn, Chat and Play with Roland in London!

Roland "The Sheep" de Wolfe plays online at Full Tilt Poker.

Roland de Wolfe chose an unusual road to becoming the big, bad poker player he is today. In his younger days, Roland spent much of his time hustling pool in bars - one-handed.

As Roland grew older, he still continued to play pool and snooker, but those games took a backseat to the regular paychecks provided in covering poker tournaments as a journalist. He soon rose in the publishing ranks to become the poker editor of a British gambling magazine, Inside Edge.

The lessons Roland learned covering poker soon translated into personal success at the tables when he began playing professionally just three years ago. He scored his first major win in the summer of 2005 when he claimed the World Poker Tour Grand Prix de Paris title, besting the previous year's winner, Juha Helpi.

Later in 2005, Roland cashed in the $1,000 No-Limit Hold 'em event at the World Series of Poker and in the $15,000 Main Event at the WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic.

In early 2006, he finished third at the $25,000 WPT World Championship, taking home more than $1 million. In June, Roland had two cashes at the WSOP, including a third-place finish in the $2,000 No-Limit Shootout. Most recently, Roland earned more than $691,000 by taking home first place at the European Poker Tour's Main Event in Dublin, Ireland and is now the only player to win championship events on both the WPT and the EPT.

When he's not playing in live tournaments or on FullTiltPoker.com, Roland enjoys grueling work outs at the gym.

Phil Ivey

  • Nicknamed "The Great Dane"
  • The only player to win four WPT titles
  • Winner of the 2007 Aussie Millions Main Event

Learn, Chat and Play with Gus in London!

Gus Hansen plays online at Full Tilt Poker.

Gus was born on February 13th, 1974 just outside of Copenhagen, Denmark and grew up playing a lot of sports, especially tennis.

Gus has always been fascinated by numbers and math. When he was introduced to backgammon, it became a challenge and he practiced intensively until he was ready to test his skills around the world. Gus ended up in New York, touring backgammon and gin rummy clubs, and hanging out with guys like Huckleberry Seed and Phil Laak. It was during this time that Gus was introduced to various types of poker, including Stud games.

Gus played his first World Series of Poker in 1996 but, looking back, says he had absolutely no chance of winning, as he had never really played No-Limit Hold 'em before then. After being knocked out on the first day, Gus decided to start practicing more, testing new plays and experimenting with different styles. Experimentation and mixing-up his style has been part of Gus' game ever since.

By 1998, Gus found himself playing more poker than backgammon, and making more frequent trips to Las Vegas. When the World Poker Tour kicked off in 2002, Gus had developed a loose, aggressive style that immediately paid off, both in terms of money and recognition.

Gus won the WPT's inaugural event, the $10,000 No-Limit Hold 'em tournament at the Five Diamond World Poker Classic. Later that year, Gus took down another event, the $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em Championship at the WPT's L.A. Poker Classic.

During the WPT's second season, Gus won the invitation-only Bad Boys of Poker tournament and, in early 2004, earned his fourth WPT title at the Caribbean Adventure tournament. Gus was also in contention for another title that season, but had to settle for third place in the Bellagio Five Diamond tournament when his pocket 10s failed to hold up against his opponent's A-Q.

Gus reached yet another final table during the WPT's third season, but ended up with a third-place finish in the Bay 101 Shooting Stars tournament. All in all, those four WPT wins and five final table appearances earned Gus induction into the WPT's Walk of Fame the first year they launched it. To this day, Gus remains the only player on the WPT with four titles to his credit.

In 2005, Gus decided to play fewer tournaments in order to focus on his cash game. Still, even with the reduction in tournament play, Gus made it the final table at the FullTiltPoker.Net Poker Invitational from Monaco and won the Grand Final of the inaugural Poker Superstars Invitational.

In 2006, Gus has been even more selective about his participation in tournaments and other events. Recently, he played in the second season of High Stakes Poker where he won the biggest pot in the show's history ($575,700) defeating Daniel Negreanu's 6 6 with his 5 5 on a board of 9 6 5 5 8.

In 2007, Gus continued to build on his growing list of tournament championships, bringing home $1,192,919 for his first-place finish in the $10,000 Aussie Millions Main Event in Melbourne, Australia. Gus added another $1.7 million in tournament winnings to his bankroll in 2008 when he finished second to fellow Full Tilt Poker pro David Chiu in the WPT’s World Championship at Bellagio.

When not playing tournament poker, Gus is a regular participant in the "Big Game" at the Bellagio battling it out in as many as 13 different poker games with players such as Phil Ivey, Doyle Brunson, Barry Greenstein, and David Benyamine.

Online, Gus can often be found in a high-limit Pot-Limit Omaha game or an Omaha 8/B Limit game on FullTiltPoker.com. On occasion, he can also be found in low-stakes Limit Hold 'em and Razz games, along with low-limit SNGs and some of FullTiltPoker.com's larger tournaments.

If Gus isn't playing poker, there is a good chance you can find him on the golf course, the tennis court, the squash court or playing soccer with his friends, as he finds that playing sports and working out help him maintain the physical stamina he believes is needed to be a successful poker player.

Gus also finds time in his schedule to provide poker commentary for both Danish and American television shows, and is always ready to play a high-stakes backgammon match against anybody who would like to challenge him.

Gus is currently single and resides in Monte-Carlo, Monaco where he spends a lot of time with his family.

Phil Ivey

  • Over $2.8 Million in Career Tournament Earnings
  • 11 WSOP Cash Finishes
  • 7 WPT Cash Finishes
  • 1 EPT Title

Learn, Chat and Play with Patrik in London!

Patrik Antonius plays online at Full Tilt Poker.

Patrik Antonius is one of the most widely recognized players in poker today, and with a record like his, its no wonder. Since taking up poker as a profession in 2002, he’s amassed almost $3 million as a result of his skill and aggressive style.

While Patrik played poker for years with his friends, it wasn’t until he started playing online that he got serious about developing his game. Within just a couple of months, his game improved along with his results. By December 2002, Patrik had amassed $80K and brought his game to the next level.

Shortly after, Patrik moved to the US where he continued to put in hours of play. In addition to building upon a steadily increasing bankroll, he won a satellite entry into a WSOP event before returning home to Finland. He cites both the event and solid advice from seasoned pros as invaluable in his development as a poker player.

In 2005, Patrik lit up the tournament circuit. After cashing in two WPT tournaments, he went deep in three WSOP events, earning a combined total of almost $100K. Not one to let the cards get cold, he followed this up with impressive back-to-back performances on the EPT circuit. He took third in the Main Event in Barcelona for $145K before going on to win the EPT Baden classic for more than $340K. True to form, Patrik finished the year with his biggest cash to date. He took second place in the WPT Five Diamond Classic, earning over $1 million.

Since that time Patrik’s steadily built on an already impressive record, continuing to add both WPT and WSOP cash finishes to his list of accomplishments. Most recently, Patrik made the final table at the first event of the 2008 WSOP. He finished in seventh place, earning $124K.

While Patrik is clearly a world-class professional, there’s more to life for him than just poker. His competitive streak extends well beyond the game – he’s still a top-notch tennis player and an avid golfer. When he’s not dominating the court, the course, or the felt, Patrik spends his personal time with his fiancée and daughter.

If you want to see him in action, look for Patrik playing online at Full Tilt Poker.

Phil Ivey

  • Nicknamed "The Rock"
  • 2 wins in 2005
  • Finished second in the WSOP $50K HORSE tournament and in the $10K Pot-Limit Hold ‘em tournament
  • Former member of the MIT Blackjack team

Learn, Chat and Play with Andy in London!

Andy Bloch plays online exclusively at Full Tilt Poker.

Andy started playing casino poker at Foxwoods in 1992, entering some small $35 weekly tournaments once a month. By the end of that year, he'd won one of the World Poker Finals tournaments, a $100 entry fee No-Limit Hold 'em tournament. That was the first time Andy had ever played No-Limit Hold 'em.

In 1997, Andy skipped his last week of law school classes to play in the World Series of Poker Main Event. He was the guinea pig in a low-tech hole-card cam trial. Tom Sims was looking for a volunteer to "sweat" and record all his hole cards, and Andy agreed. His records turned into a two-part "Card Player" Magazine article. After passing the bar in '99, he decided to delay his law career and went back to poker.

That career got delayed even further when Andy made two WSOP final tables in 2001, a first place finish back at Foxwoods in 2002 (playing 7-Card Stud), and two World Poker Tour final tables during the tour's first season; finishing third both times.

Back in 2005, Andy scored two first-place finishes, winning the WSOP Circuit Limit Hold 'em tournament at the Rio in Las Vegas, and the Ultimate Poker Challenge $10,000 Final Event. Additionally, he secured a sixth-place finish in the Mirage Poker Showdown Pot-Limit Omaha tournament and a seventh-place finish at the Ultimate Poker Challenge's $2,500 No-Limit Hold 'em tournament.

In 2006, Andy cashed five times at the 2006 WSOP alone. And, in the $50K HORSE event, Andy placed second, winning more than $1 million dollars. In 2007, Andy had another strong WSOP, finishing seventh in the $1,000 Limit 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball event and 11th in the 10K World Championship Pot-Limit Omaha tournament. He followed that up with another final table appearance at the World Series of Poker Europe, where he finished eighth in the $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha tournament.

Andy came back strong again at the start of the 2008 WSOP, finishing second in the series’ first event, the $10K World Championship Pot-Limit Hold ‘em tournament where he pocketed $448,000.

Andy also runs the very popular (Unofficial) World Poker Tour & World Series of Poker Fan Site, and is always looking for ways to use his poker skills and his law degree to make the world a better place.

Phil Ivey

  • Nicknamed "The Professor"
  • 2 WSOP bracelets
  • 2 WPT titles
  • 2003 WPT "Player of the Year"

Learn, Chat and Play with Howard in London!

Howard Lederer plays online exclusively at Full Tilt Poker.

After college, Howard moved to New York to pursue his passion for chess. It was in the back room of a chess club that he discovered poker - he was immediately hooked. For the next two years, he played poker relentlessly, clocking 70 to 80 hours a week. He went home broke nine nights out of 10.

Luckily, Howard found the Mayfair Club and became part of a group of players who were the first to experiment with No-Limit Hold 'em in New York. They'd start at 4PM and wind down by 2AM, when all the players would go to a bar for a lively discussion of the day's game. Everyone was new to the game, but the ideas flowed freely and their games improved dramatically.

In order to take his game to the next level, Howard moved to Las Vegas in 1993. Howard's game continued to improve and he earned his first of two Hall of Fame titles when he won the $2,500 No-Limit Deuce to Seven Draw event at the 1994 Hall of Fame Poker Classic. A year later, Howard earned his second title by defending his Deuce to Seven Draw title at the 1995 Hall of Fame Poker Classic.

After five more years of hard work, Howard won the first of his two gold bracelets in the $5,000 Limit Omaha Hi/Lo event at the 2000 WSOP. A year later, he won his second gold bracelet in the $5,000 Deuce to Seven event at the 2001 WSOP.

Howard continued to hone his skills and in November of 2002, won his first WPT Championship title in at Foxwoods. In March of 2003, Howard won his second WPT Championship title in the $5,000 Limit Hold 'em event on The Poker Million cruise.

Just one month later, Howard won the first of his three Bellagio titles in the $2,500 No-Limit Hold 'em event at the 2003 Bellagio Five-Star World Poker Classic. His second Bellagio win was in the $2,500 No-Limit Hold 'em event in April 2004. His third Bellagio title came just 13 days later in the $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha event.

Though Howard plays a more limited tournament schedule these days, he still loves to compete – and to beat the competition. In December 2007, he reached the final televised table at the prestigious Poker Millions in London. He quickly followed that up in January 2008 when he won $1.25 million – the largest payday of his career - after winning the $100K buy-in tournament at the Aussie Millions.

When’s he not playing, Howard enjoys providing commentary and analysis on FullTiltPoker "Learn from the Pros" and FSN's "Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament," lending credence to his nickname, "The Professor."

Further cementing his nickname, Howard enjoys running a Poker Fantasy Camp where people can play with and learn from the best in the game -- just like you can when you play on FullTiltPoker.com.

Phil Ivey

  • Nicknamed "JJ"
  • 3 WSOP Bracelets
  • 3 Best All Around Player awards
  • 5 WPT final tables

Learn, Chat and Play with John in London!

John Juanda plays online exclusively at Full Tilt Poker.

John started playing tournaments in 1996 and won the World Poker Open Championship in 2001. The following year, he won his first World Series of Poker bracelet (in the Ace to Five Triple Draw Lowball event), and then won two more WSOP events in 2003.

In 2002, John was named Tournament Champion of the Year, and was the 2001 and 2002 Runner-Up in the Card Player "Player of the Year" standings. He also has three Best All-Around Player awards.

John made 15 final tables in 2004, and placed fifth in both the 2005 Five-Star World Poker Classic and the 2005 National Heads-Up Poker Championship. Most recently, he earned nearly $500,000 in Monte Carlo, Monaco after winning the Monte Carlo Millions Consolation tournament, finishing sixth in the Monte Carlo Millions Main Event, and finishing second at "The FullTiltPoker.Net Invitational Live from Monte Carlo."

Recently, John beat out some of the best poker players in the world including Phil Ivey, Barry Greenstein, Jason Gray, and Jeff Lisandro to win the 2006 Aussie Millions Speed Poker Million Dollar Challenge. He received $1,000,000 in Australian Dollars, which works out to around $732,000 in U.S. Dollars, and that suits him fine.

Phil Ivey

  • 2 WSOP Bracelets
  • Co-Author of Super System 2
  • Male or female, one of the world's best poker players

Learn, Chat and Play with Jennifer in London!

Jennifer Harman plays online exclusively at Full Tilt Poker.

Despite a reputation as a cash game player, Jennifer is making her mark in the tournament world. She won her first World Series of Poker bracelet in 2000 playing Deuce to Seven No-Limit, and her second bracelet in 2002 in the $5K Limit Hold 'em event. Jennifer is the only woman in the world with two bracelets in the open events.

Jennifer took a year off to have major surgery but came back strong. Since returning to the circuit, she's finished fourth at the World Poker Tour Five-Diamond World Poker Classic, fifth in the inaugural Professional Poker Tour event, and second in the WSOP Circuit Championship Event at the Rio.

During her time off, she wrote the Limit Hold 'em chapter for Super System 2, considered the Bible for any player getting serious about poker.

When she's not playing in tournaments, you can find her at the highest limit cash games at Bellagio playing among the best players in the world or playing online at FullTiltPoker.com.

Phil Ivey

  • Nicknamed "Clever Piggy"
  • 5 WSOP Bracelets
  • Finished fourth at the 2006 WSOP Main Event
  • 2005 WSOP Player of the Year

Learn, Chat and Play with Allen in London!

Allen Cunningham plays online at Full Tilt Poker.

Allen attended UCLA where he planned on pursuing an Engineering degree. While he enjoyed his studies, Allen also discovered that playing poker in some of the local casinos was an enjoyable and profitable past time. Soon, the success he experienced at the tables led Allen to leave school and pursue poker full time. It's a move he hasn't regretted.

At the table, Allen's engineering background has led him toward an analytical approach to the game. Allen remains quiet, controlled, and focused no matter what happens around him.

This style has paid off for him, beginning around 1999 when he enjoyed his first professional success at the Bicycle Casino's Legends of Poker. That year, he was named "Best All Around Player" after reaching the final table in five events, including victories in the $300 7-Card Stud Hi/Lo tournament and the $1,000 No-Limit Hold 'em tournament.

Two years later, Allen won his first World Series of Poker bracelet in the $5,000 7-Card Stud tournament. He followed that up with another bracelet in 2002 when he won the $5,000 Deuce to Seven No-Limit tournament.

Allen had another strong WSOP in 2005; reaching four final tables and earning his third bracelet for winning the $1,500 No-Limit Hold 'em tournament. His performance also earned him a brand new pick-up truck and the title of ESPN/Toyota WSOP Player of the Year.

In 2006, Allen won his fourth WSOP bracelet in the $1,000 No-Limit Hold 'em tournament, and finished fourth at the WSOP Main Event earning $3.6 Million. In 2007, Allen’s picked up where he left off, winning his third bracelet in three years - and the fifth of his career - in the $5,000 Pot-Limit Hold ‘em event. This victory ties Allen with fellow Team Full Tilt members Phil Ivey and Chris Ferguson on the all-time bracelet list and makes him one of just 16 pros who have earned five or more bracelets throughout their careers.

In addition to his WSOP titles, Allen has also earned victories in the Ultimate Poker Challenge's $3,000 No-Limit Hold 'em tournament and at the $5,000 No-Limit Hold 'em event at the Bellagio Five-Star World Poker Classic.

With all that he's accomplished, Allen's still proudest of the title he recently earned from his peers who voted him the Best All-Around Player under 35. He hopes to hold on to that reputation for quite awhile.

Even when he's not playing tournaments, you can usually find Allen at a poker table. He enjoys playing a variety of cash games, including Pot-Limit Omaha and mixed games like HORSE. He also plays online regularly at FullTiltPoker.com

Phil Ivey

  • Three WSOP Bracelets
  • Over $6.5 Million in Career Tournament Earnings
  • Winner of the 2005 Tournament of Champions
  • First Player to Make 2 Separate $1 Million Cashes in 1 Year

Learn, Chat and Play with Mike in London!

Mike Matusow plays online at Full Tilt Poker.

Like many other professional players, Mike's career began as a dealer. After countless hours spent turning cards and analyzing hands, he decided to put his money where his mouth was and start playing for himself. He honed his skills playing late-night games at Sam's Town Casino in Las Vegas and, after achieving some success, decided to play full time.

Mike earned his first World Series of Poker bracelet in 1999 and his second in 2002. He had another strong showing at the 2005 WSOP, finishing ninth in the Main Event and cashing for $1 million. Shortly thereafter, he followed up his Main Event performance by winning the 2005 WSOP Tournament of Champions and earning his second million-dollar payday of the year.

In 2006, Mike finished second in the No-Limit Hold 'em event at the Las Vegas "FullTiltPoker.Net Pro Showdown from Red Rock Casino," and three days later he finished third in the No-Limit Hold 'em event at the Tournament of Champions, also in Las Vegas. Just a month later, Mike had a final table appearance in the $2,500 No-Limit Hold 'em event at the 2006 WSOP, where he finished seventh and cashed for almost $90,000.

2007 held more successes for Mike. He took second in the prestigious Bellagio Cup III WPT No-Limit Hold 'em Championship event, taking home $671,320 for his effort. Mike's performance followed a successful campaign at the 2007 WSOP where he posted three top-20 finishes and cashed for more than $125,000.

Since the beginning of 2008, Mike's had several more solid performances. After a lucrative ninth-place finish in the National Heads-Up Championship where he earned $25K, Mike ran deep in the Wynn Classic to earn another $26K. But it was Event 18 of the WSOP where he hit his stride. He bested an all-star field of 85 entries in the $5K No-Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball event and took home over $537K - and his third WSOP bracelet.

If you want to learn more about Mike, you can chat with him at FullTiltPoker.com.

Phil Ivey

  • Member of The Hendon Mob
  • Expert Poker Commentator

Learn, Chat and Play with Barny in London!

Barny Boatman plays online at Full Tilt Poker.

Before becoming a poker pro, Barny worked in countless jobs; from movie reviewer to chief computer programmer for a multinational company. He loves adventure and has always been a traveler, living and working in such disparate places as Barcelona, Hong Kong, and Sri Lanka.

In recent years, Barny has worked as a commentator for numerous televised poker tournaments, including Late Night Poker, The World Heads Up, The Poker Million, Poker Million the Masters, The Victor Cup, Celebrity Poker Club, The European Poker Tour, and The Poker Nations Cup. He has also recorded a television series called Barny's Home Games, a show in which he visits and plays in home games all around Great Britain. He'd love to do the same thing in the U.S.A. some time.

Along with the rest of the Hendon Mob, Barny runs thehendonmob.com, Europe's foremost poker portal. He's very proud of the site, mostly because their famous players database is visited by thousands of visitors from around the world every day.

Like most tournament players, Barny focuses mainly on No-Limit Hold 'em. He has been at the final table of many major events around the world, including the Master Classics, the European Open, the Irish Championships, the British Open, the Euro Finals of Poker, the Aussie Millions, and The Poker Million. His recent victories include the Finnish Open Championship.

Barny started out as a 7-Card Stud player and, in 1999, was Europe's top-ranked player. He topped the European Omaha rankings in 2000 and 2001, and won the European Championship 7-Card Stud event in 2002. Barny was Britain's top finisher in the World Series of Poker Main Event in both 2000 and 2001. In 2002, Barny set a new record by reaching three WSOP final tables in a row, earning him the award for outstanding tournament performance of the year.

If you want to learn more about Barny, join him at the table on FullTiltPoker.com.

Phil Ivey

  • Nicknamed "Rocky"
  • Member of The Hendon Mob
  • He is an accomplished actor with numerous television and stage appearances

Learn, Chat and Play with Ross in London!

Ross Boatman plays online at Full Tilt Poker.

Ross was a regular at Stella's poolroom. It was a lively place with plenty of action, but what really caught Ross' attention was the back room where they played poker. Ross didn't have the money to play with those guys, but they let him sit and watch, and he learned plenty.

A few years later, Ross was playing in a regular game with friends and it provided a lot of fun and lasted for years. Eventually though, it reached a point when all his friends owed him so much money that none of them wanted to see him anymore. It was then that he decided he would rather keep his friends than their money. He stopped playing with them and made his first visit to a casino; the Victoria Sporting Club.

Ross was a regular at the Victoria for several years, playing mostly cash games. Bit by bit though, the tournament bug began to take its grip and by the mid-90's, he had hit the road and was playing in small tournaments all over the U.K. Since then, Ross has traveled far and wide. He's won tournaments and made final tables in, England, France, Holland, Wales, Slovenia, Spain, Ireland, Austria, Australia, Monte Carlo and the U.S. Just recently, Ross placed sixth in the No-Limit Hold 'em event at the 2006 European Poker Tour Grand Final.

If you want to learn more about Ross, join him at the table on FullTiltPoker.com.

Phil Ivey

  • Nicknamed "The Elegance"
  • Member of The Hendon Mob

Learn, Chat and Play with Joe in London!

Joe Beevers plays online at Full Tilt Poker.

Joe is the only person of The Hendon Mob who actually lives in Hendon. Joe used to play as part of a blackjack team that traveled around to various London-area casinos. It was while playing in a casino in Luton (26 miles from London) that Joe got invited to play in his first poker tournament. It was a $10 Stud re-buy event and Joe didn't fare particularly well. Joe became determined to learn and play better. He was at University at the time, studying finance, and by the time he left with his BA, he was making enough money not to go back into full-time work.

He traveled around Europe with Barny, Ram and Ross, playing in most of the major festivals and, in 1999, was invited to play in the first ever televised poker tournament, Late Night Poker. They set up thehendonmob.com as a contact point for poker sponsorship and the brand quickly became one of the best known in poker circles. They continued to attract media on both national and international levels, and became forerunners in corporate poker sponsorship.

Joe has had a fair amount of success in televised poker tournaments, making three of the six Late Night Poker final tables. He finished second in SKY TV's Poker Million - The Masters, second in the 2004 World Poker Championship in Dublin, and he also made the final table of the 2004 Victor Poker Cup.

His first major success was in the 1997 Master Classics of Poker, and he also won the 2001 Irish Prelim Open, the 2002 European Omaha Championship, the 2003 Irish Open, and the 2004 Four Queens Championship event. His best cash came in 2005 when he finished seventh in the World Poker Tour Championship event at the Bellagio, collecting $188,000. He also went deep in the 2005 World Series of Poker Championship, collecting $46,000.

2007 saw Joe’s best year to date. Playing in about 16 hand-picked tournaments, Joe managed to cash in nearly half of them, including a victory at the Great Britain Poker Tour’s Grand Final for £87,000. He followed that up with the first televised victory of his career, taking home $1 million in the Poker Million Grand Final broadcast on Sky TV.

In 2008, Joe became the only British player to qualify for the Great British poker team in three consecutive years, helping the team regain the Poker Nations Cup which they last won in 2006.

Married with twin girls, Millie and Lola, Joe likes to spend his time away from the table surrounded by family and friends, and watching live sporting events whenever possible.

If you want to learn more about Joe, join him at the table on FullTiltPoker.com.

Phil Ivey

  • Nicknamed "Crazy Horse"
  • Member of The Hendon Mob
  • The only player to reach three EPT final tables
  • 1 WSOP title

Learn, Chat and Play with Ram in London!

Ram Vaswani plays online at Full Tilt Poker.

Ram's first love wasn't poker, it was snooker. He played professionally for two years before deciding that he wasn't quite good enough to make it right to the top.

Ram was always more interested in gambling rather than practicing, and it was a natural progression for him to turn to the world of poker to feed his competitiveness. It wasn't long before he was traveling around the world playing in all the biggest tournaments.

In 2000, Ram won the European Superbowl. He narrowly failed to defend his title when he came in a close second in 2001. Ram's victories include the Dutch Master Classics in 1999, the French Championship in 2002, and the European Poker Tour Irish Masters in 2004. In the 2002 World Series of Poker, he finished second and third in two World Championship events, and followed that up with three WSOP final tables in 2004. Ram has made a record three EPT final tables. In 2007 he won his first WSOP title in the $1,500 Limit Hold'em Shootout.1

Ram married his girlfriend Jackie at the 2004 WSOP, and they now have a daughter, Hollie.

If you want to learn more about Ram, join him at the table on FullTiltPoker.com.

Phil Ivey

  • More than $2.4 million in tournament earnings
  • 13 WSOP cash finishes
  • Youngest player ever to win $1 million in a tournament

Learn, Chat and Play with Julian in London!

Julian Gardner plays online at Full Tilt Poker.

Julian Gardner was born to play poker. The son of poker pro Dave Gardner, he learned to play when he was young, and developed skill as well as a true appreciation for the game. Clearly, poker was more than just a hobby – it was part of his life. As he got older, he decided to make poker his career. When he finished school, that’s exactly what he did.

In just his first few years as a pro, Julian reached an impressive 25 final tables in tournaments in his native England and all over Europe, including first-place finishes in the Netherlands, France, and Germany.

In 2002, Julian made his second trip to the World Series of Poker – and his biggest cash finish to date. He pushed to the front of a pack of well over 600 competitors to take second place in the WSOP Main Event. Not only did he earn $1.1 million, he became the youngest player ever to win $1 million in a tournament. Julian went on to finish in the money at the Main Event the following two years, making him the only player to do so in 2002, 2003, and 2004. Since his 2002 performance, he has cashed in an impressive 12 WSOP events.

Julian says that he prefers not to travel to tournaments unless he qualifies for them online. Apparently, this philosophy hasn’t slowed him down – he gets around. In addition to winning tournaments worldwide, Julian’s made appearances on Late Night Poker and was a member of the winning British team in the Poker Nations Cup. He is the co-author of the book The Secrets of Online Power Poker.

People used to say that he was following in his father’s footsteps, but at this point in his career, he’s the one blazing the trail for others to follow.

Phil Ivey

  • Nicknamed "The Monk"
  • A devout Buddhist, he stays focused at tournaments by meditating during breaks
  • Finished fifth at the 2005 WSOP Main Event

Learn, Chat and Play with Andy in London!

Some bad beats hit you like a train. Others haunt you in the dead of night. Still others, like the ones that sidelined Andy Black after successive World Series of Poker appearances in the late 90s, will put you on a path to enlightenment.

Raised during the height of "The Troubles" in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Black learned poker from his mother. She taught him the game in order to distract him from the sectarian violence inflaming the world outside their home. It also helped with his focus. As a young man, Black did so well in school that he went on to study law at Dublin's Trinity College. In the end, however, the draw of card rooms was a bigger pull than court rooms.

Black's first major tournament was the 1997 WSOP Main Event. He was seated with poker legend Stu Ungar, and the two gregarious men struck up a fast, albeit short, friendship. To Black, it seemed like the future hall of famer was taking him under his wing. Ungar had other plans. He used every tool in his arsenal, including trust, to separate Black from his chips. Black was crushed. He was sucker punched and only had himself to blame. Little did he know that Ungar, who went on to win that Main Event, had actually given Black his first lesson in Buddhism. After all, Black wanted to win more than anything, but a Buddhist can only attain Nirvana through desirelessness.

The following year, Black returned to the WSOP Main Event with a documentary team in tow. They were supposed to chronicle his triumphant return but instead they got a close-up of his agonizing defeat. Thus began Black's five-year sabbatical from poker. He gave away all his possessions, moved to England, and started living an austere life as a strict Buddhist.

Thanks to his devotion to Buddhism, Black returned to poker in 2004 with a firmer grip on his emotions. With a keen single-mindedness, he racked up impressive wins at European tournaments, World Poker Tour events and, in 2005, he entered the WSOP, finishing fifth in the Main Event.

Besides achieving Zen at the poker tables and by playing online at Full Tilt Poker, Black attains fulfillment by donating his time and effort to charitable organizations and causes.

Phil Ivey

  • Nicknamed "Gentleman Ben"
  • The UK's most successful cash game player

Learn, Chat and Play with Ben in London!

Ben Roberts plays online at Full Tilt Poker.

Ben was born in Persia, but moved to London when he was a teenager. A few years later, he also started playing poker. He was on holiday, sitting with friends on a beach, when someone took out a deck of cards. Ben was hooked from the first deal, and it's never let him go.

Since then, he's honed his skills by playing all over Europe. He focuses on all the No-Limit and Pot-Limit games, mostly out of necessity because those are the only games available on the continent.

Ben's predominately a cash game player, working those tables so he can build up the money necessary for tournament entry fees and expenses. Of the tournaments Ben's played, he's made it to the final table several times, including the $3K Pot-Limit Hold 'em tournament at the 2001 World Series of Poker, the $10K No-Limit Hold 'em tournament at the 2004 Grand Prix de Paris, and the $3K No-Limit Hold 'em tournament at the 2005 Five Diamond Poker Classic.

In 2006, Ben cashed in the Pot Limit Omaha and Short Handed No Limit Hold 'em events at the World Series of Poker. So far, Ben's best finish came in 1998, when he took sixth place at the WSOP Main Event.

Even though he's played poker for years, the game wasn't Ben's first passion. For a long time, he wanted to be a professional snooker player. Even though he was good and had the dedication to make a go of it, there was, as he says, an important element missing from his game... talent. He could see it others, but not in himself. But that all changed when he started playing more and more poker.

Ben still lives in London, and when he's not playing poker, he spends his free time with his children and reading as much as he can.

If you want to learn more about Ben, join him at the table on FullTiltPoker.com.

Phil Ivey

  • 1 WSOP Bracelet
  • Over $2.9 million in career earnings
  • 19 WSOP cash finishes

Learn, Chat and Play with Rob in London!

Rob Hollink plays online at Full Tilt Poker.

Rob Hollink has always been competitive. As a young man, he was an avid sportsman actively engaged in tennis, soccer, and basketball. Unfortunately, his professional career was cut short due to injury. Undaunted, he found a new competitive focus. With strong backgrounds in both mathematics and economics, it came as no surprise when Rob rapidly developed into a solid professional at the poker table.

After experiencing a great deal of success in the casinos in his native Netherlands, Rob turned his efforts to the tournament scene. He immediately established himself in 2001 by taking first place in the 10K Pot-Limit Omaha event at the Euro Finals of Poker in Paris. He immediately followed this up with final table and first place finishes before heading to Vegas for his first WSOP appearance. Going deep, Rob finished 18th in the $5K Omaha Hi-Lo Split 8 or Better event. Upon his return to Europe, he finished out the year with several more spectacular tournament finishes.

Since that time, Rob’s been a regular at final tables all over Europe and the US, taking first place in more than 10 events and cashing in 15 WSOP events. Rob closed out 2007 with yet another final table at the EPT Baden Poker Festival, where he finished fourth in the €2K No-Limit Hold ‘em event and took home over €38K.

Since the beginning of 2008, Rob has taken his game to the next level. Following a respectable EPT cash finish in San Remo, Italy, he headed back to the US for the WSOP. Rob went deep and cashed in the $1.5K Pot-Limit Omaha event, but that was only the beginning. Just days later, he took down the $10K World Championship Limit Hold ‘em event to claim $496K and his – as well as the Netherlands’ – first WSOP bracelet.

As a result of his continued tournament successes, he’s established himself as a true professional. If you want to see Rob in action, look for him playing online at Full Tilt Poker.

Full Tilt Poker is licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission. © Copyright 2004 – 2008 FullTiltPoker.com. All Rights Reserved