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Irish Daily Mirror
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
ITV Racing presenter's life-changing choice that saw him scoop £83,500 in poker
ITV Racing host Oli Bell once found himself at a crossroads, torn between pursuing a career in broadcasting or dedicating his time to online poker tournaments. Bell is gearing up for a hectic week as ITV provides coverage from Royal Ascot. The 38 year old will be fronting the Opening Show on ITV 4 each day of the festival. Given his family's history in sports broadcasting and horse training, it seemed inevitable that Bell would end up as a racing presenter, and he's eagerly anticipating the excitement of Royal Ascot. However, during his stint as a tea boy at Racing TV, Bell discovered an innate talent for poker. He ultimately decided to concentrate on his TV career, only to return to poker several years later. Bell secured his largest win to date at this year's UK Poker Championship in Nottingham, where he was one of the final six players who agreed to divide the prize money, pocketing a cool £83,500, reports the Mirror. Speaking to The Telegraph, Bell said: "In Nottingham, I didn't want to be noticed," adding, "I wanted them to think I was a professional poker player who was really hard to read." He continued: "On the first table, a lass from Birmingham says, 'Oi, you look just like Oli Bell from the racing.' I apologised and said, 'Yep, that is me.' But when it got to the final table, everyone who was a racing fan was cheering me on." Bell's fondness for poker progressed from familial matchstick games during the Yuletide season to clinching victories in colleague tournaments at Racing TV. Racking up more cash than his career earnings in online pots, Bell hit a crossroads when the call from Down Under came knocking. "The first three years, I was playing online and ended up going through the grades," Bell reminisced. "Typically, tournaments would last from 6pm on Sunday 'til 8am on Monday to fit in with US time, and my brother would sit keeping me awake." Recalling his routine before clocking into work, he said, "I'd always have work on a Monday and I'd roll into the office having had zero sleep making the worst cups of tea for [TV presenter] Nick Luck but having won considerably more than I was earning!". When opportunity beckoned from an Australian racing channel, Bell faced a tough dilemma. "I had the conversation," he confided. "Did I give up the presenting dream and just do poker?". He chose stability over cards: "I did the sensible thing and went to Australia for three years. Because of the time zones, I parked poker. I'd had a great run, it was a moment in my life and that was that." Though Bell may reflect on his poker chapter as transient, his knack was unmistakable. After a persuasive nod to join tournaments by a colleague, his debut casino visit pocketed him a cool £7,000. A Vegas escapade saw him multiply a grand into fivefold, swelling the kitty for mates on a stag spree. After a hiatus, Bell's passion for poker was revived during the recent lockdowns. He quickly realised his ability at the table hadn't waned, and identifies a synergy between his card skills and his career in broadcasting. Bell reflected on his return to the felt, "I had some decent results so I knew I could still make a living from it,". He added with a sense of intrigue about his innate poker talent, "I've still got it. I have no idea what 'it' is – it is like why is Ryan Moore a better jockey? I seem to have an instinct for knowing what I've got in my hand, knowing if I'm in a good or bad spot. It's the same as a jockey." Despite a discouraging academic assessment, Bell confessed, "My school report for maths said I was the worst my teacher had taught in 50 years. I'm not a maths genius in any sense. But I'm a complete nerd and geek at poker and it complements the day job because it has taught me so many skills that I use in my career." However, he embraces his fascination with poker, "My school report for maths said I was the worst my teacher had taught in 50 years. I'm not a maths genius in any sense. But I'm a complete nerd and geek at poker and it complements the day job because it has taught me so many skills that I use in my career." The game of poker, he believes, has honed his interpersonal aptitude, "One of my strengths is chatting to anyone, the Queen at Ascot or someone having a pint with mates. Playing poker, you sit at a table and have to work out people from all walks of life, from different countries, religions, backgrounds, you have to read the room, know when to press someone for an answer or ease off." He acknowledges the stigma attached to poker but recognises its benefits, "For all that it's a degenerate hobby, it's a lucrative one and it has shaped me as a broadcaster. It helps me in day-to-day life and in my profession."
Daily Mirror
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Royal Ascot ITV star's secret talent away from horse racing saw him win £83k
ITV Racing presenter Oli Bell will be busy during the Royal Ascot festival, but he is also a skilled poker player who clinched a big win at this year's UK Poker Championships ITV Racing presenter Oli Bell once faced a dilemma over whether to pursue a broadcasting career. He had a choice between working in TV or committing himself to online poker tournaments. Bell is set for a busy week as ITV hosts coverage from Royal Ascot. The 38-year-old will present the Opening Show on ITV 4 daily during the festival. With a family background in sports broadcasting and horse training, Bell was arguably destined to become a racing presenter, and he will look forward to seeing the action unfold at Royal Ascot. However, during his time as a tea boy at Racing TV, Bell discovered he had a natural flair for poker. He ultimately chose to focus on his TV career before returning to poker years later. Bell claimed his biggest win at this year's UK Poker Championship in Nottingham as one of the final six players who agreed to split the prize money and walked away with £83,500. "In Nottingham, I didn't want to be noticed,' Bell told The Telegraph."I wanted them to think I was a professional poker player who was really hard to read. 'On the first table, a lass from Birmingham says, 'Oi, you look just like Oli Bell from the racing.' I apologised and said, 'Yep, that is me.' But when it got to the final table, everyone who was a racing fan was cheering me on.' Bell's passion for poker evolved from playing with his family for matchsticks at Christmas to winning tournaments among colleagues in his early days at Racing TV. He began earning more than his salary in online games, but faced a tough choice when he was offered a new job in Australia. 'The first three years, I was playing online and ended up going through the grades,' Bell recalled. 'Typically, tournaments would last from 6pm on Sunday 'til 8am on Monday to fit in with US time, and my brother would sit keeping me awake. 'I'd always have work on a Monday and I'd roll into the office having had zero sleep making the worst cups of tea for [TV presenter] Nick Luck but having won considerably more than I was earning!' When a new racing channel in Australia offered him a job, Bell decided to call time on his fledgling poker career. 'I had the conversation,' he admitted. 'Did I give up the presenting dream and just do poker? 'I did the sensible thing and went to Australia for three years. Because of the time zones, I parked poker. I'd had a great run, it was a moment in my life and that was that.' Bell may have viewed his initial poker success as a moment in time, but he was a skilled novice. After being persuaded to play in poker tournaments for one of his colleagues, Bell won £7,000 on his first trip to a casino. He was also once sent to Las Vegas a day ahead of a stag do with $1,000 and made $5,000 for the party to spend during their trip. Despite spending years away from poker, Bell's love for the game was reignited during lockdown. He discovered that he had not lost his skills, which Bell believes have also helped in his broadcasting career. 'I had some decent results so I knew I could still make a living from it,' Bell explained. 'I've still got it. I have no idea what 'it' is – it is like why is Ryan Moore a better jockey? I seem to have an instinct for knowing what I've got in my hand, knowing if I'm in a good or bad spot. It's the same as a jockey. 'My school report for maths said I was the worst my teacher had taught in 50 years. I'm not a maths genius in any sense. But I'm a complete nerd and geek at poker and it complements the day job because it has taught me so many skills that I use in my career. 'One of my strengths is chatting to anyone, the Queen at Ascot or someone having a pint with mates. Playing poker, you sit at a table and have to work out people from all walks of life, from different countries, religions, backgrounds, you have to read the room, know when to press someone for an answer or ease off. 'For all that it's a degenerate hobby, it's a lucrative one and it has shaped me as a broadcaster. It helps me in day-to-day life and in my profession.'
Daily Mirror
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Racing expert's Royal Ascot day 1 tips including 10-1 shot after 8,000-1 tricast
ITV Racing pundit Kevin Blake is back with his tips for day 1 of Royal Ascot, just weeks after helping punters take the bookies to the cleaners with a staggering 8,000-1 Derby combination tricast ITV Racing star Kevin Blake has shed light on his fancies for day 1 of Royal Ascot. The pundit successfully tipped up a brilliant 800-1 Cheltenham Festival treble in 2021, and inflicted more pain on the bookies earlier this month. Blake is in tip top form following the Derby at Epsom. The ITV star appeared on the channel's Opening Show before the race and selected three horses who he believed could win or run well on the Downs. Proven stayer Lambourn at 13-2, Chester Vase runner-up Lazy Griff at 50-1 and 33-1 shot Tenesseee Stud were his selections, and they ended up romping home 1-2-3 to land a mammoth 8,249-1 bet for anyone who used his picks in a combination tricast. Now, Blake has three horses to follow for day one of the historic Royal meeting. Blake's first selection of the day comes in a hot Queen Anne Stakes, the opening race of the afternoon, which takes place at 2:30pm. The one-mile affair on Ascot's straight course is a stern test, and this year the Richard Hannon-trained Rosallion looks to maintain his unbeaten record in Berkshire and is the market leader. However, Blake has opted for superstar Ryan Moore's mount, 10-1 shot Diego Velasquez. This four-year-old son of the great Frankel has been off since September, having last run in the Solonaway Stakes at Leopardstown, which he won that impressively. Aidan O'Brien's colt was unruly in the stalls last month when attempting to make his intended return, and while Blake acknowledges that coming here into Group 1 company without a prep run is a worry, he feels his affinity to sit handy could help in this clash. Speaking on the Queen Anne, Blake told Betfair: "The market is dominated by the form of the Lockinge Stakes, with the first four home reopposing. My preference amongst them is Rosallion, who I expect to improve notably from that run, but he is priced accordingly, and I've decided to venture outside the Lockinge form in pursuit of bigger-priced alternatives. "While it isn't ideal that Diego Velazquez comes here without a run, his trainer has had over a month to tighten the screws on him [from his intended May run]. He is a straightforward ride that enjoys sitting handy in his races, and that might well be a big help in a race that could get messy for those that are held up." Next, Blake has set his sights on the King Charles III Stakes at 3:40pm. This five-furlong Group 1 sprint is open to horses aged three or older, and last year's winner, six-year-old Australian mare Asfoora, is back to defend her crown. Yet again, Blake has decided to veer away from the market favourite, and has an 8-1 selection in the form of Ed Walker's charge, Mgheera. The four-year-old mare is unbeaten since arriving at Walker's yard, having come over from France in April, and won the Group 2 Temple Stakes at Haydock last time out. READ MORE: Newsboy's horseracing tips and 1-2-3 for every race at Royal Ascot on Tuesday on ITV Star rider William Buick is back in the saddle, with his booking a significant plus, and Blake feels Mgheera's draw and consistent improvement work in her favour for this 23-runner sprint. "This really is brutally competitive with 23 runners set to sprint down the straight at Ascot. With there being plenty of pace on show, my inclination is to side with one that will be ridden with patience and look to strike late," said Blake. "Mgheera has that profile and has been booming forward in terms of improvement this year. She needs to improve again to get seriously involved at this level, but this setup will maximise her prospects of doing so. She is drawn close to some of the best pace, so it all looks lined up for her to have every opportunity to run a big race." Lastly, Blake's third selection comes in the final race of the day, the 1m6f Copper Horse Stakes. This staying handicap is open to four-year-olds and older, and it is 17-2 tip that ITV's finest has thrown up. Blake has sided with Joseph O'Brien's Aeronautic, who has seen significant market movement, as the son of Gleneagles started at a general 16-1 to begin the morning. "His comeback run over an inadequate mile-and-a-quarter at the Curragh will have blown away any cobwebs, and this course and distance promises to suit him well," said Blake. "While a wider draw would be preferred, he is set to be ridden with patience and covered up, so it shouldn't be too much of an inconvenience. He looks a big price."
