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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.'
