Fresh off his monumental victory at the EPT Paris Main Event last month and his largest tournament cash to date, English pro Barny Boatman was named the newest PokerStars Team Pro. The 68-year-old pro and two-time WSOP bracelet winner becomes the latest ambassador and pitchman for PokerStars.
Most athletes have shelf life and are only at the top of their game for a short time. However, poker pros mature with age like a fine wine. Sure, older players lack the stamina of players half or even one-third their age, but they make up for it in experience and gravitas. At a time when many people his age are about to retire, Barny Boatman is playing some of the best poker of his life.
In late February, PokerStars completed their second running of the EPT Paris. The popular event on the EPT occurred in one of the coolest cities in Europe. The 2024 EPT Paris attracted 1,224 runners and a prize pool worth over €8.4 million. When the dust settled, Barny Boatman was the last player standing. His performance in Paris was one for the ages with several well-timed bluffs mixed in with a few hero calls.
Boatman outgunned a tough final table in Paris that included Eric Afriat, David Kaufmann, Aleksejs Ponakovs, Owen Dodd, and Peter Jorgne. Boatman also denied the 2023 runner up -- Peter Jorgne from Sweden -- a chance to avenge last year's second place finish.
Barny Boatman squared off against German pro David Kaufmann in a classic heads-up battle between Germany and England. Boatman prevailed as the victory and banked almost €1.3 million, which was the largest score in his illustrious career.
The folks at PokerStars HQ had an easy decision to make when they decided to tap Boatman to become their newest Team Pro. Boatman is great for poker and a true ambassador of the game because he's a vital member of the poker community and will draw in new players to the game.
"We are delighted to welcome Barny Boatman to the PokerStars family," said Kevin Harrington, CEO at PokerStars. "Barny's reputation as one of the most respected and accomplished players in the industry precedes him, and we are confident that his insights and contributions will be invaluable as we continue to innovate and evolve as a platform."
"I am excited and honoured to be joining PokerStars and it's excellent group of ambassadors," Boatman said. "I know that PokerStars is committed to providing the best experience and playing environment both live and online and I'm particularly looking forward to taking an active part in the Europe Poker Tour and other superb events around the world."
Boatman popped up on the radar nearly 25 years ago as a member of the Hendon Mob, which was an eclectic group of poker players who met for a weekly game in the Hendon neighborhood of London.
Boatman, along with his brother Russ Boatman, was lumped together with Ram Vaswani and Joe Beevers and dubbed "The Hendon Mob" by the Evening Standard newspaper. He parlayed his new-found fame as a prominent figure on Late Night Poker broadcasts and he became a household name in the UK due to his appearance on the popular TV show.
"I want to remind people that although the game has developed an enormous amount it's got more technical, it's still the game that you love and that you learned playing around the kitchen table," said Boatman. "Learning all this new stuff is important as a basis, but there's still a game you can enjoy, that you can improvise and bring your personality to. And for me, the live game is very special, and the EPT provide the perfect format for bringing out every aspect of the game.”
Boatman is no stranger to the winner's circle in Las Vegas. He won his first WSOP bracelet back in 2013 when he shipped a $1,500 donakament for $546K. Two years later, he took down his second bracelet event with a PLO victory at the WSOP Europe in Berlin.
Boatman will represent the Red Spade during the upcoming Irish Open.
