Five full years of Ladbrokespoker.com will soon be upon us amongst pomp and ceremony – OK, amongst free-roles and giveaways – but where did it all begin and what have been the highlights leading to this anniversary? Stalwart Roy ‘The Boy’ Brindley tells all…

May 2002 was, indeed, launch date of Ladbrokespoker.com a groundbreaking move within the bookmaking industry. At the time most bookmakers had only recently launched their online betting site and were, truth be told, pretty dismayed at the poor response. They were in no mood to diversify.

However, Ladbrokes had seen poker’s potential and realised there was a direct correlation between card playing and gambling. Eighteen months beforehand they had sponsored the inaugural Poker Million staged on the Isle of Man and worth £1 million sterling to the winner, a staggering amount now and at a time when the World Series Champion netted $1.5 million.

In order to promote their new online poker product Ladbrokes once again turned to a televised poker event, the World Heads-Up Championship then staged in Vienna, to announce their arrival in what was to become a global phenomenon.

It transpired that the runner-up in that novel tournament was to become Ladbrokespoker.com’s sponsored professional; the first sponsored poker player in Europe and an ongoing relationship which continues to this day.

He boasts the association came around because of his amazing poker prowess and stunning communication skills, others would argue the winner could simply not speak a word of English!

Regardless, Ladbrokes was soon unique in not only offering online poker as a bookmaking organisation but also in providing a news, story, notice-board and results website. Commonplace now, unconsidered then.

As 2003 rolled in other bookmakers were taking interest in this new pastime inspired by the growth of Ladbrokespoker.com but none were in a position to match Ladbrokes next move, online qualification into a television tournament, Poker Million II ultimately won by snooker Star Jimmy White.

Such was the success of the online qualification Ladbrokes repeated the trick for the World Poker Tour leg in Paris later that year. The Aviation Casino entertained just two people wearing a branded t-shirt during the three days of the event and both, Phil ‘Xanthe’ Rouse and Björn ‘PokerKeso’ Sjöstedt, were in Ladbrokes attire.

Such was the success of the online qualification Ladbrokes repeated the trick for the World Poker Tour leg in Paris later that year. The Aviation Casino entertained just two people wearing a branded t-shirt during the three days of the event and both, Phil ‘Xanthe’ Rouse and Björn ‘PokerKeso’ Sjöstedt, were in Ladbrokes attire.

It was unchartered waters, but qualifying online [at Labrokespoker.com] for offline events was born there and then and it has been a resounding success and permanent feature ever since.

At this juncture I could, once again, spill the beans on Phil ‘Xanthe’ Rouse’ over-sleeping escapade which possibly cost him a seat at the final table of that WPT, but worse things have happened especially at sea which leads to something else that was on the horizon, the first European Poker Cruise brought to you by, who else, Ladbrokes.

One thing that had never happened just three years ago was enhanced/added/sponsored prize-money to a tournament which were, like online poker, becoming bigger and bigger.

Suffice to say Ladbrokes put that right when sponsoring the Irish Winter Festival in the back end of 2003. The €1,000 entry tournament, which was to become the Irish EPT, boasted a record 125 players and was won by Lucy Rokach.


Back on the site ever-improving software meant better action and the introduction of multi-table tournaments. Superstars were also being born, most notably teenager Erik ‘TheSalmon’ Sagstrom who became Ladbrokes first online millionaire.

At the other end of the scale and into 2004 the old timers continued to dominate. Donnacha O’Dea landed the Poker Million and, on the aforementioned European Poker Cruise around the Mediterranean, 74-year-old Eric Dalby netted a $250,000 first-prize.

The balance was redressed when young Barry ‘Batroot’ Craig landed the Ladbrokes sponsored Northern Ireland Hold’em Championship.

2005 saw the introduction of ‘Ladbrokes European Online Poker Championship’ or LEOCOP for those uneasy with big words. Seven events with $1.2 million in guaranteed prize-money and, you guessed it, it was a groundbreaker amongst the European online poker community.

426 players ultimately took part in the main event with Alistair ‘ALI666’ Lane taking the $266,250 top-spot.

Also in 2005 the Poker Million was to receive a huge cash injection with $1.25 million added to the prize-fund and a guaranteed millionaire winner at the end of it.

Romford fork-lift driver Tony Jones, who qualified through a free-role, was the millionaire in waiting with TV presenter Helen Chamberlain taking a six-figure sum for second.

Meanwhile, Ladbrokes made a huge impression at the World Series of Poker with its biggest team of representatives to date and a brilliant performance by Conor “Sealy” Tate who finished twelfth earning $600,000.

You would have to suspect something sinister is afoot and I see this entirely as a ploy to showcase and highlight so-called ‘top players’. I mean let’s face it, who, apart from those enjoying all the spin offs WSOP and WPT notoriety has afforded them, will be realistically able to play this event?

Rounding out the year was a novel poker/golf package in Faro, Portugal. Ladbrokes qualifiers dominated the poker if not the golf and it was Richard “strummer9” Herbert who took the prize on the green baize.

This event was later summarised by comedian Norman Pace, the participant wrote: “It was a fantastic three days. I met some great people, had a glorious time. I love Laddies. Not just for the excellent software but because we are a community.”

2006 was dominated by the mammoth Caribbean Poker Cruise. 508 cabins, 750 individuals playing poker and over 1,000 guests flown to Miami for fun, frolics and lots of poker.


For the record Swede Adam ‘Eskobet’ Eskola got the $371,275 first prize in the main event while pretty much everyone else got drunk!

Later in the year 88 players went to Las Vegas courtesy of a value laden Ladbrokes package, that’s those with no visa issues and, remarkably, Conor “Sealy” Tate’s 2005 win was surpassed by John “yobenike” Magill who earned $1,154,527 for finishing twelfth.

Longstanding Ladbrokes fan and snooker playing legend Steve ‘fivek’ Davis also made the money during another outstanding year in Vegas for Europe’s number one site.

The second LEOCOP saw Graham ‘Grazza’ Newman cash out $230,000 but new initiatives are never far away at Ladbrokespoker and the European Ladies Championship, Ladbrokes Nordic Challenge, Ladbrokes European Offline Tour of Poker (LEOTOP) packages were added to the roster during 2006.

Norwegian Gunn Tove Vist won that inaugural ladies event and went on to play in Poker Million V which went to medical technician Rajesh Modha who earned his place in the field for just $9.

Have I covered the entire has done, have done, will do and can do list? Not quite, the Ladbrokespoker community shared a successful racehorse in 2006 and a new version is to be unwrapped in 2007.

So there you have it.
Five wonderful years of life-changing results, unparalleled fun and friendship developed through Europe’s largest online poker community. Who would have thought such a thing was possible?