Neil Channing
Encyclopedia
Neil Andrew Channing is an English
professional poker
player and author
based in Maida Vale
, London
. He is the 2008 Irish Poker Open
champion.
Before turning professional, he worked as a bookmaker
at various UK racecourses
, and now provides books part-time for various sports betting companies. He has retained a keen interest in betting, and can often be spotted at big events such as the Grand National
and the Cheltenham Festival
Channing's reputation as a stalwart of the cash felt is well known within the industry and his ability to grind out a wage on a daily basis at the Grosvenor Victoria Casino quickly garnered him the respect of his peers. In 2007, however, he turned his attention to the tournament circuit and began appearing in numerous events across Europe.
In March 2008, Channing won the 2008 Irish Poker Open
and €801,400 (over $1,200,000) against a field of 667 players.
Channing has also enjoyed success on home soil, in particular in the GUKPT. In March 2010, he finished second in GUKPT London for £84,700 before finally capturing his first UK title in the Luton
leg of August of the same year. Channing's victory for £64,050 elevated him into the top 3 of the all-time GUKPT ranking list.
Although a bracelet has thus far evaded him, Channing has cashed 27 times in WSOP/E events, putting him third in the UK behind Surinder Sunar
and David Ulliott. In 2008, he cashed nine times. Channing's best effort at a bracelet came in 2010 when he finished second in the £5,000 No Limit Hold'em Shootout for $273,153.
As of 2011, his total live tournament winnings exceed $2,900,000. and he lies tenth in the UK all-time money list.
Channing is a regular columnist for Bluff Europe Magazine. Until 2009, he was sponsored to play poker tournaments by Pokerverdict.com. He is now a sponsored pro at Blackbeltpoker.com alongside bracelet-winner Richard Ashby
.
On April 27, 2009, Neil launched his new site, Black Belt Poker, which he co-founded with fellow poker pro Nik Persaud
. Neil also writes a regular blog
on the site and is an active participant in its promotion.
Neil is well known for backing/staking other players, and had 25 percent in James Akenhead
who made the November Nine
. Neil also sponsored eight players in the summer of 2009 with $20,000 WSOP packages under the Black Belt Poker umbrella. Neil played a number of events cashing in five, his biggest score coming in the $40,000 No Limit Hold'em freezeout where he finished 20th for $71,858.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
professional poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
player and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
based in Maida Vale
Maida Vale
Maida Vale is a residential district in West London between St John's Wood and Kilburn. It is part of the City of Westminster. The area is mostly residential, and mainly affluent, consisting of many large late Victorian and Edwardian blocks of mansion flats...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He is the 2008 Irish Poker Open
Irish Poker Open
The paddypowerpoker.com Irish Poker Open is the longest running No Limit Texas hold 'em poker tournament in Europe and second longest in the world after the World Series of Poker....
champion.
Before turning professional, he worked as a bookmaker
Bookmaker
A bookmaker, or bookie, is an organization or a person that takes bets on sporting and other events at agreed upon odds.- Range of events :...
at various UK racecourses
Race track
A race track is a purpose-built facility for racing of animals , automobiles, motorcycles or athletes. A race track may also feature grandstands or concourses. Some motorsport tracks are called speedways.A racetrack is a permanent facility or building...
, and now provides books part-time for various sports betting companies. He has retained a keen interest in betting, and can often be spotted at big events such as the Grand National
Grand National
The Grand National is a world-famous National Hunt horse race which is held annually at Aintree Racecourse, near Liverpool, England. It is a handicap chase run over a distance of four miles and 856 yards , with horses jumping thirty fences over two circuits of Aintree's National Course...
and the Cheltenham Festival
Cheltenham Festival
The Cheltenham Festival is one of the most prestigious meetings in the National Hunt racing calendar in the United Kingdom, and has race prize money second only to the Grand National...
Channing's reputation as a stalwart of the cash felt is well known within the industry and his ability to grind out a wage on a daily basis at the Grosvenor Victoria Casino quickly garnered him the respect of his peers. In 2007, however, he turned his attention to the tournament circuit and began appearing in numerous events across Europe.
In March 2008, Channing won the 2008 Irish Poker Open
Irish Poker Open
The paddypowerpoker.com Irish Poker Open is the longest running No Limit Texas hold 'em poker tournament in Europe and second longest in the world after the World Series of Poker....
and €801,400 (over $1,200,000) against a field of 667 players.
Channing has also enjoyed success on home soil, in particular in the GUKPT. In March 2010, he finished second in GUKPT London for £84,700 before finally capturing his first UK title in the Luton
Luton
Luton is a large town and unitary authority of Bedfordshire, England, 30 miles north of London. Luton and its near neighbours, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, form the Luton/Dunstable Urban Area with a population of about 250,000....
leg of August of the same year. Channing's victory for £64,050 elevated him into the top 3 of the all-time GUKPT ranking list.
Although a bracelet has thus far evaded him, Channing has cashed 27 times in WSOP/E events, putting him third in the UK behind Surinder Sunar
Surinder Sunar
Surinder Sunar is a British professional poker player based in Wolverhampton, who gained fame as a three-time finalist in the Late Night Poker television series....
and David Ulliott. In 2008, he cashed nine times. Channing's best effort at a bracelet came in 2010 when he finished second in the £5,000 No Limit Hold'em Shootout for $273,153.
As of 2011, his total live tournament winnings exceed $2,900,000. and he lies tenth in the UK all-time money list.
Channing is a regular columnist for Bluff Europe Magazine. Until 2009, he was sponsored to play poker tournaments by Pokerverdict.com. He is now a sponsored pro at Blackbeltpoker.com alongside bracelet-winner Richard Ashby
Richard Ashby
Richard 'Chufty' Ashby is a professional poker player from London. He was given the name 'Chufty' by his friends at University, due to Richard's frequency of using the term "chuffed"....
.
On April 27, 2009, Neil launched his new site, Black Belt Poker, which he co-founded with fellow poker pro Nik Persaud
Nik Persaud
Nikhil Persaud is a professional poker player from London. He has been playing poker for several years, starting off life as an STT grinder on Ladbrokes Poker and now plays online under the alias ‘reraiseallin.’...
. Neil also writes a regular blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
on the site and is an active participant in its promotion.
Neil is well known for backing/staking other players, and had 25 percent in James Akenhead
James Akenhead
James Akenhead is a professional English poker player, sponsored by Full Tilt Poker. and part of the London based poker group The Hitsquad...
who made the November Nine
November Nine
The November Nine is the name used to refer to the final nine contestants, or final table, at the Main Event of the World Series of Poker since 2008. The winner of the WSOP Main Event is considered to be the World Champion of Poker....
. Neil also sponsored eight players in the summer of 2009 with $20,000 WSOP packages under the Black Belt Poker umbrella. Neil played a number of events cashing in five, his biggest score coming in the $40,000 No Limit Hold'em freezeout where he finished 20th for $71,858.