Team Betfair : HID World Series of Poker

Matt Booth

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 18:07:39 +0000

Matt Booth, is the Head of Marketing in the UK and has worked at Betfair for 6 months. Matt works across sports, poker and casino to spread the Betfair message working with the internal teams of brand, acquisition and retention. He cant wait for the WSOP Europe to get underway and hopes that one of the Betfair pros makes the final table at the WSOP main event.

Matt has been playing poker badly for far too long and can often be found on the Betfair cash tables helping fund other people's nights out. His greatest moment in Poker is still yet to come but has won a number of 200 people tournaments. His live tournament poker experience is fairly limited, although when living in Gibraltar he regularly attended the weekly event and made the final table a handful of occasions.

Matt wishes all Betfair players the best of luck in the WSOP.

Glyn Cassidy

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 18:07:01 +0000

Glyn Cassidy is the Head of Events & Corporate Hospitality at Betfair and has been with the company for over five years. Glyn has organised events and hospitality for Betfair all over the world including the rugby world cup last year and at the biggest horse racing events including the Grand National at Aintree, the Cheltenham Festival and the Royal Ascot meeting- just to name a few events. The Betfair Events Team also put on the best Summer and Christmas parties as all Betfair employees can testify to.

Glyn works closely with Marketing and Brand Teams and is responsible for putting on our player's lounge in both WSOP Vegas and at the WSOP Europe and with the help of the Events Team is responsible for the logistics and smooth running of these two major events. Glyn is still learning how to play poker so any tips and lessons would not go amiss, especially if they are taught over a nice glass of bubbly!

Andrew Riddell

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 10:50:21 +0000

I have been with betfair since May 2004 and work in the Key Accounts Team, we look after the Premium Accounts and assist them in anyway we can.

I have been involved in Gambling all my life, mainly horseracing but have played poker at clubs since I was old enough to get in. I definitely have paid my school fees and these days prefer Hold 'em cash games to Stud as become involved in more hands and tournaments can take forever.

I was a presenter doing South African Racing on television prior to Betfair and can be heard on Betfair Radio these days. I love sports and play golf as often as possible, not the greatest but love it. I own a couple of greyhounds as cannot afford horses.

Ben Fried

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 11:13:37 +0000

Rachel Ryan

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 11:13:06 +0000

Rachel works as the Events and Corporate Hospitality Assistant for Betfair, assisting on all the major events Betfair put on. In Vegas, Rachel will be based in the Players' Lounge, buzzing around to ensure that you have the information you need.

Rachel's poker skills are limited to playing a few sit and go's and she has been known to cash in the majority of her games, usually down to luck more than anything else! So she is hoping to pick up a few tips during her first trip to Las Vegas. In her free time Rachel enjoys shopping and looks forward to escorting Annette on a few trips.

Paul Twaddle

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 11:12:17 +0000

Having spent 15 years working in casinos in the UK, abroad and on cruise ships, my destiny was always going to be poker where I have the opportunity to combine business with pleasure, so I joined Betfair and now look after poker and casino VIPs.

You don't have to worry about boring me with bad beats; I could bore you back all day long....

I love the psychology of live tournament play (dealer dealt that is - sloppy self-dealing REALLY winds me up!), but you can't beat online for multi-tabling the cash where there's always a game.

My other passions are golf and live music - I used to play in a 'band', but we were never any good, otherwise I would mention the name ;o)

Richard Bloch

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 16:49:39 +0000

Richard Bloch is Betfair's Head of Poker and Games PR and has been working for the company since April 2008. Richard manages the press activity for the brand to ensure that Betfair Poker is promoted positively across a variety of media both in the UK and internationally.

Richard has been playing poker since he was very young, initially for matchsticks and now for small stakes online.

He favours tournaments to cash games and prefers Omaha to the more popular No Limit.

If you want to get into Richard's good books he will do pretty much anything for a sambucca!

David Wilson

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 16:48:59 +0000

David Wilson is the Irish Poker Marketing Manager and has been working with Betfair since 2004. Looking after the Irish market, David manages to get himself to most of the top events in Ireland looking after sponsorships, tournaments and players.

When he joined betfair, poker was very alien to him, but after a couple of years of practice, he managed to win a ranking event during the Irish Poker Classic Festival in 2007. Online, David or 'stripey' as he is better known regularly donates at the $2.50/5 tables, or sometimes at 4 in the morning his nemesis might join the $10/20 heads up tables!

Away from his job, David plays for his local hockey team and no it's not a girl's game!

Mark Thorne

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 16:40:25 +0000

Mark is the Country Manager for Portugal.

An avid poker player, he joined Betfair in May 2007. He created a small sponsored Betfair poker team in Portugal, as well as organising the Betfair Portuguese Poker Tour offline tournaments, providing players with the reknowned Betfair poker exeprience. He also attends all the offline Portuguese tourneys, as well as some international ones.

You can easily beat Mark at the tables, where you´ll find him hiding behind his alias: pois.

Portugal will have to do without him for a while, as he will be at WSOP 2008 to assist you in any way he can.

Mikel

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 11:47:14 +0000

Mikel is the Spanish Accounts Manager. He joined Betfair in May 2005, and had never played poker before that. Now, you´ll find him daily at the low limit cash tables and sit and gos under his alias pokrap.

A regular at all the big spanish offline tournaments, he´s been providing Betfair´s world class hospitality for our spanish players for nearly two years. He´ll be at hand at the WSOP to help you with anything you might need.

Estelle Bentall

Wed, 14 May 2008 11:17:12 +0000

Estelle Bentall is Poker Player Manager has been a part of the Betfair Poker Team since August 2005. Estelle is a key member of the team and ensures we give our Qualifiers the trip of a lifetime. You will find Estelle at many of the leading poker events and for those of you lucky enough to join Betfair at the WSOP 2008 you will get to see a lot of her whilst taking you on fabulous trips or entertaining you in our exclusive lounge.

Estelle has been playing Poker for nearly three years and you can find her regularly playing on the super turbos 6 packs online at Betfair. Estelle is your main contact when you qualify on Betfair and she can guarantee you a great time! When Estelle's not busy playing poker and looking after our players you can find her on the Rugby Pitch as 'Captain Estelle' for Hammersmith and Fulham Ladies Team, a girl not to be messed with!