Barny Boatman has always done things a little differently.
Whether it was helping pioneer televised poker in the UK or winning his first EPT Main Event title at the age of 68, Boatman’s story on the felt has never followed the usual script.
And this week, he quietly turned the page on another chapter, announcing that he’s no longer a part of Team PokerStars.
The news came via a message he posted on social media, where Boatman reflected on his long history with the brand.
He first crossed paths with PokerStars back in 2004, at the very first European Poker Tour stop in Barcelona.
"It was exciting to be there at the beginning of something many of us sensed was gonna change the game forever," he wrote.
https://twitter.com/barnyboatman/status/1947377385311244516
Two decades later, he returned to that same city as a freshly minted PokerStars ambassador, a few months after his emotional victory at EPT Paris.
It was the moment Boatman had been chasing for years. After so many deep runs and near misses on some of poker's grandest stages, he finally closed one out. At 68, lifting an EPT trophy and banking €1.2 million, he showed there’s still plenty of fight in the old guard.
Barny Boatman Completes Long Road to EPT Main Event Title
A few days after his EPT triumph, Boatman was unveiled as a Team Pro during a live recording of Poker in the Earsat the Hippodrome in London. For the next year and change, he wore the patch, travelled to events, connected with players, and brought his wit and wisdom to every table he sat at.
But now, PokerStars and Boatman are going their separate ways. “Musical differences or something,” he joked. “Barcelona will have to struggle on next month without me.”
“I’ve stayed in some of the fanciest hotels in some of the coolest cities, and I’ve got more spades than B&Q,” he wrote. “I wish all my friends at Stars the best of luck, and thanks for all the barbecued fish.”
Boatman’s career — that's certainly not over — has ticked just about every box. A founding member of the Hendon Mob, he’s been one of the most respected names in poker for over 25 years and was someone who could bridge generations, being a role model to rookies and veterans.
Boatman's career has seen him earn more than $5.6 million in live tournament earnings, pick up two WSOP bracelets, and a long list of final tables. He’s made five WSOP final tables since 2022 alone, including a seventh place finish in the 2022 WSOPE Main Event.
From the outside, Boatman’s career looks like a highlight reel but he’s always been honest about the near-misses too.
“Every poker player has a million stories like that,” he told PokerNewslast year, recalling a hand that potentially cost him a $2 million payday two decades ago. “I know sometimes I made mistakes, sometimes I ran bad, and sometimes I got outplayed… But this [EPT win] really feels like — wow. That’s what I’ve been doing this for.”
And that’s what made Boatman’s story so relatable to so many players across the world. He’s someone who stuck with it, kept turning up, year after year, in card rooms and casinos all over, chasing the kind of moment he finally found in Paris.
PokerNewswould like to wish Barny Boatman all the best in his future endeavors.
| Date | Event | Rank | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 2024 | €5,300 EPT Paris Main Event | 1st | €1,287,800 |
| Jun 2013 | $1,500 WSOP NLHE | 1st | $546,080 |
| Oct 2011 | €4,900 EPT San Remo Main Event | 4th | €225,000 |
| Jun 2015 | $1,500 WSOP NLHE | 3rd | $204,464 |
| Nov 2022 | €10,350 WSOPE Main Event | 7th | €180,867 |
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