Our Verdict:
There’s an impression that the world’s leading online poker players are ruthless winning machines, who effortlessly increase the size of their bank balances by pushing aside mere mortals at the table as if they barely existed. It’s almost as if the successful online pro doesn’t have bad days at the table.
Kevin Saul – aka “BeL0WaB0Ve” – doesn’t fit the mould even though he’s an outstanding online player who has racked up serious winnings since he started going pro in January 2005.
BeL0WaB0Ve has trousered $163,636 in online tournament winnings since the start of September 2006, a phenomenal record which includes cashing at 100 tables and making money several times a day on more than one occasion. BeL0WaB0Ve is remarkably consistent and highly committed - he's a prime example of the high-volume, high-win players who quickly earn a reputation as extremely dangerous online opponents.
The psychology graduate has an aggressive style of play and as he told Fox Sports he says if you want to be successful online you need to be “very aggressive. If I’m in there, I’m usually raising. I think aggression, and being able to make people fold is one of the keys to being a successful tournament player.”
Saul himself has proved he can be a successful tournament player offline too – he won $100,721 for coming second at the Bellagio Cup II Tournament in November 2006 and followed up by claiming fourth place and $55,372 at the World Poker Finals three days later. Having played at the last two WSOPs – with varying success – Saul acknowledges to Fox Sports that his tournament play has dramatically improved over the past 18 months.
“This year I felt a lot more prepared to be in Vegas. Having been through the entire grind once, I really look forward to next year’s WSOP.”
If his form in 2008 is as impressive as it was during 2007, then BeL0WaB0Ve will surely go to Vegas as a serious contender.