Ben Roberts

Ben Roberts earned his nickname of “Gentleman Ben” because of his friendly attitude and good manners both on and off the table. With over 20 years in the game he has made many friends with his gentle nature and good will but he still has the ability to be harsh when it matters and grind out the toughest of opponents.

Roberts was born in Mehdi Jaydani, Iran, in 1956. He stayed living in Persia before moving to London, England, when he was a teenager. He is a talented all rounder and as well as his successes in poker, Roberts won tournaments in the late 70s playing table tennis and pool.

At around the same time, he got married. He legally changed his name to Roberts on this occasion so that his future children, of which he now has three, would have an English sounding surname.

His poker career started in the mid 70s and he claims to have won every year. He is predominantly a cash game player and he started out very much in this way. His first big finish tournament did not come until 1998 when he collected $150,000 playing No Limit Hold ‘em at the World Series of Poker Championship. He was one hand away from playing in the final but his pocket aces failed to see him through.

After three years with no money finishes in tournaments, Roberts came back to the WSOP in 2001 and cashed in playing Pot Limit Hold ‘em. Later in 2001, he claimed his first major victory when he won the Masters Classic of Poker playing No Limit Hold ‘em.

He has also had success in the World Poker Tour, most noticeably in 2004 when he won the Pot Limit Omaha and came fifth in the No Limit Hold ‘em event earning him a combined total of $240,000. The following season he finished second in the WPT No Limit Hold ‘em, finishing behind Quinn Do in a game that Roberts has shown that he excels in.

He has made several television appearances – in 2002 he came third in his only appearance on Late Night Poker and in 2005 he competed in the World Speed Poker Open.

2005 was a happy year for Roberts as he became the fifth player to be entered into the European Poker Players Hall of Fame after being recommended by Pepe Klinger. He joined Donnacha O’Dea, Surinder Sunar, Bruno Fitoussi and Dave Ulliot in the illustrious list. Since Roberts’ induction the list has increased to twelve members including Dave Colclough and Carlos Mortensen.

By the start of 2007, Roberts’ tournament winnings were just short of the million dollar mark and he currently lives in London.