As we all know, Joe 'The Elegance' Beevers is one quarter of the world's most popular poker clique, The Hendon Mob. Teaming up with Ross, Barny and Ram, Joe and his long-time friends erupted onto our screens amid the Late Night Poker hysteria, before going on to create a highly successful website and then, most recently, earning themselves a fully deserved sponsorship deal with Full Tilt. Cool, calm and collected, Joe hasn't appeared on the scene too much of late, but that is of course predominantly due to the birth of his two wonderful twin girls, Millie and Lola. Fortunately for us, Joe managed to find a spare moment to answer a few of the Beagle's questions; the Full Tilt deal, the Mob, family life - it's all here, you'd be a fool not to read on.
snoopy: Does the Full Tilt deal change the way The Mob will be playing comps in the near future?
Joe: No I’m still a rock and Ram is still a loony. Seriously though, we probably won’t be playing as many events as we have done over the past three years but you’ll still find us at most of the major festivals.
snoopy: As The Mob are now sponsored by an established online site, rather than Prima who were up and coming, is the focus now centred on winning comps rather than promotion?
Joe: You make it sound like the focus was just on promotion. Our focus has always been about playing poker and having fun and still is. We are involved in a number of different things regarding the site and Full Tilt Poker and right now the focus is on the new online Mob Forum League which starts on October 3rd.
snoopy: How big an influence do you think the Hendon Mob was on the poker boom?
Joe: The poker boom is largely down to two things; online poker and TV. We were very lucky with our timing and our involvement in Late Night Poker. It’s nice when people tell us that ‘we’ are the reason that they got into poker but there are a lot of contributing factors. One thing that I do think helped was when we signed the first $1million sponsorship deal. It opened up a lot of doors and helped others get deals as well.
snoopy: Did you ever think the Hendon Mob would still be going strong today? If no, then when and why did you think it would end?
Joe: We are four friends that play poker and we were all friends before the launch of thehendonmob.com. The Hendon Mob is the name given to us by the poker community. It’s very flattering that the brand has become one of the biggest in poker. Why should it ever end?
snoopy: Have any of the members ever been close to parting from the group? If yes, then what was the reason for this?
Joe: We are very much like four brothers. We have disagreements, sure, just like in any family but once you’re in the Mob there is no way out!
Joe: No I’m still a rock and Ram is still a loony. Seriously though, we probably won’t be playing as many events as we have done over the past three years but you’ll still find us at most of the major festivals.
snoopy: As The Mob are now sponsored by an established online site, rather than Prima who were up and coming, is the focus now centred on winning comps rather than promotion?
Joe: You make it sound like the focus was just on promotion. Our focus has always been about playing poker and having fun and still is. We are involved in a number of different things regarding the site and Full Tilt Poker and right now the focus is on the new online Mob Forum League which starts on October 3rd.
snoopy: How big an influence do you think the Hendon Mob was on the poker boom?
Joe: The poker boom is largely down to two things; online poker and TV. We were very lucky with our timing and our involvement in Late Night Poker. It’s nice when people tell us that ‘we’ are the reason that they got into poker but there are a lot of contributing factors. One thing that I do think helped was when we signed the first $1million sponsorship deal. It opened up a lot of doors and helped others get deals as well.snoopy: Did you ever think the Hendon Mob would still be going strong today? If no, then when and why did you think it would end?
Joe: We are four friends that play poker and we were all friends before the launch of thehendonmob.com. The Hendon Mob is the name given to us by the poker community. It’s very flattering that the brand has become one of the biggest in poker. Why should it ever end?
snoopy: Have any of the members ever been close to parting from the group? If yes, then what was the reason for this?
Joe: We are very much like four brothers. We have disagreements, sure, just like in any family but once you’re in the Mob there is no way out!
snoopy: What would you put the success of the Hendon Mob down to? How important a part has the Hendon Mob website played in your success?
Joe: Timing, hard work and a little bit of luck. The website has played a major part and can now get
over 30,000 unique visitors a day making it one of the biggest poker portals in the world. On the site is the world’s most comprehensive poker database with over 50,000 player profiles, schedules, results and venue details. It is the number one resource of its kind worldwide.snoopy: With the exception of any of the Mob members, who do you consider to be the best player you have ever played against?
Joe: That’s easy. Phil Ivey – a class above the rest. If only I knew half of what he does.
snoopy: What is the origin of your nickname 'The Elegance', who gave it you and do you feel you have lived up to the moniker?
Joe: In the first ever article about the Mob, in the London Evening Standard in September 2000, Vicky Coren gave us all nick names and mine was the only one that stuck. I live up to it on occasion although Ram prefers ‘the Elephant’ and Barny ‘the Bellygance’.
snoopy: Playing alongside someone as successful as Ram, have you ever been tempted to totally reinvent your style?
Joe: Ram has the best tournament results of the four of us for sure and I have learnt things from him but if you are asking would I like to reinvent my style to one like Ram’s then the answer is no. I don’t like roller coasters too much and I’m scared of heights.
snoopy: How, if at all, have your poker priorities changed now that you have become a dedicated family man? Do you envisage cutting back your live schedule/travelling?
Joe: Since I married Claire and my daughters, Millie and Lola, came along my outlook on many things has changed, as have my priorities. I certainly won’t be playing as many events as I did with Prima but you’ll still find me a regular on the circuit.
snoopy: Do you ever regret your decision to turn pro, and, now that you are a family man, would you ever consider returning to finance and accounting?
Joe: Are you sure? I never ‘decided’ to go pro. I don’t think it really works (worked) like that and as for going back to work in a bank, no I don’t think so. I'm very lucky doing what I do; it enables me to spend a lot of time with my wife and daughters. Why would I want to give up that to go back to a 9-5?!
snoopy: What was your lowest point in poker? Have you ever gone bust from the game?
Joe: If going bust is running out of your own money then yes I have. Playing poker lows would include playing in a big limit game in Amsterdam in 1997 with my entire bank roll (£5,000) and losing it all or playing when drunk online and gifting $10,000. But the real low point happened 5 years ago this month when we lost one of my best friends in poker, Hemish Shah (left).
Joe: That’s easy. Phil Ivey – a class above the rest. If only I knew half of what he does.
snoopy: What is the origin of your nickname 'The Elegance', who gave it you and do you feel you have lived up to the moniker?
Joe: In the first ever article about the Mob, in the London Evening Standard in September 2000, Vicky Coren gave us all nick names and mine was the only one that stuck. I live up to it on occasion although Ram prefers ‘the Elephant’ and Barny ‘the Bellygance’.
snoopy: Playing alongside someone as successful as Ram, have you ever been tempted to totally reinvent your style? Joe: Ram has the best tournament results of the four of us for sure and I have learnt things from him but if you are asking would I like to reinvent my style to one like Ram’s then the answer is no. I don’t like roller coasters too much and I’m scared of heights.
snoopy: How, if at all, have your poker priorities changed now that you have become a dedicated family man? Do you envisage cutting back your live schedule/travelling?
Joe: Since I married Claire and my daughters, Millie and Lola, came along my outlook on many things has changed, as have my priorities. I certainly won’t be playing as many events as I did with Prima but you’ll still find me a regular on the circuit.
snoopy: Do you ever regret your decision to turn pro, and, now that you are a family man, would you ever consider returning to finance and accounting?
Joe: Are you sure? I never ‘decided’ to go pro. I don’t think it really works (worked) like that and as for going back to work in a bank, no I don’t think so. I'm very lucky doing what I do; it enables me to spend a lot of time with my wife and daughters. Why would I want to give up that to go back to a 9-5?!
snoopy: What was your lowest point in poker? Have you ever gone bust from the game?Joe: If going bust is running out of your own money then yes I have. Playing poker lows would include playing in a big limit game in Amsterdam in 1997 with my entire bank roll (£5,000) and losing it all or playing when drunk online and gifting $10,000. But the real low point happened 5 years ago this month when we lost one of my best friends in poker, Hemish Shah (left).
snoopy: Do you plan on advising your own children against poker, or would you be happy for them to, one day, become professional players like yourself?
Joe: I would encourage my children to do what they wanted to do and made them happy. I would prefer them to be doctors or have a proper career and I’ll try my best to steer it that way but if they really want to play poker then I’ll help them the best I can.
snoopy: Tell me about the Showdown Poker Tour - how disappointed were you with the final numbers?
Joe: I would encourage my children to do what they wanted to do and made them happy. I would prefer them to be doctors or have a proper career and I’ll try my best to steer it that way but if they really want to play poker then I’ll help them the best I can.
snoopy: Tell me about the Showdown Poker Tour - how disappointed were you with the final numbers?
Joe: The concept is a good one; the number of entrants was obviously disappointing. There are so many events these days. It’s so different to five years ago.
snoopy: Do you think tournament players are well looked after by casinos?
Joe: Yes and no. I think that Harrahs made a lot of mistakes at the WSOP both this year and last in respect to the players. Jack McClelland at the Bellagio on the other hand is different class.
snoopy: What was the thought process behind that infamous Series 5 Late Night Poker Hand where you held Q-Q to Korosh's A-K?
Joe: You are only going to get the short answer here. I knew that Khoresh didn’t have Aces or Kings
(he basically told me), so the worst for me was if he had A-K. With Vicky and Jac both all-in I knew that there was a good chance that Aces or Kings were already out. I had the chip lead and couldn’t be eliminated. This was a great chance to knock out up to three players and go heads up with a huge chip lead. I always remember when I lost the hand and walked into the green room Daniel Negreanu looked up at me and said, "In a heart beat… I call him in a heart beat".snoopy: Jimmy White's Poker Million win is said to have done a lot for the game's status. How disappointed were you to have not won that particular event and did coming second to a so-called 'amateur' affect you in any way?
Joe: In any poker tournament there is only ever one player that isn’t disappointed in some way and that’s the winner. The only way it affected me is that any time I look down and see 4s-6s I think of Jimmy and smile. Also I wanted that trophy! What a trophy!
snoopy: Have you ever considered dying your hair blonde in order to look as hip as tikay or Dave?Joe: Do you really think tikay is ‘hip’? I was blonde when I was 15. I think that from now on in I’ll just go a little greyer each day.
snoopy: And finally, a quick question from tikay... Why do you think your diet has failed?
Joe: Because all the pointers and the plan that Tony gave me don’t work. And the missus makes a great Sunday roast !
Joe: Because all the pointers and the plan that Tony gave me don’t work. And the missus makes a great Sunday roast !
snoopy: Thanks for your time, Joe, and good luck with any upcoming events.
[Ed Note: Join Joe and the rest of the mob by visiting thehendonmob.com]