The Hendon Mob Profile

By the year 2005 poker would become a sweeping, global phenomenon, a marketing, gambling, entrepreneurial dream come true for hundreds and thousands of people everywhere. Poker TV shows are cropping up faster than fast, kids in their twenties are showing up in big time events like the World Series of Poker and knocking out weathered and seasoned pros, online poker rooms are as popular as they are controversial, and four guys from England have become international starts. No, not the Beatles; that was last century. This century it is The Hendon Mob, four brothers-in-poker (two of whom actually are brothers) who started playing in separate home games, came together and began to encourage, support and push each other into a realm of poker excellence that is respected around the world.

It started in the Ninties, when the members of the Mob had yet to meet all together. The brothers, Ross and Barny Boatman, lived near each other (very near; Barny’s flat was the one above Ross’s flat. Oh, and for the American readers, a flat is an apartment.) and played in a home game together. When that game broke up, they began to play in a home game at Joe Beever’s place, meeting him and Ram Vaswani, one of the regulars at that game. The stars must have aligned that night, and who would be surprised to hear that beam of celestial light broke through and shined down on the meeting of these four players. Okay, that’s a bit much, but you get the idea.

Beever’s game was in Hendon, and it was there that the four of them played and developed a friendship. When opportunities came up for cash games and poker tournaments around the country, they would travel together, arrive together, and win together; although not as a team. Each fought fiercely for their chip stack against all comers, including each other. But their unity in supporting each other became a strength that many other players didn’t have. Poker can be a social game, but in the end it is often one player against the world. Having three close friends in your corner to root you on, drive you forward and offer either advice, congratulations or commiseration is a great asset.

They became the Hendon Mob as a reference to their appearance and how they always traveled as a pack. Also, Ross Boatman, the one they call Rocky, is an actor well known for a gangster role in the film “Hard Men,” which surly contributed to the label. The other Mobsters each has their own unique styles and personality as well. Ram Vaswani, known as “Crazy Horse”, is a feared opponent whose commitment to his self designed destiny as a world champion is as well known as his love to gamble and risk. Joe Beevers has a pedigreed background in card play, learning how to play blackjack from his father so well the two of them earned casino banishment as a reward; his smooth play and lifestyle earned him the name “The Elegance.” Finally there is Ross’s brother Barny Boatman, whose lack of a nickname stands out in the poker world and among the Mob; but his poker play speaks for him in place of a nickname, with a list of final tables and money finishes as long as he is tall.

As poker’s groundswell grew in the Nineties the Mobsters became better known around the world, and their success grew as well. When Late Night Poker, the Great Britain poker show that kicked off in 1999 and is thought to be the precursor to all the great poker TV today, the Hendon Mob were invited to take part. While Ross was well known to England for his TV acting, now he and the rest of the Mob got exposure as poker pros, and the word spread around the UK and Europe.  They were naturally made media darlings for the growing popularity of poker, and spent plenty of time on poker TV and related shows, as well as many magazine appearances. Unique in their togetherness, the Hendon Mob was about to set a new standard online, with the launch of their website, www.thehendonmob.com.

It was summer of 2001 when the site launched, and at first it was just an experiment and a place to slap up some photos and funny stories about the world of poker. Soon, however, it grew into the powerful database it is today, used by poker fans, poker players and poker journalists the world over. Not only do the Mob enter in tips and insights from their life on the circuit, but there is data on just about every player who cashed in major tournament the world over.

Poker will continue to grow, and poker will continue to evolve. Other groups, like Marcel Luske’s Circle of Outlaws, are forming that show the influence of the Hendon Mob, but as long as the Mob stays together and continues to express their love for the game through their play and their website, they will always have a special place at the heart of Poker.

In August 2001 thehendonmob.com was launched by The Mob in response to the increasing interest both in them, and in the game in general. What started as a bit of fun with a few photos, tips and stories soon grew into something much bigger. Thehendonmob.com is now Europe's biggest poker portal. Tens of thousands follow the Mob's diaries and read their poker tips; The site includes the world's most comprehensive poker database, featuring ranking lists and details of just about every tournament, and every player in the game. If you've ever cashed in a poker tournament, from Atlantic City to Amsterdam, chances are your achievements are listed on the Mob Poker Database. No wonder it is used every day by everyone in the game.

Amongst poker's greatest ambassadors, The Mob have helped to raise awareness of poker as a sport. Starting with the first ever 'Poker Ashes' in Melbourne Australia they have played team head's up challenges against selected national teams from all over the world. They beat the Australians and went on to defeat the French and Irish in successive matches. In 2004 they put their unbeaten record on the line against Team USA in poker's first ever Transatlantic Challenge, the Ryder Cup of poker. The US fielded a powerful team including Chris 'Jesus' Ferguson and Phil Ivy and in the event The Mob were not disgraced in coming a close second!

In recent years The Hendon Mob have been making a big impression in the USA, with notable successes in The World Series of Poker and elsewhere. The American public have started to get to know them through appearances on such shows as the Jimmy Kimmel show and Fox Sports live.