ITV Racing presenter's life-changing choice that saw him scoop £83,500 in poker
Bell is gearing up for a hectic week as ITV provides coverage from Royal Ascot. The 38 year old will be fronting the Opening Show on ITV 4 each day of the festival.
Given his family's history in sports broadcasting and horse training, it seemed inevitable that Bell would end up as a racing presenter, and he's eagerly anticipating the excitement of Royal Ascot.
However, during his stint as a tea boy at Racing TV, Bell discovered an innate talent for poker. He ultimately decided to concentrate on his TV career, only to return to poker several years later.
Bell secured his largest win to date at this year's UK Poker Championship in Nottingham, where he was one of the final six players who agreed to divide the prize money, pocketing a cool £83,500, reports the Mirror.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Bell said: "In Nottingham, I didn't want to be noticed," adding, "I wanted them to think I was a professional poker player who was really hard to read."
He continued: "On the first table, a lass from Birmingham says, 'Oi, you look just like Oli Bell from the racing.' I apologised and said, 'Yep, that is me.' But when it got to the final table, everyone who was a racing fan was cheering me on."
Bell's fondness for poker progressed from familial matchstick games during the Yuletide season to clinching victories in colleague tournaments at Racing TV. Racking up more cash than his career earnings in online pots, Bell hit a crossroads when the call from Down Under came knocking.
"The first three years, I was playing online and ended up going through the grades," Bell reminisced. "Typically, tournaments would last from 6pm on Sunday 'til 8am on Monday to fit in with US time, and my brother would sit keeping me awake."
Recalling his routine before clocking into work, he said, "I'd always have work on a Monday and I'd roll into the office having had zero sleep making the worst cups of tea for [TV presenter] Nick Luck but having won considerably more than I was earning!".
When opportunity beckoned from an Australian racing channel, Bell faced a tough dilemma. "I had the conversation," he confided.
"Did I give up the presenting dream and just do poker?".
He chose stability over cards: "I did the sensible thing and went to Australia for three years. Because of the time zones, I parked poker. I'd had a great run, it was a moment in my life and that was that."
Though Bell may reflect on his poker chapter as transient, his knack was unmistakable. After a persuasive nod to join tournaments by a colleague, his debut casino visit pocketed him a cool £7,000.
A Vegas escapade saw him multiply a grand into fivefold, swelling the kitty for mates on a stag spree.
After a hiatus, Bell's passion for poker was revived during the recent lockdowns. He quickly realised his ability at the table hadn't waned, and identifies a synergy between his card skills and his career in broadcasting.
Bell reflected on his return to the felt, "I had some decent results so I knew I could still make a living from it,". He added with a sense of intrigue about his innate poker talent, "I've still got it. I have no idea what 'it' is – it is like why is Ryan Moore a better jockey? I seem to have an instinct for knowing what I've got in my hand, knowing if I'm in a good or bad spot. It's the same as a jockey."
Despite a discouraging academic assessment, Bell confessed, "My school report for maths said I was the worst my teacher had taught in 50 years. I'm not a maths genius in any sense. But I'm a complete nerd and geek at poker and it complements the day job because it has taught me so many skills that I use in my career."
However, he embraces his fascination with poker, "My school report for maths said I was the worst my teacher had taught in 50 years. I'm not a maths genius in any sense. But I'm a complete nerd and geek at poker and it complements the day job because it has taught me so many skills that I use in my career."
The game of poker, he believes, has honed his interpersonal aptitude, "One of my strengths is chatting to anyone, the Queen at Ascot or someone having a pint with mates. Playing poker, you sit at a table and have to work out people from all walks of life, from different countries, religions, backgrounds, you have to read the room, know when to press someone for an answer or ease off."
He acknowledges the stigma attached to poker but recognises its benefits, "For all that it's a degenerate hobby, it's a lucrative one and it has shaped me as a broadcaster. It helps me in day-to-day life and in my profession."
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