Sensei Sam Razavi

Name

Sam Razavi

Online Moniker

KODDZILLA

Belt

Background

As a part-time thespian, bluffing has always been in Sam Razavi's blood, and was likely a factor - along with other qualities such as confidence and composure under pressure - in why he found the transition over to poker such a seamless one. Despite his passion for acting, a pack of cards has commanded his living for the last few years, but it's a relationship that has reaped its rewards, both financially and in terms of the opportunities that the resulting salary has provided.

But despite his success at the virtual felt, Sam is hungry for more, and is keen to venture onto rather more foreign shores and prove himself on the live scene...

Credentials

Consequently, he dipped his toe into the third installment of the Grading, with a keen, and highly confident eye on the Aussie Millions package. The task seemed simple: just play his normal game, and become a valued member of the Black Belt Poker community. As someone who was already working his way up the ladder of the Black Belt Poker Rewards System, Sam was the perfect candidate, and combined with his undeniable ability at the table (Sam was the second biggest winner on the Grading) and his presence of the site in terms of blogs, posts, and articles, coasted to Grading victory to secure himself a flight to Melbourne.

Several weeks later and Sam was A$225,000 richer courtesy of a sixth place finish in the Main Event and had enough Prize Points to become the first player ever to work their way through the Belt-Up Rewards system to Black Belt. Naturally for Sam, $10,000 a month in sponsorship wasn't enough, he had to snap up a title, and in May of this year, Sam did just that when he romped to victory in Cork, thus becoming Black Belt Poker's second UKIPT Champion following Jamie Burland's Brighton triumph. What's more, his win awarded over $16,000 to four Orange Belts who had won a piece of his action in the inaugural 'Slice of the Action' freeroll. He's not just a taker, he's a giver this chap.