After a little more than a year, Barny Boatman has announced the end of his tenure as a PokerStars Pro. In a post on social media, Boatman jokingly cited "musical differences or something" as part of the reason for the parting of ways.
Boatman signed on with PokerStars in March of 2024, shortly after his historic victory in the European Poker Tour (EPT) Paris Main Event. Boatman's €1,287,800 Parisian payday – a career-best – saw him become the oldest-ever EPT Champion and led directly to his partnership with PokerStars.
Boatman's storied career in poker spans four decades and has seen him go from a founding member of The Hendon Mob to a universally well-respected voice in the poker community. With $5.6M in career tournament earnings, Boatman’s sage wisdom isn’t the only reason he’s earned respect throughout the poker world.
During his time with PokerStars, Boatman became an even more visible figure in the game, frequently making time for interviews and media appearances. He also used his platform on social media to speak genuinely — with kindness, compassion, and conviction — about his wider beliefs.
'It was exciting'
In his post, Boatman recalled his experience attending the very first EPT event in Barcelona more than twenty years ago.
"It was exciting to be there at the beginning of something many of us sensed was going to change the game forever," Boatman wrote.
Barny Boatman's EPT Paris Main Event win saw him become the oldest EPT Champion. In subsequent years, the EPT blossomed into one of the largest live poker tours on the market and the game of poker changed dramatically. Boatman blossomed as well, but his approach to poker and the community hasn't changed a bit.
“I’ve always seen it as a bit of a challenge in poker not to change," he told PokerOrg's Adam Hampton in a recent interview at EPT Monte Carlo. "It can be very brutalizing. I’ve tried not to change in the way I deal with people: they’re not enemies, they’re just friendly adversaries in the game."
It’s unclear what Boatman’s next move will be — but fans will be hoping to see him back at the tables soon.
Images courtesy of PokerStars/Danny Maxwell/Rational Intellectual Holdings
