Copyright 2011, Bob Bounahra Belize. All Rights Reserved
The Official Website of Belizean Poker Player, Bob Bounahra
From now until November, learn about my experiences during the WSOP 2011 Main Event Tournament.
Read MoreBelize is one of the few remaining unspoiled places on earth. Learn more about why I love Belize.
Read MoreFollow me on twitter to be kept in the loop of what’s happening, including live updates in November.
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My name is Bob (Badih) Bounahra, and I’m a poker player from the small country of Belize, in Central America. This year I’ve had the distinct honor of making the final table of the World Series of Poker Main Event. In November, I will be joining the 8 others that have made the ‘November 9‘ and playing for a cash prize of over $8 million US.
I have created this website to tell the story of how I’ve gone from a small Central American paradise to the pinnacle of the poker world. I’ll reminisce over the first part of the World Series of Poker, a grueling two week journey that taught me a number of things. In November, I’ll also be blogging LIVE from the Main Event final table, bringing the action to you as it happens!
I’ll also be talking a little about my country, known around the world as Mother Nature’s Best Kept Secret. Part of this windfall will be for my country, Belize… So welcome!
At the age of 49, Badih Bounahra (Bob to his friends) is by far the oldest player sitting at the final table this year. Originally from Lebanon, Bounahra now resides in Belize City where he runs a private poker room in the Princess Casino in Belize City. He also runs a wholesaler and grocery business to support his three children.
Call him the contradiction. In a field full of 20-somethings, “Bob” is 49. In a field of professionals, Bounahra is the amateur. In a field of online-heavy players, Bounahra is strictly a live player. On top of all that, he’s the first player from Belize to make the final table at the World Series of Poker.
“I am not a professional player. I’m calm and relaxed. Being an amateur probably puts more pressure on them, not me. I’m playing for the country of Belize. Everybody knows about it, it’s going crazy. It’s going to be even better now. It’s a very good thing for everybody.”
Bounahra knows how he’ll use the money if he wins, almost as certainly as he knows how it will affect him. “My youngest son’s education comes first, then I’ll invest some of it. The money is good, the championship is good. All of it is good! But it won’t change me. It’s not going to change anything in my personality. I’ll stay the same” – including wearing his trademark Belize baseball cap throughout the final table.
He is currently sixth on the Main Event’s final table, sat on seat 2 with 19.7 million chips. Whilst relatively unknown outside of Belize, he is somewhat of local celebrity in his nation.
Before this, Bounahra has cashed in once at the WSOP, having finished 51st in a $2,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em event in 2009. Back in 2008, he fared better when he won the a $1,020 buy-in tournament on the Latin American Poker Tour in 2008 and took home over $30,000.
The watchmaker from Le Locle partners with Badih “Bob” Bounahra – one of final nine poker players in the 2011 World Series of Poker Main Event Championship. The Manufacturer Claret is delighted to announce its partnership with Badih “Bob” Bounahra, one of the best No-Limit Holdem poker players on the planet. Originally from Lebanon but [...]
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For all those coming to support in Vegas, there will be a cocktail party for everyone to gather and formalize for the main event on sunday. It will be on Saturday, November 5th at 8PM located in The Da Vinci Room #1 at The Bellagio Hotel. Please forward this message to all those you know [...]
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Just a reminder that ESPN will be showing day 8 of the 2011 World Series of Poker Main Event tonight from 8:30 to 11:30 EST. It’s down to 18 players, and half of those will be eliminated tonight. I had some very exciting moments in the run up to making the November 9, so don’t [...]
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I am featured at the 11 minute mark of this video
Whatever aspect of Belize piques your interest, we will do our best to ensure that your experience is a positive and memorable one – enticing you to return to Belize again and again.
Ambergris Caye encourages visitors to kick off their shoes and just relax. At 36 miles long, Ambergris is the largest of the cayes in Belize. Located in the northern-most waters of the country, three-quarters of a mile west of the Belize Barrier Reef, the island is surrounded by prominent dive and snorkel sites, including the Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley.
The largest town on Ambergris Caye is San Pedro with a population of about 9,000. Renowned for its barefoot lifestyle and island vacation appeal, the primary mode of transportation town on the town’s cobblestone streets are via golf carts. In the town and along the beaches to the north and south, visitors will find an eclectic blend of restaurants, shops, funky bars, a host of boutique hotels and numerous condominium complexes.
Designed for the budget-minded traveler, Pedros Hotel‘s affordable accommodations allow guests to enjoy all the excitement and adventure Belize has to offer. Pedro’s Hotel provides a clean, comfortable and safe setting at an amazingly cheap price. Why come to Belize to spend all your money on a hotel room? Spend it on the adventure of a lifetime! Rooms starting at $50 USD per night in season.
Pedro’s Sports Pub, Pizza and Poker Room is a full bar featuring the best pizza in San Pedro. Fully air conditioned and non-smoking Pedro’s also hosts the only licensed poker room in San Pedro town, featuring No Limit Texas Hold ‘Em tournaments and cash games. Learn More at www.pedroshotel.com
Prime location, convenient yet very private setting. Fifteen three bedroom units with awesome views and every amenity you could ask for. Beautiful beach, dramatic organic architecture, exotic pool, long lazy pier. Five star services whether you are an owner or a rental guest. Just 4 miles from San Pedro and 1/4 mile from the Belize Barrier Reef.
High-end appointments and finish. Award-winning design. Excellent projected ROI. Open house daily. For sale and rental information Contact: info@indigobelize.com
Romantic Travel Belize is the premier concierge service for your Belize travel desires. From large weddings, to intimate vow renewals, to honeymoons that will build a loving foundation for your future, RTB can guide you along our tranquil turquoise waters to your dreams. By hand selecting the “Best of the Best of Belize”, RTB provides you with the portal to the most professional, stress free vendors in our country.
Since RTB only works with the most professional organizations, your worry and hassle free trip will be the best you’ve ever taken. As a former Philadelphian living in Belize for over 4 years, I am uniquely qualified to assist you in creating the stylishly chic or sublimely spiritual event you and your beloved can imagine. Allow me to guide you through the choices of Mayan Ruin, Jungle, Beach, Boat, Water Fall or the many other wedding, honeymoon, or retreat options our tiny nation has to offer. Learn More at www.romantictravelbelize.com
I could go on all day about how you should use Pelican Properties Ltd. for your real estate purchases here on beautiful Ambergris Caye, Belize. But, I’m not going to. This is Bob Bounahra’s poker website. I’m going to go on and on instead about what a fantastic achievement getting to the November Nine is for Bob and how proud all of Belize is of him.
I play poker with Bob most weeks at the Princess Poker Room. I consider myself to be a half decent player (the other half is indecent) but Bob is infinitely better than me at the game. Yes, you need some luck to get to where Bob is but you also need an awful lot of skill which he has in abundance.
I’m going to be one of the traveling many who will be supporting Bob in his bid to become World Champion of Poker. He gets to work at the Final Table on November 6th. I’m confident that he’s going to make it to the Final Three on November 8th. Take it to the bank, he’ll do it! Oh, and consider Pelican Properties Ltd. for your real estate purchases here on beautiful Ambergris Caye. Unlike your average poker player trying to go heads up with Bob on a hand you’ll be taking no chances if you choose us!
The friendliest resort sitting on the powdery sand of Mar de Tumbo Beach just south of San Pedro Town on the Ambergris Caye of Belize, Banana Beach Resort has been a haven of fun, adventure, and relaxation for more than 10 years.
Banana Beach Resort is a full service beachfront resort, known for its reputation as a 3-star resort with 5-star staff and service, with accommodations ranging from standard hotel rooms to four-bedroom suites with living rooms, and full kitchens. Our generous staff is more than happy to assist your day-to-day needs, including door-to-door service to and from the San Pedro airport and even coordinating all of your travel and activities once you arrive in Belize. Learn more at www.bananabeach.com
Victoria House, one of Ambergris Caye’s most luxurious and awarded resorts is located two miles south of picturesque San Pedro Town.
The ambiance of the resort is one of relaxation, privacy and barefoot elegance and the resort features 2 main guest pools. Victoria House is the perfect locale to dive, snorkel or just “unplug” from the rest of the world, as the barrier reef is just one mile offshore.
Victoria House offers diverse guest room options such as charming thatch-roof casitas, plantation-style rooms and suites as well as luxury beach front and beach view villas, all in an idyllic setting of white sand beaches, azure waters, swaying palms and perfectly manicured gardens and grounds. The Palmilla Restaurant and Admiral Nelsons Bar at Victoria House are known for their outstanding cuisine.
All tours and activities (diving, snorkeling and Mayan ruin trips) are easily arranged through on our on-site dive and activity center located on our pier.
Toll Free: 1-800-247-5159 / Website: www.victoria-house.com / Email: info@victoria-house.com
Belize City, featuring a harmonious melting pot of ethnicities, is best known as the cultural and business epicenter of Belize, as well as a doorway for cruise passengers to the country’s endless offering of diverse adventures. A tourist destination in itself, Belize City offers a variety of cultural and historical centers, charming colonial architecture and great excursions – from eclectic shopping and dining to archaeology tours and jungle river adventures.
Belize City, a bustling port city, is the commercial center of the country. The country’s largest hotels are found here with extensive conference facilities, professional services, as well as restaurants, bars, nightlife, Belize’s only cruise passenger terminal, the Museum of Belize and numerous historical sites. Offshore islands offer idyllic day tours for snorkeling, diving and relaxing.
Belize Offshore Formation Ltd. specializes solely in offshore company (IBC) formations. Due to favorable Belize IBC laws and our extensive experience, we are able to form an offshore company within one working day. Our office maintains the most up to date technological advancements in order to provide fast, reliable and secure service to you. Additionally, we retain our hard copies in a secure area. Confidentiality is our priority. Learn more at www.belize-offshore-formation.com
As Belize’s premier business address, The Matalon offers 30,000 Sq. Feet of masterfully designed Class A Commercial Office Space, distinguished by an elegant and high tech lobby, and an uncompromising array of amenities including parking entitlements, and conference room facilities. Optimally located in the heart of Belize’s newest business center and with access from both the major artery to Belize City-the Northern Highway and the fastest growing business district-Coney Drive and ten minutes from the International Airport, The Matalon is an emergence of a new business lifestyle for Belize. The architecture prioritizes design and visual appeal over cost. It will be a monument to the success of its tenants.
Located near the Tourist Village in Belize City, Mirab’s is the leading Department Store in Belize with one-stop shopping for all of your needs. Learn more at www.mirabbelize.com
Sugar cane fields line the highways and the New River once a major waterway for the ancient Maya is now a veritable paradise of wildlife and scenery in the northern area of Belize. Remnants of Maya heritage in temples and ceremonial sites coexist with the living cultures of Mestizo and Yucatec Maya ancestry. The Spanish language is commonplace here.
Traditionally the local economy has been primarily agricultural with sugarcane and papayas but tourism has been on the increase with the lure of a retirement community, the water side Maya temples of Cerros, the peaceful fishing villages of Consejo and Sarteneja and the attractions of Shipstern Nature Reserve.
Situated to attract visitors staying in the country as well as residents from across the border in Mexico , Corozal district is also home to the Corozal Free Zone with a hotel, casino and shopping.
The Cayo district is home to the nation’s capital Belmopan, the twin towns of Santa Elena and San Ignacio and the border town of Benque Viejo del Carmen combined with the forest, caves and waterfalls of the Mountain Pine Ridge and several grand Maya cities. The Mestizo influence here is flavored with a large Mennonite population of German origin based in the community of Spanish Lookout Rivers, waterfalls, caves and mountains surround a tiny national capital and grand Maya cities.
The largest district in the country and home of the capital city of Belmopan, the Cayo district offers a plethora of ecotourism adventures. With an astonishing 880,000 acres of protected land in the form of nature reserves and national parks, this district is truly a nature-lover’s dream. Throughout the country side are a choice of elegant jungle lodges through to the more basic amenities of a small resort or campsite. The lively towns of San Ignacio and Santa Elena and the quiet border town of Benque Viejo del Carmen provide a glimpse into the lives of the friendly residents. They also serve as a base from which to explore pine forests, clear rivers, rocky plateaus, ceremonial caves, towering mountains, cascading waterfalls and ancient Maya temples.
Southern Belize is yet another glorious world within Belize. Along with the popular tourism destinations of Hopkins and Placencia, golden sand beaches, the world’s only jaguar reserve, living cultures of the Garifuna, Mopan and Kekchi Maya, visitors will also encounter acres of citrus and banana plantations, the sensuous rhythm of Garifuna drums, East Indian “rotti” and home-made Maya chocolate. Belize’s finest example of rainforest and the country’s largest marine reserve are to be found in southern Belize.
Situated on a slender peninsula that curves alongside the southern coast of the country, Placencia’s tagline is “Barefoot Perfect”. The only place on mainland Belize that offers white sand beaches Placencia, on the tip of the peninsula visitors experience the charm of a traditional Creole fishing village with the bonus of numerous village eateries, bars, art galleries and gift shops that welcome visitors. Further up the peninsula are many full service, up-market hotels, private homes and condominiums with a range of services including spas, marinas and fine dining as well as tours for diving, snorkeling, fishing, archaeological, cultural and rainforest experiences.
Since 1989, Christophe Claret has worked surrounded by the Neuchâtel mountains, where the heart of Swiss watchmaking beats strongest; where all the skills that combine to create an exceptional timepiece can be found. His workshops are in Le Locle, at Le Soleil d’Or, a magnificent manor house which has been transformed to receive highly qualified staff and state-of-the-art machines. This ranks him among the rare few companies with the ability to design, develop and produce a fine watch from the first to the last component.
A timepiece by the Christophe Claret brand is a collective endeavour, brought to life through the force of passion, perseverance and, beneath it all, emotion. Thus the brand creates supremely complex and highly innovative watches that admirers of rare objects aspire to own. The company looks beyond what has already been done. It embraces innovative technology, as much in its products as its means of production. It takes the impossible into the realm of the possible, never afraid to think outside the box to propose new ways to display the time. Christophe Claret takes the best of tradition to invent his own watchmaking future.
Designed for the budget-minded traveler, Pedros Hotel‘s affordable accommodations allow guests to enjoy all the excitement and adventure Belize has to offer. Pedro’s Hotel provides a clean, comfortable and safe setting at an amazingly cheap price. Why come to Belize to spend all your money on a hotel room? Spend it on the adventure of a lifetime! Rooms starting at $50 USD per night in season.
Pedro’s Sports Pub, Pizza and Poker Room is a full bar featuring the best pizza in San Pedro. Fully air conditioned and non-smoking Pedro’s also hosts the only licensed poker room in San Pedro town, featuring No Limit Texas Hold ‘Em tournaments and cash games. Learn More at www.pedroshotel.com
Belize Offshore Formation Ltd. specializes solely in offshore company (IBC) formations. Due to favorable Belize IBC laws and our extensive experience, we are able to form an offshore company within one working day. Our office maintains the most up to date technological advancements in order to provide fast, reliable and secure service to you. Additionally, we retain our hard copies in a secure area. Confidentiality is our priority. Learn more at www.belize-offshore-formation.com
As Belize’s premier business address, The Matalon offers 30,000 Sq. Feet of masterfully designed Class A Commercial Office Space, distinguished by an elegant and high tech lobby, and an uncompromising array of amenities including parking entitlements, and conference room facilities. Optimally located in the heart of Belize’s newest business center and with access from both the major artery to Belize City-the Northern Highway and the fastest growing business district-Coney Drive and ten minutes from the International Airport, The Matalon is an emergence of a new business lifestyle for Belize. The architecture prioritizes design and visual appeal over cost. It will be a monument to the success of its tenants.
Located near the Tourist Village in Belize City, Mirab’s is the leading Department Store in Belize with one-stop shopping for all of your needs. Learn more at www.mirabbelize.com
Prime location, convenient yet very private setting. Fifteen three bedroom units with awesome views and every amenity you could ask for. Beautiful beach, dramatic organic architecture, exotic pool, long lazy pier. Five star services whether you are an owner or a rental guest. Just 4 miles from San Pedro and 1/4 mile from the Belize Barrier Reef.
High-end appointments and finish. Award-winning design. Excellent projected ROI. Open house daily. For sale and rental information Contact: info@indigobelize.com
Romantic Travel Belize is the premier concierge service for your Belize travel desires. From large weddings, to intimate vow renewals, to honeymoons that will build a loving foundation for your future, RTB can guide you along our tranquil turquoise waters to your dreams. By hand selecting the “Best of the Best of Belize”, RTB provides you with the portal to the most professional, stress free vendors in our country.
Since RTB only works with the most professional organizations, your worry and hassle free trip will be the best you’ve ever taken. As a former Philadelphian living in Belize for over 4 years, I am uniquely qualified to assist you in creating the stylishly chic or sublimely spiritual event you and your beloved can imagine. Allow me to guide you through the choices of Mayan Ruin, Jungle, Beach, Boat, Water Fall or the many other wedding, honeymoon, or retreat options our tiny nation has to offer. Learn More at www.romantictravelbelize.com
I could go on all day about how you should use Pelican Properties Ltd. for your real estate purchases here on beautiful Ambergris Caye, Belize. But, I’m not going to. This is Bob Bounahra’s poker website. I’m going to go on and on instead about what a fantastic achievement getting to the November Nine is for Bob and how proud all of Belize is of him.
I play poker with Bob most weeks at the Princess Poker Room. I consider myself to be a half decent player (the other half is indecent) but Bob is infinitely better than me at the game. Yes, you need some luck to get to where Bob is but you also need an awful lot of skill which he has in abundance.
I’m going to be one of the traveling many who will be supporting Bob in his bid to become World Champion of Poker. He gets to work at the Final Table on November 6th. I’m confident that he’s going to make it to the Final Three on November 8th. Take it to the bank, he’ll do it! Oh, and consider Pelican Properties Ltd. for your real estate purchases here on beautiful Ambergris Caye. Unlike your average poker player trying to go heads up with Bob on a hand you’ll be taking no chances if you choose us!
The friendliest resort sitting on the powdery sand of Mar de Tumbo Beach just south of San Pedro Town on the Ambergris Caye of Belize, Banana Beach Resort has been a haven of fun, adventure, and relaxation for more than 10 years.
Banana Beach Resort is a full service beachfront resort, known for its reputation as a 3-star resort with 5-star staff and service, with accommodations ranging from standard hotel rooms to four-bedroom suites with living rooms, and full kitchens. Our generous staff is more than happy to assist your day-to-day needs, including door-to-door service to and from the San Pedro airport and even coordinating all of your travel and activities once you arrive in Belize. Learn more at www.bananabeach.com
Victoria House, one of Ambergris Caye’s most luxurious and awarded resorts is located two miles south of picturesque San Pedro Town.
The ambiance of the resort is one of relaxation, privacy and barefoot elegance and the resort features 2 main guest pools. Victoria House is the perfect locale to dive, snorkel or just “unplug” from the rest of the world, as the barrier reef is just one mile offshore.
Victoria House offers diverse guest room options such as charming thatch-roof casitas, plantation-style rooms and suites as well as luxury beach front and beach view villas, all in an idyllic setting of white sand beaches, azure waters, swaying palms and perfectly manicured gardens and grounds. The Palmilla Restaurant and Admiral Nelsons Bar at Victoria House are known for their outstanding cuisine.
All tours and activities (diving, snorkeling and Mayan ruin trips) are easily arranged through on our on-site dive and activity center located on our pier.
Toll Free: 1-800-247-5159 / Website: www.victoria-house.com / Email: info@victoria-house.com
Belize City, Belize
Central America
E-mail: bob@bobbounarhrabelize.com
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