Joe Beevers is one of the most recognisable faces in British poker, having plied his trade since the game’s smoky backroom beginnings to the worldwide appeal it enjoys today. He first appeared in the public eye on Channel 4’s ground-breaking TV show Late Night Poker wearing his trademark black shirt, suit and dark glasses, with slicked- back hair, as he romped to his first of three Late Night Poker final tables.

The programme offered a tantalising glimpse into an exciting world that few had seen in the days before the internet revolution, and its success is the reason that many, myself included, learned how to play the game.

Beevers’ demeanour on the show – calm, composed, well mannered, whether winning or losing – was seemingly at odds with the old-school stereotypes of poker and one reason why he got his now well-known nickname ‘The Elegance’.