In the heat of battle, it's sometimes hard to track down the victors. This week, PokerStars' Battle of the Planets guru HostBob caught up with the April Battle of the Planets winner ryanghall.

PokerStars (PS):So you're the first ever winner of the monthly Battle of the Planets tournament. How does it feel? Can you talk us through how the event went for you?

ryanghall (RH): The event went really well for me. I had two major suckouts including a one-outer on the turn, but I guess to win a big tournament you're usually going to have to get lucky. It feels good because I was on a pretty bad downswing which was totally erased by the win.

PS: What are your thoughts on the Battle of the Planets promo?

RH: I have mixed feeling about the BOP promo. Unfortunately, it, combined with the Supernova Elite promo, has made the high stakes sit and go events quite filled with regulars lately and extremely difficult. However, it is more money available to SNG players who really deserve it, as promotions are usually targeted at MTT players.

PS: Do you have any plans for the prize money or will it form part of your poker bankroll?

RH: I'll just be adding the money to the pile. I don't generally spend much money. I keep real life money and poker money essentially separate. Although when I have enough money to pay off my mortgage it will be just too tempting not to

PS: Back when we first met you on the EPT, you were working as a teacher, trying to fit live events into the school vacations. Are you still working full time or are you now playing poker for a living?

RH: I'm still working as a teacher and probably always will. It's a very gratifying job and I've met a lot of really wonderful people doing it, both staff and students. My school, Sir Winston Churchill in Hamilton, Canada, rocks too! If I ever had to teach anywhere else (or another subject than geography for that matter) I'd probably quit and go pro but it's not in the cards for me right now. So Supernova Elite will have to wait for me until I retire. The biggest drawback is that I can't really qualify for many live events because the vast majority of them are during school and I don't think adminstration would let me wander off for a week in the middle of the school year to play poker. Then again, I haven't asked - maybe I should.

PS: Rumour has it that you got engaged at an EPT event, would you care to tell us the story?

RH: I did get engaged at the EPT Warsaw event. It was nothing too romantic; I just took Stephanie out into the forest in Lazienki Park and asked her there. We're going to get married in the summer of 2009, so that will obviously be something to look forward to.

PS: Thanks for speaking to us and best of luck with the wedding!

Previously:

Battle of the Planets awards first Triple Shootout winner