News and Pictures From All Around Europe

European Poker Tour

In the wake of the success realized by the American-based World Poker Tour Europe will soon be getting its own televised poker tour, the European Poker Tour (EPT). Tour organizer and promoter John Duthie knows something about televised poker from both sides of the camera. Not only is John a successful British television director, he was also the first poker player to win £1 million live on TV when he won the inaugural Sky Sports Poker Million on the Isle of Man. Duthie intends to make the EPT very player-friendly, with sponsorship logos allowed and added prize money for all the tournaments. It's anticipated that top finishers will get an extra ¤15,000 package for the EPT final in Monte Carlo. One, two, or three of these packages will be added to every event depending on the size of the buy-in and the number of entrants. The first season of the tour kicks off this month and culminates in the Grand Final in Monte Carlo in March of 2005.



The current schedule for the 2004 EPT (some dates and locations are still to be confirmed) is in the chart below.

United Kingdom

When Dave "The Devilfish" Ulliott made the final table of the Sky Sports Poker Million The Masters II, he pledged to donate £10,000 to a children's charity in his hometown of Hull should he win the event. Devilfish just missed out, coming second in the tournament, but he generously decided that the kids of Hull should not be likewise denied. Ulliott said he would donate £5,000 if tournament sponsor Ladbrokes would match his total. Ladbrokes quickly agreed, and Poker Marketing Manager Nigel Blower presented the Devilfish with the charity check during the WPT event in Paris.



Sweden

Many Swedish poker clubs are making a big push toward holding tournaments for beginning players. The Rockets Club in the north of Sweden has had success with its novice nights, with several hundred turning up for buy-in events in the 300kr range.

Klubben, the new Stockholm poker club owned by WPT Champion Martin de Knijff, is planning a fall tournament for beginners in the 500kr buy-in range. Klubben has a large poker area, good food, and 20 new computer terminals, and is open around-the-clock in its location in the center of Sweden. Martin is the second Swedish WPT winner to own a poker club, as Christer Johansson also runs a popular venue, the longer-running Ankaret Club in Malmo.

Ireland



The Macau Sporting Club in Cork has become a top-tier European venue. Numbers were way up during its July festival week, with field sizes all approaching 50 players in its location in the fashionable Waterfront district of town. One of the events was won by Sligo dentist Paddy O'Connor, who was also the top Irish finisher in the 2004 WSOP at 38th in the world champion­ship event.



The famed gambler who brought down Barings Bank, Nick Leeson, played in the main event. It was Nick's first time playing tournament poker outside of a TV studio. Leeson has just signed a book deal with Virgin about dealing with stress, so poker might get a mention through his newfound passion.



France

In response to the growing popularity of poker in France, a group of French poker players are organizing what will be the first French Poker Tour. This tournament will be based on two levels. First, local poker clubs throughout France will organize tournaments to qualify their best player for a grand final that will be held at the Aviation Club in Paris in January 2005, which will determine the French poker champion. They are expecting more than 300 French players for the qualification stage and 50 for the final. Any French players interested in being a part of this inaugural event should contact Antoine Dorin at [email protected] or visit www.clubpoker.net for more information.



The Aviation Club has announced that its Paris poker room is now entirely nonsmoking. It will hold a POP tournament from the 5th to the 12th of September, with the best overall player receiving a free trip to the Helsinki Freezeout in Iceland in December (flight + hotel + meals). ´