European Poker Goes From Strength to Strength

As the PokerStars.com European Poker Tour goes from strength -- a sellout field in San Remo, Italy, and a record number for the Grand Final in Monte Carlo -- and the Irish Open offering a €200,000 overlay, poker players have been spoilt for choice on this side of the Atlantic.

Indeed, such is the quality of the events on offer and the tantalisingly high prize pools, European poker is seeing more and more players attending the big games from all over the world.

Poker has always been a game that crossed borders but now, more than ever, the game is the embodiment of globalisation. Despite the unattractive exchange rate, for Americans in particular, their numbers playing poker on these shores is booming and "destination events" such as Barcelona and Monte Carlo appear to be out performing traditional staples of the U.S. circuit such as Tunica and Foxwoods.

It is a credit to sponsors and organisers that their hard work has paid off but we should not take for granted this success. Complacency is the enemy and what has been achieved in a few short years is remarkable. We must continue to innovate in our creative endevours, offering products and services that set the standard for the game.

The Changing of the Guard

The past month has seen small but significant movement away from the outmoded models of regulation and state-control in gaming in two of Europe's most significant markets -- France and Denmark.

The latter, always a paradigm of liberal values, finally seems to have recognised that it cannot hold back the tide of change, while the former, always less enamored of change, has announced a "controlled opening" is likely to happen by 2010.

These fundamental shifts in institutional attitude, also being played out in Sweden, are long overdue but nevertheless welcome. They will no doubt afford huge opportunities within the industry for companies such as online poker sites and live tournament organisers to compete on a level playing field. Again innovation and creativity will bring rewards to those who can offer bleeding edge products and services in an increasingly sophisticated market.

The bar has been set high and all are invited to help raise it higher.

Think Local, Act Global

With the Asia Pacific Poker Tour causing a stir last year and returning for what will no doubt be a bigger and better season two, only one habitable continent remains to be conquered. And conquered it shall be.

With the recent announcement that the newly inaugurated PokerStars.net Latin American Poker Tour will include dates in Rio De Janiero, Brazil; San Jose, Costa Rica; and Punta del Este, Uruguay, either side of the World Series of Poker in May and August this year it could be argued that poker players have never had it so good.

Asian and Latin American players have long travelled the world in search of the biggest and best games and it is sure to come as great relief that they can finally find them on their own doorsteps.

These tours will also generate new stars and bring thousands more players to the game and could well act as a shot in the arm against the aforementioned complacency. But, if nothing else, they're going to be great places to go and play poker!