Archive for May, 2009

Titan Poker ECOOP

Friday, May 22nd, 2009
For those who are looking for some winter poker action, you need not look any further.  This November, Titan Poker is bringing the European Championship of Online Poker.  It is slated to run for 10 days, starting at the end of November.  Dubbed to be the largest online poker tournament, poker players will get the chance to win $2.5 million in guaranteed total prize money.   The main event, scheduled to be held on the 9th of December, will have $1 million up for grabs for the best poker player in this tournament. Poker games will be either be No-limit Texas Hold ‘Em Poker, Limit Texas Hold ‘Em Poker, Omaha Hi/Lo R/A, and Pot-Limit Omaha R/A.  There will be a total of 10 events, with the winner of each event winning a considerable cash prize as well as an ECOOP bracelet, much like the bracelets given to WSOP winners.  As an added incentive, the top 50 players of the whole event get to play in a $50,000 freeroll which will be held on the day after the main event. You can join the ECOOP with buy ins of as low as $100+$9.  You can also qualify for the tournament by playing in their qualifiers – the first of which has already started.  The next qualifying period will begin on the 10th of September.  Buy ins for these events are as low as $2+20 cents.

First Asia Pacific Poker Tour

Sunday, May 10th, 2009
The first ever Asia Pacific Poker Tour kicked off on the 24th of August in Manila, the capital of the Philippines.  The total prize pool of $500,000 is to be shared among the more or less 200 players coming from 30 different countries.  The event is being held at the Hyatt Hotel and is set to end today, August 27. According to Same Lightman,  organizer of the event, “”There has been a massive explosion in poker over the last 10 years.  Poker used to be associated with shady men in smoke filled rooms but that’s not the case any more. Televised poker and the Internet has changed all that.  Poker is a skills based sport based on mathematics and psychology.” The region can thank PokerStars for bringing this tour to Asia.  PokerStars is an online poker site (which I am sure you know) with millions of players around the world. Just one thing I noticed, though, it seems the locals were not really part of the Asia Pacific Poker Tour.  I have some friends in Manila who are avid poker players.  Actually, they play home games every weekend.  It didn’t seem that they were too excited about this big event, though.  In fact, none in their group joined nor even watched the events.  Does the $2500 buy in have anything to do with it?  I don’t know.  It is just a bit sad that people who are really passionate about poker cannot relate all that much to a big tournament like this one. Get an exclusive Blackjack casino bonus, plus many other casino games, at your favorite online casino - where the fun never stops!