Responding to the poker craze overtaking the nation the world’s leading tournament poker site PokerStars.com makes amateur poker players’ dreams come true. Leading to a deviation of the popular European Poker Tour destination into the PCA Festival of Poker a recent growth of events is besieging next months PokerStars Caribbean adventure. Now spanning from January 5-10, 2009 the schedule of events for poker’s annual trip to Nassau comprise of numerous preliminary events in addition to the main event, which itself features an elevated $9,300+300 buy-in.

Due to an expanded schedule at the Atlantis Resort Casino on Paradise Island a “high rollers” tourney with a $25,000 buy-in starting from the seventh of January has also been included along with several consolation events later during the festival days. The events following the main event offer buy-ins ranging from$1,000 to $5,000. Bertrand “Elk” Grospellier will be making a comeback to defend his main event title from the 2008 PCA, worth $2,000,000.

In addition to that the 2009 PCA festivities are one of the most popular “battleship poker” events, along with the final matches in the PokerStars World Cup of Poker V, which will feature teams from the United States, Nova Scotia (representing Canada), Mexico, Italy, Poland, Latvia, Germany, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The 36 players will be battling each other and only one man will be left standing to claim his winnings of $ 290,000 in cash prizes

Also on tap for the Bahamas is the second-ever PCA Poker Camp which runs January 7-9 featuring instructions by Team PokerStars pros Greg Raymer, Daniel Negreanu, Chris Moneymaker and Vanessa Rousso. The 60 spots presently available to the PCA Poker Camp remain up for grabs on satellites running online at Stars, with each winner receiving a travel package to the Bahamas valued at $4,500. In this the two-day videogame lifestyle festival, online poker fans can play against champion players and get a taste of the risky side of life.

The tournament schedule for the 2009 PCA Festival of Poker:

Date/Time • Tournament Buy-In

1/4: 8:00 pm • Super satellite to Main Event $1,025+75 TBC
1/5: Noon • PCA Main Event - Day 1a NLHE Freezeout - $9,700+300
1/6: Noon • PCA Main Event - Day 1b NLHE Freezeout - $9,700+300
1/7: Noon • PCA Main Event - Day 2
1/7: Noon • $25,000 High Roller Event - Day 1 NLHE Freezeout - $24,500+500
1/7: 2:00 pm • $2,000 Event - Day 1 NLHE Freezeout- $1,850+150
1/8: Noon • PCA Main Event - Day 3
1/8: Noon • $25,000 High Roller Event - Day 2
1/8: 1:00 pm • $5,000 NLHE - Day 1 NLHE Freezeout - $4,800+200
1/8: 3:00 pm $2,000 Event - Day 2
1/9: Noon • PCA Main Event - Day 4
1/9: 2:00 pm • $1,000 Event - Day 1 NLHE Freezeout - $925+75
1/9: 3:00 pm • $5,000 Event - Day 2
1/10: Noon • PCA Main Event - Final Table
1/10: 3:00 pm • $1,000 Event - Day 2

Posted by Diana Sterling in Poker Articles, Poker News | No Comments » December 18th, 2008

WARSAW, Poland –- (PRESS RELEASE) — After four days of fast and furious poker action at the PokerStars.com EPT Polish Open, it was Portugal’s João Barbosa who celebrated his 26th birthday by winning the Warsaw champion title and €367,140 ($457,489) first prize.

Barbosa – the first EPT winner from Portugal - was playing against an exceptionally strong field in Warsaw including ten former EPT champions. The final table started with several established stars still in contention including Team PokerStars Pro Dario Minieri and Arnaud Mattern.

Minieri, from Rome, had been hoping to better his EPT Season 3 Baden and Season 4 San Remo finishes, but was beaten into third place yet again. Arnaud Mattern, who won EPT Prague last season, had been gunning to become the first ever player to win two EPT titles but his hopes were dashed when Barbosa knocked him out in fifth place.

Barbosa, a former computer engineering student, has only played four EPTs so far and cashed in three of them. His victory today came after a fiercely-contested, three-hour heads-up battle against the 23-year-old German Nico Behling.

Barbosa, from Porto, said: “Things worked perfectly for me. For three hours, I was trying not to think about anything but winning. It’s the best birthday present I’ve ever had. It was great to win.”

The 21,000 Zloty buy-in event (approximately €5,200) at Casinos Poland at the Hyatt Regency attracted 217 entrants, including 48 who won their seats online with PokerStars. Three qualifiers made it to the final table: Atanas Gueorguiev, from Bulgaria, who came fourth, Russian Sergey Shcherbatskiy (6th) and Michael Muheim from Switzerland (9th). Shcherbatskiy earned his trip to Warsaw for a mere $7.50 after working his way up the PokerStars’ steps satellites.

A wealth of stars were also competing in Poland including Team PokerStars Pros Isabelle Mercier – who came 16th for €10,557 – Gavin Griffin, Marcin Horecki, Bertrand “ElkY Grospellier, Luca Pagano, William Thorson, Alex Kravchenko and Katja Thater. The PokerStars sponsored players Juan Manuel Pastor from Spain and Julien Lang Van from France also cashed.

The EPT founder John Duthie said: “Warsaw has always been a popular stop on the EPT train and this has been no exception. It was a particularly high quality final table and another five days of excellent poker.”

Posted by Diana Sterling in Poker News, Press Releases | No Comments » November 25th, 2008

Starting today, play in SunPoker.com’s daily 5 Euro + .5 Re-Buy and Add-On Satellites ( F4 Prague Sat ) at 5:30pm UK time into our daily 25 + 2.5 Final Semi Finals (F4 Prague Semis) at 8:00 PM UK Time. If you win the Daily Final Qualifier, you will be entered into the 250 + 25 Finals ( F4 Prague Finals ).

Win the finals to win your airfare, accommodations and main event buy in.

The EPT is the European Poker Tour Presented by Pokerstars.com. This is the 5th season of the EPT and will surely be the best yet! The EPT Prague runs from the 9th-13th of December.

Last year the PokerStars.com EPT Prague event attracted 555 poker players creating a massive prize pool of 2,500,000 Euro. This year should be bigger and better and you can qualify to play live in the EPT Prague main event for as low as 10 Euro with SunPoker.com as part of the Fearsome Foursome Team.

Prague is the largest city and the Capital of the Czech Republic. Regarded as one of the most beautiful cities in the world, Prague is not to be missed. Whether it´s playing poker or seeing the amazing culture and history of Prague, you will never get bored!

Click here to visit SunPoker.com and play at the EPT Prague Satellites!

Posted by Diana Sterling in Poker News | No Comments » October 19th, 2008