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THE TWIN catalysts of televised poker and online card rooms are continuing to fuel a remarkable boom in poker
Published: 2004-12-01
 POKER
Independent, The (London), December, 2004 by Nic Szeremeta
THE TWIN catalysts of televised poker and online card rooms are continuing to fuel a remarkable boom in poker, not only in the UK but right across Europe.
There was further evidence of this last weekend at the annual Helsinki Freezeout - a festive but very serious competition at the Grand Casino in the Finnish capital.
The main event, a EUR1,500 (pounds 1,000) buy-in affair contested at no limit hold'em, pulled a field of 110 hopefuls who generated a prize pool of EUR165,000 (pounds 115,000). In comparison with some of the made-for-TV happenings this was not a massive amount. But it was, nevertheless, an 80 per cent increase in both players and money on a year ago.
Players came from a dozen countries, with large groups from Sweden and Denmark and a handful of peripatetic Brits.
The time was when tournaments of this type were everyone-knows- everyone affairs, but this tournament was different. About half of those ready to risk a month's salary were twentysomething newbies. All the new faces seemed to have been recruited to the game via the virtual card rooms and were now having a shot at the real thing - armed, of course, with seriously fat bankrolls won in cyberspace.
In addition to their youth, most of them had another thing in common: boy, were they aggressive. They didn't seem to be able to enter a pot without lobbing in a significant pre-flop raise.
But there is one thing that youth does not have, and that is experience. One of the Finns with a lifetime of it is the Helsinki businessman Seppo Parkinnen, for whom poker is a hobby - albeit a profitable one. At the final table, when one of the young guns threw in a pre-flop raise, Seppo just re-raised all in. It was his way of saying: "Don't mess with me, son." They didn't, and he came through to win the EUR48,000 (pounds 33,000) first prize - 50 per cent more than when he last took the title in 2001.
The event also saw the final judging of this year's European poker awards. Dave Ulliott of Hull was the only English winner, in the lifetime achievement category. The Flying Dutchman Marcel Luske was named player of the year, Jani Sointula (Finland) took the title of rookie of the year, the Swede Martin De Knijff received the award for best tournament performance, having won a cool $2.7m (pounds 1.4m) in Las Vegas, and the Estonian Andres Burget won the casino staff person award for his development of poker in the Baltic States.
Copyright 2004 Independent Newspapers UK Limited
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.
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Poker pioneers reshuffle league
Published: 2004-12-01
 Poker pioneers reshuffle league - Card games continue, but without
Peoria Journal Star, December, 2004 by DAVE HANEY
PEORIA - A local poker league that apparently had been operating illegally for more than two months told its nearly 600 registered members last month it will not be giving out nightly prizes.
But that didn't dissuade the membership, nor the two Peoria brothers who organized the poker ring.
"I play poker every day but there's just nowhere in Peoria to play," said 21-year-old Ryan Heid, who, with his older brother, Brad, started the Peoria Poker League in September, which has continued to swell in popularity since.
By essentially posting the time and place for the poker events on the Internet as well as providing the cards, poker table and chips for the game, the brothers created a sort of newfound business. Bar and tavern owners pay the Poker League an "entertainment fee" to basically play cards, Heid said.
"Even after we told (players) we couldn't give out any prizes because it was illegal, 90 percent of them stayed on," Heid said, noting 30 to 50 players typically show up for the poker tournaments.
Local law enforcement officials say several bars and taverns have been warned in person or by letter that they could face penalties if illegal poker tournaments, often going by the names Texas Hold 'Em, seven-card stud and Omaha, continue.
Police have even visited Hoops Pizza & Pub in Downtown Peoria and an Elmwood tavern specifically to stop illegal poker tournaments while in play.
Despite the crackdown, Heid said the Peoria Poker League has managed to continue, even grow, without offering any prizes.
"We were giving out poker chips, poker table tops, Best Buy gift cards . . . we were going to give away a chance at a trip to Las Vegas," he continued.
The League's Web site, www.peoriapokerleague.com, still displays photos of the past winners holding their apparent prizes.
"There's a lot of people who just want to learn, or they want something to do - it's really popular, especially for the older crowd who might have a wife and kid at home . . . a lot of these people have never stepped foot in these places until they come in for poker," Heid said.
Peoria County State's Attorney Kevin Lyons said he was aware of the Peoria Poker League, but wouldn't say whether their activities were illegal.
Heid said he's seen a copy of a letter sent out about a month ago by the Illinois Liquor Control Commission to several bars and taverns advising them of the law, but said he has never been personally contacted by anyone.
Illinois Liquor Control Commission spokeswoman Karen Faltin said it is perfectly legal to hold a poker game at a bar or tavern providing it is strictly for entertainment and that no money or prizes of any kind change hands.
"They can do that, but 99 percent of the time that's not what they're doing," Faltin said of the growing trend of the Texas Hold 'Em poker tournaments. "From what our investigators have found, there is some exchange of prizes," she said, otherwise "what's the incentive? I'm not saying all of them are doing that, but if (there's no chance to win something) why go at all, why not just play at home?"
Copyright 2004
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.
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