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Poker Magazine Bluff Hits Europe
Published: 2006-03-19
 Bluff Magazine has been one of the newcomers to the poker magazine scene that seems like it might
have some legs to it. In a very short time, Bluff has built a readership that is reflected in the
distribution of over 250,000 copies of each month's issues. With America already transfixed by the
magazine, Bluff is off to conquer new worlds.
Bluff Magazine is now available in the card rooms and bookstores of England, Scandinavia and
mainland Europe. Called Bluff Europe, the magazine's unique lifestyle look at poker is ready to
make the same impact in Europe that it has had in the United States. Michael Caselli, the editor
of Bluff Europe, couldn't be more pleased. "It's finally here," he stated recently. "We have been
testing our market in the United Kingdom and Europe for over six months now and we are finally
able to share this awesome new magazine with a brand new audience."
"Europe is really exciting because the poker phenomenon hasn't really taken hold as it has in
America," continued Caselli as he analyzed the potential for Bluff Europe. "This means that we can
help people just starting to make decisions about where to play, which games are best suited for
them, and show them why poker is such an exciting sport."
Bluff Magazine is well known for their unique look at the poker world while not letting down on
the mental end of the equation and this should continue in their European publication. The wealth
of contributing columnists reads like a "Who's Who" of the poker world, including Andy Bloch,
Antonio "The Magician" Esfandiari, Annie Duke, Phil Gordon and others too numerous to mention.
While these writers present excellent strategy points and guides for assisting players with their
games, the rest of Bluff offers the latest news from the classiest casinos in the world in a style
unequaled in other magazines.
Public relations will be the primary push in Bluff Europe's infancy. Because there isn't a mass
demand for poker publications in Europe, they are prepared to make a significant PR push into the
market. While they are focusing on this PR push in the early going, once Bluff Europe has
established a foothold in the marketplace, mass advertising will be the next step for the
publication.
The premiere issue of Bluff Europe features the smiling visage of Phil Hellmuth on the cover and
also contains articles on such distinctly European subjects as "A Circle Of Outlaws" (the loosely
knit group headed by European poker champion Marcel Luske) and Ladbrokes poker cruises. If they
can show the same success ratio that they have achieved in the United States, perhaps Bluff Europe
will extend their reputation as one of the best of the new crop of poker magazines into the
worldwide market, rather than just the United States.
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One day to learn, lifetime to master
Published: 2006-03-24
 Jason Groth
Herald-Review
The popularity of Texas Hold’em grows perpetually with television shows like the World Poker Tour on the Travel channel and the airing of the World Series of Poker on the ESPN network.
As poker continues to be the rage, the Bar Poker League is making its mark on the Iron Range.
“The Bar Poker has spread up throughout the state of Minnesota and we brought it up to the Iron Range,” area coordinator, Lurio Brown said. “In January, we opened up our first tournament and since then we have 19 tournaments running weekly across the Range.”
The Bar Poker League is operated by The World Poker Store and holds weekly tournaments throughout the state of Minnesota.
The Bar Poker League began in the Twin Cities after a law was changed to allow bars to hold poker tournaments.
“The league started in Minnesota when a law was changed last May and we started the league in June when it became legal,” National Tournament Director Mike Hammer said. “We started in the Twin Cities area late in the fall and right after the new year we expanded into Duluth and into the Iron Range area.”
The league has gained momentum since it first started last year with more than 15,000 players competing throughout the state.
“Texas Hold’em poker is booming and it’s getting bigger and bigger,” Hammer said. “You look at how much of it is on television and the number of college kids, young adults, and even older adults playing the game. It’s a fun game to play and it doesn’t take much equipment to play the game. It doesn’t take much knowledge to learn the game but like they say ‘it takes a day to learn the game but a lifetime to master the game.’”
The league holds tournaments at local bars and is free for players to play in. In the league weekly tournaments, players earn points to qualify for a district tournament or play for fun.
“We are set up like a league, so every night you come to play you get points for showing up,” Hammer said. “Then the final eight receive more points all the way up to the top spot.”
At the end of the season, league players who have earned the most points are invited to play in the district tournament which will be held in July.
Currently there are eight districts and the Iron Range is involved with the Lake Superior district.
Along with earning points for participating, players compete to win up to $200 worth in prizes at each event. The prizes vary from a set of professional poker chips, pool cues, darts, T-shirts to many other prizes given away during the tournaments.
It is a great way for beginners to pick up the game and learn more about the game.
“It’s a great game for beginners because it’s a real friendly game. The people at the tables have taken new people in and we offer practice lessons before each tournament,” Brown said. “We teach people how to play and get in there. The tables are really friendly and people are able to try their luck and see what they can do and enjoy their poker game.”
The Bar Poker League allows people to work on their poker game and play with different people instead of the usual crowd they are used to playing against.
“It’s fun to come out and play and there really is no risk. You can practice your game and work on various strategies. You can play loose or you can play tight,” Tournament Director Frank Knowles said. “You get to play with different people then the same people that you play with at your home game.”
Bars across the Iron Range from Hibbing, Keewatin, Nashwauk, Biwabik, Chisholm, Virginia, and Grand Rapids are currently hosting tournaments on a daily basis.
“It’s a place for people to play poker to play for fun or to play for points,” Knowles said. “In our neck of the woods it’s five nights a week at four establishments including 4th Street Station, Madden’s Dutch Room, Grand Rapids VFW, and RC’s.”
Hammer believes the league will continue expanding with the help of its players.
“We will continue to see a growth as long as everybody supports the league and supports their game. We try to impress upon people even though it is a free poker tournament, everybody has responsibility to support the bar/restaurant that supports the game,” he said. “I tell people it’s the equivalent of going to a movie. If they look at it like that, the bars and restaurants that host this will be seeing financial success and enough to make it business smart for them to keep doing it.”
The Bar Poker League hosts the tournaments and in doing so, are trying to make each and every tournament into an event.
“That’s how we have separated ourselves from the competition. I tell my directors that we are not running a tournament. The tournament is what it is,” Hammer said. “But we can turn every tournament into a special event, so that the bar/restaurant can get behind it and do a theme that they want and make it entertaining.”
Stats, information, locations, and dates of tournaments can be found on the Bar Poker League’s Web site at www.thebarpokerleague.com
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