Over 20,000 enthusiasts turned out in London’s Leicester Square late last week for Europe’s largest annual poker festival.
Friday 21st August 2009
Almost 20,000 enthusiasts from all over the UK visited London’s famous Leicester Square last week for Poker In The Park and enjoyed free tournaments, live tutorials and the chance to learn from some of the sport’s most famous faces.
Europe’s largest annual poker event, Poker In The Park ran from noon on August 13 to half-past nine o’clock in the evening on August 14 and was headlined by sponsors PKR. In addition, the leading online operator hosted tournaments featuring a number of the UK’s top pub leagues in its Poker Dome.
Another focal point was the Poker Lecture marquee hosted by Unibet that saw some of the world’s most successful poker talent address the crowds in a series of talks. The main event champion for the 2006 World Series Of Poker, Jamie Gold, spoke on both days of Poker In The Park as well as hosting his Charity Tournament in the Casino At The Empire on Thursday evening. Other speakers included last year’s World Series Of Poker main event champion, Peter Eastgate, alongside a top line-up of British poker professionals including Neil Channing, Paul Jackson, Ian Frazer, Nik Persaud, John Tabatabai, Liv Boeree and Alex Rousso.
Poker In The Park saw Littlewoods Poker run the Littlewoods Poker Tuition Tent where players could compete open-handed against celebrity players including Mark Goodwin, Michael Greco and Tony Cascarino.
Other highlights included the Bluff Europe Heads-Up Tent, where devotees were offered the opportunity to pit their wits against each other on PokerTek Heads-Up Challenge electronic tables while also being introduced to PTG Poker from Prime Table Games.
Finally, visitors were greeted by Neteller, London Poker Circuit, PokerShopUK.com, GamCare, Blackbelt Poker and London Chess And Bridge in the Poker Multi-Tent, which offered a menagerie for players both amateur and expert.
Organiser Bluff Europe has pledged that Poker In The Park will return next year even bigger and better for its fourth annual event.
