The poker boom - Euroslot - the independent voice of the amusement and gambling industry

The poker boom

Published: 19 May, 2009

Just two or three years ago poker did not feature in the list of games at some of the Spanish casinos. Now there coexist large European tournaments that are played simultaneously such as the EPT (European Poker Tour) with local series that are organised by each of the Spanish casinos, not forgetting Texas Hold´em which has its own electronic version. At the last two Spanish fairs they have continued to produce multiplayer versions of this machine intended mainly for the arcades that are licensed for type "B" machines. As an example of the popularity of the game, suffice it to say that it is generating a new form of tourism.

There is a group of players who travel from city to city taking advantage of the local tournaments that are being held. In the space of one month tournaments have been held in the autonomous regions of Madrid, Valencia, Extremadura and Murcia. The Gran Casino Extremadura became the meeting point for the best national poker players during the weekend of 3rd to 5th April, in which the third round of the 4th Campeonato de España de Poker (CEP) - the Spanish Poker Championship - was played, an event sponsored by EuroSuperPoker.

This provides a new opportunity whereby players accumulate points for a general ranking in the CEP with a view to winning the title of national champion at the end of year. For its part on 24th, 25th and 26th April, the Casino de Torrelodones welcomed the Campeonato de España de Poker, which was held for the first time in the Poker Room, a room designed specifically for playing this game. In the first three months of the year, Casino Gran Madrid has distributed close to 350,000 euros in prizes in the various heats. During this period, 1,378 poker players have participated in its competitions, excluding the ‘sit & go' games that are normally held every Sunday.

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