Most poker players would salivate at the notion of having nothing to do for a month than to play poker in some of the most stylish poker rooms in Europe. That opportunity exists for those that are in the United Kingdom as the 2012 London Poker Festival, sponsored by Bluff Europe, opened up shop yesterday for a solid month of poker action across the city.
Eight of the most prominent poker rooms throughout London, including the Grosvenor Victoria Casino, the Casino at the Empire, the Fox Poker Club, Genting Casino and Aspers Casino, will be hosting a plethora of poker tournaments for players that will span the operating bankrolls of all participants. In addition to these events, there are other gatherings that feature comedians and a chance for players to let their hair down at several parties. There are a host of activities in particular that should be the highlights of the thirty days of poker play in London.
The Unibet Open is the first of those events, featuring a £1500 Main Event that will begin on September 13. The tournament, which will be held at Aspers Casino, will last until September 17 and should be one of the more popular events of the entire London Poker Festival. The same day as the Unibet Open, a Heads Up tournament will also be taking place, but with a few twists.
The £200 Heads Up tournament will utilize a format that is often seen in chess but will be an experiment during the London Poker Festival. Using a multi-match heads up system popularized by the Swiss, the event replaces the traditional “knockout” format that can only accommodate a set number of players and often sees more skilled players eliminated in a bad run of cards. Through the multi-match heads up system, there are no limits to the number of players who can participate and players are guaranteed more than just one match in the event.
On September 18, the English Poker Open will take place and last until September 22. The £2000 buy in tournament will be played at the Fox Poker Club and is expected to bring the crème of the European poker world to the felt to determine the champion. The Grosvenor United Kingdom Poker Tour (GUKPT) will also have a Main Event, a £1000 buy in tournament at “The Vic,” that begins on September 20 and concludes on September 23.
Although these are the “big ticket” tournaments, there is something for everyone at the 2012 London Poker Festival. There are events that span the eight casinos participating with buy-ins as low as £20. There are also satellite tournaments that will run over the month that will allow players the opportunity to get into the “big” events on the schedule. In total, £1,000,000 in guaranteed prizes will be handed out during the run of the tournaments on the schedule.
Surprisingly, the hottest ticket for the 2012 London Poker Festival may not even be for a poker tournament. On September 17, the third annual British Poker Awards will take place in a unique setting aboard the H.M.S. President. Tickets are available for the night of entertainment for just £20 and can be purchased at www.thebritishpokerawards.eventbrite.co.uk.
This will be an opportunity to see the best that British poker has to offer as they turn out to honor the biggest achievements in the game over the past year. Nominees this year include Sam Trickett, Chris Moorman, Vicky Coren, Neil Channing, Liv Boeree, Kara Scott, Roberto Romanello and JP Kelly, and some of that cast of characters is likely to be in attendance aboard the President.
Overall, it promises to be an excellent month to celebrate the game of poker for those that are in London during September. For more details on the 2012 London Poker Festival and a complete list of events, visit www.britishpokerfestival.com to learn more.
