Internet Poker News

Titan Poker has announced that the sixth European Championship of Online Poker will be the biggest ever with a total prize pool of $5.1 million. ECOOP VI will last for 14 days, and it begins on May 14th with the Mini ECOOP.

The Mini ECOOP is a buildup to the regular ECOOP, and it allows people with smaller bankrolls to get involved in the action. As mentioned before, the Mini ECOOP kicks off on the 14th with a $10 buy-in, $25,000 Guaranteed tournament. On the third day of the Mini ECOOP, the money gets even bigger with a $50 + $5 buy-in, $175,000 Guaranteed event. The culmination of the Mini ECOOP happens on May 23rd with a $750 + $50, $300,000 Guaranteed. In all, the Mini ECOOP will offer $600,000 in guaranteed money.

The ECOOP begins on May 24th immediately after the Mini ECOOP is over. The whole thing starts with a $250,000 Guaranteed tournament, which is a $200 + $15 buy-in event. On day 7 and 8, the money really gets big since $1 million in guaranteed money will be given away; both tournaments are $500,000 Guaranteed No-Limit Hold’em events.

The ECOOP ends with a huge $1,500 + $80 buy-in, $1.5 million Main Event on June 6th. In all, the ECOOP will give away $4.6 million. Here is a full list of all the ECOOP tournaments:

May 24th: $200 + $15, $250,000 No-Limit Hold’em

May 25th: $250 + $18, $50,000 Limit 7 Card Stud

May 26th: $100 + $9, $200,000 No-Limit Hold’em (Turbo)

May 27th: $750 + $50, $350,000 No-Limit Hold’em

May 28th: $100 + $9, $100,000 PL Omaha

May 29th: $1,000 + $60, $150,000 PL Omaha

May 30th: $500 + $35, $500,000 No-Limit Hold’em

May 31st: $2,500 + $100, $500,000 No-Limit Hold’em

June 1st: $100 + $9, $150,000 PL Omaha

June 2nd: $300 + $20, $250,000 No-Limit Hold’em (6-max)

June 3rd: $200 + $15, $100,000 No-Limit Hold’em

June 4th: $100 + $9, $300,000 No-Limit Hold’em

June 5th: $400 + $30, $100,000 PL Omaha

June 6th: $1,500 + $80, $1,500,000 No-Limit Hold’em Main Event

Download Titan Poker and join in the huge guarantees at ECOOP IV!

It’s another new month and another new promotion at Poker Heaven from Rakeback.co.uk. In May we are bringing you even more chances to scoop some bonus cash. With a Bank Holiday this weekend and the expected rain forecast it’s the perfect time to hit the tables and start your month of rakeback with a bang at Poker Heaven. Please see below for all the details of latest exclusive promotion:

Race Period: 1st May 2010 to midnight on the 31st May 2010

Prize Pool: $30,000

Race Details:

Finish in the top 90 rakers in our Boss Network rake race during the qualifying periods and win a share of $30,000

First prize in the race will be $2,500 cash!

Terms: The data we used is based on the 24 hour reports we get from the poker room. Players who finish in winning positions on our leader board will receive their prizes direct to their poker account on or before the 15th day of the following month. This race contains only our entrants from the following rooms: Fortune, PokerHeaven InterPoker, Paradise & Parbet. These Race payments are in addition to your 30% Rakeback and ANY other Race or Promotion that the rooms/network are running.

Poker Stars’ 2010 World Series satellites are here and there is more reason than ever for you to win your package on the world’s biggest online poker site.

Not only can you win your entire trip to the World Series Main Event (and the chance to win millions of dollars), but PokerStars is going to throw in a huge incentive just to make the money in the Main Event: a main event prize package to the PCA or NAPT. Talk about value, huh?

If the satellites aren’t up already, keep a very close eye on the EVENTS-> WSOP tab in the PokerStars tournament lobby. They will be up today. You’ll find a full range of cash satellites, FPP satellites and Steps, where you can ladder your way to glory.

Here’s what you’ll you’ll be playing for:

2010 POKERSTARS WORLD SERIES PRIZE PACKAGE

# $10,000 World Series buy-in
# Eight nights of hotel accommodations (July 4-12) at Palms Hotel and Casino
# $1,000 cash to go toward travel expenses

In all, that’s a $12,000 package for the world’s biggest poker event.

As always, the people who choose to fly the PokerStars flag while they play are also going to party in style. If you’re a qualifier and wear the PokerStars logo while you play, here’s the cool stuff to which you’ll be entitled:

# A PokerStars player bag full of all kinds of neat gear
# Two tickets to the PokerStars World Series party (last year Nelly brought down the house at Rain in what is still talked about as one of the hottest events in town)
# 50,000 VPPs (VIP Player Points)
# Free suite upgrades for Supernova and Supernova Elites

If that doesn’t sound like enough, PokerStars is throwing in some serious incentives to the people who go deep.

# If you’re qualifier with a PokerStars logo on your chest and make it into the money, PokerStars will give you a free package to the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure or any other North American Poker Tour Main Event.
# If you are a qualifier with a PokerStars logo on your chest and manage to win the Main Event, PokerStars will give you $1 million. Simple as that

So, there you go. Get out there and win your seat. Play your cards right and you could end up like this guy before the end of the year.

Sofia “wellbet” Lovgren, a 20 year old professional poker player, has been signed on as PKR Poker‘s very first female pro.

Lovgren has been playing at PKR’s tables since 2008 and has earned herself great money thanks to her natural talent for the game. Her preference is mid stakes full ring table games.

The player, who is from Gothenburg in Sweden, joins the online poker site’s prestigious Team PKR Pro team.

Speaking about her new contract, Lovgren said: “It’s a pleasure to be the first female on the Team. It’s a very good opportunity for me to get to play big live tournaments and take my online game to the live scene. Playing poker and travelling are my favorite things, so this will be a great experience.”

Lovgren will already be able to combine her love of poker and travel next week as she heads to Dublin to take part in the Irish Poker Open.

She will be joining six other team members at the €3,500 buy in tournament.

“For my online poker, I have a clear goal – to double my cash game bankroll this year,” said Lovgren. “You will see me grinding at the tables, feeding on the fish. I’m also going to play the Irish Open this week and some other tournaments including the upcoming UKIPT events, with another goal being to get some good tournament finishes.”

“It’d be nice to be the first winner of a big live event who can’t shuffle their chips,” she added.

“It’s fantastic to have Sofia on board,” said the Marketing Manager of PKR, Erika Schwartz. “She is a top cash player with a lot of potential. We think she can go far, and this is only the beginning. Keey your eye on this girl for big things in the future.”

Poker Players, if you want to improve your chances of winning poker tournaments pay attention to these tips that will help you to maximize your winning potential:

1. The Gap Concept which basically means that you need a better hand against an opponent who has opened the betting than what you need if you are the opening player. This gap concept theory by David Sklansky states that you need a strong hand to call a bet but only a semi strong hand to make a bet. Remember this concept when you are stealing blinds and making aggressive moves at the tables.
2. Position is everything in No Limit Texas Hol’dem. Play tight from early position and aggressively from late positions in order to steal blinds.
3. Pay close attention to the tournament blinds as the tournament progresses. When the blinds are low play tight and wait for premium hands and for other players to make mistakes. When the blinds begin to increase start putting your game on full throttle and start mixing it up to increase your chip stack.
4. Focus on your table, no need to focus on other tables that you are not involved in. Devote your full attention to your table and the type of players that you are facing. Try to become the big stack bully and slowly work your way to the top.
5. Remember that 1 “All-in” mistake will cost you the tournament. Pick up your spots carefully and survive no matter what.
6. Learn to mix up your playing style so that you adjust to your opponents. You need to change gears as the tournament progresses. Sometimes you will play tight and other times you will be aggressive. Successful tournament players know this and always play the game style that best suits their table. Tight players never win tournaments. Learn to mix it up and keep your opponents guessing.
7. Luck is a major factor in tournaments. Recognize when you are running hot or cold and adjust your gameplay accordingly. Sometimes you just have to wait for you luck to change and the final table is within reach.

I hope that some of these tips help you to improve your overall tournament strategy. Best of luck at the tables!