The year 2008 draws to a close

Traditionally, January is one of the hottest months of the year in poker. Shortly after Christmas and New Year, a sense of harmony and an optimistic spirit prevalent in all industrialized countries.

A BOOM WITHOUT LIMITS
This is hardly a surprise that the poker boom is still marked the spirits in January 2008 with more than 100,000 cash game players, more than ever previously recorded at the same time on all poker sites in early.
PokerStars was the first platform in January to move the bar mythical 20,000 cash game players on the tables at the same time. Who believes today that the poker boom is over, or has already passed its zenith, almost 30,000 cash game players play on PokerStars during peak hours.
Behind Pokerstars, it is mainly the iPoker network (especially Titan Poker), and Full Tilt Poker who had the right to a private boom. During the year, Titan Poker has even become the third largest room in the world. The culmination of this success has also come through the organization of $ 2 Million Guarantee, the largest Internet tournament so far (won by our member Axp15 French, who was left with his half-million dollars). On Full Tilt Poker, the FTOPS VII, which have marked the spirits. At Main Event, the player online Reverse has triumphed in the face Full Tilt Pro player Thomas Wahlroos during the Heads-up final, ensuring a good half-million dollars in earnings.
However, the boom had its heyday in unofficial and in any other field. The poker was indeed appeared in an edition of the newspaper Mickey Mouse: maps and tokens were distributed with the magazine and the basic rules were explained. The game has certainly had to reach the entire population, once and for all.
THE AUSSIE MILLION
More news came from the pole this year. With 780 participants, the increase in the number of players in the Main Event of the Aussie Millions (which is designated as the greatest tournament in the southern hemisphere) has not been more apparent than in previous years. However, the players are 33 more than 2007.
The Russian Alexander Kostritsyn won the valuable tournament, sending Erik Seidel in the strings in Heads-up and ensuring a price of $ 1,650,000 (AUD). Nico behlinho Behling, who recently finished second in the EPT Warsaw, had also managed to climb into final table, finishing 8th.
The event $ 100,000 (AUD) High Roller has still attracted 25 players at the tables. As expected, players were all tops stars. Phil Ivey, Gus Hansen, Chris Ferguson, Tony G, John Juanda, Erick Lindgren and Andy Bloch was the game. Howard Lederer (right) won the tournament by defeating Mark Teltscher in Heads-up A striking FORT EFA
In Europe, European Poker Tour has reached a higher level of enthusiasm. Already earlier this year, the organization hit hard by making a first stop outside Europes borders, in the Bahamas. The former Pro Gamer Starcraft and French Bertrand Elky Grospellier managed to overcome the field, winning the jackpot of two million dollars and distinguished among the great players live tournaments.
At the end of January and early February, German fans have their money. EFA was in Dortmund attracting its share of stars. 441 players (including 131 local) spent the € 8,000 to make this huge event and see a magnificent final outcome, especially on the German side where three players finish in the final table. Critics on certain points of the tournament went undetected. It is the Canadian Mike McDonald who left with the victory.
In Copenhagen, the American Tim Vance won the title but was recovered shortly after by a European in the event of Warsaw when German Michael Schulze (picture left) won the € 609,000 pledged to the winner. 359 players had registered for the event. At Heads-up, Schulze had dismissed the Portuguese Ricardo Sousa.
WPT TO THE FIGHT
While EFA accumulated successes one after the other, the World Poker Tour knew about it more and more problems.
The rationale Chutter of the Tour are numerous. With hindsight, the decision to open their own poker room was their biggest mistake.
Not only platform comes online while the market is already divided between large networks for some time and, in response, the most important sponsors and partners decide to withdraw from the WPT. It reached the bottom of the abyss.
Phil Ivey (left photo) could not take it to heart unless it won its first title at the WPT LA Poker Classic. Despite the financial problems, it is still part of trophiess most wanted players in the world.
Currently, glimmers of hope appeared for the WPT. Notably, the news of recent weeks have renewed hope for positive change. The online room was closed and Full Tilt Poker came to be added to the list of sponsors.
TIME OF DAY IN ENGLAND
In February, PartyPoker brought overseas stars race. 72 players attended the fourth edition of PartyPoker European Open. The final table of almost all events was filled with stars such Juha HELLP, Anette Obrestad and Ian Frazer. The promised £ 200,000 to the winner of the Main Event were hung by Nick Slade, English pro player who had already experienced success on their land.
The final of the Premier League retains its share of stars with Annie Duke, Marcel Luske, Alex Kravchenko, Tony G, Roland de Wolfe and the winner Andy Black.
FESTIVAL OF POKER PRINTANIER
The first great moment for the community arrived at the spring festival of poker in Concord Card Casino in Vienna (right).
Tim TMY Baum, popular among BlackMember player had the right to a nice return after a sabbatical period, dominating the first day of the Party Poker European ChallengeII. However, it has been unable to convert his advantage into a victory during Day 2.
In return, the expert MTT Tobias PokerNoob Reinkemier won the event Second Chance.
BREGENZ OPEN
The first live poker has not made much noise in Austria. The former tennis star Boris Becker who signed with PokerStars (the case had been strongly supported by the press) was ready to participate in its first important event live after being unable to attend the EFA Germany claiming to be sick. However, he has not managed to finish ITM in Bregenz Open.
NBC NHUPC
In early March, the largest tournament Heads-Up in the world took place in the USA: the NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship. Each year, the number of participants is 64 players selected dropper by a jury under the current performance and each major player sees this as recognition of his talent. Chris Ferguson (right) won the event after defeating Jonathan Little in quarters, Phil Ivey in the flesh at the half and eventually Andy Bloch in the final.
OVERVIEW: THE WORLD OF POKER - 2ND QUARTER 2008
Next week we will continue this summary. For the second week of Advent, you have the right to a narrative of events that have marked the poker between April and June 2008.
Unlike the Advent calendar, you can not open the doors before the appropriate time. The wait will be long, but so tasty reward.