Norwegian Poker Championships to be held in UK

Once again the question regarding the legality of gambling and poker come into play as the Norwegian Poker Championships draw near to kick off.  Originally set to take place in Norway, the poker tournament has had to seek a new home for the 2008 event.  The Dusk Till Dawn club in Nottingham, England, will be hosting the Norwegian Poker Championships this year thanks to many European locations questioning the legality of the game and displaying the many differences of opinion that is keeping any form of standardized definition and resolution from occurring.  The championship is scheduled to start on April 28th until May 5th, 2008.

According to the Norwegian authorities, poker is considered a ‘lottery’ game.  Lotteries are not legal under Norwegian law and therefore illegal to be played in the country.  Many of the 2007 championship events were raided multiple times last year causing organizers and players to wonder if there would be a 2008 championship at all.  Norwegian players such as Annette Obrestad have made international news with their wins at other poker tournaments, live and online.  Obrestad won the 2007 WSOP and the coverage of her success in her homeland and Europe brought out both the anti and pro poker lobbyists.

The 2008 event is the seventh annual running of the Norwegian Poker Championships.  Last year’s police raids left organizers uncertain as to the future of the game.  They are hoping that the new home for the event in Great Britain is only temporary, keeping it out of the country at least until some legal resolution is finally reached.  It is expected that somewhere between four and five hundred Norwegian’s will travel to England to play in the series.  Series sponsor expekt.com has even gone as far as chartering an airplane for the trip.  Players from the United Kingdom will be allowed to enter this year’s tournament simply because they are the ‘guest host’. 

The 2008 Norwegian Poker Championship event list has not yet been finalized, but so far ten events have been confirmed.  There will be affordable buy-ins for all players in the range of £100 to £500.  Texas Hold’Em tables will be available in both no limit and fixed limit variations.  Pot limit Omaha tables will also be available with rebuy options and second chance events included throughout the scheduled events.  The final tournament schedule will be listed shortly.