New Cold Front In The Poker World Opens Up

Online poker room Party Poker has announced that qualifiers are in full swing for the inaugural Party Poker European Challenge, which will take place in March in Vienna during the heart of the Spring Poker Festival.

This year they are qualifiers with a difference, however, as the first 50 online qualifiers from Eastern Europe will take on the first 50 online qualifiers from Western Europe in the Party Poker East versus West Cup, a EUR100,000 freeroll, as well as taking the main package.

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The Party Poker East versus West Cup has recently been finalized and opens up a new cold front in the poker world. The East will be captained by Tony G and the West by Dave "The Devilfish" Ulliott and the amount of good feeling between these two can be documented on the back of a postage stamp. The action will be filmed for worldwide television distribution.

A Party Poker spokesman said: "The EUR100,000 prize pool for the East versus West Cup is a great bonus for qualifiers for the European Challenge. The final table of 10 will share EUR50,000 while the winning team will get EUR50,000 split between them so even if you go out first hand in the freeroll you stand to profit from successful team mates."

"Tony G and the Devilfish will be there to lead their teams - we'll need an iron curtain to separate the two. This event is sure to show whether it is a phoney war between them or whether this event will renew their hostilities. Tony G and the Devilfish have famously clashed many times, in particular, at last year's Intercontinental Poker Championship in Las Vegas and at the EPT in Paris a while back."

The Party Poker European Challenge be a highlight of the 13th annual Austrian Spring Poker Festival and will be held at the Concord Card Casino; one of Europe's premiere poker locations.

It takes place from 10-17 March 2007, with an estimated prize pool of around US$1.1 million.

A host of different qualifying tournaments are available at Party Poker for a limited amount of exclusive packages worth US$6,500.

Last year's winner, Vienna-based pro Siegfried Stockinger, has already confirmed his participation in the event and the home favourite again looks the man to beat, after he systematically took apart the competition last year. The Spring Poker Festival promises to be every card playing enthusiasts dream.

Around 1000 people expected to flock to the Austrian capital for the week long extravaganza, meaning side action will not be hard to find.