By Zach Purgason

09/17/2008

SkyPoker.com – a Non-U.S. online poker room established in 2007 – held the first tournament of its UK Tour this weekend and the turnout was as large and high-profile as was expected for the burgeoning poker room’s first attempt at a live event.  The competition was held last Saturday at the Dusk Till Dawn card room in Nottingham, England and was laden with European poker pros including eventual champion Maria ‘Chili’ Demetriou.

Over 120 players earned their way to a seat at the Dusk Till Dawn live event by qualifying through online satellite tournaments at SkyPoker.com. The tournament itself – like other World Poker Tour and European Poker Tour events – acted as yet another qualifier to the Grand Finale Main Event of SkyPoker’s UK Poker Tour to be held next June once again in the Dusk Till Dawn card room.

In addition to the other nine competitors who rounded out the top ten, Maria qualified for this £25,000 guaranteed prize final with a convincing performance.  The tournament ended when the other three players in the final four decided to accept a 3^rd place payout leaving Maria as chip leader and, in turn, Dusk Till Dawn champion.  Along with her approving title, Maria not only qualified first for the Grand Finale but also received a prorated payout from the other three players based on their chip stack at the end of the last hand.

Maria commented to BluffEurope.com, “It was a really fun day out. Qualifying…was the best thing.”  In addition, she added, “There were at least two women on each table which is something I have never seen before. To have Sky Poker do a live event and have so many ladies come and play in it is a really great thing to see.”

For Maria and the rest of the eager competitors on the SkyPoker.com UK Poker Tour, the next date is set for November 8^th at the Broadway Casino in Birmingham. For more information and updates on the event series or to simply compete in a satellite for a chance to win a seat next to Maria, visit SkyPoker.com.