Online Gambling News and Promotions

With less than a month to go before the third edition of the Everest Poker European Cup (EPEC) we now have the 204 lucky qualifiers who will be spending May 8th – 11th in the 5-star Chia Laguna Resort on the island of Sardinia.

Recent figures released by Jupiter Research highlighted that poker players were getting younger and the EPEC qualifiers back this up with nearly 60% being under 34.

However, very little research has been carried out on the size of live poker players. Everest Poker asked players for their required shirt size and the response suggests that poker players are, shall we say, ‘larger’ than average. 64% of the 204 players requested Large or Extra Large with a further 9% opting for XXL.

The EPEC Finale is designed to give amateur poker players their first taste of a major live tournament with players qualifying from all over Europe but it is Sweden who have won the first two titles. We also have entrants from Poland, Hungary and Finland for the first year, the French are best represented with 54 players.

To enjoy a taste of previous EPEC finale in Portugal & Spain search on YouTube and to meet the players going to the event check out our Facebook page (search ‘EPEC Live Final’, or to join us on Twitter head to www.twitter.com/EVP_EPEC.

In an unprecedented move, Everest Poker announced today that it will match total World Series of Poker winnings by its players at the Main Event this June, and will distribute that exact amount to any player that qualifies for the tournament through Everest poker.

The way the bonus works is simple: At WSOP, Everest Poker will match the Main Event winnings of its qualified players up to $1,000,000, and share that amount with all those who qualified for WSOP through Everest Poker. Even if a player busts out in the first hour, they will still remain eligible for the bonus. Based on last year’s figures that would mean all 62 Everest Poker players – regardless of how quickly they were kicked out – would have netted $20,000 each.

There are many ways players can qualify for the biggest prize in world sport (over $9,000,000 last year) but only with an official WSOP sponsor, Everest Poker, could a player go home richer even if they lose.

“Our aim last year, our first as sponsor, was to encourage more European players than ever before to go to the WSOP, which we did,” said Everest Poker spokesman Ed Pownall. “This year we want to reward that loyalty by offering a knock-out reason to qualify with us. This bonus gives everybody hope of winning something even of they are out early on and it will also give an added sense of camaraderie to all those qualified with us.”

Players can qualify for the WSOP Main Event through Everest Poker for as little as $3.

The highly anticipated Everest Poker Summit Points Store is now open for business. Today, popular personal electronics, computer accessories, video games, books and branded Everest Poker gear are all just a simple mouse click away.

Players can obtain their favorite products by redeeming Summit Points, which they earn for playing poker tournaments, sit and go’s and ring games at Everest Poker.

Everest Poker has partnered with Initial Rewards, the largest dedicated supplier of promotional merchandise and loyalty reward programs for the online gaming industry, to ensure players receive the best merchandise in a timely manner.

Everest Poker and Initial Rewards have successfully integrated the Summit Points Store into the Everest Poker software. Once players log into their accounts, they will have easy access to the store, where they can browse, research items, and purchase a variety of popular electronics, poker gear and accessories using their Summit Points.

Better still, since Everest Poker is a truly international poker room, the store is available in all 15 languages supported by Everest Poker, and a player’s shipping and handling costs are calculated for them based on their home country. The calculated cost is then included in the Summit Points price of every item. Unnecessary and confusing shipping cost calculations are eliminated with this approach, meaning players get their gear faster and easier than anywhere else.

“As one of the world’s leading online poker rooms, Everest is committed to providing the best possible player experience for our entire community. The Summit Points Store is one more way of rewarding our players,” said Ken Berman, Brand Manager for Everest Poker. “We have partnered with Initial Rewards because we want to offer our players the largest selection of high-quality products from an established and trusted source.”

Those that are not yet playing at Everest can still take a look at every available item in the store by visiting the Summit Points Store online catalogue. The online catalog provides visitors with detailed product descriptions and pictures, as well as instructions on how to download and log into the Everest Poker software, so they can begin playing poker and accumulating Summit Points of their own.

ABOUT EVEREST POKER:
Everest Poker is one of the world’s leading online poker rooms. Owned by Everest Gaming, a veteran of the online gaming market for over 12 years, the poker room is renowned for its passion and dedication to its players. With a strong understanding of international poker markets, Everest Poker is devoted to providing players with their best poker experience, and to supporting poker communities across the globe.

Everest Poker is the sponsor of the world’s biggest and most prestigious poker event the World Series of Poker (WSOP) which saw a record breaking 58,720 people participate in 2008 and a prize pool reaching $180,676,248, making the Everest Poker sponsored WSOP the richest event in sporting history.

Everest Poker is the sponsor of the Spanish Poker Tour (SPT), the European Cup (EPEC), the International Poker Cup (IP Cup) and Avalanche.

Everest Poker launched the first ever interactive poker competition Live the Dream in 2008 offering players from across the globe a once in the lifetime opportunity to play in some of the world’s most prestigious poker events.

Everest Poker is also home to some of the world’s finest players who play online at Everest Poker and attend live international poker events.

Montreal, Quebec – Last year Everest Poker‘s European Event Coordinators spent six months observing the characteristics of each player’s nationality during poker tournaments, to see if national characteristics are visible in the way countries play the game.

The research unearthed a mountain of evidence that proved king and country were indeed integral to a player’s style, so to follow it up the Everest Poker team spent six months finding out if a player’s state of mind affects their play in any significant way. The results, unsurprisingly, were conclusive.

Ed Pownall, the Everest Poker PR and Events European Manager, said “when we have players who win a seat at a big event you can always tell you who is playing in their first big event and those who has been to one before.”

How? It’s simply that first timers often fly in on the morning they are playing to avoid paying for an extra night in a hotel – even though costs are put in their Everest Poker account. At EPT London two of the qualifiers started the tournament this way and from the start mentioned being tired. They were both out within an hour of starting play.

“Similarly, personal life can also be a barometer of how a player gets on in tournaments,” Pownall said. “One of our team players ended last year with three final tables in three months. He then split up with his girlfriend and early exits were as regular as final tables were just months beforehand!”

Mariken Hogenhout, the Everest Poker Dutch Event Coordinator, also observed several players completely changing their strategy when faced with a big name or the TV table: “I have seen many players playing well, looking relaxed but when faced with the TV table they suddenly play far too tight. This is because they are aware every hand is being analyzed and they do not want to be considered fish!”

She adds: “Another factor that can upset a player’s rhythm is being on a table that gets ‘broken up’ – clever players will realize they are on an outside table and be aware this is probably one that will be broken up quickly and often waste little time assessing their opponents. Really clever players ask the tourney director which tables are to be broken up early!”

Team Everest player and multiple tournament winner, Maria Maceiras, explains: “There is no doubt that I play better when I am rested and when I am happy in myself. When you see a player arrive to the table tired or obviously nervous you make sure you go on the attack from the start as you do not want to let them settle.”

Rocio van Nierop, PR and Events European Manager, also maintains that the choice of starting day for a tournament is important too. “Many first time players opt for Day1A with the more experienced players opting for the later start in order to get acclimatised and relaxed. However, as a result I know a number of good tournament players that target Day 1A because it is an easier ride. It’s your call!”

With 12 years of online gaming experience, Everest Poker and Casino was the first company to offer localized multilingual online casino and poker experiences to Europeans. The casino platforms have been available since 1997, and its leading European poker room at Everest Poker has been available in 11 different languages since 2004. Everest has had a remarkable growth during the last couple of years, and is now the fourth largest independent poker room worldwide with a peak of 40 000 concurrent cash game players and tournament players.

The LGA-license involves class 1 and 3, and gives Everest the opportunity to increase their market share in Europe. Everest Poker is now the largest poker operator with a LGA Malta license.

About Everest Poker:
Everest Poker is owned by Everest Gaming, LTD. With over 12 years of online gaming experience, Everest Gaming has established a name in offering some of the most exciting and trusted multilingual gaming web sites worldwide. It was the first company to launch a truly multilingual poker gaming platform in 2004. Everest Poker is a European poker room created for, and run by, European poker enthusiasts. With a strong understanding of International poker markets, Everest Poker provides its players with the best localized poker experience. Through fully translated software, native language customer service, the unique ability to chat in any language and a roster of features and benefits tailored to each local market, Everest Poker helps its players master their own game.

Everest Gaming, one of the most trusted multilingual online gaming operators worldwide, and home of Europe’s most popular gaming destinations Everest Poker and Everest Casino, announced today that it has obtained a remote gaming license delivered by the European jurisdiction of Malta.

After completing the stringent application process and meeting the requirements set by the Maltese government, Everest Gaming Limited has been fully recognized as a secure and reliable online gaming destination for Europeans meeting all legal requirements to operate in Europe.

With 12 years of online gaming experience, Everest Gaming was the first company to offer truly localized online casino and poker experiences to Europeans. Its multilingual casino platforms have been available since 1997 and its leading European poker room Everest Poker has been available in over 10 different languages since 2004.

The European gaming license delivered by Malta further underlines Everest Gaming’s continued efforts to bring a truly unique and secure gaming experience to Europe. Additionally, Everest Gaming’s Malta license will open up more opportunities for partnerships in European markets.

After a very successful first year, the organizers of the Spanish Poker Tour have announced the launch of their 2009 season. Once again, EverestPoker.com, one of the world’s leading poker rooms, will sponsor the Tour that will bring hundreds of professional players to the most beautiful destinations across the country.

The Spanish Poker Tour has been cataloged as one of the best European poker tournaments thanks to its superb structure and tournament direction run by Thomas Kremser’s TK poker Events. Kicking off on March 20th in the Gran Casino Aranjuez, the Spanish Poker Tour and Everest Poker will present the brand new image of the tour and will reveal their most radical changes.

“There will be many new additions to this season, including new destinations, improved structure and more online qualification options,” explained Paloma Benito, the Spanish Poker Tour’s Executive Producer.

Last year’s edition saw the likes of some of poker’s best international professionals such as Rolf Slotboom, Johnny Lodden, Pietro Paloma and last year’s champion, Alexander Jung, participate, and they are all likely to be taking part again this year. Important Spanish players, such as María Maceiras, Pablo Ubierna, Jose Luis Navarro “Jotaele”, Javier Martinez, Raul Paez “El Toro”, Oscar “La Púa”, Raul Mestre “SirDonald”, Javier Dominguez or Cayetano García, will also try their hand at becoming the Spanish Poker Tour Champion of 2009.

“The Spanish Poker Tour is definitely a must on my agenda. This tournament is very important for the career of any Spanish poker player. It is extremely rewarding and fun to participate in” said Maria Maceiras, the number one female poker player in Spain.

Players can qualify for any of the stops on EverestPoker.com for as little as $3 USD or buy in directly at the casino for €1,100.

Everest Poker and Everest Casino are pleased to announce that both online gaming properties have made the most trusted and popular online gaming payment solution, DIRECTebanking, available to select European players.

The DIRECTebanking funding option, also known as Sofortüberweisung (www.Directebanking.com), is now available to Everest customers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

As a result this important move, Everest Poker will experience a huge boost to their accessibility for German, Austrian and Swiss players in a very crowded marketplace. Despite being the most popular money transferring method in the region few poker rooms offer DIRECTebanking to date.

“Any internet based business must look to break down barriers to entry for customers and this is particularly true in the ultra-competitive poker market,” said Jennifer Joyce, CMO of Everest Poker. “Opening up DIRECTebanking brings a trusted solution to the region and increases our access in what is one of the largest poker communities in the world.”