Poker News

A new poker tournament in which a round of golf determines how many chips you start with is to be held later this year.

Pokerstars, the sponsors of the European Poker Tour, have added the ‘Fairways and Felts Challenge’ to the EPT Vilamoura schedule.

It means players arriving in Portugal next month will need to bring their golf clubs as well as their sunglasses and iPods.

The Challenge is a totally new concept in live poker which will force players to battle it out on the green grass of the golf course and then on the green felt of the poker table.

The €1,100 buy-in event will take place during the last two days of EPT Vilamoura’s Main Event on September 1-2, 2010 – the second event of Season 7 of the European Poker Tour. Players can win their seat online as well as buying in direct.

The first leg of the Fairways and Felts Challenge will see players take to the beautiful tree-lined fairways of Pinhal Course, a championship course set in rolling parkland terrain only a few minutes from Vilamoura Marina. Players will be randomly allocated to teams and, following an established “Texas Scramble” format, scores from each member of the team will be taken into account.

Their performances on the golf course will then determine the number of chips they start with on the second day of the contest – a No Limit Texas Hold’em Freezeout poker tournament to be held at Solverde Casino in Vilamoura.

Scores of top poker pros are keen golfers including poker legend Daniel Negreanu, who holds business meetings while testing his pitching and putting skills. Former world champion Greg Raymer has even been known to trade poker for golf lessons.

Pokerjolt.com columnist and poker pro JP Kelly will hosts the Fairways and Felts Challenge – as well as a Players’ Dinner and Prize Ceremony after the event.

He told us: “I haven’t been playing golf that long but I’m already well and truly hooked.

"Golf is a perfect antidote to the stresses of the poker table – it’s physical but also includes the kind of mental challenges that poker players relish.

"Vilamoura is home to some of the best golf courses in the world – in fact, the entire resort was built around courses – so I am very excited at the prospect of playing there. I’m even hoping to go out early with friends to get some practice in beforehand.”

The €1,100 ‘Fairways and Felts Challenge’ buy-in includes both golf course green fees (but not club hire) and entry into the poker tournament.

The package is split €770 + €70 for the poker, €260 for the golf. Players will get free transport to and from the golf course from the Solverde casino or Crowne Plaza hotel, a goodie bag filled with golf and poker swag, breakfast and lunch served at the golf course and an awards ceremony and dinner at the end of Day 1.

To be eligible for the Challenge, all entrants must comply with Pinhal’s dress code. Payout details and tournament structure will be released nearer the time.

The EPT Vilamoura Main Event is a €5,300 buy-in event running August 28–September 2, 2010, at Solverde Casino in Vilamoura on Portugal’s Algarve coast.

A total of 322 players competed last season, creating a total prize pool of more than €1.5 million and making it the richest poker tournament ever held in Portugal.