European Challenge

Qualifiers are in full swing for the PartyPoker European Challenge II, which takes place between the 11 and 14 March at the Concord Card Casino in Vienna during the heart of the Spring Poker Festival.

The great value $7,500 package includes a $4,700 buy-in to the main event, six night’s accommodation, transfers to the casino, a special welcome event and $1,100 spending money.

In addition, all European based qualifiers get a €1,000 freeroll! They will take part in the special 60 player East versus West Team Cup on 10 March, worth €60,000. qualifiers for Vienna start from as little as $1 and there are two main $300 + $20 online satellites a week.

The Vienna Spring Poker Festival promises to be every card playing enthusiasts dream. Around 1000 people are expected to flock to the Austrian capital for the week long extravaganza, meaning side action will not be hard to find. The action will be filmed for worldwide television distribution and shown on ITV4 in the UK.

Sigi Stockinger, Andreas Krause, Erich Kollmann, Michael Keiner, Nik Jedlicka, Harry Casagrande, Markus Golser, Philip Marmorstein, Sebastian Ruthenberg, Florian Langmann, Ivo Donev, Christian Toboc and Katharine Hartree are just some of the pros who regularly visit the festival and a big group is expected again this year.

In 2007, Bruno Brunovic, a trainee lawyer and online qualifier from Croatia, took the European Challenge title and won €190,160 after a tense heads-up battle with top European pro Andreas Krause. In 2006, local legend Sigi Stockinger, who has a fantastic record at the event, took home first prize.

Final details of the PartyPoker East versus West Team Cup II freeroll on 10 March are soon to be finalised, but 30 representatives of Eastern Europe will lock horns with 30 from Western Europe, with Tony G and David “Devilfish” Ulliott expected to be on opposing sides.

Other pros expected to take part include Irish WSOP bracelet holder Ciaran O’Leary, Roland De Wolfe, Kirill Gerasimov and Alexander Kravchenko. Thomas Jensen, a 31 year-old online qualifier from Denmark, was the star of the show last year as Team West grabbed glory.

A PartyPoker.com spokesman said: “The €60,000 prize pool for the East versus West Team Cup is a great bonus for qualifiers for the European Challenge. The final table of 10 will share €37,500 while the winning team will get €22,500 split between them so even if you go out first hand in the freeroll you stand to profit from successful team mates.”

“Last year’s main event was dominated by strong Eastern European players but this year we are expecting a large Western European contingent who will shift the balance of power.”