The 2008 Gala Casinos British Poker Tour kicks off with the first of five regional Festivals, to be hosted by Gala’s Edinburgh Maybury Casino on 27 February, with a total estimated £150,000 prize pool.

The climax of each Festival will be a three-day £500+£50 NLHE Freeze-out Main Event including £5,000 cash added by Gala Casinos. As before, regional Festival winners go forward to the Grand Final that will be held at Gala Casino Harbourside, Bristol, 1-7 December. There are also a number of lower buy-in events at each Festival to give less experienced players the chance to play at a live event.

Further Festivals running throughout the year will be hosted by Gala Casinos in Nottingham; Bristol; Liverpool; and Teesside.

In addition, live qualification events are also being held in 14 Gala Casinos across the country – making the Gala Casinos British Poker Tour accessible to all. There are 50 seats up for grabs at these live qualification events and there is also limited direct buy-in to the Main Event itself.

The Gala Casinos British Poker Tour 2008 comes on the back of a successful inaugural year that with 2,257 runners and £870,000 in cash prizes. This year’s tour promises to be even better with more runners and more money.

Reigning champion, Joe “The Elegance” Beevers, will be back to defend his title, while less seasoned players will be hoping to emulate Rob Akery – last year’s amateur runner up to Joe.

Joe Beevers said: “I really enjoyed playing the Gala Casinos British Poker Tour events all over the UK last year and will be playing the tour in 2008 trying to defend my title. I will be in Edinburgh when the tour kicks off again in February – with fellow Mobster, Barny Boatman, who’ll be trying to go better than his third place finish in the Grand Final at Bristol.”

Mark O’Donnell, Gala Casinos British Poker Tour Manager, said: “What sets us apart is that we attract the best poker talent from across Britain and Europe alongside amateur players and relative newcomers to the game." "The tour promises to have something for everyone – nail-biting clashes, absolute professionalism and the unique Gala Casinos atmosphere of the live events. A prize at the final table is genuinely within everyone’s grasp. The Gala Casinos British Poker Tour really is the people’s poker tour.”