PokerStars signs deal to sponsor first major tournament in Greece

World leading online poker site, PokerStars.com has signed a new partnership deal with Club Hotel Casino Loutraki, in the historical city of Athens, to host the first major poker tournament ever held in Greece. This collaboration will begin with the Greek Poker Cup Main Event – a €1,000 + €100 No Limit Texas Hold'em poker tournament (200-player cap), and scheduled to run from March 24-27, 2011.

"We are very happy with this new collaboration and we see Poker Stars as a strategic partner. Club Hotel Casino Loutraki is the first casino in Greece that introduced Texas Hold'em in the country and we are looking forward to this international gaming experience." commented General Manager of Club Hotel Casino Loutraki, Alexandros Doukas.

Club Hotel Casino Loutraki (CHCL) opened the first poker room in the country in September 2010, and is the largest live poker room with its 14 tables in operation. Club Hotel Casino Loutraki is a five-star destination with 255 rooms and 20 luxury suites situated just 45 minutes outside central Athens, and is one of the largest casino resorts in Europe. The €1,100 Greek Poker Cup will be the first large-scale poker tournament ever held in Greece.

"We are honored to have the privilege of producing this historic event with Club Hotel Casino Loutraki at their incredible holiday resort of Loutraki, easily accessible from the historic capital of Greece. We expect the best poker players in Greece to compete for their first poker Championship title, and I'm sure we'll see exciting visceral action from the moment the cards are in the air." said Jeffrey Haas, spokesman for the Greek Poker Cup.

Free online satellites to the Greek Poker Cup are running now on PokerStars. Players can register by going to the PokerStars lobby, clicking on the Events tab and then on Special.

PokerStars is the official sponsor of some of the biggest live poker tournaments in the world, including the North American Poker Tour (NAPT), the Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT), the Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT), the Australia New Zealand Poker Tour (ANZPT), and the Russian Poker Series (RPS).