Nations Cup Poker all done on mobiles
Saturday March 16,2013 : 21ST CENTURY TECHNOLOGY DEPLOYED IN CYPRUS POKER EVENT
Nations Cup Poker will have no dealers and no cards – it's all done on mobiles!
The Cyprus Mail reports that advanced new poker technology will be deployed in the forthcoming Nations Cup live poker tournament in mid-April…and for the first time in an event of this nature, there will be no dealers and no cards.
Fourteen teams of six players each will take part in the tournament, with the top six teams coming from Estonia, Lithuania, Serbia, Poland, Hungary and Bosnia and Herzegovina following a qualifying event held in Vienna last November.
Host nation Cyprus, Spain, UK, Denmark, France, Ireland, the Netherlands and Russia will also take part.
International Federation of Poker (IFP) founder member Patrick Nally briefed the press on the event, claiming that the IFP has developed the unique format of ‘match poker’ to demonstrate the level of skill involved in the game.
“We are making history in Cyprus through the use of technology," he said. "The smart phone and iPad are now an integral part of our lives. Many people around the world come into contact with poker through their smartphones.”
Nally said no cards would be used. Instead, each participant will have their own smartphone and their cards will appear on their screens.
“We are embracing the technology which has made poker such a global success,” he said.
According to Nally, all of the teams are sent exactly the same hands. “It is a game of skill. This tournament is not just playing conventional poker with the people at your table; it’s the collective score as a team that matters and not as an individual. It’s about the total score achieved for that nation,” he said.
The vice president of the Cyprus Poker Association (CPA), Antonis Theophanides confirmed that everything had been cleared with the relevant Cypriot authorities.
Theophanides said: “This is not gambling involving money; we have spoken to the ministries of finance and interior and there is no issue with this event as there is no financial incentive or reward. Also, the Attorney General has verified that there are no legal issues about this competition taking place. He has notified all of the relevant authorities to inform them of this.”
Technical solutions for the event will be provided by Xpress HD. Chief technical officer Maris Naglis said: “The IFP is taking poker in a new and interesting direction and we are excited to be part of it.”
