Heads up for the ladies now – Maria Poker, whose distinctive logo has been adorning the clothing of more than a few players at recent Unibet Open tournaments as ever greater numbers of women take to the tables, is planning a special live event this September.
The €330 buy-in main event will take place on the 4th-5th September 2010, on the beautiful island of Malta. Hosted at the Casino at Portomaso, which has been providing a glamorous venue for gaming since opening in 2006, the tournament expects to attract 150 players who will be able to enjoy both a weekend of poker and the fashionable surroundings of the St. Julian’s district on the island’s north-eastern coast. The Hilton Malta in the same marina complex will host the players (and a guest for no extra accommodation charge) for two nights, and there will be a welcome party on the evening of the 3rd.
Women are encouraged at Maria Poker to get started online with comprehensive and clear tutorials on the game and the software, and the special tournaments on offer are geared toward female players of all abilities. They’ve recently sent satellite winners to Unibet Open in both Warsaw and Budapest and at the Hungarian leg of the tour hosted their own €100 Ladies’ side event (these are now in the pipeline for all forthcoming Unibet Open destinations!).
Daniela Caserotto, spokesperson for Maria Poker Live, says, “Maria Poker is the leading female poker brand in Europe, where women are more than welcome to challenge what is so far a man’s game, and the idea was to help them feel more confident about playing, and hence organised the side tournament during Unibet Open.” There were a couple of extras involved (and the lucky ladies playing in Malta may have similar things in store) – goodie bags greeted each player on arrival, there was a friendly coaching session before the start to teach or refresh those who hadn’t played before, and at the last minute eight men entered the tournament, which ran with 40 runners for many hard-fought hours, until Swede Andreas Hoglund took the top spot, although admitted, “I was impressed. The girls were really focused and good, realizing that there is not really a difference between men and women playing poker.”
For a glimpse of that tournament, and a hint of things to come for Maria Poker, watch the video from Unibet Open Budapest here.
