Introducing the National Match Poker Team of Denmark that will participate in the 2019 European Nations Cup in Kyiv, Ukraine next month:

Malene Frejvald

39, recreational player

Hometown: Frederiksværk, DK

Profession: Physiotheurapic masseur

Nickname: Frejbassen

Has been playing poker for 15 years. Loves to play QQ and K10 suited. Most of the time she plays in their local club in Frederiksvaerk (John Tøms Poker) – but also play larger tournaments in Denmark – Rozvadov (Czech Republic) and Las Vegas (US).


Lene Olsen

60, recreational player

Hometown: Havdrup, DK

Profession: Medical secretary

Played poker just over 15 years, plays mostly in Denmark, Rozvadov (Czech Republic) and Las Vegas (US).


Jesper Røygaard

46, recreational player

Hometown: Ringsted

Nickname: Sputnik

Call sign sputnik..

“Sometimes i play tight, Sometimes very loose” – Mostly play in Denmark and a little in Sweden – I have played for 20 years

Love to play JT, and hate to play JJ


Zoran Sajn

52, recreational player

Hometown: Frederiksværk, DK

Profession: Translator

Nickname: Bockule

Played poker just over 30 years, plays mostly in Denmark, but has also played a bit in Sweden, Germany and Serbia.

My favorite hand is: 6-3 off.


Kim Olsen

57, recreational player

Profession: Retired soldier

Hometown: Slagelse, DK

Nickname: DJKIO62

Played poker just over 20 years, plays mostly in Denmark, Rozvadov, Spain, UK and Las Vegas.


Knud Adelstorp

55, recreational player

Profession: CEO

Hometown: Copenhagen, DK

Nickname: LEGO

Played poker for 25 year, played poker in Denmark, Sweden, Czech Republik, Spain, Ireland and UK.

Favorite hand: 96 suited in spade.


Henrik Olsen

55, recreational player

Profession: Personal helper

Hometown: Slagelse, DK

Nickname: Dotplaza/Potplaza

I first started playing poker during the “poker boom” in 2005 where I managed to come in 3rd at 888 majors two weeks in a row for about £5,000 both times. Otherwise in terms of placement, it is my 17th place at the Danish National Championship the following year.


John Petersen

Profession: Retired teacher

Hometown: Frederiksværk, DK

Nickname: sakulenil/Vegas Star/John Toems

Played poker in 15 years, mostly tournaments. I have played/won poker tournaments in Denmark, Riga, Latvia, San Giljan, Malta, Rozvadov, Dublin, Ireland, Las Vegas, and Malaga and made FT on a Poker cruise DK/Norway.

“Owner” of a legal pokerclub in Frederiksværk (John Tøms Poker)


 

The Barbados Federation of Poker Inc. has become IFP’s latest member and our first national federation from the Caribbean!

This national federation was formally established in July 2015 and is a registered not for profit organisation.

This organisation shall promote and develop the mind sport of poker in Barbados.

It will serve as the governing body of poker clubs and associations whether existing or in future and will encourage the development of poker as a sport based on strategic skill at a national level through the hosting of tournaments and other similar activities.

President – Damien Haynes

Vice President – Tamara Humphrey

Treasurer – Nicholas Roach

We would like to officially welcome the Barbados Federation of Poker to the IFP Family and are excited to grow this great mind sport in Barbados!

The Austrian Poker Sport Association held its inaugural invitational meeting and tournament last month.

More than 30 representatives of Austrian poker clubs and media attended.

President Martin Sturc commenced with a presentation of the upcoming projects of the Association which include a campaign to shift the public’s perception of poker more towards mind games.

He also introduced the new national team coaches, two of Austria’s most successful online players.

President Sturc emphasized that the Austrian Poker Sport Association and the Poker Clubs have to continue working together in order to create a positive future for the mind sport of Poker in Austria.

In the following discussion the representatives had a chance to ask questions and give feedback on the current situation and offer their wishes for the future.

Following a lunch all attending had a chance to prove their poker skills to the new national team coaches in a double shoot-out tournament which was won by Andreas Schwaiger, a former winner of the Austrian Poker Masters.

6p

These are not wrinkles, it is a sixpack from thinking!

 

The Macedonian Poker Federation has started their own tournament competition 3 times a week at their online poker room just for registered members (Macedonian Citizens over 18 years old). 10 days ago a new set of Macedonian ranking tournaments for all registered members began and will be conducted 3 times a week – every Sunday, Monday and Thursday! Start with 2000 chips 15/30 blinds increasing every 10 minutes. This competition will end on 19 march following a short break for the New Year from 29th December to 11th January. The winner of the competition will take his/her place in the Macedonian national team for the IFP World Cup in Berlin next year.

At the moment only 3 places have been confirmed in the Macedonian national team.

1.Aleksandar Trajkovski (captain of the team)

2. Ljupcho Manevski (Macedonian player of 2013)

3. Suzana Al Salkini (best female player for 2013).

The Lithuanian national team faced the Armenian national team in two day clash in Lithuania to see who would win at Match Poker.

The Armenian team comprised of: Hakob Vardanyan (president), Sargis Antonyan, Armen Petrosyan, Suren Hunanyan, Manana Melkonyan. The Lithuanian team comprised of: Vytautas Milbutas (captain), Andrius Bielskis, Paulius Venčkauskas, Rasa Šalčiuvienė, Vaidas Bielskis, Andrej Afonin. The Lithuanian team was created from national federation’s best players (Vaidas Bielskis, Rasa Šalčiuvienė, Andrej Afonin) and well known professionals such as Vytautas Milbutas, Andrius Bielskis and Paulius Venčkauskas.

Match poker was played by both for 50 hands after the completed SNG tournaments. The organizers did not have access of IFP’s bespoke Match Poker technology and had to physically deal and replicate all the 50 hands randomly, using 50 card decks for those 50 deals. Teams we seated in the following order: table 1 – three Armenians and two Lithuanians, table 2 – vice versa. Blinds were 50-100, and every player could use 100 BB for each hand. After the first session (e.g. 25 deals) Lithuanians were leading by 40BB (4000 in chips). However, after the break the Armenian team began to use very aggressive team tactics, which were very successful at SNG tournament – team format was not so favorable for this and at the end, after the calculation of the results, it became clear, that Lithuania won by 400 BB, most of which was added by Andrius Bielskis, the winner of 7th Sunday Million at Poker Stars. He increased its original chip stack by 280 BB.

After the events ended, teams agreed that such an event is very useful for the players and for the popularity and development of poker itself.