Antonio Esfandiari Will Host British Poker Awards

The ‘Magician’ is confirmed as star host for the London Poker Festival’s red carpet event

The British Poker Awards will be co-compered by celebrity poker player Antonio ‘The Magician’ Esfandiari and Michael Caselli of Bluff Europe Magazine on Monday September 13th at London's Kensington Close Hotel.

The British Poker Awards will begin at 7pm, when guests will be treated to a cocktail party, followed by the Awards ceremony at 8pm. The ceremony will also feature the comedian and poker enthusiast Yianni Agisilaou, warming up the crowd up for Esfandiari. Following the Awards ceremony there is an optional £50 No Limit Hold'em tournament.

“Antonio is one of the game’s biggest personalities and I am so excited that he is the Master of Ceremonies at the first British Poker Awards,” Caselli said. “This awards night is a special event for the British poker scene, as we honour those who have made outstanding contributions in the game, but it’s also going to be a night where the poker playing public can come and meet their favorite players and watch the best players in the land receive their awards.”

The British Poker Awards will honour the game’s top achievers in a number of categories, including Best Overall Poker Player, Best Cash Player, Best Tournament Player, Best Online Player and Best UK Card Room.

Esfandiari will preside over an audience of nominees that will include James Akenhead, Vicky Coren, Marty Wilson, Neil Channing, Tony Kendall and Tony Holden, among other notable stars of the game.

Voting is open until the 10th of September, and tickets to this star-studded event are now on general sale at the website for just £39. Visit www.thebritishpokerfestival.com.

Victory Poker's Switch to the Cake Poker Network Gives Players More Tournaments, Cash Games and Special Promotions

Victory Poker, an online poker room that made its debut in February, will move to the Cake Network on September 1st. The Cake Poker Network features bounty tournaments, special promotions, and the ability to highlight Victory pros’ names in green - allowing them to be tracked by players and fans.

"I'm truly excited about the next chapter for Victory Poker,” stated Victory Poker CEO Dan Fleyshman. "Being on Cake will give our players access to a multitude of tournaments, cash games, and special promotions. Cake will ensure our players get to enjoy 20k to 100k guaranteed tournaments every day, as well as the new and exciting ‘Gold Chips/Gold Cards’ rewards systems.”

Since its inception, Fleyshman has recruited a healthy mix of tournament veterans, online name makers, and young cash game specialists to represent the site. Team Victory players include Antonio Esfandiari, Andrew "Good2CU" Robl, Keith "The Machine" Gipson, PLO specialist Brian Rast, Dan "Blitz" Bilzerian, 2005 World Series of Poker Main Event runner-up Paul Wasicka, former World Poker Tour Player of the Year Jonathan “FieryJustice” Little, Lee Markholt, Danny "Chinese Poker Wizard" Wong, backgammon champion Sander Lylloff, heads-up specialist Alec “traheho” Torelli, Joel Nordkvist, Erik Backlund, virtual training coach David "The Maven" Chicotsky, Steven Weusten, James “Andy McLeod” Obst, and Adam Hourani. Retired FBI agent Joe Navarro and Mind Set Coach Sam Chauhan are signed as player consultants, with 2007 Playboy Playmate of the Year, Sara Underwood, completing the celebrity lineup.

The Cake Network is a leading online poker network specializing in providing innovative player rewards programs. Cake is licensed out of Curacao, Dutch Antilles and Malta, and accepts players on a worldwide basis.

Cake's Marketing Director Andrew Turner adds, "We are very excited to welcome Victory Poker to the Cake Network. Victory Poker is a great partner for us as they bring a strong brand with a diverse and eclectic group of players to the network.”