Luton Shines

I AM GLAD TO REPORT the Grosvenor Casino at Luton has refurbished and expanded its card room. It will now accommodate up to 160 players, by adding on space from the restaurant. Even better, the casino plans to stage a £500 Hold 'em tournament in the summer, which will be a ranking tournament in the European Poker Players' Association. So British poker, which seemed to be out in the cold, will now be back on the European circuit.

And this event is not the end of it. Other casinos in the Grosvenor group, in Walsall next October, and possibly in Brighton and Southampton later, may also stage major tournaments, as part of a 'UK Grand Challenge' run by the group's provincial casinos. This will go some way to restoring the fortunes of tournament poker in this country, after the Grosvenor Victoria in London down-sized its card room, which meant, unfortunately, giving up its position as the premier card club in Europe.

The main events on the European circuit in the first three months of the new year offer a good choice:

• January 20-23 'German Texas Hold'em championship' Casino Baden-Baden, Germany


• January 22-23 Grosvenor Casino, Luton (£250 Hold 'em tournament)


• January 25-30 'Scottish poker championships', Riverboat Casino, Glasgow


• January 26-29 'Winter Challenge', Casinos Austria, Seefeld


• February 14-20 Poker World, Vienna


• February 24-27 Casinos Austria, Bregenz


• February 25 Casinos Austria, Kitzbuhel


• February 28-29 'Leap Day Double', Grosvenor Casino, Southampton


• March 1-12 Euro Finals of Poker, Aviation Club, Paris


• March 14-28 'Spring Festival', Concord Card Casino,Vienna


• March 23-26 'Poker Classics 2000', Casino Baden-Baden


• March 31-April 9 'Great Britain Hold 'em Championship', Rainbow casino, Birmingham