THE 2007 EUROPEAN POKER AWARDS
Who is in the running?
One of the most coveted awards in poker must be the “Rookie of the Year” category of the annual Poker Europa awards. Since these began in 2001 all six winners have established themselves as tough competitors on both sides of the Atlantic in both tournaments and cash games.
This year the first ever rookie of the year, Alex Kravchenko of Russia, is one of the leading contenders in the prestigious “Player of the Year” category. His performance at the WSOP where he became the first Russian bracelet winner and then came fourth in the main event is bound to impress the judging panel. Also in the running is German Andreas Krause who has made a big impact on the European tournament circuit this year and USA based Spaniard Carlos Mortenson.
Norwegian Annette Obrestad's surprise win in the European WSOP main event in London has resulted in a raft of nominations for her. She has been nominated not only in the rookie category but also for best tournament performance of 2007 and in the new category of Europe's “Leading Lady”.
In the latter category German Katja Thater, winner of a WSOP bracelet in the 7-card-stud, is also a nominee along with England's Jen Mason.
Another strong contender in the rookie category this year is Swede Soren Kongsgaard who picked up back-to-back wins in major tournaments in the summer.
The annual awards also recognise the work of the “backroom boys” the poker staff who help to make it all happen. Among those nominated this year is Madeleine Harper, the press officer of the PokerStars European Poker Tour whose up-to-the-minute reports keep the poker world informed. In the same category Orla Roche of Ireland has been listed. Hers is almost a group nomination as she is leader of the ten person team who turned the Paddy Power sponsored Irish Open into Europe's biggest tournament this year.
The nomination process is carried out by a panel of poker industry people and player representatives across Europe. The final nominations will not be known until mid-November. The top five in each category will be invited to the ACF in Paris for the final judging and presentations which will take place on December 7th.
