IPO Sats Now Available on BBP

With in excess of a thousand poker fanatics making the now annual pilgrimage to the Emerald Isle, the International Poker Open (IPO) has quickly become Europe's largest live tournament and is also one of the most cosmopolitan, attracting players from countries such as Scotland, Holland, Belgium and, most notably, France.

Scheduled for October 15-17 at the Regency Hotel in Dublin, the IPO is set to be another roaring success, with players looking to repeat the success of reigning Champion Markus Sippe of Germany who defeated a field of 1,440 to take home the title and $62,250 first prize. In the process, he overcame pros such as Jesse May, Padraig Parkinson, Keith Hawkins, and recent bracelet winners James Dempsey and Richard Ashby.

Now, for the first time ever, you can qualify for the IPO via Black Belt Poker. Starting this week, Black Belt Poker are hosting daily satellites with feeders from as little as €3.30.

The full satellite schedule is as follows:

Daily (7.45pm): Super Sat Feeder Rebuy -- €3+0.30
Daily (8.15pm): Super Sat Freezeout -- €20+2
Daily (9.30pm): Super Sat Feeder Freezeout -- €5+0.50
Saturdays & Sundays (3pm): Super Sat Feeder Rebuy -- €3+0.30

Alternatively, if you wish to buy-in directly for the full €180+20, then you can do so online by downloading the Black Belt Poker client and selecting 'Scheduled' > 'IPO 2010' in the cardroom lobby. There is a choice of two starting days; simply click register for your preferred day.

Last year, BoylePoker offered their players additional chips to the 10,000 starting stack, and Black Belt Poker are serving up the same deal. To be eligible for the extra 2,000 chips, all you have to do is rake $15 (just 30 Belt Points for Yellow Belts) in each of the months of August and September. If you rake $15 in just one of those months, you will receive 1,000. To check your progress, simply go to your 'account' on the community site or contact BBP directly at info@blackbeltpoker.com.

2008 Irish Open Champion Neil Channing commented: "The IPO is one of my favorite tournaments of the year. Considering the large numbers, Boyles do a great job in organising the event and they always do their utmost to look after the players. There's a marvellous atmosphere, and the Irish players are always up for a good 'craic'. In fact, they often craic my big hands when I'm over there."

"The IPO truly is a unique event," added 2008 Poker Million Champion Marty Smyth, "and manages to capture the experience of a big buy-in event for a fraction of the entry fee that you would normally associate with a tournament of this scale."

With €20,000 added and an estimated prize pool of €250,000, the IPO is set for another record-breaking year, with players of all types looking to turn a small acorn into a giant oak tree. If you would like your slice of the pie, then why not qualify online at Black Belt Poker. To play is easy: simply download the poker client and follow the step-by-step process to open an account.