January to June roundup

Get a sneaky peak at what's going on in the world of poker in 2010 as we look at the tournaments coming up in the first half of the year.

There's an exciting first quarter coming up in 2010. The PCA will offer 47 events, giving everyone the chance to kick start their New Year the right way. There's also the Aussie Millions and WPT's Southern Poker Championship taking place which should be enough to shake of the remnants of 2009. January ends with the 2010 Borgata Winter Poker Open in New Jersey, where players can join this $3,500 event with a $2 million guarantee. From here players can have the enviable choice of either heading South to the WSOP Circuit main event in Tunica, Mississippi or across to Los Angeles for the LA Poker Classic at the Commerce Casino. Record breaking champion Huck Seed will be at the National Heads-Up Poker Championship in Las Vegas in March, but with a $20,000 entry fee it seems unlikely that runner up in the main event, Darvin Moon, will follow. There's also the EPT in Berlin which sees players competing in this one million euro guaranteed event, the WSOP Circuit Harrah's Rincon, WPT Hollywood Casino, World Poker Challenge in Reno, Bay 101 and the main events of Wynn Classic and WSOP Circuit Council Bluffs.

2010 will be well under way by the time one of the most prestigious tournaments of the year, World Poker Tour Championship, kicks off at the Bellagio in April. This will be followed by the biggest WSOP Circuit event of the year at Caesars Palace. The month culminates in the town of Monte Carlo, for the European Poker Tour. Events to follow in May include the WSOP Circuit event in New Orleans and the WPT Grand Prix de Paris in France.

After the success of SCOOP (Spring Championship of Online Poker) from PokerStars in 2009, online players will be looking forward to its return in 2010. May goes out with a bang as the WSOP starts in Las Vegas on the 27th, and if the statistics from 2009 can be believed, there should be record attendance at the eight $1,000 events. It remains to be seen if the current trend will extend to the bigger buy- ins, but ones to watch out for include the $50,000 eight-game mix tournament and the $25,000 short-handed event. There will hopefully also be an outcome from Washington DC as players await the announcement of UIGEA implementations for online gaming regulations. All of this and only the first half of the year done…!