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 News from Around the Americas | July 2006 
Irish Bookie Plans Biggest-Ever Strip Poker Game
 Andrew Bushe - AFP
| | Next month 200 poker buffs will risk baring all in an attempt to become the first World Strip Poker Champion - and earn a place in the Guinness Book of Records. |
The biggest-ever strip poker championship will be held in London next month, with daring contestants from all over the world vying to keep their clothes on.
Leading Irish bookmaker, the Paddy Power company, came up with the idea of setting a world record for the game as an April Fool's Day joke.
But it decided to stage the event for real and get into the Guinness Book of Records after receiving numerous phone calls and emails from curious punters.
Paddy Power, which has a reputation for publicity stunts and whacky wagers, has already received over 50 entries for the strip poker game planned for the Café Royal in London on August 19.
"People have entered from Ireland, Britain, Brazil, Australia and Germany. It is a good mixture so far," said Paddy Power, a spokesman for the company of the same name.
"We need about 200 but the way it is shaping up I'd say we might be extending it. The plan was to have 100 men and 100 women. But I'd say we might have to make it a bit bigger," Power told AFP Friday.
The Irish bookmaker aims to set two records - the biggest strip poker tournament ever and the first world strip poker champion.
"The plan is that at the end of the tournament one person will be left with clothes on and he or she will be the winner. Basically, when you get naked you are thrown out," the spokesman said.
"At the moment there is no official Guinness world record. I think there is one self-proclaimed record from Estonia but this will be the biggest one."
Power has been surprised at the amount of organising and the special rules needed to ensure the tournament is done in the best possible taste.
The rules drawn up ban "inappropriate behaviour" and say each player will be given a towel to sit on and cover up with when naked.
In addition, players are forbidden from entering wearing layers of clothing. Each participant will only be allowed to wear five items of supplied clothing.
"You would think staging the tournament would be a very easy thing to do but apart from tables and so on you have to organise security, hygiene and all that sort of stuff that you would never think of," the spokesman explained.
Entry is free and the tournament will involve a poker variant called "No Limit Texas Hold 'em".
The winner-takes-all prize will be 10,000 pounds (18,600 dollars, 14,700 euros) and free entry to the 2007 Paddy Power Irish Poker Open with a prize fund in excess of one million pounds.
When the idea of holding the tournament was first mooted, Dublin had been the desired venue.
"There is no particular reason for the change in venue. We looked at Germany and a few nudist resorts in France. Logistically London turned out to be the easiest," the spokesman said. |
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