Gaming Expert: Live Poker Benefiting From Online Tournaments

Online poker good for live tournament scene, according to expert.

The growth of online poker tournaments should not be viewed as a threat to live versions of the game, a poker writer has claimed.

In fact, editor-in-chief of Poker Player Magazine Dave Woods believes that the popularity of internet poker is having a positive impact on the UK's live tournament scene.

He said that the two strands of poker enjoy a "good relationship", with many poker websites now offering satellite tournaments in which players can win seats at major live events as well as prize money.

"The online game is feeding the live game. More people are playing online, it's making people want to play live more," Mr Woods explained.

"I think, if anything, there's going to be a closer relationship between online and live [in the future]."

Mr Woods cited the partnership between PokerStars and the European Poker Tour (EPT) as an example of how online portals can work effectively with live events.

Over 100 online players have qualified for this week's EPT Copenhagen through satellite tournaments on PokerStars.