The European Poker Tour (EPT) has never missed a season at Casino Copenhagen and 2011 was no different. For the seventh year in succession, top players from across the region and beyond flocked to this superb venue in the Danish capital to match their skills in the 2011 EPT Copenhagen Nordic Open.

Michael Tureniec from Sweden finally lifted the title at the end of the six-day tournament after beating countryman Per Linde in a hard-fought heads-up duel lasting over three and a half hours. The 25-year-old takes home a first prize of DKK 3.7 million (around EUR 500,000) and the coveted EPT Copenhagen bracelet provided by Shamballa Jewels.

“I’m feeling very happy,” said an emotional Tureniec. “It’s such a tough field here with a lot of Scandinavian players.” The Swede now plans to get a driver’s license and buy himself a nice car!

The EPT Copenhagen is the largest Poker tournament in the Scandinavian region. This year a total of 449 hopefuls from 38 countries – including 109 Danish players and a player each from the Pacific Northern Mariana Islands, Panama, Canada, Lebanon and Venezuela – paid the DKK 35,000 buy-in and took to the tables from 21-26 February to battle it out for an estimated total prize money of around EUR 2 million.

Casino Director Thomas Kellner was delighted with the success of the event: “The EPT Nordic Open has been a highlight in the Casino Copenhagen calendar for many years. The casino is packed for the whole week with players and their supporters, as well as journalists from all over the world. We are really proud to host this tournament and welcome so many great players to Casino Copenhagen.”