Online Qualifier Sensations Dominate World's Richest Backgammon Tournament

Online Qualifier Sensations Dominate World's Richest Backgammon Tournament

January 31, 2007

Maertens Wins Richest Prize Ever at PartyGammon.com
Million
Germany and Denmark are Skill Game's Superpowers


    GIBRALTAR, Jan. 31 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- 33-year-old
German Andreas Maertens is celebrating after winning the
inaugural PartyGammon.com Million at the Atlantis Resort in
the Bahamas (21st-25th January), scooping a world record
$600,400 payout for a backgammon tournament. Maertens beat
36 year-old Danish backgammon ace Lasse Hjorth Madsen 23-22
in a thrilling final in front of Matchroom Sport's
television cameras. Both players were online qualifiers
from http://www.PartyGammon.com in a field that featured 10
former World Champions and 25 of the top 32 `Giants of
Backgammon.' The total prize pool exceeded the guaranteed
$1 million and hit over $1.2 million. Maertens qualified
online for $440, while Madsen reached the tournament from a
$35 online satellite. 

    (Photo: 
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070130/243518 )

    A PartyGammon.com spokesman said: "We saw the huge
rise of the internet qualifier in poker and, remarkably, at
the very first attempt we have seen online qualifiers
compete and beat the world's best players at backgammon.
Like poker, the entrance of the online aces promises to
change the game of backgammon forever." 

    Maertens, from Bielefeld, Germany, has form in both
backgammon and poker, winning the German Backgammon Open in
1996 and regularly playing on the poker circuit. He was
blown away by his win: "When I came here I hoped I had
a chance but never ever really thought that I could win as
there were so many strong players in the field. I'm not
sure what I am going to do with the money, I'm certainly
going to play more high stakes backgammon but I am also
going to buy my girlfriend Monica a car." 

    Asked what he thought of becoming a backgammon
superstar from its biggest ever tournament he said,
"It doesn't get much better than this. How am I going
to top this? I certainly didn't count myself as the best
player here -- I think I would be in the top 100
though." This concurred with the views of bookmakers
www.PartyBets.com, who placed Maertens middle of the field
pre-tournament with France's Francois Tardieu and Denmark's
Sander Lyloff the favourites. 

    The fact that the final was Germany v Denmark didn't
surprise the players watching on the Dragon's Patio at the
Atlantis Resort or even the winner, backgammon's new
superstar Maertens: "Germany and Denmark were the
strongest countries represented in terms of numbers and had
excellent players. There are more skilful individuals from
other nations but in terms of quantity these countries are
the superpowers."

    Maertens built up a huge lead in the final and it
seemed like his win would be inevitable but Madsen, a
Research Executive from Copenhagen, who scooped $144,096
for finishing runner-up, made a huge fight back and was
pragmatic about his failure to clear the final hurdle after
coming back to just one point away from victory. "In
backgammon you can be almost there, then all of a sudden
far away from the winning post again, it makes the game so
thrilling. I am disappointed but I will be back to fight
another day."

    A PartyGammon.com spokesman continued: "This
tournament has taken backgammon to a new level and taken a
previously unknown community into the mainstream. There
were plenty of characters around from groups that enhanced
their sports betting by using a doubling cube, to Victoria
Smirnoff, an attractive Russian player who was staying in
the suite James Bond occupied during Casino Royale. One
thing is for sure though, the internet qualifiers have
arrived and are here to stay." 

    PartyGammon.com is a popular member of PartyGaming
Plc's growing suite of online games that includes
PartyPoker.com, PartyCasino.com, PartyBingo.com,
PartyBets.com, Gamebookers.com and EmpirePoker.com.
http://www.PartyGammon.com burst on the scene in June 2006
and has quickly moved to become the favourite of online
backgammon players.


    For more information, please contact:

     Warren Lush 
     PartyGaming Plc
     Email: [e-mail]


SOURCE  PartyGaming Plc