According to research published by the Morning Advertiser, poker mania is sweeping the UK, due in part to the growing trend of TV and Internet gaming.

One million regular online gamblers are staking an average of £1,000 a year, mainly on poker sites.

Poker’s popularity in pubs is following suit. The ante has been upped, due to an exemption in the new Gambling Act allowing low-stakes card games in licensed premises without the need for a special permit.

Steam launched an exciting initiative for Ladbrokespoker.com with The Publican trade magazine earlier this year; enabling licensees get their hands on top-quality Pub Poker kits.

Pub customers were encouraged to represent their local in a series of on-line tournaments played at Ladbrokespoker.com for their chance to win a place on the Ladbrokes Caribbean Cruise, setting sail in January. Pubs that got their customers involved get a bespoke Pub Poker kit absolutely free plus the chance to host a celebrity poker night in their pub.

Steam worked with Ladbrokespoker.com to create the most comprehensive poker kit available today. Everything’s covered including bespoke training materials, traffic driving POS, top quality poker tables, chips and cards plus unique DVD tournament software.