Cypriot Police At Odds With Country Poker Pros

“We are making history as the first ever national poker team to represent the island,” said the Cyprus Poker Association vice president, Antonis Theophanides pointing at the CPA members taking part in the International Federation of Poker's European Nations Cup competition to be held in Vienna on December 7, 2012. Unfortunately, this does not seem to be enough for the Cypriot Government to stop forcing the Cypriot poker pros to go underground and play selection games, as a report arrived this week that 31 CPA members were arrested by Cypriot Police and charged with illegal gambling during Police raids at two different venues. The raids were carried out during what members insisted were no-money-play initial tryouts for the National team in July 2012, and the cash found at the raided venues was explained away as membership fee collections. Initial meetings between the CPA and Police officials regarding the arrests in Limassol look positive, however, with a spokesperson for the Limassol Police saying: “My personal opinion is that if these players were not playing for money, it's not illegal. I believe the case will be withdrawn.” Despite being Government recognized and certified, the CPA said it was given conflicting responses from Police to a request for permission to hold the final tournament in Nicosia to select a National Team. In order to prevent any further Police action the CPA has decided to run its National Team trials online. Nevertheless, Theophanides said that the CPA is looking forward to the big European challenge: “we are making history and this is the first step for Cyprus into the poker arena, joining some 300,000,000 players globally.”