Former Welsh Super middleweight and light heavyweight boxer Nicky Piper, Swansea AFC captain Gary Monk and poker professionals Micky Wenick and John Kalmar were among the famous names to make an appearance at South Wales' premier leisure and entertainment venue for the Onewaypoker.com launch party and to compete in an exclusive Texas Hold 'Em poker tournament a day later. The Onewaypoker.com tournament, hosted by Aspers Swansea, was also open to the general public with 131 people competing for a Ford KA Zetec worth over £10,000.
Onewaypoker.com is a family-run business based in South Wales. The Swansea family behind the operation already has an International poker pedigree by producing a champion poker player in the form of Roberto Romanello, who won the European title earlier this year.
His brother, Antoni Romanello, who's behind the business said:
"We had a great evening and couldn't have imagined the launch of Onewaypoker.com to have gone any better. Aspers Swansea have been terrific hosts; they always put on a great spectacle and the gaming facilities are the best we have seen here in South Wales.
"Our family have been into poker for quite some time now and finally getting the opportunity to launch our own site is a dream come true. Our aim is to offer the very best online poker experience for our customers and by securing our software on the iPoker network, we have access to the world's largest poker network with over 35,000 people playing at peak times."
At the launch event partygoers tried their luck at traditional casino games like roulette, blackjack and poker, whilst strolling magicians and comedians kept the guests entertained throughout the evening.
Richard Noble, Chief Operating Officer for Aspers, said: "The night was a tremendous success with over 300 present and it looked like everyone had a fantastic time. I have no doubt Onewaypoker.com is going to be a sure hit with poker fans across the world and it will act as a great feeder for people to come and try this game live on our first-class gaming tables here at Aspers Swansea and at our other venues in Northampton and Newcastle.
"As South Wales' leading entertainment venue, it was a natural fit for us to host this launch event with the Romanello family, the founders of Onewaypoker.com, being a well-known Swansea family. Aspers offers something for everyone - it's not just about playing at the tables, it really is the perfect night out for all ages, as big names like Gary Monk, Nicky Piper, Micky Wenick and John Kalmar found out on Saturday. Having enjoyed our hospitality we hope to see them again very soon."
Aspers is a 45,000 ft leisure facility in the heart of Swansea, which includes bars, a restaurant, live entertainment and state-of-the-art gaming facilities. In April 2008, Aspers became the first British casino to go 'membership free' which has meant that virtually all visitors can freely walk through the reception area without completing membership forms. The venue is open to those aged 18 or over. However, Photo ID is required if you look under 21 and to join the Aspire Loyalty Club.
ENDS
For more information, please contact Michael Erskine at MGB PR on 01792 460200 or alternatively email Michael@mgbpr.com.
About Aspers
n Aspers is a 45,000 ft leisure facility in the heart Swansea, which includes bars, a restaurant, live entertainment and state-of-the-art gaming facilities and has attracted almost 62,000 members in 20 months.
n In late 2007 Aspers became the first casino operator in the country to launch a loyalty club 'Aspire' that allows customers to collect and redeem points throughout its operations (including gaming).
n Customers are now able to gain points for every purchase made on the premises and can also earn bonus points on selected promotions.
n At every Aspers location, the company has set up the Community Action for Responsible Gaming (CARG) programme. This initiative is unique to Aspers and is based on similar successful schemes in Australasia. CARG is a voluntary, not-for-profit group that seeks to constructively address problem gambling issues in society through a working partnership between local community-based interest groups.