Online poker room PokerStars.com, has gained the international recognition for organizing, running and sponsoring poker events and tournaments worldwide, including the Asian Pacific Poker Tour, Latin American Poker Tour, and most recently, the famous poker site has announced the creation of another poker tournament in the European region: the Russian Poker Tour (RPT). Poker Stars, in association with the Russian Poker Tour, has announced the first two venues servicing one of poker's fastest-growing markets.

The inaugural Russian Poker Tour event will be held from January 25^th - February 1^st, 2009 in St. Petersburg, and will carry a $5,000 buy-in. The Moscow stop has also been announced, which will be held February 22-28, 2009 and boasts a $10,000 buy-in.

Several European players are expected to take part in the first RPT, including the talented and promising Russian players Ivan Demidov and Alex Kravchenko, who have signed up as members of the successful Team PokerStars after experiencing a series of accomplishments and victories on the international poker tournament circuit. Alex Kravchenko, won a bracelet in the 2007 WSOP and nearly took down another in that year's Main Event, while Ivan Demidov, who had his best year so far after finishing third in the 2008 WSOP-Europe Main Event and getting the second place at the 2008 WSOP Main Event final table in Las Vegas.

Qualifying satellites for the RPT St. Petersburg stop are already running at PokerStars.com starting as little as $2.22 or 111 Frequent Player Points (FPPs). The satellites will run until December 30^th, 2008, the final winners will be awarded with a special prize package valued at $8,000, which includes the tournament buy-in, hotel accommodations and travel expenses. For more information, please visit PokerStars.com.