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IFP Nations Cup
The IFP Nations Cup is a team poker event, played by 12 member federation teams of the International Federation of Poker. The tournament is a two day event that first took place in November 2011, with the first day staged in the capsules of the London Eye, on the banks of the River Thames, and the final stages, featuring six tables, taking place the following day in London’s County Hall.

The Nations Cup is unique in its format as it uses match poker Texas hold’em, a form of poker in which players at different tables receive the same cards, pitching players against each opponent dealt identical cards in several games played simultaneously.

Players then score points determined by how they best make use of their hand; either maximising wins or minimising losses. They are then compared to opponents being dealt identical cards at other tables.

Match poker is thought to remove much of the random chance associated with regular poker, allowing a better assessment of a player’s individual skill.

The IFP’s ambassador for match poker, author James McManus, said: “By draining as much luck from the game as possible, match poker comes close to guaranteeing that the best players will win in the short run as well as the long run.