The 2005 European Poker Awards are hosted by the Aviation Club de France in Paris this year, after being previously held at the Grand Casino in Helsinki, Finland. The event is scheduled for this Sunday, January 8th, 2006. William Hill Poker is the official sponsor of the event.
Located in the heart of Paris on the Champs-Elysées, the Aviation Club de France is one of the most luxurious and exclusive casinos in Europe. The club is also well known for hosting the Grand Prix de Paris, a World Poker Tour event.
The European Poker Awards have five categories. Below is an overview of the five categories and their corresponding nominations:
| Category | Nominees |
| Rookie of the Year | Patrik Antonius (Finland) Roland de Wolfe (England) Peter Gunnarson ( Sweden) Noah Boeken (Holland) John Gale (England) |
| Tournament Performance of the Year |
Patrik Antonius (Finland) |
| Player of the Year | Rob Hollink (Holland) Dave Colclough (England) Andy Black (Ireland) Juha Helppi ( Finland) Pascal Perrault (France) |
| Staff person(s) of the year |
Sabine Hazoume (ACF Club) |
| Lifetime Achievement Award | Surprise |
The award ceremony is organized by Poker Europa Magazine. Nic Szeremeta, the managing editor of the magazine commented: "All of this years nominees have won something far more precious than money – it is the respect of their peers. Success can come and go but their achievements during the past year will not be forgotten."
The nominees were voted for by a panel of twenty European poker insiders. The winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award is already known, and will be made public during the award ceremony on January 8th. For the other categories a special judging panel will pick a winner by a secret ballot. One of the judges is professional poker player Dave Ulliott.
The award ceremony will be presented by Sky Poker's Dave Compton and it's scheduled for broadcast on Sky's Poker 425 show on January 11th.
Related information:
Official site of the Aviation
Club de France
Online version of Poker
in Europe Magazine