Thomas Bihl Mines Inaugural WSOPE Gold --  The field was only 105 players deep, the entry fee only £2,500.  But Event #1 at the first-ever World Series Of Poker Europe (WSOPE), held at the Empire Casino in London, went to Thomas "Buzzer" Bihl.  Bihl triumphed over a deadly final table to win the HORSE title, coming from way behind during heads-up play to wrest the historic bracelet from veteran "Big Game" player Jennifer Harman.  Kirk Morrison finished in third, Chris "Jesus" Ferguson snared fourth, and emerging Russian star Alex Kravchenko placed fifth.  The modest first prize of £70,875 paled in comparison to the occasion.

U.S. Takes World Cup of Poker IV --  PokerStars’ annual World Cup Of Poker competition annually brings together strong teams from eight nations, the survivors of early qualifying rounds.  This year’s just-completed finals in Barcelona saw the U.S. claim the title after barely squeaking into the four-team final round.  The U.S. squad (which included Greg Raymer), topped Iceland, Canada (featuring Daniel Negreanu) and Romania for the title.  The five-player U.S. squad split the winners’ share of $100,000 not including the nice Barcelona vacations.

WSOPE Omaha Bracelet for Alioto --  Dario Alioto became the second-ever owner of a World Series of Poker Europe bracelet when he took down Event #2, £5,000 Omaha, taking down the championship by eliminating Istvan Novak during heads-up play.  Novak backed his way up a spot to second place, as Alioto won an all-in collision of the big stacks with Tony G to set the stage for the final.  Alioto’s win was worth £234,390.

Edler Takes Gulf Coast Poker Crown in "Stunning" Fashion -- Bill Edler, dubbed "The Stunning One" and known as one of the nicest players on the professional tour, continued his climb to prominence by claiming the $747,615 winner’s prize in the Gulf Coast Poker Championship.  This World Poker Tour event was held at the Beau Rivage Casino in Biloxi, MS.  Edler pulled off his version of a Jack Straus-ian, "chip and a chair" comeback, surging to the win after being all-in from the big blind with his last chip with 17 players remaining.  David Robbins was the last hurdle in the path of Edler’s stunning run, with Hank Sitton finishing in third.

Absolute Poker Announces Interest-Bearing Accounts for VIP Members --  Another week, another promotion from Absolute Poker.  This time it’s interest-bearing accounts for its VIP accountholders, payable on a daily basis based on a 9% annual rate.  Eligible AbsolutePoker customers need to maintain a $1,000 minimum balance and also accrue enough player points for VIP member status.

Caesars Palace Classic Announced --  Caesars Palace in Las Vegas has announced an October poker series with a $10,000-buyin event offering a guaranteed $1,000,000 first-place prize.  The new Caesars Palace Classic (or CPC) stretches from October 12-24 and includes 13 different events.

World Championship Of Online Poker VI Set for Annual Run --  Speaking of PokerStars, it’s time once again for the World Championship Of Online Poker (WCOOP), historically the largest and most important of the various online poker series.  This year’s WCOOP runs from September 14-30 and includes 23 events; the Main Event alone has a guaranteed $5,000,000 purse, part of an overall $15,000,000 prize guarantee that likely represents about half of what the total prize funds will offer.