The beautiful Marbella beach
Well, there's no other way to say it, because it's a lie. But as far as lies go, it has to be the one that most poker people are prepared to overlook. It is this. Marbella is in the United Kingdom.
It's true. I know, you thought it was a small town on the southern coast of Spain. You're wrong. We consider it to be a small town just off the coast of southern England, albeit 1,400 miles off the coast of southern England. You may argue, but there it is.
None of which changes the fact that UKIPT Marbella is fast approaching, and we're giving you plenty of reasons to get to this, hehem, typically English seaside resort.
As always the Estrellas Poker Tour and the UKIPT are teaming up to host another enormous festival at this popular destination, which all takes place in the Casino Marbella from June 15-21.
Last season some 750 players made the trip to this place that is usually a beacon for players wanting a combination of great action at the tables, and plenty of entertainment off it. This year the plan is to make it even better.
First off there's a busy tournament schedule, with something for everyone regardless of stakes. They'll be a High Roller, nightly turbos, live satellites, and of course the €1,000 + €100 Main Event.
But they'll also be the familiar party atmosphere the town is known for, with PokerStars laying on various activities for the player at rest.
That means you can try your hand at karting, flyboarding, hoverboarding, parasailing, water scootering, wakeboarding, pedal boating and trawling. Frankly, we'd never heard of half of those, but they sound terrific. They'll also be a beach party to celebrate the festival, open to all players and including drinks and entertainment. That's on June 20.
What else do you need for a UKIPT? We'll tell you. Nothing more than a willingness to overlook the fact that Marbella is nowhere near "UK", or "I" for that matter. But it is a great "PT".
For more details check out the UKIPT Marbella. See you there.
** Just in case, let me assure you that this event takes place in Marbella, Spain.
Stephen Bartley is a staff writer for the PokerStars Blog.