There are a number of new features bundled into this update, but the most notable is faster and smoother experience which now offers a faster hands per hour rate than has been available in future versions of the software.

Player animations now take place while cards are being shuffled and dealt meaning that there are now fewer pauses between hands. This will be especially great news for multi-tablers or those who play poker for a living as it will give them the opportunity to generate more a higher revenue rate every hour.

Other notable improvements to the software include sixteen new player voices and eight new dealer voices.

Players can download this software update automatically from www.pkr.com. If you already have an account with PKR, your software will update automatically the next time that you login to play.

An official press release stated that this new deepstack tournament (named ‘The Main Event’) will run on a monthly basis and will feature a guaranteed prize pool of $25k.

It will start on the first Sunday in March with the buy-in level being set at $35. Of course, this being PKR, there will be plenty of low cost satellites running throughout the month, so those players with a smaller bankroll won’t miss out.

Players sitting in The Main Event will all start off with 10,000 chips with the size of the blinds increasing every 30 minutes.

One interesting detail though is that the tournament will start at 20.00 GMT on a Sunday evening and continue through until 01.00 Monday morning, at which point it will pause.

Players left in the tourney will then be able to resume playing at 19.15 on Monday morning until its natural conclusion. Presumably this is just PKR’s way of ensuring that players are feeling somewhat ok when they have to go into work on a Monday morning.

Anyway, as Neil Wright, the Cardroom Manager said, The Main Event has come about due to players feedback and a desire to expand the PKR tournaments schedule:

“We dedicate ourselves to meeting player demand and ‘The Main Event’ does just that,” he said. “We’re pleased to offer an online serious tournament which turns ambition into an opportunity.”

The tournament that’s getting most people excited though is Santa’s Grotto Freeroll which will take place on Sunday January 9th. Free to enter, the tournament will give players the opportunity to pick up some great prizes such as 40″ LCD TV’s, Sony Playstations and Nintendo Wii’s.

We’d recommend playing a couple of other tournaments in the Christmas Cracker before sitting down for the freeroll though – the reason is that for every Christmas Cracker event you enter, you’ll be given an additional 500 chips for the freeroll.

Well the good news is that PKR have just confirmed that Oktoberfest will run again this year, with nine days of exciting tourneys and big prize pools up for grabs.

The whole tournament will culminate in the Main Event – a $20,000 GTD Holdem Tournament on 30th October which players can buy in directly for $100 or find a seat through a satellite for just $6.

Oktoberfest kicks off today with the following schedule:

Event 1 – $10,000 GTD Oktoberfest (six-seater)
Friday, 22 October 18:00 GMT ($33 buy-in)

Event 2 – $12,000 GTD Oktoberfest Deep Stack
Saturday, 23 October 18:00 GMT ($44 buy-in)

Event 3- $15,000 GTD Oktoberfest (eight seater)
Sunday, 24 October 18:00 GMT ($33 buy-in)

Event 4 – $10,000 GTD Terminator
Monday, 25 October 18:00 GMT ($44 buy-in)

Event 5 – $7,000 GTD Oktoberfest Deep & Steep
Tuesday, 26 October 18:00 GMT ($11 buy-in)

Event 6 – $5,000 Oktoberfest (six seater)
Wednesday, 27 October 18:00 GMT ($8.80 buy-in)

Event 7 – $8,000 GTD Oktoberfest Rebuy
Thursday, 28 October 18:00 GMT ($10.50 buy-in)

Event 8- $10,000 GTD Oktoberfest Speed (four seater)
Friday, 29 October 18:00 GMT ($33 buy-in)

Event 9 – $20,000 GTD Oktoberfest Main Event
Saturday, 30 October 18:00 GMT ($109 buy-in)

The competition was open to all PKR members who received one entry into the prize draw for every $25 that they deposited with the site throughout April. If a player was making their first entry in April, they received a bonus five entries as an extra welcome to the site.

322,887 entries qualified for the final draw with Orum (whose screen name is Levica) holding 25 of them, so he only had a slightly better than 1 in 13,000 chance of winning having deposited $625.

Rather ironically, Orum has a pretty good knowledge of cars. As a lieutenant in the Danish police force he can often be seen zooming around the country, whereas a car salesman, he sells all sorts of cars in his spare time.

It’s a fact that’s not lost on him.

“The car is ballistic!” he said.  “I’ve just spent 6 days driving the car around Germany.  I sell nice cars as a hobby, but I never imagined I’d own one myself.”

The Porsche Cayman is valued at $55,000 and comes with a six cylinder engine as standard. For those who like their technology the interior also features Bluetooth connectivity, Porsche communication management and an excellent Bose surround sound system.

Every player that deposits with the bonus code VERSION2 before midnight on 1st September will be able to take advantage of a bonus that consists of a 100% match bonus worth up to $600.

Players must deposit a minimum of $10 to be eligible for this offer.

The site has given away almost $3m in freerolls, published its own poker magazine and started its own TV show. PKR has also managed to spend that time amassing an impressive team of up and coming pros that feature some of the best young players out there including Adrien “zlatan35 Allain, Kai “kingkai84? Paulsen and James “james666? Sudworth.

They’ve gone from being known as one of the fishiest poker sites out there, to being recognised as a pool of poker talent.

Understandably, the guys behind PKR.com are celebrating their latest milestone.

“We’re very proud of our achievements to date,” said PKR.com marketing director Simon Prodger. “We came against a lot of pessimism for being so innovative when we launched, but our customers have shown that they enjoy playing in our true to life environment and really appreciate the community feel.”

It’s not all about celebrating though – in fact, in a twist on normal birthday parties, it’s PKR are handing out the presents with the release of their new software. Version 2.0 is now available to all PKR members and features a completely overhauled lobby that allows players to find the games and tournaments that they want much more easily.

The new software also includes a much welcomed enchancement to the multi-tabling functionality which now allows players to sit down at up to nine tables at once.

“Version 2.0 of PKR has been in the pipeline for almost a year,” Chief Operating Officer Leon Walters confirmed. “It’s just the start of what we have planned. Version 2.0 is all about making PKR easier and more enjoyable to play.”

All in all, PKR has never been in a healthier position, and having established itself as one of the internet’s most innovative and favourite poker rooms over the course of the last four years, the company now looks to further their growth over the next four years … and that should be great news for us all PKR players as we look to see what they come up with next!

PKR will be giving away several packages to the Main event worth $5,000 each. This package will cover the $2,700 buy-in as well as giving you a further $2,300 for travel and and accomodation expenses.

One package will be awarded for every twenty five players who enter the $200+$15 qualifiers, which run at 20.45 GMT every Monday evening. Feeder satellites start from just $2.08+$0.20

PKR players have actually got a very good track record on the APT. Last year, Adrien ‘Zlatan35′ Allain qualified via PKR and then went on to win the whole event. Anyone who can turn a $6 investment into a $391,000 pay cheque has got to be getting value for money.

If you fancy emulating Allain, then head on over to www.pkr.com now and register your details. All new players will receive a 100% match bonus on their first deposit when they register with the bonus code GIMME800.

Players who deposit at least $10 using the bonus code DOUBLECHANCE will receive a 100% match bonus up to a maximum of $600. Not only will you double your money, but you’ll also be given an opportunity to get your hands on a brand new Porsche Cayman Sports.

To qualify for the bonus, you will need to earn 250 PKR points for every $1 of the bonus within 60 days of making your deposit. Once the bonus has been completed, the funds will be placed directly into your player account.

This offer is only available on those deposits made before midnight on Friday 30th April.

To make your deposit or to open an account, head on over to www.pkr.com.

Their Heads Up weekend kicks off at 17.00 this evening and will give players the opportunity to play PKR Pro and Heads Grand Slam Chamption for $2,000. To be in with a chance of winning the cash, you simply need to make sure that you’re the player who records the most Heads Up Sit & Go wins before midnight on Sunday.

The winner of this task will then play in a further Heads Up match with Beyne on Sunday 2nd May 2010 at 15.00 GMT. If they manage to beat the PKR pro, then they’ll pick up a cheque for $2,000. If they finish second, they’ll still pocket a tidy $1,000 for their efforts.

To get started on the Sit & Go trail, head on over to www.pkr.com and look for the Heads Up SnG games which you’ll find in the lobby. If you’re a new player, make sure to enter the bonus code BONUSME800 when you make your first deposit and you’ll receive a 100% match bonus on your first deposit up to $800.

Best of luck everyone – see you at the tables!