The poker world got a big shot in the arm from Chris Moneymaker in 2003, when that player won the World Series of Poker after qualifying for his seat in a $40 online tournament. The trend continued recently when Tim Vance from St. Louis, Missouri, took down the Scandinavian Open, part of the European Poker Tour. Vance got his seat in the event by winning a frequent player point satellite at online poker room Poker Stars. His victory at the EPT event grossed him over $1.2 million. The Scandinavian Open is part of a Europe-spanning series of poker tournaments under the European Poker Tour umbrella, which will culminate in a grand finale in Monte Carlo.

