ROY BRINDLEY

Weblog: Straight talking from Roy The Boy

Being a loser does have advantages, in Holland

POKER has been making the news in Holland with poker professionals leaving the country like rats from a sinking ship.

Authorities there have ramped up their attempts to tax players in a move which has already seen large numbers relocate
to Ireland.

Malta appears to be the new Dutch poker playing emigration HQ and new Maltese resident Marcel Luske is likely tobe joined by Steven van Zadelhoff shortly.

Zadelhoff mentioned plans to move to Malta in a meeting with tax authorities, who were seeking several hundred thousand
euros in uncollected taxes from his online poker winningsand access to his internet poker accounts. Zadelhoff's statement led to an immediate raid on his apartment where his belongings, including a number of computers, were impounded.

His lawyer Peter Plasman told the Dutch media the confiscation of his client's belongings was excessive. "We were and still are in negotiation with the tax office," Plasman said.

"My client has never suggested not wanting to pay his
debts. He is leaving for Malta because he needs to relax in a peaceful environment without worrying about taxes."

So being a perennial loser does have some advantages - such as not having to move house, home and country.

>>Brunson takes it in the teeth
Legendary player Doyle Brunson is not going anywhere. The 76-year-old, who was in London last week for an affiliate conference, underwent six hours of dental surgery on Monday and has decided to take some time away from poker to recuperate.

This means he misses the Party Poker Premier League, which is being filmed in Las Vegas for European television, and other major events including the LA Poker Classic, theNorth  American Poker Tour and National Heads-Up Championship.

Writing on his blog, Brunson said: "There is no use playing unless you are at your best. The competition has got so good you need to feel good physically as well as mentally to have a chance to win. My gut feeling is just chill out until the Word Series of Poker [in late May] and try to have a big series."

>>Channing v Cantona
British poker pro Neil Channing has also been in the spotlight. A regional Somerset newspaper reports that he has donated a personally signed t-shirt to a charity auction taking place in the Sportsman Arms in Wellington near Taunton.

Poker is becoming increasingly popular but, star attraction or not, his garment is unlikely to earn a higher bid than the
signed t-shirts of Eric Cantona and Eric Clapton, which will also go under the hammer.