PokerStars, proud sponsor of the LAPT, EPT, and the APPT, have just announced they're starting yet another "PT" the RPT a.k.a. the Russian Poker Tour.

You don't need to be a poker fanboy to know that the Russians have been tearing up the poker world lately. Noteworthy players like Alex Kravchenko, Kirill Gerasimov, and this year's WSOP Main Event runner-up Ivan Demidov have become regular fixtures at major final tables around the globe and seem to represent a growing surge of Russian interest in the crazy world of big buy-in tournament poker.

PokerStars, ever at the forefront of the poker wave, is hoping to capitalize (if you will) on that interest with this new tour, and coupling their past success with the historic passion for gambling of the Russian people, it seems certain the results will be favorable. It's widely believed Dostoyevsky (arguably Russia's greatest writer) cranked out "Crime an Punishment" in order to get an advance from his Publisher for a gambling debt.

The Russian Poker Tour will start small in the beginning with only two stops - a $5,000 buy-in event in St. Petersburg (1/25/9-2/1/9) and a $10,000 buy-in in Moscow (2/22/9-2/28/9). Both events will have satellites running on PokerStars and are expected to attract quite a bit of interest.

Satellites for the first RPT St. Petersburg event have already begun and will run until Dec. 30th. Those wishing to compete but not yet members, can join PokerStars by clicking here.

Story by Mark Anderson