The Everest Poker European Cup (or EPEC) starts today, November 21, and runs through February of 2009. Packed with 27 live events hosted in 11 countries.

But hold on! This is an online poker blog for online poker players! Right? Who can honestly get themselves to any foreign country for a live sit down even these days?

Well fret not, because the November – February part of the EPEC is just the beginning. You see, after the 27th event is completed, that’s when the real fun starts for Everest Poker’s online players.

Between February and April, online poker players can win their seats through an abundance of online satellites and qualifiers held at the site, each giving at-home players a chance to win a seat in the 3-day main event to be held in May ’09 with at least $124,000 in promised winnings.

It might not look like a lot of money compared to some other sites’ guaranteed prize pools, but remember, this is a free roll. There is no buy-in. The only way to play is to enter for free and win your way there.

Whether these boasts are true or exaggerated, Everest Poker has been around for over a decade and opens its tables to players from over a dozen countries so that people from around the world can play against each other in their own native language.

Timely with the receiving of this award is the award that Everest Poker has just bestowed on its own players, namely the launch of Everest Poker’s new and improved VIP loyalty program, now named the Everest Poker VIP Summit Club, boasting the following notable improvements:

• 6 VIP levels
• Summit Points
• Up to 750% bonuses
• Exchange points for up to $5,000 in cash