It’s been a tough year for poker players. With the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act (UIGEA) last September, millions of Americans suddenly found their favorite online poker sites gone or unable to accept deposits without going to extraordinary efforts.

Until now, that is. With the entry of DuplicatePoker.com into the market, poker players now have an option that is safe, legal, and fun. It’s also something original. DuplicatePoker’s innovative twist on Texas Hold ‘em removes the luck of the draw and lets poker players rely on their skills to win.

Furthermore, since DuplicatePoker is viewed as a skill game, it’s legal in most jurisdictions in the US. Poker players can deposit funds using Visa, MasterCard and American Express. No online poker site has been able to accept US credit cards since 2002

DuplicatePoker is based on a concept with its roots in tournament bridge. Players in corresponding seats at different tables are dealt identical poker hands (hence “duplicate”), and prove their skill not by how lucky they are, but in how well they play each hand in comparison with other players who have the same cards. A run of “bad cards” in traditional poker can be devastating. But in duplicate poker, a player’s opponents are getting the same cards, good or bad. A run of bad cards that are played well can win just as easily as a run of good cards.

Duplicate (2007), Inc., the operators of DuplicatePoker.com, is a US company with headquarters in New York City. It is the only online poker company based in the US. The company was founded by Pinhas Romik, a champion bridge player who has held both the US and European bridge championship titles. The company has attracted top talent, including VP of Marketing Dan Goldman, who piloted PokerStars.com’s meteoric rise from a startup to the world’s largest online poker site; Nicolas Lev, who built and managed affiliate marketing for 888.com, one of the world’s largest online gaming and poker sites; and Nolan Dalla, Media Director for the World Series of Poker, who was instrumental in taking the WSOP from niche coverage to one of the world’s most heavily-covered media events.

To learn more, please visit DuplicatePoker.com. The website now offers a short and fun interactive video tutorial which explains how to play. Go to Duplicate Poker and click on “Interactive tutorial” for a quick primer.

Duplicate Poker. It’s poker. But smarter.