Poker news

The impressive lineup of Full Tilt-sponsored poker pros has grown by one with the signing of Sweden's Michael Tureniec, an emerging force in European events who has already established himself as one of Sweden's biggest stars.

Tureniec, who is represented by Vegas Group in concert with player agency Poker Icons, becomes the first Swedish player to join the Full Tilt roster, itself one of the deepest and most respected in the poker world.

Tureniec's rise to European prominence includes several recent noteworthy performances. Last fall, Tureniec captured an event in Amsterdam's Master Classics of Poker last fall, along with a runner-up finish at EPT London at the end of September. Tureniec joins such poker luminaries as Phil Ivey, Gus Hansen, Howard Lederer and Chris Ferguson under the Full Tilt banner.

"It feels great to be the first Swede to sign with Full Tilt Poker," said Tureniec. "This is naturally a large step forward in my poker career!" That career shows signs of expanding in a hurry -- the 23-year-old got his 2009 poker record off to a great start with a 19th-place showing in the 2009 Aussie Millions Poker Championship Main Event.