At the beginning of the 21st century, strip poker definitively stopped being a taboo topic in the public sphere. Official strip poker tournaments began to be organized, with hundreds of players taking part at a time.
Here is a list of tournaments that saw even several hundred participants in a single event. Valuable sponsor-funded prizes awaiting the winners proved the market potential of strip poker.
Strip Poker World Championship
On August 19, 2006, the Strip Poker World Championship was held in London. The tournament venue was the prestigious Cafe Royal. The grand prize was £10,000. The championship drew 195 participants from 12 countries. Players competed under “No Limit Texas Hold'em” rules. The winner of the 8-hour tournament was John Young from near London.
Strip Poker Tournament in 2008
In 2008, a strip poker tournament took place in Hamburg, Germany. The host venue was the famous Reeperbahn, the heart of the city’s red-light district and the perfect place for such a tournament.
German Strip Poker Championship
The strip poker tournament took place on May 12, 2010, in the Blue Salon of the Park Hotel in Dresden. It was attended by 40 people: 33 men and 7 women. Each participant received chips; after losing them, they had to remove an item of clothing to receive new ones. Particularly attractive stripteases could earn extra chips. The top twelve players advanced to the final tournament, held on May 27, 2010, in Hamburg. The winner’s prize was a free trip to Las Vegas with 4 nights at the MGM Grand Hotel, a limousine, and a helicopter flight over Las Vegas.
Baller Strip Poker Championship in 2010
The Baller Strip Poker Championship is a variant of strip poker played under Texas Hold'em rules, but with two betting rounds. During the tournament, participants did not undress. Professional models did it for them, which undoubtedly made the tournament more appealing to the eyes of spectators.