New Zealanders have a new poker room at SkyCity. The Auckland casino opened Poker Zone, a room dedicated to playing poker, including the ever-popular No Limit Texas Hold’em. With the fever still growing all across the United States and Great Briton, it seems Down Under has been bit by the bug, too.

"Demand for poker is huge – our customers want it here," said gaming general manager Greg Hawkins.

With Australian Joseph Hachem winning a prize purse of $7.5 million in the United States World Series of Poker competition, and Jamil Dia of Wellington winning $1 million at the Australian Poker Championship in Melbourne last January, it is no surprise the casino operators in New Zealand would move to open poker rooms to capitalize on the game.

SkyCity will be opening similar Poker Zone type poker rooms in its Hamilton and Queenstown casinos.

• Noble Poker
• Party Poker
• Pacific Poker