They’re the guys who answer your emails, send a few themselves and who make sure PokerStars runs smoothly from top to bottom. They’re the backroom staff we can all thank for making PokerStars what it is. So they deserve a day out in the sun once in a while, or the grey overcast skies of the Isle of Man, where last month they swapped a day off at home on the sofa in front of the tube for something more... pro-active.

Odin himself would have approved.

The legend of Scandinavian players at the poker tables is well known but several hundred years ago they also gave the world big men with beards and axes who terrorised the shores of Britain and Ireland. Things change of course and that legacy now takes the shape of the charity Viking long boat World Championships in Peel on the Isle of Man. PokerStars rustled up a team.

The team start rowing...

As you’d expect, they day was one of courage, ingenuity and a few ups and downs.

Entering in the men’s event an immediately 30 second penalty was incurred when one crew member was found to be a girl. But not letting something like that stop them the team weighed anchor and set off into Peel harbour, over looked by the magnificent and rather old Peel castle, where they would navigate around a buoy 100 meters away before heading back across the finish line. The rules were simple –the fasted team would be declared the winner.

PokerStars are no strangers to World Championships so you’d think this would be a breeze. There would be tales of glory surely, of a mighty ship cutting through the tide, crew members on the prow beneath the PokerStars ensign flapping in the wind?

Well, not quite. As Captain Bob of the Customer Relations department reported in the ship’s log:

“We never found out exactly how we did, but we know that we didn't make the top five out of the 20 entries. I'm pretty sure we beat the team dressed as Willy Wonka and nine Oompa Lumpas.”

But credit to all of the team for raising some well earned money for a host of local charities and by the looks of things having a ball in the process....

Back on dry land in front of Peel Castle, from left to right... Mike, Gary, Graham, Ste, John, Nicole, Tom, Captain Bob, Sam and Kevin

"We were only allowed two 20 minute practise in the weeks prior to the race, which isn't ideal preparation for a World Championship” said the Captain, in what is probably the first instance of a Long Boat Championship bad beat story. “Luckily we didn't have any delusions of victory and we were pretty glad we made it back to the harbour with everyone still in the boat."

Well done to everyone from PokerStars involved on the day. As yet there are no plans for an online version of the event.