One of the best kept secrets on the tournament circuit, the World Poker Showdown, kicked off this weekend in the Caribbean. This is intentional on the part of the founder, Herb Van Dyke, who wants to keep it a fun, relaxed environment.

Van Dyke is a poker pioneer who was largely responsible for bringing Texas Hold’em to Russia more than 15 years ago. More recently he saw a need for a different approach to international tournaments, and the WPS was born.

The WPS is for players who want to combine reasonably-priced poker with exotic destinations.