The two biggest poker leagues in the country have merged in a significant deal.

We have joined forces with The Nuts Poker League to now boast a combined total of more than 250,000 registered players – making us ten times bigger than any other league in the country.

In what is the biggest development in pub poker, existing branding of both parties will continue, but Redtooth Poker will take overall ownership and we ensure a variety of link-ups between the two leagues.

This includes the five national Nuts Poker winners joining Redtooth Poker’s Vegas 100 trip.

Redtooth managing director, Martin Green, said: “This is a significant development for our business and the pub poker industry at large. The coming together of these two leagues will make us ten times bigger than any other pub poker league in the country. It’s a very exciting time for everyone involved.”

Founder of the Wrexham-based The Nuts Poker League, Steve Bellis, is known for securing £65,000-worth of investment on the BBC’s Dragon’s Den from Theo Paphitis and Deborah Meaden – becoming the first person to leave the den with more money than he went in for.

Steve will continue to provide a support role to Redtooth and attend all five of The Nuts Poker League yearly finals.

The Nuts Poker League has 16 franchisees, across Scotland, England and Wales. All the franchisees will continue to provide The Nuts Poker leagues, but each will become part of the Redtooth team.

Steve Bellis said: “This is a great deal for The Nuts Poker League. We are joining the biggest pub poker league in the country in Redtooth, which has an excellent reputation amongst players in the UK.

“Importantly, The Nuts Poker League name will remain and continue to provide players with an opportunity to play in their local pub, as well as progress to the national finals. And by joining with Redtooth, even more exciting opportunities will open up to those players.”

Martin Green added: “The Nuts Poker League has enjoyed great success in recent years and this deal will allow us to spread the word of Redtooth to areas of the country where we are keen to grow.

“By joining forces, we will be able to offer a variety of poker models to meet the needs of the pubs. We are also interested to hear from any existing Redtooth Poker players who may wish to set-up their own franchise under The Nuts Poker League. We will be able to provide all the Casino-standard equipment they need to get established in their region.

“Bringing the existing 16 franchisees under Redtooth will expand our team significantly as well as open up channels to offer additional services to their existing pubs, such as our darts league and quizzes.”