Europe has obviously made massive strides over the last few years in the poker world with the European Poker Tour, as well as other tours across the continent, really raising the standard of competition, writes Rob Eddy.

Obviously there have always been players from Europe regarded in the top echelons of the sport but now, following the meteoric rise of poker across the globe, there are more and more players from this side of the Atlantic that are playing at the highest level.

Two young men from Europe have managed to make it all the way to the final table of the World Series of Poker, which is to be played in November, while there were a number of gold bracelet winners in the plethora of other events in Las Vegas.

And new research would suggest that one European country in particular is the one to watch out for, given its current ability and success on the tables.

Card Player has used an extensive list of qualifying tournaments, including WSOP, WPT and EPT events, in a global poker tournament tracking system, imaginatively titled 'World Tracker', to determine that Denmark currently rules the roost in terms of successful poker tournament players, per capita, across the globe.

Gold, silver and bronze medals are awarded by the system to players who finish top, second and third in the world's biggest tournaments and the research finds that the Danes enjoy 1.85 medals per million, with USA next best with 1.30 medals per million.

So maybe players should be most wary of opponents from Denmark when the WSOPE kicks off next month, particularly as the Scandinavian country still has a chance of taking top prize in the WSOP.

Peter Eastgate from Odense will reconvene in Las Vegas with the rest of the 'November Nine' and is in a pretty decent position, lying fourth in the chip count with 18,375,000.

Jesper Hougaard also won a gold bracelet at the WSOP with his victory in a field of over 2,4000 to win Event 36, a $1,500 no-limit hold 'em tournament.

These two could certainly feature when the prizes are being handed out in London, although the biggest poker star to emerge from Denmark has to be the 'Great Dane, Gus Hansen.

This super-aggressive star has managed to win four WPT titles, been one of lonely three people inducted into the WPT Poker Walk of Fame as well as landing the Aussie Millions in 2007 - although he has yet to land his first gold bracelet.

Hansen did not fare too badly last year at the WSOPE, finishing tenth, but after drawing a blank in America is sure to be champing at the bit to land his first piece of wrist-candy when the WSOPE kicks off on September 19.