Pacific Poker has players from over 173 different countries and just found a player from a new country - Eritrea.

Ishan Maxim, a 24 year old engineer from Asmara became the latest Pacific Poker player when he registered to play.

"I was looking to play some onliner poker and Pacific Poker seemed to be the logical choice," Maxim said.

"I only heard about poker while travelling in the States. I said that when I came back home I would try it out. Some research indicated that Pacific Poker was the best place to play."

The State of Eritrea is a country in northeast Africa. Bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast it shares a long coastline with the Red Sea.

Having achieved independence on May 24, 1993 from Ethiopia, it is one of the youngest independent states in the world.

It's capital is Asmara and it has population of only 4.5 million.

But for Pacific Poker the world has no borders as players hail from all over. Eritrea is the latest country to place a star on the Pacific Poker map.

About the author:

Kelly Davis lives in New York. She has three cats.