A famous bumper sticker during the Vietnam War was, “Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came?”

That can now be updated to, “Suppose They Gave a Poker Tournament and Nobody Could Come?”

That’s the dilemma that faced organizers of an upcoming major poker tourney in Norway, the Norwegian Poker Championships (NPC).

Because of an unclear legal situation regarding poker in Norway, this year’s NPC will not be held in Norway as in the past, but instead will be held in the more gambling-friendly country of England, NPC organizers announced.

Several poker games in Norway have been raided recently, and authorities in the tiny, fjord-lined nation allege that poker is illegal.

The NPC is to be held April 28-May 5, 2008, at the Dusk ‘Til Dawn Casino in Nottingham, England.

The affair will consist of 10 separate events, including Texas hold ‘em and Omaha tournaments with buy-ins ranging from about $200 to $1,000, NPC organizers said.

About 400 people are expected to participate in the NPC, including Norwegian teen Annette Obrestad, who last year won the Main Event of the inaugural World Series of Poker Europe.

(E-mail Tom Somach at tomsomach@yahoo.com.)