Macau to Host China's First Ever Live Poker Tournament- The PokerStars.net Asia Pacific Poker Tour Macau: Asian Poker Open

The PokerStars.net Asia Pacific Poker Tour Macau: Asian Poker Open brings many firsts when it debuts from 22 - 27 November 2007 at the luxury Grand Waldo Casino on the historic Chinese island of Macau; it will be the first No-Limit Texas Hold'em poker tournament held in Macau, and the very first time ever that No Limit Texas Hold'em poker will be played live in in the People's Republic of China.

The Asian Poker Open is a key stop on the Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT), an annual series of televised No Limit Texas Hold'em poker tournaments held across the region.

The Asia Poker Open is a thrilling six-day poker event featuring a USD $2,500 (HKD 19,500) buy-in main event, and a USD $15,000 (HKD 117,000) "High Roller" buy-in, as well as other special side events. The estimated prize pool for the USD $2,500 (HKD 19,500) main event is USD $600,000 (HKD 4,680,000), with the champion walking away with a potential first prize of USD $170,000 (HKD 1,326,000).

The estimated prize pool for all events exceeds USD $1,290,000 (HKD 10,000,000, which is 900,000 Euros, or 629,000 GBP).

A MOST INTERESTING LOCATION

The luxurious Grand Waldo Hotel and Casino is one of Macau's newest five-star hotel resorts and will offer APPT players, their friends and families, an opportunity to explore one of Asia's most fascinating locations.

In addition to now being the most successful gaming destination in the world, Macau also offers a wealth of cultural and historical attractions with its many Chinese temples, Portuguese monuments and beautiful gardens. Macau's historic centre has been designated a World Heritage site.

The APPT launched this August in Manila, Philippines, with a second event in Seoul, Korea in September. Season 1 will conclude in December with the Grand Final in Sydney, Australia. All APPT events are filmed for television with the programmes distributed globally.

"The Asia Pacific Poker Tour is honoured to be bringing the sport of tournament poker to Macau", said Jeffrey Haas, President of the APPT. "Macau is already the world's gaming capital and this historic event diversifies its global attraction by including the APPT's unique brand of poker tourism. It's a significant step forward, not only for the APPT, but for the growth of poker in Asia."

EVENT BRINGS MANY FIRSTS TO MACAU

"Poker is enjoying tremendous growth in Asia and we are very excited to be a part of this and to be the first casino to host this event," said Mr. Gary Woollard, Casino General Manager of Grand Waldo Casino. "We are very honoured to have this prime opportunity of working with First Impression Ltd and the Asia Pacific Poker Tour to make this a major event on the Macau gaming calendar," he added.

Founder of First Impression, Mr. Elton Tsang, said, "Bringing the sport of poker to Macau has always been my vision because we're convinced that Texas Hold'em Poker will be the next big hit in Macau. We are going to show people how thrilling it is to play and even just watch a poker tournament, and demonstrate that poker is a game involving real skill rather than just luck."

MATT SAVAGE IS TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR

Mr. Matt Savage, one of the world's foremost and well-respected tournament directors, will direct all poker tournaments during the week. Mr. Savage is a founder of the Tournament Directors Association (TDA), the developer of a set of standardized poker-tournament rules used in major tournaments around the world. Mr. Savage has hosted and appeared on more than 300 televised poker shows and has directed poker events around the globe.

The event is presented by Pokerstars, the largest online poker room (www.pokerstars.net), in conjunction with First Impression Ltd and Grand Waldo Casino/Galaxy Entertainment Group, who, through its subsidiary Galaxy Casino SA, is one of only three Macau companies licensed to carry on the gaming business in Macau. Notably, Macau is the only legal gaming location within China.

Players wishing to sign up for the tournament may register online at www.asianpokeropen.com; www.appt.com, or come in person to the cashier in Grand Waldo Casino during the week of the event. There will also be free online qualifiers running daily on www.PokerStars.net. A special discounted room rate at Grand Waldo Hotel will be offered to all participants on a first-come, first-served basis.

More Poker News Articles

Moon and Cada Heads-Up, Ivey 7th at WSOP Main Event Final Table
12am Sun Nov 8th, 2009

After a marathon session at the most esteemed table in the poker world, a 21-year-old and a logger are set to go one-on-one for the World Series of Poker Main Event bracelet.

PokerStars Launches New UK and Ireland Poker Tour
12am Wed Nov 4th, 2009

PokerStars.com has announced the start of a new poker tour with stops throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland. The UK and Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT) will kick off in Galway, Ireland in mid-December, and the first event in the UK will be held in Manchester in February.

Peerless Media Agrees to Purchase World Poker Tour Enterprises
12am Mon Nov 2nd, 2009

According to a Monday press release, WPT Enterprises Inc., mothership of the World Poker Tour, is now the rightful property of Peerless Media, Ltd., subsidiary of online giant PartyGaming.

Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho Hit the Amazing Race Rail
12am Mon Nov 2nd, 2009

After surviving six legs of the Amazing Race by the skin of their teeth, poker pros Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho were finally eliminated in the CBS reality show's most recently aired episode. Michelle and Ho, the last women standing in the 2008 and 2007 World Series of Poker Main Events, gave reality television fans another chance to watch poker personalities compete away from the felt. Annie Duke garnered quite a following earlier in the year on another reality show competition, NBC's Celebrity Apprentice.

Isaac Baron Dominates Caesars Classic Main Event
12am Sat Oct 31st, 2009

Isaac "westmenloAA" Baron ran over the final table of the Caesars Palace Classic $5,000 Main Event, amassing a huge chip lead and going home with the $246,928 first prize. It took two long days to narrow the 162-person field to the final ten. A very high percentage of the entrants were recognizable tournament circuit players, and unsurprisingly, the stacked field produced a tough final table lineup.

Tonight- ESPN shows Day Before WSOP Main Event Final Nine are Set- Oct 27
12am Tue Oct 27th, 2009

Tonight (Oct. 27) at 9pm ET, ESPN will broadcast highlights of action on the day before the Final Table of the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event was set. Only 27 players remain when this one-hour show begins.

Frenchman Wins PokerStars EPT Warsaw Poker Tourney
12am Mon Oct 26th, 2009

At the PokerStars European Poker Tour Warsaw No Limit Texas Hold'em main event that wrapped up yesterday, French businessman Christophe Benzimra finished first taking home 358,644 Euros in prize money, while Italian poker pro Alfio Battisti finished second in the tournament.

Vedes Conquers WPT Festa al Lago Final Table
12am Mon Oct 26th, 2009

Tommy Vedes is the WPT's newest champion! Vedes outlasted 274 players to win the Festa al Lago title and the $1,218,225 first prize. Freddy Deeb, who began the final table with the chip lead, hoped to win his third WPT title and tie Gus Hansen's record. Instead, Deeb was forced to settle for 4th place, leaving room for a new WPT champ. Click here for in-depth coverage of the action and photos from the final table.

Will Hungarians Get Taxed on Poker Soon?
12am Mon Oct 26th, 2009

Hungarian lawmakers have plans to tax poker winnings and regulate clubs to generate much-needed revenues during the country's worst economic crisis since the end of communism, reports Germany's Deutsche Weele.

Freddy Deeb Leads World Poker Tour Final Table
12am Sun Oct 25th, 2009

The WPT Festa al Lago Main Event is down to the final six after five tough days of play. Two-time WPT champion Freddy Deeb brings the chip lead along with the benefit of his under-the-lights experience into Monday's televised final table. Deeb previously won the WPT Season III Aruba Poker Classic and the Season VII Celebrity Invitational. He also owns two World Series bracelets and has amassed over $6 million in tournament winnings. A win on Monday would add $1,218,225 to that total. Click here for photos from the felt and final table chip counts.