Poker has undergone various starts and stops within Asia but it now appears to be on a continuing upward trend, with the Asian Poker Tour (APT) highlighting a breakout event in Taipei recently where it has “truly found a home”.
Speaking to AGB, President of the APT Neil Johnson indicated that the latest 10-day event again set new records for the group and is boosting expectations for the Asia Poker Tour Championship in November. The event is set to be the “largest festival the tour has ever run with a TWD165 million ($5 million) guaranteed main event”.
Johnson notes that, while poker had primarily “been considered an American game,” the rise in popularity in Asia is being boosted by live streaming and media coverage.
That has helped make “players want to play our events and get their time in the sun”.
But the focus is not only on Taiwan.
“There is a huge demand for high quality poker tournaments across the region, and a huge developing market in China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam, and already a well-established market in the Philippines, where interest in the game is increasing exponentially – as the numbers for our latest Taipei festival has demonstrated,” indicated the executive.
The 10-day event was held in partnership with Chinese Texas Hold’em Poker Club (CTP), bringing in 3,549 unique players from 51 countries and regions, with 22,909 total entries.
“We are very lucky with the APT ownership, who have a true passion for poker and a drive to grow the game in Asia, and who are not scared to put their money where their mouths are and offer some huge guarantees,” notes Johnson.
The executive further highlighted that the group aims to create “something that feels as iconic as the World Series, or the EPT (European Poker Tour), only with the focus on Asia specifically”.
The APT Championship in Taipei runs from November 14th to 30th.
