Poker goes East

PokerStars has announced the launch of Asia Pacific’s first poker tour, the PokerStars APPT. Spanning the region from Korea to Australia, the tour will bring world-class poker action to some of the most exotic destinations and luxurious casinos in the world.

The Asia Pacific Poker Tour launch event will be 23 to 26 August at the 5 Star Hyatt Hotel and Casino Manila in the Philippines with the 2nd event scheduled for 27 to 30 September at the Sheraton Walkerhill Hotel and Casino in Seoul, South Korea. These are the first major televised tournaments in both of these countries. At least three more events are expected for 2007 and the venues will be announced later in the year.

The tour culminates in December this year with the Grand Final in the majestic Star City Casino in Sydney, Australia. This AUD6,300 (USD5k approx.) buy-in event will be held in their spectacular poker room overlooking the city’s world famous icon, the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Overseeing PokerStars APPT tournaments will be the region’s most prominent tournament director, Danny McDonagh, under whose direction the Aussie Millions earned its reputation as one of the world’s best run and most successful tournaments. “Joining the PokerStars APPT is a great opportunity to enable me to continue my work developing poker in the Asia Pacific region,” Danny said. “PokerStars has achieved unprecedented success in Europe with the PokerStars EPT and I am very excited about bringing the same quality of televised world class event to the currently un-tapped Asian market.”

“One of the most exciting aspects of being a poker player is the incredible travel opportunities it offers,” said Sarne Lightman, co-founder of the PokerStars APPT. “Every year PokerStars sends thousands of poker players to compete in events across Europe, the US and the Caribbean. The launch of the PokerStars APPT brings a whole new dimension to poker in Asia and marks poker’s emergence into a truly global sport.”

“Poker is still at an early stage in many of the countries we hope to visit with the PokerStars APPT,” said Jeffrey Haas, President and co-founder of the PokerStars APPT. “But for those forward-thinking authorities that embrace the opportunities it offers, the APPT also promises to kick-start a whole new type of tourism in the region. The APPT tournaments will be the first major events of their kind in Korea and the Philippines and we believe players from all over the world will come to take part.

"This in turn will help stimulate tremendous local economic benefit – because one of our key aims is to ensure players, their friends and families enjoy the local sights and experiences. To this end, we are working closely with local tourism boards to provide all our visitors with some amazing opportunities to enjoy these beautiful destinations.”