Macau

No-Limit Texas Hold’em Poker Hits Macau!

Grand Waldo Casino (a subsidiary of Galaxy Casino S.A.), and First Impression Ltd. are proud to present “The PokerStars.net Asia Pacific Poker Tour Macau: Asian Poker Open”, the first No-Limit Texas Hold’em poker tournament to be held in Macau. Taking place at the luxury Grand Waldo Casino from 22 – 27 November 2007, this will be the very first time for No Limit Texas Hold’em poker to be played live on Chinese soil.

The Asian Poker Open is a key stop on the Asia Pacific Poker Tour, an annual series of televised No Limit Texas Hold'em poker tournaments held across the region. The exciting card game of No Limit Texas Hold'em has now secured its rightful place among the top-ranked poker games internationally, attracting many fans at casinos as well as huge TV audiences around the world, it was inevitable that Macau, the New World Capital of Gaming, would soon play host to this enormously popular game. In addition to now being the most successful gaming destination in the world, Macau also offers a wealth of cultural and historical attractions which will serve as a splendid backdrop to the event, attracting participants from around the world. 

The Asia Poker Open is a thrilling six-day poker event featuring a USD2,500 (HKD19,500) buy-in main event, and a USD15,000 (HKD117,000) “High Roller” buy-in, as well as other special side events. The estimated prize pool for the USD2,500 (HKD19,500) main event is USD600,000 (HKD4,680,000), with the champion walking away with a potential first prize of USD170,000 (HKD1,326,000). The estimated prize pool for all events exceeds HKD10,000,000.

”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 GrandWaldo 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,” said Mr. Woollard.

Founder of First Impression, Mr. Elton Tsang, added, “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.”

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.

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.

Source: Courtesy of Galaxy Entertainment Group