On March 26th, 2009, the Asian Poker Tour has announced that it has received government approval to improve its offerings at Asian Poker Tour Macau. As a result, the 2009 APT Macau Event this coming August 2009 has been improved from 6 days to twelve days and has been renamed the Asian Poker Tour Macau Festival. The event will begin on August 12th, 2009 and will end on August 23rd, 2009 at the Galaxy StarWorld Hotel and Casino in Macau. The Asian Poker Tour also supports the poker room at the StarWorld Casino.
The poker festival will feature high-limit poker cash games, sit-‘n'-go events and a varied but not yet revealed lineup of poker events. But the main event of the tournament is set to begin on August 19th, 2009-August 23rd, 2009 and showcasing three separate Day one starting games. The buy-in cost for that event will be $4,300 ($4,000 +$300). The "high-rollers" event will also make a triumphant return. Tournament organizers promise a bigger buy-in cost than in 2008, but have not yet finalized its structure. Well-known poker tournament director Matt Savage will return to handle the festivities.
The 2008 Asian Poker Tour Macau Main Event was won by twenty year old Yengeniy Timoshenko of Russia, who won the inaugural event's $500,000 first place prize over a tough field of poker players. Among those who have participated in the were Johnny Chan, Huck Seed, Doyle Brunson, John Juanda, Liz Lieu, Jack Binion, Kenny Tran, Todd Brunson and the soon-to-be members of the "Poker Pack" Group-Kwang Soo Lee, Nam Le, Quinn Do, JC Tran, Steve Sung and David Rheem-which focuses on emerging poker stars of Asian origins.
04/07/2009, Tuesday
Matthew Dorst