Singapore Holds Betfair Asian Poker Tour, Its First Poker Tournament

For the first time ever, Singapore is hosting an international poker tournament, and the qualifying events for that tournament begins November 12th.

Betfair, a Britain based betting exchange, has teamed up with local operators Capital Events to bring to Singapore the six-day Betfair Asian Poker Tour.

"This is the largest poker tournament to take place in Asia and the first poker event in Singapore," Ben Fried, Betfair's head of poker, said in a statement.

A field of over 370 poker players have doled out the $5,000 buy-in for the Betfair Asian Poker Tour Main Event. The grand showdown will happen Wednesday, November 15th at the Meritus Mandarin Hotel, according to Betfair.

Players have come from all over the world, and participants from 32 countries will be joining. The poker players will be vying for a prize pool of about $2 million, added the organizers.

"Betfair has become the first gaming company permitted to present a poker tournament in Singapore," Betfair said in an earlier statement.

Oliver Chong, an official from the Singapore Tourism Board, has been quoted as saying that the event will bring with it "significant opportunities to profile Singapore".

Singapore is a majority ethnic Chinese country where betting is permitted only through official outlets.

11/16/2006, Thursday
Todd Sanders

Singapore Holds Betfair Asian Poker Tour, Its First Poker Tournament

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