Asian Poker Tour Opens Macau Event With a Bang

Lance Bradley | August 26, 2008 at 2:21 pm

Even before the cards are in the air at their latest tour stop, the Asian Poker Tour is ensuring lots of action at the Galaxy StarWorld Casino Resort and Hotel in Macau.

Starting Tuesday the APT Poker Room will be opened and Doyle Brunson will be on hand to sign books and greet fans until 6 pm. Following that is the Celebrity Poker Challange, a charity poker tournament with Caritas De Macau, an organization whose goal is to provide services to the individuals, families, communities and societies in Macau, as the benefactor.

“We are delighted to bring the APT to Macau and really excited about offering Asia’s largest ever guaranteed prize pool,” said Chris Parker, CEO of the APT. “The charity poker challenge will be good fun, and, most importantly, it is an aid of a brilliant charity in Caritas De Macau.”

The charity tournament has already attracted a number of celebrity attendees. Boxer Manny Pacquiao, MTV’s Tila Tequila and Miss Hong Kong winner Tracy Ip will join Brunson in the charity tournament. Following the Celebrity Poker Challenge StarWorld’s famous Whisky Bar will host an exclusive after party.

The $5000 buy-in tournament, which begins on Wednesday with the first of two Day 1’s and runs through Sunday, has a guaranteed prize pool of $1.5 million US with the winner guaranteed $500,000. Even with a World Poker Tour event underway in Los Angeles, a number of the game’s best players have made their way to the Asian gaming mecca to take part - a testament to the growing strength of the APT.

Johnny Chan, Todd Brunson, J.C Tran, Kenny Tran, John Juanda, Liz Lieu, Nam Le, Quinn Do, Steve Sung, Mel Judah, Huck Seed and APT Manila champion David Saab will all be in attendance. Earlier this month the APT extended an invitation to American Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps to freeroll into the event but he has yet to accept or decline the invitation.