The World Poker Tour (WPT) is looking to drum up business around Asia and Vietnam. The poker organization is planning a new tournament in Vietnam in September. The event is expected to provide huge payouts to both poker players and tournament organizers.
The WPT will take a 20-day trip through Asia with the help of a newly announced tournament in Vietnam. The event, WPT Vietnam, will be hosted by Ho Chi Minh’s Pro Poker Club and is scheduled to kick off on September 26. It will include a number of tournaments, including a $500 WPT Pro Poker Club Superstack Classic and a $1,000 Main Event. Erik Gibbs reported on CalvinAyre
Danny McDonagh, WPT Live Events Specialist, describes the event as a massive opportunity to satisfy the area’s “tremendous appetite for poker.” The WPT Vietnam will be preceded by a trip to Japan September 15 – 17 and another to South Korea from September 18 – 21. That trip will see the WPT Korea held at the country’s Paradise City Casino September 19 – 21 and will offer a normal lineup with an additional $5,000 team event thrown into the mix.
The team event features a maximum of 16 teams, each with four players. Players will battle it out in six NLHE and Omaha tournaments, with the winning team being awarded four seats at the WPT Korea Main Event. Several teams, including ones from the host country, Singapore, the UK, Australia and the US, have already announced their participation.
Following its Asia visit, the WPT will return to India for the second time. It will hold its second WPT India at the Deltin Royale Casino in Goa beginning November 13 and running through November 19. The WPT expects the event to further develop its presence in the country, one of the fastest growing poker markets in the world. Last year, 527 players participated in the inaugural WPT India leading to the eventual winner, Vijash Mantri, pocketing $92,000.
Poker laws in India are a current source of much controversy. Each state has its own laws, with only some authorizing the game. This could change, though, as there is a push now by the Indian Law Commission to create country-wide standards. Legalizing sports betting, according to the commission, is the only way to control the industry. The ILC recently published a report on the subject, which will now be put to review by legislators.
WPT500 Los Angeles Final Table Results
The final table of the first-ever WPT500 Los Angeles played out in May, 2017, with Dong Le – a Vietnamese oversea emerging victorious to take home the $224,500 top prize in his first WPT event.
1st: Dong Le – $224,500
2nd: Owen Crowe – $130,000
3rd: Peter Hengsakul – $100,000
4th: Richard Tae Kim – $81,000
5th: Ilya Shpiner – $65,000
6th: Deepinder Singh – $49,000
7th: Mike Eskandari – $36,000
8th: Alex Fayneshteyn – $28,000
9th: Greg Roberts – $21,000
Dong Le, a real estate broker for 20 years from Boston, Massachusetts, entered the WPT500 Los Angeles final table third in chips and making the biggest live tournament score of his career. He quickly asserted himself as the table captain, even despite not entering with the chip lead. Le’s aggression was paramount, and it was the key factor in what allowed him to come out on top. WPT reported.
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