The World Poker Tour (WPT) is truly becoming a world poker tour. For the first time in the WPT Main Tour’s 22-year history, an event will take place in Macau, China this coming summer.
Macau, considered the Las Vegas of Asia, is a gambling and poker hotbed and has played host for years to some of the biggest cash games in the world. Legendary pros such as Phil Ivey, a WPT ambassador, have called Macau home over the years.
“Macau has long been a sought-after destination for us, wanting to deliver the WPT experience to the region,” said Adam Pliska, WPT CEO. “Thank you to AGAE and Wynn Macau for helping us expand our global footprint. We look forward to an incredible event.”
Bringing a Major Poker Tournament to Macau
The WPT Macau festival will run June 18-24, with the Main Tour championship event, a HK$40,000 buy-in (approximately $5,100 USD), taking place June 20-24. All the action will take place at the Wynn Macau casino, which boasts one of the top poker rooms in the poker-heavy Asian destination, similar to its sister property, Wynn Las Vegas in the US.
“We are thrilled to be joining forces with two esteemed global partners, bringing the World Poker Tour to Macau, SAR, P.R.China. With a shared commitment to enhancing offerings in this burgeoning entertainment market, we are poised to make a significant impact,” said Yinghua Chen, Chief Executive Officer of AGAE.
On top of the Main Tour event, the WPT will host a HK$200,000 high roller June 19-20 at Wynn.
The World Poker Tour’s 2024 Main Tour season continues March 23 with the $3,500 buy-in WPT Rolling Thunder Championship at Thunder Valley Casino Resort in Northern California. That will conclude five days before the WPT Voyage (March 31-April 6), a poker cruise to the Bahamas.
There are two additional Main Tour stops before the WPT heads to Macau — WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Championship (April 19) and WPT Choctaw Championship (May 3).
“We are thrilled to partner with World Poker Tour to host one of the most prestigious global poker competitions in Macau, marking its debut in this vibrant city. The World Poker Tour invites legendary poker players from across the world which will enhance Macau’s global allure and reinforce its status as a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure. This exciting mega-event further demonstrates our commitment to deliver top-tier international entertainment events to Macau and is set to captivate a new wave of global visitors eager to experience the dynamism of our city,” said Linda Chen, President, Vice Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of Wynn Macau, Limited
The World Poker Tour has set foot in Asia a couple times in the past, including a recent stop at WPT Cambodia in January, and a WPT Beijing event in 2017. But this will be the first time the tour has made its way to Macau.
*Feature image courtesy of the World Poker Tour.
