HomeHello everyone! It is time to get down and serious! From this weekend onwards, the APT Finale Macau Championships 2017 will be hosting its highly prestigious tournaments, the APT Main Event and the APT Championships Event. Both of these events will be taking center stage at our partner and host venue, Macau Billionaire Poker in Babylon Casino. Provided below are all the nitty-gritty details that you’ll need to know to take part in these major events.
Poker action at the Babylon Casino during APT Finale Macau Championships 2017
APT Main Event
The APT Main Event is our highlight event at every APT stop. This tournament boasts of the best structure in the region. For a buy-in of HKD 11,000, players begin with a 25,000 stack. Opening blinds start at 25 -50 and increase at a slow and gradual 60-minute pace. With the APT calendar year coming to a close, this is the last chance to nail the title in 2017.
Dates: December 2 – 6
Day 1A: Saturday, December 2 – play 8 rounds
Day 1B: Sunday, December 3 – play 8 rounds
Day 2: Monday, December 4 – play 8 rounds or to the money
Day 3: Tuesday, December 5 – play until the Final 8
Final 8: Wednesday, December 6 – Main Event title day
APT Championships Event
The APT Championships Event is a rare tournament in the lineup. The first time it was introduced was in April 2017 at the APT Championships Philippines in Manila. The event was a huge success, pooling in 189 players with the winner pocketing over USD 90K in cash. Alike the main, the APT Championships Event offers a great structure, with blinds also increasing every 60 minutes. For a buyin of HKD 22,000, players begin with a 50,000 starting stack with opening blinds at 100 – 200.
Dates: December 6 – 10
Day 1A: Wednesday, December 6 – play 8 rounds
Day 1B: Thursday, December 7 – play 8 rounds
Day 2: Friday, December 8 – play 8 rounds or to the money
Day 3: Saturday, December 9 – play until the Final 8
Final 8: Sunday, December 10 – Championship title day
Keep in mind that while both events have differing schedules, both will still run a course of five days. Late registration / re-entry for each starting day will close at the start of round 7 however regulation play on those days will continue until the completion of 8 rounds.
Another similarity between these two events is the prizes. In addition to earning the first place cash, the winners will receive the designated APT Championship Trophy, an exclusive Meister Watch, and the gorgeous silver-banded APT Championship Ring – the most coveted prize awarded only to champions of these prestigious events.
Main Event Bubble Protection
If you’ve seen the player booklets, then most likely you’re familiar with the Main Event Bubble Protection. What you may not realize is, this bubble protection also applies to the Championships Event. For those new to this concept, players that have qualified for the protection will essentially be protected from the bubble. What that means is when an insured player busts on the bubble, that players will still be eliminated from the game however he/she will not leave empty-handed. A consolation prize will be awarded of one free seat to the next APT Main Event of the same value or the equivalent in APT tournament credits. Now that’s certainly a must-have incentive in case the unfortunate does happen.
Here are three simple steps to be eligible for the protection:
- Pre-register
- Draw for your seat before starting time
- Have your chips put into play on the first deal of round number 1
One important reminder, players that have qualified for the protection on Day 1A will only maintain that status on that day. In the event that you bust out and re-enter on Day 1B, you are no longer eligible. You will have to repeat the steps above in order to qualify. Same applies to players going for multiple stacks. Bubble protection only applies on the starting day you completed the qualification steps.
With the APT 2017 season seeing many new champions, here’s a brief look at all these ring winners and a link to their victory stories.
APT Manila: Neil Raine
APT Noumea: Andre Moracchini
APT Korea Incheon: Albert Paik
APT Philippines: Sam Nee Aik Chuan
APT Southeast Asia: Sam Nee Aik Chuan
APT Macau: Choong Kian Weng
APT Championships Philippines: Huu Dung Nguyen and Mike Takayama
APT Korea: Katsuhiro Muto
APT Kickoff: Takumi Samejima
Time to hit the felt and be the APT’s year-ending champions!