HomeThe wait is finally over! The Asian Poker Tour has returned to Macau, the “Las Vegas of Asia”, bringing with them the highly anticipated event, the APT Macau 2016. In partnership with the Poker King Club and SJM, the weeklong event kicks off today, running from October 19th-25th at the Crystal Palace located in the famous Casino Lisboa, one of Macau’s truly most elegant upscale hotel casinos.
Back in 2008, when live poker tournaments were just entering the Asian casino scene, the APT became one of the first poker brands to hold annual events in Macau. These events were highly attended by many famous players and notable pros from all around the world. Due to regulation, the APT held their last event for Macau in 2013 and since then has focused their efforts in developing their brand all over the region. After a three-year absence from the gambling mecca, the APT is back and fully charged, ready to burn the felt with the best-structured events offered in Asia.
Laying siege at the Crystal Palace, this is the first time the APT has had the privilege of hosting an event at the Casino Lisboa. The tournament area is very spacious with 20 poker tables spread throughout the room. With its low ceiling and exclusivity appeal, the cool soft lighting helps enhance the charm of the gold décor.
At 5pm this afternoon, everyone is invited to the official opening of the APT Macau 2016. There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony led by APT Executive Director Mr. Lloyd Fontillas, to be attended by Mr. Jeff Mann, APT CEO, Mr. Steve Kok, Casino Operations Director of Casino Lisboa, Mr. Winfred Yu, President of Poker King Club, and Mr. YM Choong, President of Marketing Strategy of Suncity.
What to Expect
Throughout the weeklong festivities, players can expect an exciting roster filled with thirteen lucrative side events. Buy-ins range from HKD 1,100 – HKD 5,500 with a High Rollers event at HKD 55,000. The highlight event is the APT Macau Main Event, the only event where players can win the coveted APT Championship Ring. Buy-in is HKD 22,000.
Kicking off today’s opener is the Poker King Cup HKD 300,000 Guaranteed. This event has a buy-in fee of HKD 2,200. There are two starting flights, both of which are held today, Flight A at 1pm and Flight B at 5pm. This is a scheduled two-day event.
The highlight of the festival is the Main Event which begins this weekend. There are two day one flights scheduled, Day 1A on Friday, October 21st and Day 1B on Saturday, October 22nd. Previous APT Macau Main Event champion was Norway’s Henrik Tollefsen who went on to win another title in 2015 to become the first two-time APT champion. For those looking to get in the main at a lower cost, there are daily satellites leading up to the event.
APT Player of the Year 2016 race
The APT Macau is the third to the last event in the APT calendar year which means players will be looking to rake in the points for the APT Player of the Year 2016 race. With the exception of the satellites, all the events in the roster are point-generating. Japan’s Iori Yogo has held the overall lead for the past five months with UK’s Samad Razavi running second. Both players lead their respective regional brackets. In the other regional races, SJ Kim leads the Korea bracket, Mike Takayama leads the Philippines bracket, and Hung Sheng Lin leads the China bracket.
Welcome to the APT 2016! Let the games begin!
For the full schedule, hotel accommodations bookings, and FAQs, head to the APT Macau 2016 event page.