Just a few short months ago, the Asia Poker League was simply an idea carried within the minds of Judic Kim and his team. Yesterday, that idea became a reality as the first leg of the APL got underway.
The league
Yesterday, the league and its first event were presented in a press conference, in which APL founder Judic Kim and CEO of Beijing Poker Club Zhang Yangchun outlined their thoughts on the project. During the course of this, Kim stressed the importance of achieving a few important goals.
Firstly, bringing fun back into poker. The organisers of the APL want to ensure that no matter how their tournament goes, players have a great time and enjoy themselves away from the tables. Leisure activities such as partying, shopping and sightseeing are all part of the APL experience, and the first installment will be a perfect example of that.
The second important goal is to welcome international players into China and help to make their experience one which they’ll look forward to repeating in future events. Poker may be growing in China, but most players are currently unaware of that fact. This means that Beijing is not considered a poker destination by the masses, but with successful events being hosted regularly during this league, that could start to change. By throwing open the doors of the Chinese poker scene to international players, homegrown poker talent will also improve faster as they compete against a higher level of opposition.
Read more: Recently formed Asia Poker League announces $500K gtd event in Beijing &
Judic Kim talks about the Asia Poker League and the Chinese Poker Scene
Player party
With the press conference wrapped up, the player party was soon kicking off at the well known club “Modo” in Beijing. Players were treated to a full concert which included K-Pop girl groups Bambino and Buldok, along with rap artists Show Me The Money, Haehae and KittiB.
The venue
This event is being hosted at the Beijing Poker Club, which is one of the largest and most professionally run poker clubs in China. It is situated near the “Worker Stadium” and has been open since 2012. The club takes great care to make sure that they only offer games which are completely legal and in compliance with Chinese law.
More: Interview: CEO of Beijing Poker Club, Zhang Yangchun
Schedule
The tables are set to come alive today at 1pm as the $1000 buy in Main Event begins with day 1A. There is a $500K guarantee on this event, which shows how confident the organisers are in the success of this venture. Further highlights of the festival will follow, including a $3,000 High Roller, a $500 PLO event, and a $500 Team event.
More: Asia Poker League Schedule
Somuchpoker will provide full coverage over the coming days.
Louis Hartwell
Graduated in Media Communication at the University of Lausanne, Louis Hartman is a co-founder of somuchpoker.com. He began his career in Cambodia as freelance journalist. In same time he was making his living by playing poker every night at that time. Intense learner, he read dozens of poker strategy books to improve his skills during many years. With a strong interest about poker "behind the scene" in Asia and his communication skills, Louis launched Somuchpoker in 2014.
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