For the first time in 5 years, the World Poker Tour (WPT) is going to step out of its Chinese tropical paradise in Sanya and will hold an event at the heart of Mainland China – in its capital Beijing. Right after the end of WPT Season XV, WPT XVI will kick off in WPT Beijing which will be held from April 15-19, 2017 at the NUO Hotel Beijing, the flagship property of the NUO Hotels.
The WPT Beijing will be part of the 2017 Ourgame Chess & Card Festival which will also hold other events like bridge, mahjong, and more.
“The World Poker Tour is proud to kick off Season XVI with WPT Beijing and add a second major poker tournament to the burgeoning Chinese region,” said Adam Pliska, CEO of the World Poker Tour. “It is without question that Asia has an ever-increasing demand for major poker events, as evidenced by WPT National Sanya selling out each of its first five years. Alongside our parent company Ourgame, the WPT looks forward to hosting the best players from the region and around the world as we kick off Season XVI with WPT Beijing.”
“It is only natural that the World Poker Tour continues its global expansion by holding its first WPT Main Tour stop in China,” added Frank Ng, CEO of Ourgame.
“The WPT is the world’s global leader in gaming and entertainment, making it a perfect fit to the 2017 Ourgame Chess & Card Festival. As China’s leading card and board game platform, Ourgame looks forward to welcoming the World Poker Tour to Beijing and providing a world-class experience for all players.”
China has had strict rules regarding gaming and to adhere to these rules, the WPT has always had a field cap of 888 for its events in Sanya which normally had a buy-in of US$1,400. Last year’s WPT National China was won by Chinese player Chen Hao who outlasted 886 players and won a cash prize of more than US$200,000.
More: Chen Hao triumphs in WPT National China 2016
400 players cap & $3,500 Buy-In
But this year’s WPT Beijing Main Event will have a higher buy-in, stipulated at US$3,500. Due to this increase, the Main Event will have a lower field cap of 400 players so as not to encounter any problems with the law. Considering this field limit and sponsorships, the event is invitational and international players should get in touch with the organizers via email at events@wpt.com for more information.
There are available online satellites in Poker Monster for those who would like to join the event.
The complete roster of events for the WPT Beijing will be released once it is available.
Article by Gabrielle Barredo
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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