CPG Championship Finals: The Last Bastion For Freezeout Poker In Asia

One of the ultimate tests of a poker player’s skill is the ability to outlast a large field in a freezeout event. However, aside from the annual World Series of Poker, such events have become increasingly rare. In Asia, the PokerStars Red Dragon was once the most notable, but it has been shelved for several years. Today, China Poker Games (CPG) is the only brand keeping this tradition alive, with all its events – City Satellites, Championship Finals, and Masters – featuring either a freezeout or repechage format.

At the ongoing 12th CPG Championship festival held at the Howard Johnson Resort in Sanya, Hainan Island, China, the 91-game schedule includes 40 trophy events, all of which are either freezeout formats or repechage for phased events. Key events like the CPG Championship Finals, also known as the Main Event, the 12th Anniversary Special, and the Lucheng Cup allow players to buy in only once per starting day, while all one-day and two-day events are strictly freezeouts.

CPG Championship Finals

With the festival now in full swing, the event to look forward to is none other than the flagship tournament, CPG Championship Finals, which kicks off on Saturday, August 24, concluding on Friday, August 30. Three starting days are scheduled. Buy in is CNY 10,500 (~USD 1,450).

Over the years, the popularity of this event has skyrocketed, drawing the largest fields ever seen in Asia and the Pacific. As the only Main Event in the region with a repechage format, the current record of 1,722 unique entries is truly astounding. Set during the 10th edition, it also generated an incredible 4,405 entries over three starting days —the largest in the event’s history.

Schedule

Day 1A: August 24, 2024
Day 1B: August 25, 2024
Day 1C: August 26, 2024
Day 2: August 27, 2024
Day 3: August 28, 2024
Day 4: August 29, 2024
Day 5: August 30, 2024

*Important reminder: As of August 22, players planning to attend the Main Event must now have their tickets purchased on the CPG APP by August 23, 2024. 

Players that attend Main Event Day 1A are eligible for a basic room type voucher at select hotels. Players that attend Main Event Day 1B and Day 1C will receive a gift coupon such as seasonal fruit or Hainan coconut tea, etc. All players that advance to the next stages will receive a basic room type voucher.

CPG Championship Finals – Structure