On May 1st, Mike Kim will see his latest project come to life, in the form of a soft opening day for his new poker room – simply called “Mikes Room”. This marks the latest step in a journey which has seen him become an iconic figure when it comes to operating Philippine poker rooms.
He spoke of his motivation for undertaking this latest venture with the following statement: “I always believed that the Philippines has the potential to be the poker capital of Asia, so it makes sense that the best poker room in Asia should be here. Well, now it’s here – Mikes Room is where the action is.”
When asked about his goals, Kim added: “We’ve taken so much from this industry, so our goal is to continue to contribute to its growth. We plan to keep coming up with innovations. The game has changed over the years, so we have to change with it. We want Mikes Room to stay on the front line.”
His most recent endeavour represents the third significant contribution to Philippine poker from Mike Kim. The first was opening the Solaire poker room in Manila, in a place where no one ever expected to see a poker room. Poker King Club signing an agreement with Solaire meant that he had to take on a new role, which he quickly did, by teaming up with Pokerstars Live Manila. He oversaw the growth of this poker room, which is now one of the most recognisable poker locations in Manila. Now, he steps into a new role at Midas Hotel & Casino, opening a poker room in a location coveted by several operators.
Mike Kim And his team
The poker room
Poker at Midas seemed unlikely, but Mike Kim, with the help of veteran junket operator James Park, made this a reality. Vic de Guzman has taken on the job of General Manager, and is an experienced poker player in his own right, having won tournaments on the APT and FPT circuit in the past. He has also played an important role in the success of the Empire Poker venue.
The soft opening will involve 8 regular tables and 2 short handed ones, for games like Badugi, Stud, and OFC. The full opening will see the number rise to 12 regular tables.
Training session with Mike Kim
Soft opening
The doors will open at 2pm on May 1st, with many players from the Korean underground poker scene expected to attend. There should also be several pros there, keen to get their first look at the new poker room and what it has to offer. While players will be able to view images of how the completed venue will look, some parts of it, outside the poker room will still be undergoing construction work. This will not stop players from enjoying big games though, in Holdem, PLO, and Badugi.
Further info about Midas Hotel
Situated along Roxas Boulevard at the coast of Manila Bay, the hotel is flocked by the Japanese Embassy and San Juan de Dios Hospital.
Midas Hotel and Casino
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.
Follow Me:
