13 Years Strong! Inside The Rise Of China’s CPG Championship

Every August, the southern edge of Hainan Island transforms. Sanya, with its stunning beaches and rolling waves becomes the capital for poker players in China as premier brand China Poker Games makes its annual return. Now in its 13th year, the ten-day CPG Championship Finals is upon us and once again it redefines the sport as it unfolds at the Howard Johnson Resort. Cards have already been flying since August 20 and running until August 29, 2025.

13th Annual CPG Championship

Looking back, the growth of the CPG Championship Finals has been an inspiration to organizers within the country and throughout the region. As early as 2013, the Main Event was already drawing more than 1,000 players and generating seven-figure prize pools in U.S. dollars equivalent. That year, well known high roller  Xuan Tan  championed the event, turning his ¥1,600 buy-in into ¥1.8 million, around US$ 280,000 at the time.

By 2019, the scale had exploded with the Main Event attracting 3,132 entries and generating a prize pool of ¥29.7 million (roughly USD 4.1 million). In the years since, the momentum has only intensified, with the field consistently breaking 4,000 entries. Adding to the shock, 98% of the attendees are Chinese nationals.

• In 2023, the Main Event drew 4,406 entries, generating around US$ 6.5 million
• In 2024, it attracted 4,080 entries, with a prize pool of approximately US$ 5.5 million
• The overall festival in 2024 included 91 events, totaling CNY 106.38 million (~US$ 15 million) in prize money, with 3,058 unique players

What Makes CPG Festival Model Appealing?

So what makes this annual event so appealing? Why, despite barely any international participation, do the numbers continue to escalate? According to the organizers, there is only one answer and it is not about the prize pools. Instead, it is a true celebration of the sport.

For Chinese players, the CPG Championship Finals in Sanya carries the same weight that the Olympics do for athletes. It is the one event circled on the calendar all year, the stage where amateurs and professionals alike gather to measure themselves against the very best. Like the Games, it’s not just about winning but also about being part of something bigger, a shared pursuit that has become an annual tradition.

The sheer scale is Olympic in its own right: more than 4,000 entries in the Main Event, players traveling from every corner of the country to compete under one roof. And just as the Olympics blends competition with pageantry, the CPG Championship pairs world-class poker with the backdrop of Sanya’s beaches, buffets, tours, cultural shows, etc.. .

CPG Championship vs WSOP

In comparison to the annual World Series Of Poker (WSOP), both share the same vision. If the WSOP is the game’s global summit, then the CPG Championship Finals in Sanya has become its Chinese counterpart. Both are more than tournaments, they are traditions, yearly events that players plan their lives around. In terms of structure, both Main Events offer a freezeout format – albeit CPG is repechage.

However there is one key difference that sets them apart. Unlike WSOP, the prize pools are not the major driving factor to this annual event. Instead, it is the spirit of competition in celebration of this discipline. The brand goes beyond the felt, hosting nightly buffet dinners, organizing tours, and encourages players to bring their families along. In Sanya, the festival becomes a shared experience, where friendships are built as easily at the dinner table or on the beach as they are across the poker table.

Redefining Poker As A Sport

Though the greater world of poker may not realize this yet, CPG believes that for the game to be truly recognized as a sport today, especially in Asia, it must be reshaped in how it is packaged and presented. Through the years, CPG has made essential changes, we’ve listed some of them below:

• Players have to sign up at the latest of one day before the festival starts. Players cannot just walk-in nor sign up on the day itself. Registration is designed like any competition where players submit their names to the organizers before the deadline, including a filled-up registration form. 
• All single day tournaments must maintain a freezeout format. For phased events, players are allowed to buy-in only once per flight. No multiple stacks allowed.
• Mystery Bounty events do not award cash prizes. Instead, rewards are products and packages provided by sponsors.
• No ICM chops or deals. This action constitutes a major sporting violation and players will be disqualified if found breaching this rule.

Main Event Underway

The 2025 CPG Championship Finals Main Event is officially underway, opening with Day 1A at 12 p.m. on Saturday, August 23. As always, the event features three starting heats, each running with deep 60-minute levels and a strict freezeout rule. Once a player busts, there are no re-entries for that flight.

From the opening shuffle, the turnout was astounding. At the starting bell, 327 players were already in their seats, and within the first two hours, the field swelled past 1,100, filling three rooms and more than 120 tables. By the middle of Level 6, the numbers had climbed to 1,600 entries, with 1,187 players still in action across four packed tournament halls.

Among the players in attendance are decorated Chinese players Xixiang Luo, Weiran Pu, Zhi Yuan Xu , and newly minted WSOP champion Yilong Wang , joined by international players Tom Verbruggen, Grant Gardner, Emmanuel Derecho, and Feng Zhao to name a few. The Lord Poker Tour’s Ivan Zhang was also spotted at the venue.

With the festival already three-days in, several players have been awarded CPG trophies. Click on the link provided for the winners.

Festival Results