Alluxi Group’s Lawrence Ho, the Man Behind Laos’ Poker Breakthrough

This June marked a historic moment for tournament poker in Laos, with the inaugural Alluxi Athena Poker Tournament (AAPT) taking part, proudly backed by Alluxi Group. Boasting a substantial $1 million guaranteed prize pool, Alluxi has truly gone all out, bringing high-stakes action right into the vibrant heart of the Golden Triangle in Bokeo province.

Having ran from June 16-25, this astounding debut drew a diverse mix of nationalities, notably dominated by Vietnamese players. Beyond merely attracting players from neighboring countries, the AAPT, firmly seeks to put Bokeo on the poker map, elevating its once remote scene to a bustling entertainment hub.

Interview: Lawrence Ho, President of Alluxi Group

To truly understand the buzz, Somuchpoker was on the ground, flying straight into the action to catch up with Lawrence Ho, President of Alluxi Group, the man behind Laos’ breakthrough in the regional circuit.

For those who aren’t familiar yet, what is Alluxi Group all about?

Alluxi Group has been rooted in the Special Economic Zone for 17 years. Over the years, we have experienced many ups and downs — challenging times as well as joyful moments — and we are proud to have persevered through them all. Throughout this journey, we have dedicated ourselves to expanding our business, promoting tourism, and supporting charitable causes with unwavering commitment.
Now, more than ever, we are determined to share our message with the world. Through various promotional campaigns, we are spreading the spirit of Alluxi far and wide. We look forward to welcoming more friends to experience and explore what we have to offer.

What inspired you to get into the tournament poker space?

In fact, we have been operating our Texas Hold’em poker business for quite some time, though it has been limited to local development. After taking over the entire entertainment business, the first thing I wanted to do was elevate the strategic value of this segment and bring it onto the international stage.

Of course, this sport has already gained popularity worldwide. That said, I was determined to take this next step and officially step onto the global platform.

As a Singapore-backed company, what drew you to Bokeo, Laos to launch your first-ever Alluxi Athena Poker Tournament?

In fact, just as you said liked — why did we come to the Special Economic Zone? We believe it stems from our spirit of exploration and ambition to pursue what many might consider a mission that might be impossible. We are not content with being ordinary, that’s why we hope to turn our experiences and ideals into real, tangible actions. We look forward to gaining more support and drawing greater attention to our cause.

What makes AAPT different from the other poker tours already running across Asia?

We are still exploring this path — or rather, we are still accumulating experience and figuring out how to approach this journey in our own unique way. At this stage, it’s important for us to step out into the world and refine everything that can still be improved, so that we can move closer to being on par with the global stage.. that is what I’m thinking of.

What was your target market for AAPT?

At the moment, we are mainly targeting local and regional players. As for professional players, it’s still not very realistic at this stage — but we do hope to improve and reach that level in the future.

Putting together a $1 million event in a remote, brand-new venue must’ve been a huge challenge—what were some of the biggest challenges you faced along the way?

It is indeed a major challenge, but I believe that as long as we are determined to accomplish something — unless there are exceptional circumstances — we can overcome it together with unity and find a solution. We would also like to extend our special thanks to our co-organizer, RAM Poker.

How do you plan to attract both casual players and seasoned pros to attend AAPT events?

For this tournament, it took us at least a year from planning to execution. In particular, starting three months before the event, we began actively promoting it and reaching out to various members of the Texas Hold’em community. We hoped to leverage their platforms to help us make this event run more smoothly.

Beyond the poker tables, what kind of lifestyle experiences are you building around the festival?

Aside from the Texas Hold’em tournament, we also have other gaming options on the second floor, including table games, sports betting, the Global Club bar, and exciting live sports broadcasts for everyone to enjoy. The golf club is also available for those interested, we’ve even specially invited a renowned magician to perform for our guests. We believe this will create a fantastic atmosphere and unforgettable memories for everyone.

The Golden Triangle area has had a bit of a complicated past. What is Alluxi doing to address player safety concerns?

In the past, there were indeed some negative rumors about this place. However, those who have actually been here understand clearly that there’s nothing bad or unsafe about it. If you ever experience any unfair treatment here, rest assured that the laws of our Special Economic Zone will protect you. The legal system here is strict and well-enforced, that I can promise.

What is your vision for AAPT?

We certainly have high hopes for AAPT. Just imagine it as a newborn child — we are eagerly looking forward to its growth. It is definitely a long-term project aimed at international development. I believe that, for now, we will develop step by step — we’re not going to leap straight to the moon. We also need to align with market trends. That said, we are planning to hold 2 to 3 events tournaments yearly.

I’ve heard of other segments under the Group – Apollo, Achilles, Artemis. Can you tell us what these are all about?

Our company has various development directions, which is why we have different brands under our umbrella. For example, Athena represents our Texas Hold’em poker business, Apollo stands for our high-premium junket and slot operations, Achilles our sports betting business, and Artemis symbolizes our corporate social responsibility and charitable initiatives.

Lastly, how do you see the Golden Triangle SEZ evolving over the next few years?

We certainly look forward to seeing our Special Economic Zone continue to grow with more and better opportunities, as well as offering more tourist attractions for everyone to enjoy. What we’re even more excited about is attracting more talented individuals to come here and pursue their dreams.

As for Alluxi Group, beyond the development of our own business, we hope to bring more vibrancy and brilliance to the Special Economic Zone. This has always been our original intention and the commitment we have consistently upheld.

Over the course of our conversation, Lawrence Ho, President of Alluxi Group, painted a vivid picture of not just the Alluxi Athena Poker Tournament, but a much larger, long-term vision for Bokeo. This inaugural AAPT, with its ambitious $1 million guarantee, has already proven to be a resounding success. Ho candidly admitted,

The turnout has exceeded our expectations already. For the first time when I got this projection to do this, I was thinking only 100 people would come.

He expressed immense satisfaction that it already exceeded their overall expectations, emphasizing that for this debut, the primary goal was to make the brand known to the community.

As the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone continues to evolve, fueled by Alluxi Group’s dedication to promoting tourism and attracting talent, the AAPT firmly supports its serious ambition to become a recognized regional poker hub. With the success of this first showing, Ho is already in hopes of entering a new era, revealing plans for a potential second season later in the year, signaling an even brighter future for poker in Laos.

AAPT Player Experiences

Over the course of the series, Somuchpoker was also able to catch up with a few players – 7th place AAPT Main Event finisher Craig Jones and two-time series winner Georgii Klenin, to get a firsthand feel of their experience playing in this newfound location.

“Everyone’s scared to come here but it’s good. It’s safe… I’ve been out, I’ve played golf, I’ve gone out to the night market, everything is fine. I got a taxi from here, I went and played, they have a pool hall. I went there and played with three Chinese guys, sat down and had a cup of tea with them, they were really friendly.”, commented AAPT Hyper Turbo Relax winner Craig Jones.

“I really like it here, I like adventures, new places. Here it’s 100% safe, I walked around the casino even at night and there was no problem. Accommodation is amazing, service is quite good. For their first time, it was an amazing experience, really… I can compare because I’ve played poker in so many countries. I have visited a lot of places, and I can tell you that the organizers, they are very interested in making it good. As far as I know, they did a good job now and in the future, I guess it is going to be even better.”, said Russia’s Georgii Klenin.

Wrapping up with a joke, Klenin added, “I’ve lost so much money here so I need to come back. I will definitely come again!”

*Photos courtesy of LTK Poker Media