APT Phu Quoc Is Just Around The Corner

10/26/2024

Southeast Asia has been witnessing rapid growth the last few years and one of the biggest contributors is the Asia Poker Tour. In less than two weeks time, the brand will be returning to Vietnam for APT Phu Quoc, taking place at the Corona Resort & Casino in Phu Quoc island. The luxury resort complex is one of the most picturesque locations in the region and has already hosted two prior APT events in the last two years.

APT Phu Quoc Through The Years

Taking a brief look back, the APT first visited Phu Quoc in 2022, thus becoming the first international brand to plant its flag on the island. The Main Event was won by Vietnamese player Hue Dang who became the second-ever female to win an APT Main Event.

The following year, the festival doubled up its events from 21 to 44 tournaments. In the Main Event, the buy-in was increased to VND 33 Million and the tournament produced a field of 284 entries with many international players running deep for a slice of the VND 14,753,700,000 (~USD 727,774) prize pool. Dong Chen, Bert Perry, Phachara Wongwichit and Hayato Kitajima all reached the final table, the latter two claiming more than 1 Billion VND. Vietnam’s Julien Tran ended up heads-up against UK’s Jacque Ramsden and a deal was cut. Tran earned the bigger piece worth VND 2,337,300,000 (~USD 99,452), and Ramsden won the event, trophy, and VND 2,304,200,000 (~USD 98,044).

To date, the APT is still the only international brand that has hosted an event in Phu Quoc.

APT Phu Quoc 2024

The upcoming APT Phu Quoc is scheduled from November 8 to 17, 2024, which runs back to back with APT Manila. The festival includes more than VND 44 billion (~USD 1.7 million) in guaranteed prize pools. This is the third time the APT visits the island with previous stops in April 2022 and March 2023.

Many of the past attendees are expected to be back in action with an even more extensive schedule lined up. This time, a total of 82 trophy events are scheduled, nearly four times as many as during the first visit to Phu Quoc two years ago.

The most highly anticipated event will of course be the APT Main Event which features a whopping 1 Million USD guarantee. This figure will already be a record for Phu Quoc with the previous high at roughly USD727K.

Read up on all the thrilling highlights from our previous post.

APT Phu Quoc 2024

Tourist Info and Transportation

For those just hearing about Phu Quoc island, it is located in the eastern side of the Gulf of Thailand. While it is a territory of Vietnam, to the north – and in very close proximity – is Cambodia that sometimes cell phones will register both countries. Another nearby country is Thailand to the west.

Traveling to Phu Quoc via these countries should be fairly easy. There are also direct flights to the island from Korea, Taipei, China, India, and Malaysia.

Once you’ve arrived, travel to the venue takes 45 minutes by car. APT has a welcome desk to help you get to your destination. You can also inquire via Vietnam Poker Tour’s travel partner Xanh SM. The trip should cost around USD 16-18.

Moving around the island is best by motorbike which can be easily rented for around USD 6/day. There are also government bikes and e-bikes that can be rented and dropped off at different parts of the island.

Aside from poker, Phu Quoc is a great island to explore. The beaches are pristine and depending on what side of the coast you visit, catching the sunrises and sunsets are recommended. If you prefer to laze around the venue, then you also don’t have to go very far as sunsets are spectacular by the Corona Resort beach.

Other activities are snorkeling, VinWonders amusement park, and the Grand World Night Market. Nearby, the venue is an outdoor shopping area with some restaurants offering fresh seafood which is a must try on the island.

For players looking for late night meals, browse the Grab App for delivery. There may also be convenient stores and small restaurants still open just outside the resort.

Accommodations And Early Bird Special

Looking for accommodations, there are plenty of options but none as convenient as the venue Corona Resort. Players can also check out hotel deals via APT partners DK Poker Tour and Vietnam Poker Tour.

For high rollers, today – October 26 – is also the last day to take advantage of the APT High Roller Early Bird Specials. The special promotion is for high-stakes players who wish to pre-register for the APT Super High Roller, Baby Superstar Challenge, and APT High Roller tournaments.

The full amount of VND 320,000,000 (USD 12,869) has to be received by today, October 26 and the deal is limited to the first 25 players on a first come, first serve basis. In return, all those who take advantage of this promotion receive eight complimentary hotel nights in a Deluxe Suite Room at the Wyndham Grand Phu Quoc during the festival.

During the 2024 APT Phu Quoc stop, a total of 19 High Roller tournaments are included on the schedule. Among the other notable events are the VND 50M (~USD 2,010) Zodiac Classic, various Single Day High Rollers with buy-ins ranging from VND 50M (~USD 2,010) to VND 90M (~USD 3,690), and Event #29 High Roller – Double Stack.

With APT Phu Quoc just around the corner, here are is a review of the upcoming highlights: