First Quarter Festivals in Asia by the numbers
Asia-Pacific
Live Poker
Chaar-LeeAuthor
Chaar-Lee discovered poker over 20 years ago, starting with fixed-limit games before embracing the rise of No-Limit Hold’em across cash games, STTs, and MTTs. In the early days, he and his circle sometimes played more than 40 different formats in a single night. He organized the first poker camp in his region and has contributed poker technology to several televised shows. Today, he supports the SOMUCHPOKER team from the tech side, blending two decades of poker passion with technical expertise.
Live poker festivals are booming in Asia. Here’s a breakdown of the most lucrative events during the first three months of 2023. (Triton SHR Vietnam excluded from the list)
Main Event by Prize Pool
| Event | Location | Entries | Buy in | Prize pool |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China Poker Games | China | 4,406 | CNY 10,000 (USD 1,600) | ~USD 6,200,000 |
| Top Joy Poker Tour | China | 2,183 | CNY 10,000 (USD 1,600) | ~USD 2,511,000 |
| World Focused Poker 4 | Korea | 3,687 | KRW 600,000 (USD 455) | ~USD 1,341,500 |
| World Focused Poker 4 | Korea | 3,661 | KRW 600,000 (USD 455) | ~USD 1,299,000 |
| World Poker Tour Prime | Cambodia | 1,011 | USD 1,100 | USD 980,670 |
| Asian Poker Tour | Hanoi, Vietnam | 654 | VND 27,500,000 (USD 1,170) | ~USD 675,600 |
| Poker Dream | Malaysia | 643 | RM 5,000 (USD 1,135) | ~USD 658,440 |
| Asian Poker Tour | Phu Quoc, Vietnam | 507 | VND 33,000,000 (USD 1,400) | ~USD 628,200 |
| World Poker Championship | Hanoi, Vietnam | 651 | VND 25,000,000 (USD 1,060) | ~USD 607,570 |
| U Series of Poker | Taiwan | 1,043 | NTD 20,000 (USD 660) | ~USD 600,200 |
| Asia Poker Championship | Vietnam | 408 | VND 22,000,000 (USD 940) | ~USD 330,000 |
Main Event by Entries
| Event | Location | Entries | Buy in | Prize pool |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China Poker Games | China | 4,406 | CNY 10,000 (USD 1,600) | ~USD 6,200,000 |
| World Focused Poker 4 | Korea | 3,687 | KRW 600,000 (USD 455) | ~USD 1,341,500 |
| World Focused Poker 5 | Korea | 3,661 | KRW 600,000 (USD 455) | ~USD 1,299,000 |
| Top Joy Poker Tour | China | 2,183 | CNY 10,000 (USD 1,600) | ~USD 2,511,000 |
| U Series of Poker | Taiwan | 1,043 | NTD 20,000 (USD 660) | ~USD 600,200 |
| World Poker Tour Prime | Cambodia | 1,011 | USD 1,100 | USD 980,670 |
| Asian Poker Tour | Hanoi, Vietnam | 654 | VND 27,500,000 (USD 1,170) | ~USD 675,600 |
| World Poker Championship | Hanoi, Vietnam | 651 | VND 25,000,000 (USD 1,060) | ~USD 607,570 |
| Poker Dream | Malaysia | 643 | RM 5,000 (USD 1,135) | ~USD 658,440 |
| Asian Poker Tour | Phu Quoc, Vietnam | 507 | VND 33,000,000 (USD 1,400) | ~USD 628,200 |
| Asia Poker Championship | Da Nang, Vietnam | 408 | VND 22,000,000 (USD 940) | ~USD 330,000 |
Largest Main Event Guarantee (top 5)
| Main Event | Location | Buy in | Guarantee |
| Top Joy Poker Tour | China | CNY 10,000 (USD 1,600) | CNY 20,000,000 (USD 2,900,000) |
| World Focused Poker 4 | Korea | KRW 600,000 (USD 455) | KRW 1,250,000,000 (USD 950,000) |
| World Focused Poker 5 | Korea | KRW 600,000 (USD 455) | KRW 1,250,000,000 (USD 950,000) |
| World Poker Tour Prime | Cambodia | USD 1,100 | USD 500,000 |
| Poker Dream | Malaysia | RM 5,000 (USD 1,135) | RM 2,000,000 (USD 454,200) |
Festival Prize Pools over USD 2M
| Series | Location | Games | Festival Prize Pool |
| China Poker Games | China | 39 | USD 14,600,000 |
| Top Joy Poker Tour | China | 42 | USD 6,226,000 |
| World Poker Tour Prime | Cambodia | 30 | USD 3,495,500 |
| World Focused Poker 4 | Korea | 8 | USD 2,825,000 |
| Asian Poker Tour | Hanoi, Vietnam | 34 | USD 2,620,000 |
| Asian Poker Tour | Phu Quoc, Vietnam | 34 | USD 2,394,000 |
| World Poker Championship | Hanoi, Vietnam | 26 | USD 2,203,400 |
