Vietnam Opens its Doors to the Asian Poker Tour

The Festival Begins

For those who have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the APT in Vietnam, that wait is finally over. The Grand Ho Tram Strip plays host to the APT with several events scheduled to take place from now until the 13th of May. The staff tournament took place earlier this week, giving the dealers a rehearsal tournament to show their professionalism. The USD$1,100 buy in Main Event begins on the 8th.

Big Names in the crowd expected for the Main Event

As the first high quality poker series hosted on Vietnamese shores, it’s no surprise to see that familiar names are appearing on the list of registered players. WPT Winner Nam Le, with over $7.1 million in live winnings will be taking part in events over the week, as is fellow Vietnamese pro JC Tran. With two WSOP bracelets, a WSOP Main Event Final Table, two WPT victories, and a WCOOP Main Event win to his name, JC Tran is one of the real stars of the game and will be flexing his tournament talents at the Grand Ho Tram Strip at this exciting APT venue.

A promising start

The first No Limit Hold Em event (Welcome to APT Vietnam NLH USD 200 + 20) drew 71 runners including re-entries which is a good reponse for a side event before the main schedule gets up and running. Shaun McCamley, President of the Ho Tram Resort Casino said: “It was a start to this event that exceeded our expectations, with players from around the region flying in to join in one of the world’s most exhilarating sports.  It was a ringing endorsement of the value of this form of tourism for Vietnam and for all that we have on offer in Ho Tram”

Meanwhile Rob Kiss (USA) won the Operation Smile Charity event, which generated $6000 for the organisation.

Present and Future

Current laws in Vietnam prevent local citizens from taking part which is a shame, and if this changes in future, participation levels in Vietnamese live tournaments could see a sharp increase. For now, it’s still a great step forward to have a major series hosted in Vietnam, and the signs so far suggest that this APT stop will be a success. World Gaming Group are on board with building a bright poker future for The Grand Ho Tram Strip, which should pave the way for exciting future tournaments and regular Cash Games.

According to World Gaming Group, CEO Andrew W Scott “As the only international standard five-star integrated resort in Vietnam, Ho Tram is the obvious place for major poker festivals in Vietnam. The rooms at Ho Tram are as good as (or even better than) those in the new resorts in Macau – but the difference is Ho Tram also has a two kilometer strip of ocean beach and one of the best hundred golf courses in the world right here on property!”.