Tournament runners looking forward to the fast approaching Top Joy Poker Australia festivities were greeted with a surprise this afternoon as the brand officially announced the unfortunate postponement via its social media channels. The tour’s Australian debut was set to run from April 29 – May 9, 2024 at the Canterbury League Club in Belmore, Sydney, featuring 26 events headlined by a lucrative A$ 1,000,000 (~USD 650,000) guaranteed Main Event.
Unavoidably running into a few mishaps, several changes were seen early on and more so as the event drew closer. The first being a shift in marketing direction where the brand dropped Antanas Guoga more popularly known as Tony G, from the high roller banners. While a minor change, the second left many eager players highly disappointed after the initial A$ 2,000,000 (~USD 1.3 Million) guarantee was surprisingly cut in half.
Just days after its event structures were released, Top Joy Poker Tour (TJPT) disclosed its decision to reschedule the Sydney Poker Championship festivities indefinitely, citing that they are yet to work out new dates for the anticipated games.
With many having already made travel plans, the brand was quick to reply to player inquiries, saying “We understand the inconvenience caused by the postponement of our event, especially for those who have already made travel and accommodation arrangements. To assist with reimbursement, please send evidence of your booking to info@topjoypokertour.com. Our team will review your submission and get in touch with you promptly to process the reimbursement. We appreciate your understanding and patience during this time”.
In addition, the tour also highlighted that compensation will be provided to all employees, including dealers, who were scheduled to work during this series. Whilst a great bid to ease the tension, a number of followers were left in distrust, criticizing the brand’s judgment to pull back just eight days before the games hit the felt.
The supposed Sydney Poker Championships was geared to be the brand’s third international run, coming fresh off a highly successful partnership with Poker Dream merely three weeks ago. The Malaysian festivities set new heights after its Main Event drew over 2,000 entries for a record RM 10,767,152 (~USD 2,268,000) prize pool. TJPT’s inaugural run in Seoul, South Korea on the other hand, awarded over USD 1.37 Million in prizes, signifying big hopes for the budding tour.
