While the interest in poker in countries like Macau, Hong Kong and Singapore is extremely high, poker has not really taken off in places like India and the Philippines. Yet things are beginning to change as the Solaire Resort & Casino in the Philippines gets ready to host its first ever World Poker Tour Event.
The WPT National Philippines Event is scheduled to take place at the Solaire between the 16th – 28th of October 2014. This 12 day poker festival will attract poker players from the Philippines as well as neighboring countries. The tournament will feature a $2,200 buy-in main event which is scheduled to take place on the 25th of Nov 2014. The WPT event in the Philippines will feature a number of exciting events and cash prizes and the Solaire is preparing to accommodate a huge playing field.
In a statement, WPT president Adam Pliska said
The World Poker Tour continues to expand across the globe, especially in Asia where the growth is phenomenal. The Philippines represents what we want poker to evolve to be. It’s a very warm and welcoming place and with a first-class venue like Solaire, both local and foreign players will have a great time on and off the felt
Officials from the WPT expect close to 800 players to feature for the main event raising the total pot to around $1.6 million. The event will also be attended by a number of prominent poker personalities such as Mike Sexton, Matt Savage who is the executive tour director of the WPT and the Royal Flush Girls.
This poker festival at the Soliare is a result of a collaboration between the WPT and the Philippines. The deal is for a 5 year period which will see the WPT organizing more tournaments in the Philippines. The poker festival will also feature satellites that start from a low fee of $7 allowing amateur poker players to compete and play on a big stage. All of these events will take place at Solaire’s lush poker room. Those players who are interested to find out more information about the satellites and obtain a complete schedule of events can do so by visiting the Solaire website.
The Solaire is extremely happy to host the WPT as it gives it more visibility and promotes the resort internationally. Thomas Arasi, Solaire’s casino president and CEO said that this collaboration with the WPT would ensure that all the guests at the Solaire resort and gaming experience.
