Macau's Poker Scene Looking Vibrant after Successful 2009

With the new year just beginning, Macau is already gearing up for even more poker tournaments and events to build on a successful 2009.

Last year, Asia's gaming capital was the site of record-setting poker events from the biggest poker tours in the region. It also saw the opening of several new poker rooms, signifying that local players were steadily becoming more interested in the game.

In mid-August, the Asian Poker Tour (APT) held its 2009 Macau event at the StarWorld Hotel and Casino and experienced a large surge in player participation. Its twelve-day festival of poker featured fifteen side events in addition to the main event, which set a new APT record with a field of 326 runners. The winner was France's Adrien Allain, who won HK $3,035,000 for his first-place finish.

Over at PokerStars Macau at the Grand Lisboa Hotel, the third season of the Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) Macau event saw Irish player Dermont Blain win HK $4,194,000 in its main event. Blain was just one of the APPT Macau record 429 players who played in the main event, contributing to the prize pool of HK $16,130,400.

The PokerStars Macau poker room also held its own series of tournaments throughout the year, culminating in a grand finale in December. The poker room's Macau Poker Cup held four Red Dragon main events in 2009, with each one getting more players than the last.

The first Red Dragon main event, which was held in March, saw its HK $500,000 guaranteed prize pool broken as 112 players entered for a total prize pool of HK $1,052,800. Due to the large turnout, the subsequent Red Dragon events offered a guarantee of HK $1,000,000. It didn't matter, as player numbers kept increasing, including a field of 247 runners in October.

PokerStars Macau then held its grand finale in December with the Macau Poker Cup Championship (MPCC). Held from December 12-20, the MPCC featured a HK $20,000 main event with HK $2,000,000 guaranteed. The winner was Devin Tang, who defeated Taipei's Michael Chang to win the HK $727,600 first prize.

2009 also saw two new poker rooms open in Macau. Sun City's Poker King Club, named after the movie released earlier in the year, opened on October 31 at the StarWorld Casino. Over on the other side of town, The Venetian opened its own poker room in late November, adding to the hotel's multitude of gaming and shopping attractions.

With more poker rooms and bigger tournaments, 2009 definitely showed just how much poker is capable of growing in Macau and the region as a whole. Already established as the go-to place for poker in Asia, it won't be long before it becomes one of the biggest poker hotspots in the world.

Visit Asia PokerNews for the latest news and information on poker in Macau, Asia, and around the world!

Christian Chua is the news editor for Asia PokerNews, an online news site that focuses primarily on the poker scene in and around the Asian region.

Aside from his work at Asia PokerNews, Christian is also the editor and online content manager for the Asian Poker Tour.

Raising and Reraising the Stakes in Asian Poker - A Glance at Past APT Champions

What makes champions? What motivates these winners? If we do know, then we can probably win a tournament or two and be a thousand dollars richer as well. But the thing is, as many hopefuls have realized by now, poker is a man's game; a sport of cutthroat competition where you need skills over luck to be a successful player in this trade.

That said let's take a look at the past Asian Poker Tour champions. Knowing them is half the battle; and well, we'll all just hope that this knowledge rubs off on our luck at the tables.

David Saab - APT Philippines 2008 Main Event Champion



Saab carries some interesting nicknames: Superman, The Turtle and WonderSaab. But none as interesting as his first major international tournament win in the inaugural leg of the APT in Manila. The Korea-born Australian did win the first two editions of the Crown Series and the Victorian Poker Championship in 2005 but his winnings there pales in comparison to the USD$ 280,000 he won in the APT main event as he outlasted 310 players.

After the APT stint, Saab would continue his romp in the international stage placing in the money in the 2008 PokerNews Cup (7th-US$8,414); 2009 PokerStars APPT Sydney Heads-Up Event (13th-US$12,875); and the NLH Championship at the WSOP 2008 (46th - US135,100)

Yevgeniy Timoshenko - APT Macau 2008 Main Event Champion

"Bballer88" and "Jovial Gent"--- clearly, his name in the online world is a tad bit more tongue-friendly relative to his real name. But whichever name he brings to the online/live tables, the results are quite the same: impressive money finishes and tournament wins.

When he won the APT title in 2008, Timoshenko was considered one of the up-and-comers of the game. Two years and a handful of major tournaments later, he has crossed over from being just a promising potential to a full-blown poker star.

Born in Ukraine but migrated to the United States at the age of 10, Timoshenko's biggest win came in the 2009 World Poker Tour (WPT) World Championship as he won a whopping USD$2,149,960. This year he has had respectable finishes in the World Poker Open VI NLH Event (2nd-US$110,000); and the 41st World Series of Poker 2010 placing in the money in multiple events.

Neil Arce - APT Philippines 2009 Main Event Champion

The rise of local poker in the Philippines was simultaneous with the rise of Filipino Neil Arce from the ranks as one of the best not only in the Philippines but in the entire Asia. Nicknamed "Dirty Ice Cream," Arce has won local tournaments consistently and earned his place in local poker history by being the first-ever Filipino to cash in the World Series of Poker in 2007 winning USD$50,000 at 222nd place.

In 2009, protecting his turf, he managed to hold off 262 players from 40 different countries to win the APT Main Event--- his first-ever major international title. Seven months later, he would again be under the spotlight by placing 3rd in the No Limit Hold'em APPT Macau High Rollers Event--- good for $ HKD652,800.

Adrien Allain - APT Macau 2009 Main Event Champion

With an APT-record 326 registrants, APT Macau saw the improbable happen. The man behind the unlikely feat is Frenchman Adrian Allain who qualified to the tournament through a $6 lottery tournament on http://www.pkr.com! He won US391,580 dollars for his efforts jumpstarting a pro career at live tables.



The online specialist known as "zlatan35" was already very successful behind the screen especially at PKR tournaments. Before the APT Macau title he had already 45 in-the-money finishes and made the final table 26 times in 321 tournaments he joined at PKR.

After tasting success at the APT, he went on to join other live international events finishing in-the-money in a pair of World Series of Poker events in 2010 before placing 2nd (US$66,705) in the Barriere Poker Tour Main Event.



Michael Cua - APT Philippines 2010 Main Event Champion

A year after a local held the bragging rights for the APT Philippines Main Event; another Filipino in Michael Cua duplicated his compatriot's feat by winning the first leg of the APT in 2010.

Unlike Neil Arce however, Cua was one of the unheralded and unknown players in the local scene qualifying in an APT-satellite event worth PHP5,000 (roughly US$115) before winning the biggest win in his poker career.

Cua took down 225 players to take the APT Philippines title and US$172,000 cash prize not to mention a seat at the next APT event in Macau set later this year. Unlike the APT champions before him, Cua's poker resume pales in comparison to his fellow APT champs. However, with the recent APT title in the bag he looks to become the first back-to-back APT champion promising to join the Macau festivities this November.

***

What makes champions? Arce, Saab and Timoshenko show that consistency is what makes them special; mastering the art of poker demands dedication to the sport. What motivates these winners? Allain and Cua show that with the right focus, a little bit of luck, anyone has the potential to be successful in this craft.

Who will be the next APT champion? Can the underdogs continue their mighty rise? Or will the stars finally show up? Find out in the next APT main event held in Asia's gaming capital, Macau. For tournament schedule and details visit APT MACAU 2010.

James Patrick Quizon, is a writer/editor working for Asian Poker Tour. For further information about the latest poker events in Asia, go to www.theasianpokertour.com

A Look at 10 Celebrity Poker Players

Turn the channel to any high-stakes poker event, and chances are high that you'll see at least one Hollywood celebrity in the thick of the action. With flexible schedules and larger-than-average bankrolls, celebrities have both the time and inclination to hone their poker playing skills in tournaments around the world. Some, of course, never rise above the rank of amateur, but others go on to become familiar faces in the world of poker. What follows is a list of ten of the best celebrity poker players in the world (listed in no particular order).

Ben Affleck - It's hard to argue Affleck's status as one of the best celebrity poker players in the world after he won the California State Poker Championship in June of 2004 (where he won $356,400). When he's not acting in movies such as Daredevil or Armageddon, Affleck collects vintage video-arcade machines and has been known to take poker lessons from pros like Amir Vahedi and Annie Duke. His win at the California Championship also qualified him for a seat at the 2004 World Poker Tour final tournament.

Patrick Bruel - Patrick Bruel is a well-known French singer and actor, having performed in over 40 television and film productions and recorded numerous top-selling albums. He also happens to be a world-class poker player. So while he may go unrecognized by American movie audiences, poker players from around the world will instantly recognize his face. Why? Well, in 1998 Patrick picked up a World Series of Poker bracelet for winning the 1998 $5000 Limit Hold'em event. He has also placed in the money numerous times in WSOP events, and earned over $750,000 in live play events.

Jennifer Tilly - This Oscar-nominated actress has starred in such hits as The Fabulous Baker Boys and Bullets Over Broadway. However, she has publicly stated that she's becoming more interested in poker than acting. One look at her accomplishments in the poker world and it's easy to see why. In June of 2005, Tilly outlasted 600 other players and won her first World Series of Poker bracelet (and $158,625) in the Ladies' No-Limit Hold'em event, becoming the first celebrity to do so. She has also won the World Poker Tour Ladies Invitational Tournament and competed in Poker Royale, Poker Superstars, and Celebrity Poker Showdown.

Josh Malina - With acting credits such as Sports Night and The West Wing, Malina is a respected actor of both the stage and screen. He is also an avid poker player. In fact, when he was struggling to get his career off the ground, he would often play poker in order to have enough money to pay his rent. Now that he's financially secure, Malina is spreading his love of poker by producing Bravo's Celebrity Poker Showdown.

Matt Damon - After starring in the poker film Rounders, you might expect the world-famous Damon to know his way around a deck of cards. He's a regular entrant in the annual World Series of Poker, and his most interesting WSOP story occurred back in 1998. Miramax Studios entered both he and Edward Norton in the WSOP Main Event ($10,000 buy-in) to promote the upcoming Rounders. Damon played well, but he was eliminated on the first day by poker legend Doyle Brunson after Damon's pocket kings failed to beat Brunson's pocket aces.

Tobey Maguire - In October of 2004, the star of the Spider-Man franchise demonstrated his poker skills by winning the first-ever Phil Hellmuth Invitational Poker Tournament. He also picked up $95,480 for the win, causing Andy Bellin to remark to Phil Hellmuth, "This kid could be a legitimate pro." He has finished in the money in several other events and has received lessons from poker pro Daniel Negreanu. And keep in mind that he's only been playing seriously since 2004.

James Woods - Having starred in movies such as Salvador and Another Day in Paradise, James Woods is one of America's most respected actors. And not only is he a familiar face in poker rooms across the country, he's also the face of a new poker site. Their selling point is that players have a chance to match poker wits with top stars like Woods. Not that matching wits with Woods is a good idea, considering he has a 180 I.Q. In 2006, Woods finished in 24th place out of 692 at the L.A. Poker Classic for $40,000.

Mimi Rogers - When she's not starring in hits like Lost in Space and Austin Powers, Mimi Rogers moonlights as a pretty darn good poker player. Tom Cruise's ex-wife took first place on an episode of Hollywood Home Game, and also finished in the money during the World Poker Tour's Shooting Star Championship.

Wil Wheaton - One of the stars of Stand by Me and Star Trek: The Next Generation, Wheaton plays in big-money games in Los Angeles all the time, is a frequent participant in online poker rooms, and was even invited to play in the World Poker Tour Championship. He is also a member of Team PokerStars and played in the 2005 World Series of Poker.

Gabe Kaplan - Best known for his role on Welcome Back Kotter, Gabe Kaplan is such an accomplished poker player that most no longer regard him as a "celebrity" player. His first World Series of Poker appearance came in 1978. In 2004, he finished third at the World Poker Tour's No Limit Hold'em event, winning more than $250,000 in the process. He has also taken second place in the World Series of Poker Limit Hold'em event. His career tournament poker earnings exceed $680,000. He also serves as an expert poker commentator, having appeared on such shows as the National Heads-Up Poker Championship, Intercontinental Poker Championship, and High Stakes Poker.

When he's not reviewing movies or losing money at the poker table, Damien Chambers can usually be found at http://www.gamblingchitchat.com/