Poker’s quiet rise in Asia Interestingly, while poker is traditionally viewed as an American or European pastime, Asia has become a fertile ground for its growth. In the Philippines, poker was formally recognized as a sport in 2017 by the Games and Amusement Board (GAB), giving it a legal status that enabled the proliferation of local tournaments and a rise in Filipino poker professionals.
The country is now home to a number of prestigious poker events, including APT and the PokerStars-sponsored Manila Megastack series.
Moreover, poker’s popularity in the region has been fuelled by the rise of online platforms, with Natural8 and GGPoker serving as major players in bringing digital poker to a new generation of enthusiasts. The convergence of live and online poker in Asia may well signal a golden era for the game, with APT Manila 2024 poised to further cement the region’s growing stature in the poker world.
China Poker Games gears up for 12th annual CPG Championship.
The Asian Poker Tour (APT) is making a high-stakes return to the Philippines with the launch of APT Manila 2024, a tournament series that showcases the rapid growth of poker in Asia. Set to run from 28 October to 7 November at the opulent City of Dreams Manila, the festival guarantees over PHP 170 million (~USD 3 million) in prize money. The event marks APT’s first return to Manila since 2022, a period that has seen poker in the region gain remarkable momentum amid a surge in both player interest and prize pools.
Asia continues to seduce poker and is emerging as the headquarters of the world championships.
The crown jewel of the 11-day event will be the APT Main Event, which boasts a PHP 100 million (~USD 1.78 million) guaranteed prize pool, more than quadrupling the payout from the last Manila-hosted APT Main Event in 2022. With a buy-in of PHP 85,000 (~USD 1,510), the tournament is set to attract top talent from across the globe, solidifying Manila’s reputation as a premier destination for high-stakes poker. The Main Event will run from October 31 to November 6, adding a fresh layer of excitement to an already heated competition.
