By Danny McDonagh
The WPT Asia Swing starts in mid-September and allows players to compete in WPT events in the three major cities of Tokyo, Seoul, and Ho Chi Minh, all over an exciting 20 days. I have been fortunate enough to have visited all three cities and the poker venues the WPT will be at, and I’m happy to provide tips players considering playing in the first WPT Asia Swing.
The second stop for the WPT Asia Swing is WPT Korea, taking place September 18-24 at Paradise City Casino, Incheon, Seoul.
For the first time, WPT will be holding an event in the Seoul region. The event will be held at the magnificent Paradise City Casino complex, just a five-minute shuttle bus or monorail from Incheon airport. A new retail precinct at Paradise City is scheduled to open before WPT Korea, adding to the six-star facilities already in place with an indoor theme park, huge night club, and much more.
There will be 10 events to choose from, ranging from $300 to $3,500, plus the inaugural WPT Global Teams Event for a maximum 16 teams. The WPT Global Teams Event has attracted some big names, particularly from Asia, and anticipation is high for the tournament. As of writing this blog, there is just one spot available for this event. Requirement is four passports from the same country and maximum one team per country.
The WPT Korea Main Event is KRW1,100,000 to enter (approx. $970) with two Day 1s that allow for one reentry max per day. There is also a Day 1 start at WPT Japan the weekend before, and you can read more about that in the recent WPT Japan blog.
My former colleague and close friend, Dom Choi (pictured below), runs the show at the Paradise City Poker and has done a great job developing the dealers and floor staff, so I am looking forward to working with him as tournament director for this event.
Korea Travel Tips: Currency
The Korean currency is Korean WON (KRW), and $1 converts to approximately KRW1,130. The rates at Paradise City for US dollars and JPY in particular are quite reasonable at around 1 to 2% off market. The important thing is to change your WON before leaving as rates outside Korea are not very good.
Korea Travel Tips: Transportation and Hotel
Incheon is one of the largest international airports globally, so accessibility is a breeze.
If internet access is a must all the time, as you exit customs you will see a number of spots hiring out pocket wifi “eggs” that work out to around $5-$8 a day that you return on departure. If you intend spending most of your time at Paradise City though, then you can simply rely on the great wifi there throughout the complex.
Once you are ready to depart the airport, simply exit and walk to the right until the end of the building. From there, you will see shuttle bus signs to Paradise City, Grand Hyatt Incheon, and Best Western Premier Incheon — the three most popular accommodation choices for the event. Shuttles are free and run from 5 a.m. till around 10 p.m. local time. There is also an airport monorail operating from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. that stops very close to all three hotels. It’s only a little over two kilometres to Paradise City from the airport.
If you arrive too late in the evening for a shuttle, there are taxis dedicated to Incheon area which are a godsend, as Seoul taxi drivers won’t take you. Head to the taxi area and keep on walking to the left on the arrivals lane until you find the Incheon taxis. I paid about KRW6,000 ($5) for a late-night taxi to the Grand Hyatt. Ideally, have a copy of the hotel name in Korean, as very little English is spoken by taxi drivers.
Our friends at Poker Tour Bookings list all three of the aforementioned hotel options. Paradise City is pure luxury and comes with it a price of over $200 net and can go quite a bit higher. If you are lucky, you may pick up Grand Hyatt Incheon in the low $100s and this hotel is simply across the road from Paradise City. Best Western Premier you should get for under $100 per night and it’s a five-minute walk to the casino and very close to the new retail precinct. Do note that Grand Hyatt is a considerably better property than the Best Western, so if prices are close take the Grand Hyatt option.
Korea Travel Tips: Sights to See and Food to Eat
While Paradise City has some very nice dining options, you will also find very affordable bars and eateries within walking distance from the casino and Hyatt and Best Western hotels. A 10-minute taxi ride will take you into Incheon proper where the food and beverage options are more plentiful. Korean BBQ is my favorite destination, while the fried chicken is also excellent.
Night clubbers need go no further than consult many of the international players who keep coming back to Korea to visit the clubs and KTV venues. Club Chroma – Ibiza of Asia should be open in time for our event in the new retail precinct of Paradise City.
If you have never been to Seoul, do allocate one day or evening to experience the sights, shopping, and and large neon lights. It’s a 45- to 90-minute drive to Seoul, depending on the time of day and the top speed of your taxi driver. I enjoy the super comfortable limousine buses from the airport that have many routes and get you to any major tourist spots — they cost around $20. A taxi is more like triple or quadruple the amount but necessary if returning in the late evening. Here is a link to 20 top spots in Korea. If you are traveling on to WPT Vietnam, you can even take advantage of the “rest day” on September 25 to experience the vibrant city of Seoul and then take a direct flight to Ho Chi Minh on September 26.
For more information on WPT Korea, check out the event hub on WPT.com.
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