WPT Heads to China with New Event at MGM Grand Sanya Resort
World Poker Tour is bringing its exclusive brand of high-stakes, tournament poker to China. In cooperation with WPT’s China partner Beijing Ourgame Ltd., the first-ever WPT National China tournament will be held at the spectacular MGM Grand Sanya Resort on the tropical beaches of Sanya, Hainan Island, China.
This exciting new tournament, running from December 14 – 17, marks the first time World Poker Tour is hosting a Texas Hold ‘Em tournament in China and represents another milestone in World Poker Tour’s ongoing efforts to bring high-quality, tournament poker to regions of the world where players have not yet been able to participate in these types of events.
“WPT National China Tournament Sanya demonstrates the exploding popularity of WPT National and Regional events, which provide players around the world with the opportunity to compete in affordable, world-class poker tournaments,” said WPT CEO Steve Heller. “We are very excited about the potential of this tournament as there are thousands of players in China who aren’t able to play in large tournaments such as this without having to deal with the expense and hassle of traveling out of the country. WPT National China Tournament Sanya is filling a void in the Chinese poker community, and we hope this will be the first of many similar events World Poker Tour will hold in China in coming seasons,” Heller added.
“We are very excited to hold the first WPT sanctioned tournament in China,” said Beijing Ourgame Ltd. CEO Frank Ng. “As the largest online play money card and board game platform in China with 300 million registered users, we are the leader of Texas Hold ‘Em in China. In holding this tournament, we want to introduce best-of-the-world tournament play into China and, together with WPT, we shall make this happen. Texas Hold ‘Em is blooming in China and a total of more than 60,000 Chinese players will be competing in this tournament for the 500 final-round seats. The level of competition, the size of the prize pool, and the excitement the tournament will generate will be unprecedented. This will be a watershed event in China poker history and, hopefully, the first of many events to come.”
In addition to the four-day tournament, which will be capped at 500 entries and run by World Poker Tour’s Executive Tour Director, Matt Savage, players in this event will be able to enjoy an amazing array of amenities and activities at the beautiful MGM Grand Sanya resort. Located in the Yalong Bay National Resort District, the MGM Grand Sanya offers guests the chance to relax in a secluded five-star resort that’s just a short flight from the bustling metropolis of Hong Kong or the glitz and glamour of Macau.
Once they’ve checked in, players need just a short walk to reach the resort’s private beach or a quick car ride to tee off at the adjacent Yalong Bay Golf Club. For guests who want to stay on property, the MGM Grand Sanya offers a world-class spa featuring 20 individual treatment rooms and three separate swimming pools, including Wet Republic where patrons can enjoy live DJs, private cabanas, and poolside food and bottle service. In the evenings, the resort offers a full complement of casual and fine dining options, along with four different nightclubs where players can party all night long.