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Singapore for a tenner... (and $2m up for grabs)
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I went to Singapore once, and it rained. Perhaps that's a bit unfair. For three days nothing but scorching sunshine and tropical humidity. On the fourth day, it rained. Only for about 20 minutes, mind, but a downpour of such startling torrential fury that "cats and dogs" would be unfair. More like "elephants and lions".
Lions count for a lot in Singapore. Singa means lion in Malay ("pura" is city); the national football team bears the name. And some of the attributes of a lion may just earn you a trip there to find out for yourself. November 12th is day one of the Betfair Asian Poker Tour (BAPT), the first ever poker tournament allowed in the country (or the region). The smutty minds amongst you will have recognised that it's an opportunity missed - the Betfair Asian Poker Series surely would have been a better acronym.
The exotic delights of Singapore's Meritus Mandarin hotel host this groundbreaking venture which Betfair intend to be the first event of a Tour attracting the very best poker players from around the world. The pot? US$2 million in the pool to start with, split between an expected 400 players, with the winner taking home in excess of US$500,000. That's not bad for an event you can enter for just $19.80 on Betfair Poker (£10.60 at today's prices).
With a prize pool of that size, 'names' are expected. A big winnable prize, and the lure of the world-renowned hospitality of Singapore means organisers expect some of the world's best players, not to mention some very recognizable people. And as you might imagine, the cameras will be rolling to ensure that an event of this stature is recorded for posterity.
The raft of new players coming into the game, learning online and earning their way to the big events, means it really isn't an impossible dream to imagine that you could be walking off as a new poker star with a massive cheque if you are prepared to stick your chips in the middle. You've got to be in it to win it, as they say. Just ask Chris Moneymaker.
There can't be too many places better to win big than Singapore. Ben Fried, Betfair's head of Poker, explains the rationale: "We've become well-known in the poker fraternity for linking the online world with the offline game, and offering the best hospitality for our players. This has mainly been at other sponsor's events. For the inaugural Betfair major tournament, we wanted to do something really superb for our players. And the opportunity to create something spectacular in a country that has never before held an event of this nature was far too good to miss."
Online qualification is restricted to Betfair products and services so if you fancy sampling some Eastern cuisine, in a beautiful hotel, with the sun on your back, a glass of Betfair champagne in one hand and Aces in the other, take a look at the satellite tournaments on Betfair Poker. Think Skill. Think Aggression. Think Lion.
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