Asian Poker Tour (APT) - Asian Series

Introduction

Asian Poker Tour, also referred to as APT is a popular poker event hosted in numerous cities of the Asian continent. It is a platform for all poker enthusiasts to exhibit their skills and enjoy the thrill and experience with their fellow poker players. Poker variants, including Texas Hold'em and Omaha, are preferred by the players. The tournaments have a wide buy-in range, considering recreational and professional players. The tournaments offer glamorous prize pools with numerous cash prizes and awards. This tournament holds a special place amongst the players as the winners gain huge respect and recognition in the poker community.

We will talk about the Asian Poker Tour and everything correlated in this article starting from its origin to its rules and format, the winners and achievements in APT, its schedule, and the procedure to participate in it.

History

The Asian Poker Tour (APT) is an Asia-Pacific poker tournament. The first Asian Poker Tour was held in Singapore in November 2006 under the umbrella of Capital Events Pte. The first champion to win the tour was Tony G. 

In early 2008, AsianLogic acquired the APT and started focusing on providing exceptional poker experience to players. The success of APT was appreciated by all over the world.

The Asian Poker Series is about offering an outstanding poker experience to enthusiastic poker lovers in Asia. The series is full of excitement and fun. To entertain poker lovers in Asia the Asian Poker Tour was held in many cities including Goa, India (scheduled from November 8th-14th, 2011) which is known as Asia’s most popular poker destination. The Tour also aims to promote the game and give a boost to the popularity of the game in Asia by extending assistance and organising smaller events at varied locations.

Jeff Mann, Asian Poker Tour CEO, said “This is a bold and exciting move for the APT. We will be the first international poker tour to hold an event in India. As with any new and radical endeavour, we are sure there will be challenges. Still, we have high expectations that the tournament will be well received amongst the growing Indian poker community and visiting international players.”

AST Rules & Tournament Format

Rules

The tournament rules of the Asian Poker Tour are as follows:

• Smoking is not permitted in the tournament area, which might invite a penalty.
• As the event kicks off, the button is determined by a high card. 
• Players are not allowed to visit other tables during the event. 
• Certain re-entry policies are adopted to ensure fair play and discourage cheating.
• The seats won through satellites are non-transferable and have to be played by the player on the scheduled date.
• Players are not allowed to disclose their hand in an “All in and Call” situation.

APT tournaments majorly stick to standard Texas Hold'em rules, they might include certain distinct rules or variations specific to their events. These rules can comprise variations on betting structures, like pot-limit or no-limit formats, or any tournament-specific rules drafted to add strategic depth to the game.

Format

Asian Poker Tour consists of four distinct formats: including Freezeouts, Rebuy, shootouts, and satellites. 

• In freezeouts, once the chips are exhausted, players get eliminated. In this format, there is no option to re-enter once you run out of chips. 

• On the other hand, rebuys offer an opportunity to players who run out of chips to re-enter the game for a specific time.

• In the third format, also known as Shootouts, players play on multiple tables where one winner from each table advances to the next round until a final table is reached.

• Satellites offer opportunities to players to win entry for a high buy-in tournament for a fraction of the actual buy-in value.

Blind Structure

The blind structure of a tournament determines the length of the games and the tournament itself at an overall level. Given that the APT concludes in 10 to 11 days, the Asian Poker Tour offers a standard blind structure with increased blinds at regular intervals. The blinds increase gradually, usually between 25% to 50% when compared with the previous rounds to promote action and ward off excessive long games.

Chip Counts

The players begin with a fixed amount of chips, ranging from 5,000 to 30,000 or more, depending on the tournament's buy-in and format. The starting chip stack provides players with enough playability in the early stages of the tournament. As the players advance in the tournament, they keep accumulating more chips.

Prize distributions follow a fixed payout structure, with the top finishers receiving cash prizes and the Player of the Series award. The prize pool is majorly distributed within the percentage of the field, with larger shares given to players who finish higher in the rankings. Different events conducted in APT have their respective event winners across different variants and formats.

AST Winners and Achievements

Here’s a list of APT Main event winners (2023)

Asian Poker Tour Schedule

The Asian Poker Tour's current schedule incorporates tournaments across Asian cities like Jeju and Taipei. 

One of the latest versions of APT took place in Jeju, South Korea from 26th April 2024 to 5th May 2024. The event offered a guaranteed prize money of KRW 2 Billion.

Another iteration of the APT will take place in the second half of the year from 27th September to 7th October 2024 in Taipei, Taiwan. The event offered a prize money of TWD 65 Million/~USD 2Mn GTD with the main event buy-in offering at TWD 50K/~USD 1,560 buy-in.

For the upcoming schedule, you can visit the APT website or follow their announcements on social media for further updates on new tournaments and locations.

How to Participate in APT

• To participate in the Asian Poker Tour, you have to be at least 21 years old.
• To register go to the Asian Poker Tour website, submit ID and address proof, and register.
• You can look for upcoming APT to see tournaments they are offering at various locations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who owns the Asian Poker Tour?

The Asian Poker Tour is owned by a company named "Asian Poker Tour Holdings," located in the Philippines. They organize poker tournaments across Asia, allowing players to compete for rewards and recognition in the poker world.

Does the World Poker Tour still exist?

Yes, the World Poker tour still exists. They are currently running their 22nd season with the tournament.

How much value is of the World Poker Tour?

The value of the World Poker Tour (WPT) can vary, but it is worth millions of dollars. It earns revenue through tournament entry fees, sponsorships, and broadcasting rights. The brand's popularity and global reach contribute to its substantial value in the world of professional poker.

What is the biggest poker tournament?

The WSOP is the biggest poker tournament.

What is the most important poker tournament?

The World Series of Poker is the most important poker tournament.

Conclusion

Asian Poker Tour offers opportunities to poker enthusiasts providing different variants and formats of poker under one platform. With its origin in 2006, APT has celebrated some of the commendable victories of poker champions every year. To participate in the event, it is important to adhere to the registration procedure and the rules of the tournament. APT events continue to foster across the continent, boosting poker and captivating players to participate.