PokerStars has confirmed the retirement of Asia Pacific Poker Tour brand at the end of the year, and the Asian Poker Tour announces two new events including a return to Macau after a three-year absence.
It’s been a week since PokerStars officials announced the retirement of the European Poker Tour (EPT) brand and the creation of the PokerStars Championships and Festivals structure.
Within that timeframe organisers of the Aussie Millions announced their intentions to break away from the PokerStars sponsored Asian Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) and we reached out to Stars to get a definitive answer on the future of the APPT.
Officials confirmed that the APPT would go into retirement at the end of the APPT Manila Megastack 6, Nov 29 – Dec 4, 2016.
Here is an official statement from a PokerStars representative.
PokerStars Championship and Festival events represent PokerStars’ efforts to continue sponsoring high-quality events with our partners in the Asia & Pacific region. This includes continuing to offer a wider range of tournaments and cash games in our branded poker rooms in Macau and Manila.
The APPT brand is being retired, but we see this as an opportunity to grow a high-quality global poker tour that supports the growth of poker throughout the region. Asia is an important region for the future growth of poker, and we will ensure that our events reflect and support the future evolution of important poker markets throughout the area.
The same PokerStars official also confirmed that all tours that carried the PokerStars brand – such as the United Kingdom & Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT), France Poker Series (FPS), Estrellas Poker Tour, and Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT) will also be retired at the end of the calendar year, leaving 2017 onwards to be filled by PokerStars Championships and Festivals.
The Asia Poker Tour Isn’t Retiring
With the APPT readying itself for the pipe and slippers, and the PokerStars Championships and Festivals still finding their feet, the Asian Poker Tour (APT) has an opportunity to get noticed.
In timely fashion, the APT has announced plans to return to Macau after a three-year absence, for the 2016 APT Macau. The festival will operate in conjunction with the Poker King Club and SJM Casino Lisboa, Wed 19 Oct – Tur 25 Oct.
The festival highlight will be the HK$22,000 Main Event beginning Friday 21 October. There will be 13 side events. In addition to the announcement of APT Macau the tour will also host the APT Poker Cruise 2016. The four-day event runs Friday 29 Sep to Monday 2 Oct on board the Rex Fortune cruise ship.
The ship sails from Tsim Sha Tsui in Hong Kong and will sail into international waters so the gambling can begin. There will be four events in total, with the HK$11,000 Main Event taking centre stage.
