The Global Poker Index has increased its footprint in China after partnering with China’s largest online poker room, Tencent Poker, in a move that will see players who compete in the Tencent Poker Tour have their points recognised by the GPI.
Is the next poker boom going to be in China?
If it is, the Global Poker Index (GPI) and Global Poker League (GPL) will be ready and waiting after founder Alex Dreyfus entered into an agreement with China’s largest online poker platform Tencent Poker.
The new arrangement will see the GPI incorporate the Tencent Poker Tour (TPT) into their ranking system. Players participating in TPT events will see the GPI points awarded as they currently do for the World Series of Poker (WSOP), World Poker Tour (WPT), PokerStars Championships and thousands of other tournaments operating globally. The GPI ranks 460,000 players competing in 97 countries, now including the country with the largest population in the world.
Very proud to have @GPI in Tencent Poker powered by the largest Chinese internet company. pic.twitter.com/Se5590jwyJ
— Alexandre Dreyfus (@alex_dreyfus) October 17, 2016
It’s good news for the GPI/GPL’s exposure in mainland China as Tencent will use their enormous marketing muscle to promote the GPI. Earlier this year, the former WSOP Main Event champion, and GPL Montreal Nationals star, Martin Jacobson, visited China to do some promotional work with Tencent Poker and was greeted by fans at the airport like he was the fifth Beatle proving what a draw professional poker is in China.
In the coming weeks, the GPI will create dedicated Chinese rankings on the site. The team are also working towards the launch of a GPI Awards Ceremony in China similar to the European Poker Awards (EPA) and American Poker Awards (APA) sometime in 2017.
The press release also stated that they would launch a GPL China in 2017.
In April, the GPI partnered with one of China’s leading digital sports media firms, Sina Sports, to showcase the very best GPL action throughout mainland China.
