The PokerStars.net Asia Pacific Poker Tour is up there with the premier tournament tours for players in Asia and Down Under.
Similar in nature to PokerStars' ANZPT, the APPT covers several Asian and Australasian nations, features large fields, huge production values fit for TV, and incredible prizes for the winners. The most recent season 10 of the APPT kicked off in Macao at the Macau' poker room. It then headed to Seoul, South Korea where the APPT Seoul Festival of Poker was also taking place. Manila and Melbourne were additional hosting stops for the massive event; however, nothing took the place of passing the chips at the tables of Macao.
With an interesting blend of established global poker pros and local talent, plus a bunch of qualifiers satellite-ing in via cheap tourneys on PokerStars, the APPT boasts one of the most eclectic playing crowds around.
If you want to qualify for the 2024 Asia Pacific Poker Tour, you can earn your seat by playing at any of the great sites we've rated and reviewed.
A Brief History Of The APPT
While poker players in Europe and Latin America have had exciting regional tours of their own sponsored by PokerStars (EPT and LAPT), players in Asia and Australasia were probably feeling a little neglected by the world's largest poker sites.
But with the introduction of the Australia New Zealand Poker Tour (ANZPT) and now the Asia Pacific Poker Tour, players can get their fill of well-run live events.
Each season, four or five events run throughout a variety of different venues in Asia. Australia, New Zealand, Korea, and the Philippines have all had the honour of hosting APPT poker tournaments, though Macau is generally considered the most prestigious event of the tour.
The APPT began in 2007 and five events were held in its first season. The tournament series just completed the tenth season which ended with the Asia Championship of Poker (ACOP) in November 2016 at Macau's City of Dreams. There, a HKD$100,000 buy-in event will see champions and challengers from around the Asian and Australasian region do battle.
Notable Winners of the Past APPT
Just as with the ANZPT, the APPT has attracted some big turnouts, and bigger names, to its games. Canadian pro, Randy "nanonoko" Lew took down the APPT Macau event in 2011 for a payout of HKD$3,772,000 ($500,000) when he defeated a field of 575 - a record turnout at the time - to cement his place in APPT lore.
Lew's win brought to an end Australian domination on the tour, as one season earlier, Australian pro Aaron Benton took down the Grand Final for a first prize of AUD$594,000.
Season 4 of the tour also saw high-publicity legs in a series that took in stops in the Philippines, Australia, New Zealand and Macau. The season came to an exciting close at the Star City Casino in Sydney when online pro, Jonathan Karamalikis won the title and a huge AUD$459,510.
The Season 4 Grand Final was notable for its abundance of big-name pros, with PokerStars-sponsored legend, Daniel Negreanu, reaching the final table that year. It wasn't to be for Kid Poker, but Negreanu still cashed in 9th place for a respectable AUD$36,415 payday.
2016 ACOP Winner
Vladimir Geshkenbein from Switzerland was the proud winner of $5,643,000. The 28 year old beat Neel Murphy and even coveted the "Spadie" trophy. He is the only poker player to win a title on the European Poker Tour and the Asia Pacific Poker Tour. The odds of anyone ever managing this again are relatively low. Geshkenbein, who was highly recognized for the cool velvet jacket he wore to the event said "It's awesome,". We think so too!So, You Want To Qualify For The APPT?
Over the course of the APPT, millions of Aussie dollars have been paid out in gambling joints across the continent and beyond, with established pros and budding amateurs alike sharing the spoils over the Texas Hold'em tables.
So, how can you qualify for one of the legs that typically carry an AUD$3,000 buy-in?
Well, the tour's sponsor, PokerStars.net, carries every online satellite imaginable so you can book your seat in an APPT leg for just a few bucks. In fact, many APPT winners and cashers have booked their seats online, so you won't be alone.
Look for Giveaways, Free VIP Tickets & APPT Prizes From PokerStars
You can find all the upcoming, scheduled events on the PokerStars website. Just scroll over to the ‘Tournament’ tab and discover year-round action. Players on the PokerStars site should check back regularly for awesome prizes which include free entries to the APPT or other live poker event. You can also take advantage of other promotions that could help you to get your foot in the door to some of the best poker tournaments on the planet.