Tom 'durrrr' Dwan Returns to Macau

According to his Twitter page, nosebleed stakes sensation Tom Dwan has returned to Macau for the first time since his November 2010 visit. We take this as an opportunity to look at why Macau is overtaking Las Vegas as the poker hub for highrollers.

"Playing the 100k hk (~13k usd) highroller at pokerkingclub (starworld, macau). Tomorrow's their 10k hong kong$ main event."

Probably not the words wealthy Chinese business tycoons wanted to hear given that in November last year, Tom Dwan, Phil Ivey and John Juanda feasted on the nosebleed stakes to the tune of millions. The Chinese businessmen insist on anonymity, and filming in the casinos is strictly prohibited, so it is difficult to know the exact figures.

However, according to twoplustwo reporter Matt Savage, Dwan won $8.8 million in a single heads-up session, taking advantage of his opponent's tendency to overbet.

Dwan wasn't successful in his attempt to claim the High Roller crown, as he busted out in 8th in an event where 20 players forked out the $13k USD buy-in. That said, Dwan must surely have his eye on the lucrative high stakes cash games.

Let's look closer at how and why poker has boomed in Asia.

The APPT, Macau Poker Cup

The PokerStars APPT has been instrumental in bringing poker to the fore in Asia. Now in its fifth season, the tour offers stops in Melbourne, Queenstown, Macau and Manila. The 2011 APPT Macau involves a ten day poker festival between November 17-27, and culminates in the $30,000 HKD (approximately $3,845 US) Main Event.

Many of the buy-ins are lower than elsewhere in the world, because of Asia's rural, more impoverished regions. This didn't stop Victorino Torres picking up $418,818 US for his victory in last year's Main Event.

Kicking off tomorrow, on Saturday Aug 6, PokerStars will be hosting this year's third Macau Poker Cup. The festival's flagship tournament is the Red Dragon event, which boasts an $11,000 HKD buy-in and a $3,000,000 prize pool. Many pros will also have their eyes on the $30,000 HKD high roller event.

The Macau Skyline

Rise of Poker in Asia

Poker in the US may have taken a bad beat, but the game is expanding across Asia. Inspired by traditional beliefs in luck and superstitions, the Chinese display a penchant for gambling. It doesn't matter if its mahjong, Pai-Gow, bacarrat or poker, betting games are very popular in China.

Gambling in China also possesses a sordid underbelly in the form of dubious in-play betting circles. Last year, PokerStars busted a collusion ring of Chinese Double or Nothing SnG players, all believed to be operating in a single warehouse. With a population of 1.3 billion, and a love for the internet which manifests itself in games such as Starcraft, it's easy to see why online poker sites are trying to tap into the Chinese market.

The success of native Asian players has also helped elevate poker into the mainstream. The exuberant Scotty Nguyen and multiple WSOP bracelet winner Johnny Chan are just some of the stars who emigrated from Asia to fulfill the American Dream. The likes of J.C. Tran, Men Nguyen and Kenny Tran have also enjoyed considerable success.

More About Macau

Once a haven for drug barons and pirates, Macau has established itself as the first place to offer legal gambling in China. Macau is a densely populated area, and as well as being a tourist hotspot, it is the primary link for travel to Hong Kong.

In a wider context, the development of Macau can be attributed to the influence of globalisation and the emergence of the "Asian Tigers" - countries such as Malaysia and Singapore - as key players in global markets. China meanwhile is industrializing at an alarming rate.

The three major casinos are the Grand Lisboa, StarWorld Casino and Wynn Macau. The StarWorld Casino is where the likes of Ivey, Dwan and Antonius battled it out, and is considered a mecca for nosebleed stakes action. The Wynn meanwhile is the only venue that offers Pot-Limit Omaha action.

To find out more about live games in Macau, such as the standard of play, tune into the video below: