Red Dragon Fires Up

Red Dragon Fires Up

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The tension is rising in Macau this February as the legendary PokerStars Macau Red Dragon main event of the Macau Poker Cup has been scaled up to even loftier heights than previous events. The change that players will no doubt take particular interest in is the prize pool swelling to a guaranteed sum of HKD $3,000,000. Thats a fair chunk of money in anyones book. But if history is anything to go by, those vying for a piece will have their work cut out for them with the field certain to attract even tougher competition.

Other noteworthy changes include a slightly increased buy-in to HKD $11,000 and a 50 per cent greater starting stack of 15,000 in chips. This, of course, will allow a lot more breathing room for those wanting to make early plays and steal any pots off more timid opponents without risking their entire stack. The result will be a more sophisticated and entertaining game as players are put to the test on their early reads and commitment to taking down hands at every opportunity.

As Macaus longest running regional poker tournament, the Macau Poker Cup has enjoyed an enthusiastic following among an increasingly global field. Since it was first held in May 2008, the Red Dragon main event has gone from strength to strength. However, you could say that it had to, with the very first tournament attracting only a small field of just 33 players.

Then, in 2009, the first of four Red Dragon main events saw 112 players enter for a total prize pool of HKD $1,052,800. This healthy turnout resulted in organisers declaring the following Red Dragon main events to have a guaranteed prize pool of HKD $1,000,000. From then on, player numbers have kept growing with peaks of 247 players in October 2009s event and then 321 players in September 2010. Whether its because of the increased prize winnings or pokers general surge in popularity in the region is a matter for debate, but perhaps its a combination of both.

Recent winners of the Red Dragon main event have included PokerStars qualifier Kenichi Takarabe from Japan who took home HKD $617,700 in July 2010. In the following event in September, James McCarty, who also hails from Japan, snatched the title out from massive chip leader and Macau local Wai Cheng Keong to earn his HKD $643,000 in tournament winnings.

Another consideration for players in all MPC events is the fact that points go towards the Asia Player of the Year (APOY) standings. The big incentive to win this in 2011 is not only bragging rights but also to score a one year sponsorship deal with PokerStars Macau. 2010s APOY winner is Team PokerStars Pro Bryan Huang from Singapore who is keen to follow up his recent success with a back-to-back title. In fact, after finishing second to Takerabe in July 2010s Red Dragon main event, theres no question hell be gunning extra hard for the top spot this time around. And we cant wait to see what happens.

For a full list of scheduled events during the MPC tournament go to http://www.pokerstarsmacau.com/macau_cup and dont forget to return to the table at Poker Portal Asia for all the MPC highlights and results.

About the Author:
Poker Portal Asia (PPA) delivers poker-related news, features, updates and other information that matters to the Asian poker community and beyond. If it's poker in Asia, PPA got it covered.



Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com


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