by Mario Alfonsi | Published on Feb 12, 2021 | Updated on Feb 12, 2021
Following the recent success of the Lucky Hearts Poker Open at the Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood, Florida, the World Poker Tour’s (WPT) second major event of the year has just kicked off, but this time it’s taking place exclusively on a real-money app.
The WPT Spring Festival started on February 11 and will run till Feb 22. This online poker festival comes with a huge guarantee of ¥12 million (approx. $1.85 million). The series features a total of 13 numbered events that will all take place on the Poker King mobile app. It’s a first-of-its-kind festival, according to the WPT’s Angelica Hael.
The series will culminate in the Main Event, which costs ¥2,000 (approx. $300) to enter and offers ¥10 million (approx. $1.5 million) in guaranteed prize pool. The event gets underway on February 17 and features three Day 1s, with the finale taking place on February 22. The Main Event final table will also be livestreamed.
World Poker Tour
Apart from the Main Event, the schedule also includes a ¥10,000 ($1,500) High Roller on February 20 which comes with a ¥400,000 ($62,000) guarantee, as well as a ¥200 ($31) Mini Main Event with ¥500,000 ($77,000) in guaranteed prize money. It kicks off on February 14.
There are also events for players and fans of poker games such as NLHE Heads-Up, Deepstack, Pot-Limit Omaha, Progressive Knockout, and Short Deck.
Exclusive to Asian Players
A huge festival offering $1.85 million in guaranteed prize money that can be won at the touch of a button – sounds great, right? But here’s the catch – not everyone will be able to take part in the series as the tournaments are restricted to players based in Asia.
Poker King’s mobile version can be accessed via the Poker King network in Asia, which mainly caters to players in different Asian regions, including China, Vietnam, and Thailand. So if you’re currently not a resident of these countries, you will not be able to compete in the WPT Spring Festival.
Many may be unfamiliar with Poker King, but it is currently represented by two of the world’s top poker pros, Phil Ivey and Tom Dwan, both of whom will take part in the WPT Spring Festival. Other celebrities confirming their attendance are NBA legend Allen Iverson, as well as American actor, rapper and comedian Andy Milonakis.
There’s speculation that choosing Poker King as the official host and sponsor of the latest WPT festival is linked to the recent sale of the brand to Element Partners LLC. Poker King could be associated with the WPT’s new owners, though this still needs to be confirmed.
