Smoking Aces: Poker’s Dramatic Rise in Asia
Author: Rosette Siriban
10 years ago, Poker in Asia was a virtually unknown commodity and you couldn’t pick out a poker player from a crowd. Today, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t play the game, or at the very least, doesn’t know how it works.
While it was popular across America -- specifically in California -- and some parts of Europe, poker remained in the dark among Asian countries. For a long time, land-based companies have expressed interest in pursuing the Asian market but have been largely unsuccessful in part because most of these countries – with the exception of Macau – banned any form of gambling. As a result, poker remained a Western game, completely detached from the East.
10 years later and it’s a different story altogether.
It’s no secret that poker's popularity experienced an unprecedented surge with the introduction of online poker. Not only that but broadcasts of the World Series of Poker and the World Poker Tour introduced the game to millions of casual viewers.
But most importantly, poker’s introduction to Asia happened because the countries slowly began to open its collective arms to land-based and on-line gambling.
The allure of Asia as a poker crazy region comes as no surprise considering almost half of the world’s population can be found there. China and India alone comprise almost 2.5 billion people when combined and that’s not even counting Indonesia, Japan, and the Philippines -- densely populated countries in their own right. With all these people starting to get familiarized with the game and the attraction that comes with it, it was only a matter of time before poker games and poker tournaments exploded in the region.
And now, to say that Texas Hold ‘Em, unquestionably the most popular type of poker, is being played everywhere is a vast understatement. Poker rooms are sprouting like full-blown seeds all over Asia. Macau, a baccarat-dominated country, is slowly beginning to experience the thrill that is poker. In recent years, it has hosted numerous poker tournaments including the Asian Poker Tour Macau 2008. Incidentally, the APT now has its very own poker room at the Galaxy StarWorld Hotel and Casino.
Even in the Philippines, poker is growing faster than you can say, “All-In!” The country has hosted its fair share of tournaments not the least of which is the Asian Poker Tour. As a matter of fact, the success of last year’s APT tournament – which drew well over 316 poker players from all over the world – has resulted in the APT holding another tournament to kick off its 2009 season. The Asian Poker Tour Philippines 2009 will be held from January 27 to February 1, 2009 at the Dusit Thani Manila Hotel and it is widely expected that some of the best poker players from around the world will participate in the event.
Asian poker players have also become instrumental in the propagation of poker in Asia. Some of the best poker players in the world, including Johnny Chan, Men “The Master” Nguyen, JC Tran, Nam Le, Steve Sung, Quinn Do, David Rheem and Kwang Soo Lee all trace their roots in Asia and their impact in the world poker scene hasn’t gone unnoticed.
With the meteoric rise of poker in Asia, it only seems inevitable that more and more of the future top players of poker will come from the region. It’s a testament to a game that only ten years ago was not even an afterthought. From the darkness of obscurity, poker has risen to become one of the most popular games in Asia.
With the way things are going, it’s a safe bet that poker is far from reaching its peak popularity and that’s good news, not only for Asia, but for the entire world.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/art-and-entertainment-articles/smoking-aces-pokers-dramatic-rise-in-asia-694612.html
About the Author
Kirby Garlitos is the Marketing and Communications Coordinator of Asian Poker Tour. He also writes articles about poker and the like. Visit www.asianpt.com for more.
Rosette Siriban has been in the SEO industry for more than 4 years now. She is currently the SEO (Search Engine Optimization) Specialist of Asian Poker Tour and other brands.
[TEMPLATE]cannibis[/TEMPLATE]
rate this poem from one to ten and tell me what i should name it?
i didn’t even write this til right after i filled out this smug question box.god’s face looks like sadness took a dump on a pile of depression then ripped it’s arms off and threw them into a canyon filled with grizzly bears and rabbid baboons. if i could meet van gogh i’d punch him in the face for his biggotive portrayal of potatos. i sit around on a pile of wet leaves for hours thinking about burning down every tree on the f*c*ing planet. i am planning a trip to sea world where i will dump 50 barrels of crude oil in the tank where they keep al the seals and when they all flop out covered in black goop i will crack them in the head with an spade shovel and then use their blubber to make fancy designer scented candles and bath soap. i make money so i can burn it while making small children inhale the fumes in a tent to test the biological effect of smoking illusions. will someone tell those indonesian children to make better stitches cuz my nikes are always coming apart after…
5 or 6 puppies. extra special sauce on my big mac(that means baby blood).
this is some deep sh!t. u really dug deep and let out some pretty strong feelings…
as a poem, i’d give it a 5 its messy, not bcuz of the words but the way u put the words. it doesnt flow like a poem should.
i wont crucify u for saying a lot of things i dont agree on in this “poem”.
a good name-or at least the best pone i can think of now- Hatred mantra or such is life(or life is such)
Can you believe this shit? Im having an argument with my neighbor about a broken fence.?
he claims that my dog broke the fence when my dog is on a chain and cant reach the fence. Its his dog..ive seen the damn mutt do it. So anyway he comes over last night freaking out screaming at me to fix the fence, i tell him to go f*** himself. About 20 min later the cops show up telling me he called them and smelled marijuana in my home. well i smoke cloves so i invite the cops in and they smell my cigs and decide that my neighbor is a jackass. my hubby tried to go talk to him about what his issue is but he wouldnt even open the door. this just happened last night. our kids play together and now im not even sure how to handle this. i left this note on his door today……..
Just to make you aware, your call to the police department last night apparently did not go the way you thought it would, did it?
You should really learn the difference between Indonesian clove cigarettes and marijuana before you call the police and file a false claim of drug use against your neighbors. When the police showed up to my home, I invited them in and they took a full look around. After witnessing for themselves that the smell you claimed was marijuana turned out to be nothing more than a perfectly legal clove cigarette their advice to me was to watch out for my “vengeful” neighbor. They also offered me an opportunity to file a complaint against you for a false claim. I turned them down because I certainly am not going to get into this nonsense with you, when we both know it has to do with a fence.
First of all, I realize that I was certainly less than polite to you. I was greatly distressed that you would send a 10 year old child to discuss the repair of the fence with me. You came to my home 3 times in less than 24 hours. That is excessive. I am very sorry that the fence was not repaired to your liking in the time frame that you wanted but that is no excuse to call the police and lie to them. Do you really think the police would come into my home and smell marijuana and not arrest me? I think not.
The hole in the fence was repaired the second that my husband got home from work. He attempted to go over and make sure that you were satisfied with the repair but you refused to open the door for him….who could blame you when you know you had filed a false drug use complaint….but the hole in the fence is gone and there is no way your dog should be able to come into our yard again. My dog is on a chain and will stay that way so you don’t have to worry about him coming into your yard. If you are not satisfied with the way the fence has been fixed then call the owner of the home. He has let this home go into foreclosure so I am sure you will understand when I say I will not sink one dime into any repair of the home or fence.
Your wife is such a lovely person and we have never had an issue over anything but the fence…..I have been more than helpful to your family allowing your son to stay in my home and use my phone to call someone during the many occasions that he has been locked out of his home after school and I am appalled that you have the nerve to file false police charges of drug use because you are angry over the way I spoke to you over the fence. I will be going to the police department to get a copy of the complaint form, which the police have assured me will validate that it was a fraudulent complaint that you made to them.
Do not set foot on our property and if you ever file a false complaint against my family again I will press full charges against you and you will be hearing from my attorney (who I spoke to this morning) when I sue you for slander…
You calling the police and lying about what could be very serious charges because you are angry over a broken board in the fence is just sick….you need help. Its such a shame as well that you would do that considering that our children play together. Maybe you should worry about whats going on in your own home instead of making mistaken judgement about whats going on in mine.
Do you guys think its to much or was it the right thing to do??? just wondering how you would handle it.
That’s nonsense, never heard of something over a damn fence. But anyways, that’s what I would have done in your sitation with your crazy neighbor (watch out, he/she’s losing their minds literally according to what you said)..
I completely agree with you, I’d do feel the same way you do about this.
What would you do in this situation??
he claims that my dog broke the fence when my dog is on a chain and cant reach the fence. Its his dog..ive seen the damn mutt do it.He sends his ten year old son to ask me when i am going to fix the fence and i tell the kid that i dont have the wood yet and when i do i will fix the fence. So anyway the dad comes over last night freaking out screaming at me to fix the fence, i tell him to go f*** himself. About 20 min later the cops show up telling me he called them and smelled marijuana in my home. well i smoke cloves so i invite the cops in and they smell my cigs and decide that my neighbor is a jackass. my hubby tried to go talk to him about what his issue is but he wouldnt even open the door. this just happened last night. our kids play together and now im not even sure how to handle this. i left this note on his door today……..
Just to make you aware, your call to the police department last night apparently did not go the way you thought it would, did it?
You should really learn the difference between Indonesian clove cigarettes and marijuana before you call the police and file a false claim of drug use against your neighbors. When the police showed up to my home, I invited them in and they took a full look around. After witnessing for themselves that the smell you claimed was marijuana turned out to be nothing more than a perfectly legal clove cigarette their advice to me was to watch out for my “vengeful” neighbor. They also offered me an opportunity to file a complaint against you for a false claim. I turned them down because I certainly am not going to get into this nonsense with you, when we both know it has to do with a fence.
First of all, I realize that I was certainly less than polite to you. I was greatly distressed that you would send a 10 year old child to discuss the repair of the fence with me. You came to my home 3 times in less than 24 hours. That is excessive. I am very sorry that the fence was not repaired to your liking in the time frame that you wanted but that is no excuse to call the police and lie to them. Do you really think the police would come into my home and smell marijuana and not arrest me? I think not.
The hole in the fence was repaired the second that my husband got home from work. He attempted to go over and make sure that you were satisfied with the repair but you refused to open the door for him….who could blame you when you know you had filed a false drug use complaint….but the hole in the fence is gone and there is no way your dog should be able to come into our yard again. My dog is on a chain and will stay that way so you don’t have to worry about him coming into your yard. If you are not satisfied with the way the fence has been fixed then call the owner of the home. He has let this home go into foreclosure so I am sure you will understand when I say I will not sink one dime into any repair of the home or fence.
Your wife is such a lovely person and we have never had an issue over anything but the fence…..I have been more than helpful to your family allowing your son to stay in my home and use my phone to call someone during the many occasions that he has been locked out of his home after school and I am appalled that you have the nerve to file false police charges of drug use because you are angry over the way I spoke to you over the fence. I will be going to the police department to get a copy of the complaint form, which the police have assured me will validate that it was a fraudulent complaint that you made to them.
Do not set foot on our property and if you ever file a false complaint against my family again I will press full charges against you and you will be hearing from my attorney (who I spoke to this morning) when I sue you for slander…
You calling the police and lying about what could be very serious charges because you are angry over a broken board in the fence is just sick….you need help. Its such a shame as well that you would do that considering that our children play together. Maybe you should worry about whats going on in your own home instead of making mistaken judgement about whats going on in mine.
Do you guys think its to much or was it the right thing to do??? just wondering how you would handle it.
Just to clarify…I have fixed the fence that his dog tears down over 5 times in the past month. I fix it because it causes less drama with the neighbors..even tho i am not the cause of the damage…the new damage to the fence that he was screaming about just happened less than 12 hours before he came over screaming his head off.
the fence has been repaired…within 6 hours of me finding out that his dog ripped it apart again….i have paid for all the wood and made all the repairs just because it is easier.
Apparently you agree that it is upon you to fix the fence or you would not have told the kid that you hadn’t gotten the wood yet. I suggest you stop dragging your feet and repair the fence. Why are you delaying?
As for the false claim, you have every right to be angry. I do suggest you take steps to clear your name.
Why not settle this all by fixing the fence and staying out of each others way?
Hey liberals please explain away this tidbit about Barry’s education ! Whea ! he is a real American !?
This registration document, made available on Jan. 24, 2007, by the Fransiskus Assisi school in Jakarta, Indonesia, shows the registration of Barack Obama under the name Barry Soetoro made by his step-father, Lolo Soetoro.
Name: Barry Soetoro
Religion: Islam
Nationality: Indonesian
How did this little INDONESIAN Muslim child – Barry Soetoro, (A.K.A. Barack Obama) get around the issue of nationality to become President of the United States of America ?
PART 2:
In a move certain to fuel the debate over Obama’s qualifications for the presidency, the group “Americans for Freedom of Information” has released copies of President Obama’s college transcripts from Occidental College …
The transcript indicates that Obama, under the name Barry Soetoro, received financial aid as a foreign student from Indonesia while an undergraduate at the school.. The transcript was released by Occidental College in compliance with a court order in a suit brought by the group in the Superior Court of California. The transcript shows that Obama (Soetoro) applied for financial aid and was awarded a fellowship for foreign students from the Fulbright Foundation Scholarship program. To qualify for this scholarship, a student must claim foreign citizenship.
This document provides the smoking gun that many of Obama’s detractors have been seeking – that he is NOT a natural-born citizen of the United States – necessary to be President of the United States . Along with the evidence that he was first born in Kenya , here we see that there is no record of him ever applying for US citizenship..
Gary Kreep of the United States Justice Foundation has released the results of their investigation of Obama’s campaign spending. This study estimates that Obama has spent upwards of $950,000 in campaign funds in the past year with eleven law firms in 12 states for legal resources to block disclosure of any of his personal records.
Mr. Kreep indicated that the investigation is still on-going but that the final report will be provided to the U.S.. attorney general, Eric Holder.
Mr. Holder has refused comment on this matter.
Sorry I couldn’t include the copy of the actual document and the picture of the happy family ! I do have it in my emails if anyone wants to really see it !
keep it in my head it is partof a court action it is public record now ! Try to igonre ! It isn’t going away!
mumtuz why are you here , you use that answer for every real question on here ! too hot in the kitchen for you ?
tribeca oh please this is how he went to college ! It has been releasedas a court document under orders from the court !
Can liberal not read or they just won’t this is a court ordered release of his records !
Please post any links you have. Or email me…. same as my YA name.
I had heard Obama sealed all his educational records. Where did you hear Occidental College actually released them? I had heard rumors early last year that Obama had applied as a foreign student there.
What a lot of people don’t realize is this: even if there is no proof that Obama was born in Kenya, that still doesn’t put him in the clear. His mother married Mr. Soetero in Indonesia, and according to some, he adopted “Barry”. Indonesia does NOT allow for dual citizenship, so by being adopted he renounced any claim to American citizenship.
Also his mother was not yet 19 when she gave birth and the 1940 U.S. Immigration & Naturalization Act is clear about this: she cannot automatically pass on citizenship.
Another little interesting tidbit is that there is no record of Obama having a U.S. passport before he got into the Illinois Legislature. However, by his own accounts he had travelled…. to Pakistan and other places. Interestingly, there was a high level travel alert about Pakistan for Americans. While I do not believe the State Department was actually forbidding Americans from travelling there (1980/1981), it is interesting that Obama seems to have had no problems, probably because he was travelling on an INDONESIAN passport.
What do you think of the 2 year old Indonesian kid smoking 40 cigarettes per day?
I found on the internet on several sites about a baby who started smoking at 18 months. He started smoking because his father gave him a cigarette and now he is 2 years old and smokes 40 cigarettes per day and his mother feels powerless to do anything about it because he chucks tamtrens and she is afraid he would put on weight. I am horrified and disgusted that this is allowed to be published on the internet on several sites. Why do these parents still have their child in their care? Why isn’t docs taking the child away from the parents? Why isn’t the authorities taking this child away and placing in rehab to get of the addiction? I am very concerned about the videos I have seen and the pictures on several sites. It brings tears to my eyes. What do you think?
I think it is absolutely disgusting! I am a mother of a 3 and 8 year old. I am also a smoker. I am currently trying to quit and I am loving the new smoking bans they are doing. I hope that cigarettes will be made illegal by the time my children are old enough. Any mother who says they cannot control their 18 month old enough to take cigarettes away from them is insane. I think the parents of that child need to be locked up and throw away the key. They make me sick. I know all about temper tantrums because my 3 year old is a major handful but the day i give him cigarettes because he throws a fit for them is the day i shoud go to jail. That was the worst video i have ever seen and i hope something is done about it.