2013 APPT Macau Asia Championship of Poker

ACOP Main Event
Day: 1a
1a1b23456
Event Info
2013 APPT Macau Asia Championship of Poker
Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
a♥k♥
Prize
4,352,000 HKD
Event Info
Buy-in
95,000 HKD
Prize Pool
19,800,000 HKD
Total Entries
203
Level Info
Level
28
Blinds
25,000 / 50,000
Ante
5,000
Players Left 1 / 203

Setting the Stage in the City of Dream

Chad Holloway
Chad Holloway
Level 1 : 50/100, 0 ante
Dealer preparing his table
Dealer preparing his table

No place in the world has grown as fabled in the poker world as Macau, a tiny island located just a short distance from the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong. For years word has spread across the globe of legendary high-stakes cash games that have attracted some of the game's best including Tom "durrrr" Dwan, Ben Lamb and Greg Merson, just to name a few. In more recent years, Macau has played host to some of the most prestigious tournaments in the East.

So what's it like in Macau, or at least here in the PokerStars Live poker room here at the City of Dreams? Let us set the stage.

The first thing that strikes you (at least this newcomer) is the grand scale of things. The buildings are similar in aesthetics compared to those in Vegas, but here in Macau they seem to be a bit bigger and better. Imagine if you can a blending of Sin City, Cannes and the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. I've been to all three and Macau seems to have incorporated the best parts of each.

You might also be surprised by the sheer number of table games on the casino floor, which in an odd twist to other gaming floors seemingly outnumber the slot machines. The poker room is comprised of a couple dozen tables, each magnificently constructed and branded with the PokerStars logo. What's more, each table is surrounded by eight high-back black leather chairs — again each with a PokerStars logo.

As far as the chips in play, there are currently five denominations:

Yellow = 5,000
Blue = 1,000
Purple = 500
White = 100
Green = 25

There are no slot machines to drown out the chip crickets, and no smoke to pollute the lungs (it's a smoke-free room). Toss in bright lighting, well-positioned monitors and friendly service, and you have one of the best venues this tournament reporter has ever been to (and believe me I've been to a lot).

Macau really is a "City of Dreams," and in the 2013 APPT Macau Asia Championship of Poker, at least one player's dream of either poker immortality, a big payday, or both will come true.