The Hong Kong Poker Tour (HKPT), the brand new Hong Kong poker tournament brand for 2023, organized the HKPT Danang Vietnam (HKPT Danang) in Hoi An, Vietnam.
HKPT Danang Vietnam 2023
Date : September 19, 2023 – September 29, 2023
Place : Hoiana Resort & Golf, Hoi An, Vietnam
The series was headlined by Dan “Jungleman” Cates, known for playing poker in unusual disguises, and Poker Dream founder Winfred Yu.
Hong Kong Poker Tour
HKPT is a Hong Kong tournament brand founded by Ricky Cheung and Kathy Yeung, who also participated in the APL last May.
<Kathy Yeung (L), Ricky Cheung (R) / Source: HKPT>.
The brand’s inaugural series, HKPT Korea, was held at Paradise City in Incheon. The series, which took place in late June, spanned six days with a $100 million guarantee, with the Main Event winner, Valeriy Park from Belarus, taking home $19 million from Deal.
<HKPT Korea / Source: HKPT>
The Hoi An tournament, the second in the brand’s series, will feature a ₫3B guarantee, an increase of nearly 70% from the last series. HKPT also emphasizes the fact that it is a Hong Kong tournament brand by naming a famous Hong Kong landmark or attraction in each event title.
Jungleman makes an appearance
The HKPT Danang attracted players not only from Hong Kong and Asia, such as Vietnam, Thailand, and Singapore, but also from around the world, including Canada and Belgium.
One player who stole the show was Jungleman. Arriving at Hoiana, the venue of the tournament, he appeared in his usual disguise, contrary to the expectations of the players in the series.
<Jungleman / Source: HKPT
Playing in the only multi-buy-in Main Event of the series, he made a deep run to advance to Day-2 and finish In The Money. He went on to play in the HKPT High Roller, the second largest guarantee of the series, as advertised in advance.
Next Stop, Poker Dream
After the conclusion of the HKPT Danang, Poker Dream 7 Vietnam will begin immediately. The venue is Hoiana, the same spot where HKPT Danang took place.
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<Poker Dream 7 Vietnam / Source: Poker Dream>.
Returning to Hoi An after a one-year hiatus, Poker Dream will feature the multi-buy-in system from last year for some events. The main event has a guaranteed prize pool of ₫20B, doubling from last year.
The Poker Dream series will reportedly feature Ethan “Rampage” Yau, who had a good showing at the recent WPT Australia, and last year’s GPI POY and Korean-American player Stephen Song.
<Ethan Yau (left), Stephen Song (right) / Source: WPT>
