Casino News

PokerPlayer predicts rise of Asian card playing

2008-09-05 15:37:41

Poker will eventually become a massive sport in Asia as it has in the US and Europe, one expert has suggested.

Dave Woods, editor of PokerPlayer magazine, said that while rapid success may be unlikely due to the game not being played much in the continent historically, a high proportion of gambling enthusiasts in the region should lead to steady growth.

"I think it will gradually deepen and I think it will become big over there because it's a very good competitive gambling game," he remarked.

A high proportion of the world's best poker players have roots in Asia, including Johnny Chan, Chau Giang, John Juanda, Men Nguyen, David Pham and David Chiu.

However, the continent cannot boast a major tournament yet, with the fledgling Asia Pacific Poker Tour and Asian Poker Tour both relatively minor when compared to the European Poker Tour, World Poker Tour and World Series of Poker.