The Magic of MacauAs the Asian Poker Tour parks up for another Macau pit-stop, GOM bring you the heads-up on everything you need to know before planning a trip to the Vegas of the East.
Much has been made of the ailing fortunes of Macau’s casino economy of late, but with the Asian Poker Tour returning to “little Vegas” for a second straight year, the signs of a much-needed recovery are rapidly becoming evident.
For all the doom-mongering that has circulated regarding the global economic crisis and its impact on Macau’s gaming industry – where the majority of the competition actually comes courtesy of casinos owned and operated by several of Vegas’ main players – the punters have still flocked to the jewel of the East in their droves to find their poker and gambling fix.
Much like neighbouring Hong Kong, Macau is a designated special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China and therefore enjoys a high degree of autonomy from the Central People’s Government. This effectively means that the area is a free market for casino-based enterprises and boasts far laxer gaming restrictions than the rest of the Republic, making it the ideal location in Asia to stage prestigious poker events such as the APT.
This year, the tour will once again return to the StarWorld Hotel and Casino from the 12th to the 23rd of August and, like the 2008 event, will boast a comprehensive range of tournaments – including the customary HKD 32,000 buy-in main event. The APT’s show-piece tournament is a three-day long competition with three separate starting days running consecutively from 19-21 August and will once again look to generate a record-breaking prize pool for a poker tournament in Asia.
Last year, Ukraine-born American Yevgeniy Timoshenko shot to international fame after taking down the title at the 2008 main event, with the online poker pro capturing a cool HKD 3,812,200 – just shy of half a million U.S. dollars – for his stellar efforts. The win proved to be the springboard that set Timoshenko off on a sensational run of form over the next nine months, with final tables at the European Poker Tour and World Series of Poker Europe neatly capped off by his biggest ever win at the WPT World Championships earlier in the year.
In addition to the main event, the 2009 APT Macau will also boast a whopping 14 side events boasting buy-ins to suit all budgets. Returning for a second year will be the prestigious HKD 160,000 High Roller event, while the all-new “Battle of the Poker Industry Giants” and “Battle of the Nations” invitational events are also certain to capture a great deal of public and media attention.
This year’s event will also see the APT showcase their roster of featured players, with their latest ambassador David “Chino” Rheem lining up alongside tournament pros J.C. Tran, Nam Le, Quinn Do, Steve Sung and Kwang Soo Lee. The 2008 WSOP “November Nine” finalist and his fellow APT representatives will form part of what will undoubtedly be a star-studded line-up at this year’s event, with many of poker’s biggest names expected to be in attendance.
Qualifiers for the 2009 APT are currently up and running across a wide range of sites on the iPoker and Ongame networks, with Titan Poker, bwin and Dafa Poker some of the main sites offering daily satellites into the main event. If, however, the cards don’t fall your way on the virtual felt, last minute live super satellites will be running at the StarWorld Casino right up until 21 August, offering players the chance to qualify into the main event proper for as little as 5% of the entry fee.
Of course, with its rich heritage, idyllic peninsular location and wealth of contrasting cultures, it may be that sitting in a card room for 12 gruelling hours is the last thing that you’d want to do while visiting Macau. Certainly, for those wishing to take some time out from the tables and explore Macau proper, there is no shortage of sights or activities to keep even the most intrepid of explorers busy.
Being both the first and last European colony in China, Macau is to this day one of the most culturally hybrid places on earth. Its fusion of Eastern and Western influences can be traced back to the 16th century when Portuguese traders first settled in the area and did not relinquish control until the peninsula was handed over to the People’s Republic of China as recently as 1999.
Their cultural influence over the area is still evident today and Western religion, architecture and cuisine are all prominent throughout Macau, with pastel-coloured churches sat on cobblestoned streets lining up alongside traditional Buddhist and Taoist temples. The local restaurants, meanwhile, serve up a subtle blend of European and Asian inspired cuisine quite unlike anything else served throughout China.
In terms of sight-seeing around Macau, some of the peninsula’s most impressive architecture can be found at the Ruins of St. Paul’s church. Although the site is still undergoing an extensive process of renovation, the magnificent façade of the church and the grand staircase leading up to it remain one of the most dazzling Western-inspired sites in the whole of Macau.
For a more Eastern flavour of Macau’s heritage, however, visitors are advised to head over to the A-Ma Temple which predates even the arrival of the Portuguese settlers in the 16th century. The temple is a monument of prayer halls, pavilions and courtyards that were originally built to pay tribute to the sea-farers goddess, and visitors to the site will be greeted with a display involving firecrackers and traditional lion dances.
Should you be looking for something a little more contemporary, the Grand Prix museum and its array of turbo-charged machines is an absolute must for any Formula 1 fan. Built to commemorate the increasingly-popular annual Macau Grand Prix and the drivers that have contributed to its success, the museum showcases a collection of F1 memorabilia and photography guaranteed to keep any gas-heads out there occupied for hours.
Finally, when your done exploring Macau, what better way to round off a day’s sight-seeing than to kick back and take in the spectacular laser display that takes place over Nam Van Lake. Lit by 288 coloured spotlights, the impressive fountain show takes place around the clock on weekdays, while a special displays on Saturday and Sunday evenings bring a touch of Vegas decadence to Asia’s gaming Mecca.
Where to Stay:
Extravagant
Altira Macau, Avenida de Kwong Tung, Taipa, Macau
Tel: (853) 2886 8888
Email: enquiries@altiramacau.com
Formerly known as Crown Towers Macau, the six-star Altira Macau hotel is the ultimate in decadent accommodation. As the tallest building in Taipa, the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Altira’s 216 luxury guestrooms offer panoramic views over the whole of the peninsula. Designed by Peter Remédios, each elegant guestroom boasts a plasma screen TV, walk-in wardrobe, broadband access and a bathroom containing a stone-crafted bath and Japanese-style shower. All of these princely luxuries will set you back around £180 a night, but if you’re looking to push the boat out, the Altira Macau is the only place to stay.
Budget
Hotel Sintra, Avenida D. Joao IV, Macau
Tel: (853) 2871 0111
Email: rsvn@hotelsintra.com
For those who have set aside the majority of their travel budget for the rather more essential necessity of a week-long poker and gaming binge, the Hotel Sintra is the ideal compromise between comfort and affordability. Rooms will set you back around £50 and offer spacious, well-furnished suites perfect for the fly-by-night poker player. Situated ib the heart of town, the hotel is only a short walk away from the StarWorld Casino and the majority of Macau’s other major attractions, making it the ideal base-of-operations for players during the APT. Further reduced rates are also available from Sunday-Thursday each week.
Where to Eat:
Extravagant
Robuchon a Galera, Avenida da Amizad, Macau
One of Macau’s most exclusive – and expensive – restaurants, Robuchon a Galera is the flagship restaurant of renowned French chef Joel Robuchon, who prophetically passed up the opportunity to showcase his work at Maxim’s in New York in favour of setting up shop in the Hotel Lisboa. Several years later, his choice seems vindicated as the restaurant is now one of Macau’s best places to eat, with a seasonal menu of gourmet French cuisine offering delicacies such as pan-seared Wagyu beef and lobster cocotte with black truffle. Definitely one for the high-rollers.
Budget
IFT Educational Restaurant, Colina de Mong-Há
Tel: (853) 598 3077
Despite its truly uninspiring name, the Institute For Tourism Educational Restaurant is actually one of the best places in Macau to eat like a king on a shoe-string budget. All of the staff at IFT are students currently training in the field of catering, but far from that being a deterrent, all it really means is that you get the same great Macau food but at a fraction of the price. The IFT serves up an ever-changing menu of Macanese and Portuguese delicacies as the students experiment with new dishes and a great banquet spread is available every Friday. |
