WGM#38 NOV/DEC 2015
The Macau gaming industry is synonymous with junkets. First started by none other than Stanley Ho in the 1960s, these junkets and the VIP gamblers they provide have played a vital role in Macau’s rise over the past decade. However, the recent downturn has changed the landscape in this unique part of the world with the junket business suffering more than any other and a number of VIP rooms being forced to close in Macau over the past 12 months. So what does the future hold? In this issue of WGM, we speak exclusively to the Chairman of one of Macau’s biggest junket operators Tak Chun Group, Mr Levo Chan, about the current gaming climate, his expectations for the coming years and why Tak Chun has expanded while other junkets have slowed right down. Poker fans will enjoy our lengthy and intriguing interview with World Series of Poker (WSOP) Tournament Director Jack Effel who explains just how much goes into organizing the world’s biggest tournament series each and every year as well as regaling us with some of his favorite stories from the past. We tackle the smoking debate as Macau’s legislators decide whether to allow smoking in specially designated smoking lounges or ban the habit altogether, while our responsible gambling series sees us visit one of Macau’s main problem gambling treatment centres. In sport, we look at Manchester United’s big gamble on teen star Anthony Martial as well as examining which of the world’s major sports would benefit most from cracking the lucrative Chinese market. And our resident party animal tells us all about one of Macau’s newest trendy nightspots – Ritz-Carlton Bar & Lounge.
The Macau gaming industry is synonymous with junkets. First started by none other than Stanley Ho in the 1960s, these junkets and the VIP gamblers they provide have played a vital role in Macau’s rise over the past decade.
However, the recent downturn has changed the landscape in this unique part of the world with the junket business suffering more than any other and a number of VIP rooms being forced to close in Macau over the past 12 months. So what does the future hold? In this issue of WGM, we speak exclusively to the Chairman of one of Macau’s biggest junket operators Tak Chun Group, Mr Levo Chan, about the current gaming climate, his expectations for the coming years and why Tak Chun has expanded while other junkets have slowed right down.
Poker fans will enjoy our lengthy and intriguing interview with World Series of Poker (WSOP) Tournament Director Jack Effel who explains just how much goes into organizing the world’s biggest tournament series each and every year as well as regaling us with some of his favorite stories from the past.
We tackle the smoking debate as Macau’s legislators decide whether to allow smoking in specially designated smoking lounges or ban the habit altogether, while our responsible gambling series sees us visit one of Macau’s main problem gambling treatment centres.
In sport, we look at Manchester United’s big gamble on teen star Anthony Martial as well as examining which of the world’s major sports would benefit most from cracking the lucrative Chinese market.
And our resident party animal tells us all about one of Macau’s newest trendy nightspots – Ritz-Carlton Bar & Lounge.
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扑 克<br />
Poker<br />
撰 稿 : 栏 外 痴 人<br />
过 去 几 个 月 , 栏 外 痴 人 紧 锣 密 鼓 地 飞 往 越 南 , 回 到 澳 门 , 奔<br />
赴 拉 斯 维 加 斯 的 世 界 扑 克 锦 标 赛 (WSOP), 再 回 澳 门 - 能<br />
够 在 家 小 住 一 段 时 日 感 觉 甚 是 不 错 , 只 有 两 场 亚 洲 扑 克 巡 回<br />
赛 (APT) 赛 事 在 栏 外 痴 人 的 雷 达 之 上 , 均 在 菲 律 宾 举 行 。<br />
第 一 站 是 美 丽 的 宿 务 , 若 干 项 纪 录 在 此 打 破 。 处 在 这<br />
场 赛 事 镁 光 灯 之 下 的 别 无 他 人 , 正 是 三 次 APT 年 度 最 佳 玩 家<br />
(POY) 称 号 获 得 者 Sam Razavi!<br />
Razavi 向 史 无 前 例 的 连 续 第 四 个 POY 头 衔 发 起 冲 击 , 其<br />
间 将 自 己 对 APT 赛 事 的 主 宰 提 升 到 了 惊 人 的 新 高 度 , 一 人 狂<br />
揽 四 场 边 赛 冠 军 ! 这 位 英 国 人 分 别 拿 下 慈 善 赛 、PLO、 快 速<br />
高 额 赛 和 六 人 桌 , 共 获 赢 金 502,500 比 索 (84,700 港 元 )。<br />
对 挪 威 选 手 Henrik Tollefsen 来 说 , 这 也 是 一 场 历 史<br />
性 赛 事 。 他 成 为 第 一 位 两 次 在 APT 主 赛 折 桂 的 牌 手 , 上 次 胜<br />
利 是 在 2013 年 APT 澳 门 站 。<br />
首 轮 比 赛 吸 引 了 160 人 前 来 挑 战 ,Tollefsen 迅 速 取 得<br />
筹 码 领 先 地 位 , 成 为 冠 军 的 有 力 争 夺 者 , 并 始 终 牢 牢 盘 踞 在<br />
排 行 榜 的 顶 端 。<br />
决 战 桌 上 不 乏 高 手 , 包 括 日 本 人 Iori Yogo( 第 三 名 )<br />
和 Roger Spets( 亚 军 ) 等 。 他 继 续 出 色 发 挥 , 摘 得 头 衔 并<br />
将 1,717,000 比 索 (289,790 港 元 ) 奖 金 收 入 囊 中 。<br />
宿 务 之 后 , 下 一 站 是 APT 马 尼 拉 站 , 在 美 丽 的 马 尼 拉 云<br />
顶 世 界 举 行 。 新 加 坡 人 Yah Loon 夺 得 他 的 第 一 个 APT 头 衔 以<br />
及 3,503,600 比 索 (589,380 港 元 ) 头 奖 。<br />
Loon 通 常 是 一 名 现 金 赛 玩 家 , 比 赛 中 展 现 出 超 强 的 自<br />
律 能 力 , 从 341 人 的 参 赛 阵 容 中 脱 颖 而 出 。<br />
“ 我 在 Pavilion 玩 过 一 次 , 还 不 幸 成 为 泡 沫 人 , 但 这<br />
是 我 参 加 过 的 最 大 阵 容 ,” 他 说 起 这 场 胜 利 。“ 我 只 是 打 好<br />
手 里 的 牌 , 和 在 现 金 赛 中 一 样 的 打 法 。 他 们 看 我 打 得 较 紧 ,<br />
我 得 以 几 次 诈 牌 , 成 功 偷 走 底 池 。”<br />
<strong>2015</strong> 年 APT 以 在 柬 埔 寨 和 越 南 的 赛 事 结 束 , 随 后 将 重 回<br />
马 尼 拉 , 在 APT 扑 克 室 展 开 APT 总 决 赛 。<br />
访 问 我 们 的 网 站 www.wgm8.com 查 阅 并 评 论 WGM 刊 登 的 所 有 文 章 。<br />
Yah Loon 在 APT 马 尼 拉 站 夺 魁<br />
Yah Loon prevailed at<br />
APT Manila<br />
Sam Razavi 豪 取 APT 宿 务 站 四 场 边 赛 桂 冠<br />
Sam Razavi won four side events at<br />
APT Cebu<br />
Henrik Tollefsen 在 宿 务 成 为 APT 首 位 两 次<br />
主 赛 冠 军 得 主<br />
Henrik Tollefsen became the APT's first<br />
two-time champion in Cebu<br />
After a busy few months that saw me fly to Vietnam, return to Macau,<br />
across to Las Vegas for the World Series of Poker and back to Macau again,<br />
it’s been nice to stay close to home for a while with just two Asian Poker<br />
Tour (APT) events on Railbird Ronny’s radar – both of them in the Philippines.<br />
First stop was the beautiful province of Cebu, where a number of<br />
records tumbled. And who else should it be at the heart of the action? None<br />
other than three-time APT Player of the Year Sam Razavi!<br />
Already on track for an unprecedented fourth consecutive POY title,<br />
Razavi took his dominance of the APT to absurd new levels in Cebu as he<br />
proceeded to win an incredible four side events! The Englishman won the<br />
Ante Up for Charity, PLO, Deep Stack Turbo and 6-handed events for a total<br />
of PHP502,500 (HK$84,700) in winnings.<br />
It also proved to be a historic event for Norway’s Henrik Tollefsen, who<br />
became the first two-time APT Main Event champion following his previous<br />
success at APT Macau in 2013.<br />
Tollefsen was one of 160 players to take their seat on Day 1 and quickly<br />
emerged as the one to beat as he surged into the chip lead and never strayed<br />
too far from his place near the top of the leaderboard.<br />
He then managed to outlast a tough final table that boasted the likes<br />
of Japan’s Iori Yogo, who finished third, and runner-up Roger Spets to claim<br />
the title and a PHP1,717,000 (HK$289,790) payday.<br />
From Cebu it was off to APT Manila at the beautiful Resorts World<br />
Manila, where Singapore’s Yah Loon won his first ever APT title and a top<br />
prize of PHP3,503,600 (HK$589,380).<br />
Usually a cash game player, Loon showed great discipline to keep it tight<br />
and outlast a field of 341 players.<br />
“I played at the Pavilion once and I actually bubbled but this is the<br />
biggest field I’ve played,” he said of his victory. “I just played my game, the<br />
way I would play in cash games. Because they see I am tight, I also bluffed<br />
several times and stole pots.”<br />
The Asian Poker Tour rounds out <strong>2015</strong> with events in Cambodia and<br />
Vietnam before heading back to Manila for the APT Finale in the APT Poker<br />
Room.<br />
Visit our website www.wgm8.com to read and comment on every article ever published by WGM.<br />
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