The World Poker Tour (WPT) is to hold a tournament in Japan for the first time. The four-day event – organised in partnership with Japan Poker Union Corp – will be held in Tokyo, from November 23 to 26, 2017, the WPT said in a press release on Wednesday.
The WPT is a series of international poker tournaments and associated television series, with stages in the United States, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.
“Four events will be featured as part of the WPT Japan schedule and qualifying for WPT Japan events will take place at local poker clubs” in the months leading up to the November event, said the WPT.
“The World Poker Tour is honoured to partner with the Japan Poker Union Corp for this momentous occasion, not only [for] the history of the World Poker Tour, but for our industry,” said Adam Pliska, chief executive of the World Poker Tour, in a statement included in the release.
He added: “The Japanese poker market is a flourishing one that deserves to be showcased on a global stage such as the World Poker Tour.”
According to the release, prizes for all WPT Japan events will consist of packages to future WPT events. The winner of the main event “will receive a package to the Season XVII WPT Main Tour event in Beijing, plus another WPT event of their choice in the Asia-Pacific region,” said the WPT.
Commenting on the partnership, Japan Poker Union Corp representative Yabuuchi Nobuhiro said in a statement: “The World Poker Tour is the perfect brand to help launch a new chapter for poker in our country, and we look forward to hosting players from all over at WPT Japan and showcasing all that this great region has to offer.”
In recent years, the WPT has been taking steps to increase its presence in Asia, after being acquired in 2015 by Hong Kong-listed Ourgame International Holdings Ltd.
