The Asian Poker Tour is one of the first series to come back with a largely live line up this year. After the online APT India they will be running two live events in a pair of the nations which have best handled the COVID crisis: Taiwan and Vietnam.
The APT's Taiwanese leg will be broken into three parts for 2021. These will be run as the APT Taichung (February 19th – 26th), the APT Taiwan (February 27th – March 8th), and the APT Taichung Special Event (March 12th – March 15th).
As you can see by the dates, the "split" is largely nominal in practice. The series will run with one part right after the other. They are also all held in the same location: The Chinese Texas Hold'em Club in Taichung, Taiwan.
Getting there
Taiwan has strict COVID guidelines in place. This has made it one of the most successful democracies in combatting the pandemic. Make sure to check any restrictions on travel or requirements to quarantine if you are planning to travel there. A week is a long time in a pandemic, so check soon and check often.
You'll also want to check the restrictions in your own country.
Taiwan has four international airports. One of which is situated in Taichung, the island's most populous city. It can be worth shopping around though as Taiwan Taoyuan Airport outside Taipei, the capital, is a larger hub. If you go with this option, be aware that it is a drive of several hours from Taipei to Taichung. Factor the time and cost of transport into your calculation.
Once in Taichung, the transit system is excellent and taxis are widely available. The venue is in the city center, where there are plenty of hotels catering to a wide range of budgets.
Buying In
Once you get to the Chinese Texas Hold'em Club you will need to buy into your chosen events.
As with U.K. casinos, you will need a membership card in order to register for the event. This can be applied for at the reception counter. Just bring photo I.D. and the club's staff will walk you through the application on site.
Once you have your membership card, bring it with you so you can show it to the tourney staff when you buy-in. Be aware that you may still need to show your I.D. along with the membership card when buying in and when taking your seat.
Schedule highlights
The highlights of the series will be:
- APT Taichung Mini Main - TWD 4,000 + 1,000 (~$180)
- APT Taichung Main - TWD 30,000 + 3,000 (~$1,200)
- APT Taiwan High Roller (Single Day) - TWD 50,000 + 4,000 (~$1,900)
- APT Taiwan High Roller - TWD 80,000 + 6,000 (~$3,100)
- APT Taiwan Main Event 5 Million Guaranteed - TWD 30,000 + 3,000 (~1,900)
- APT Taichung Special Event - TWD 8,500 + 1,500 ($360)
Visit the Asian Poker Tour's site for the full schedule.
Featured image source: Twitter
