"Texas Holdham" to enter Macao
from web site
Texas Hold'em is a type of poker that is sweeping the world. It has become increasingly popular and playable in places like Europe and the United States, but it has recently started playing in Macau, opening up a new horizon for much grander scale and conquest. Although allowing Texas Hold'em to play is late, Macau promises to provide a place to play with its own unique flavor.
Texas Hold'em is a special flavor of poker that a player can use to create a player's hand with two cards and three additional community cards. It is rapidly gaining popularity due to its unique methods and popularization of media, trends, and broadcasting tournaments. Books, sets, and tables for learning about games and playing games at home are on sale, and there are many online services. Keeping pace with the trend is important to bring in new players at gambling facilities and induce old players to try new things.
In November 2007, poker stars Asia Pacific Poker Tour sponsored by poker stars was held in Macau with special permission from the Macau government at the Galaxy Grand Waldo Casino. The tournament attracted 352 participants for the six-day tournament, featuring a $2,500 buy for the main event and a special $15,000 "high roller" buy. The estimated total prize money is well over $800,000. The event was the first live broadcast of Texas Holdham Poker on Chinese soil and attracted a lot of attention with many participants.
Before the event, the Galaxy Grand Waldo Casino had the only poker room offered in Macau. Four poker pro machines (offering unlimited Holdham games from about $1 to $12) and two poker pros decorate the tournament table at Star World, the flagship property. During the APPT event, Grand Waldo also tested a lightening poker table designed by a company run by professional poker player Brian Harbson. Casinos were able to retain Texas Holdham poker machines before Texas Holdham poker was allowed because they were automated and classified in the same way as slot machines. So Live Texas Holdham is new to Macau, but the actual game and rules aren't as new as I thought.
Stanley Ho's Grand Lisboa, which started with four tables in February 2008, doubled that number to eight already in March this year. The staff were trained in the nuances of the game so that unfamiliar players could play without much pressure to learn the rules before playing. Although many players in Macau are not Texas Holdham players, they hoped to attract enough from mainland China and international players so that they would suit other players who usually flock to Macau. They were surprised that there were players, mostly from Southeast Asia, not international ones, as expected.
Grand Lisboa hopes the new choice will encourage new players to visit casinos, thus earning lower returns by offering Texas Holdums. For the time being, it's the only casino offering poker, especially in Macau, but there's a big opportunity to stand out. Other casinos are also not responding to whether to offer Texas Holdham in casinos, but if you want to compete in a changing market, that would be a positive answer. Gamblers, who may not have thought of coming to Macau before, can now add to their plans, as they offer familiar games to enjoy in unfamiliar places. By having a Texas Holdham in Macau, it can provide an opportunity to host international and TV tournaments, helping to transform gamblers from other regions.
Macau is a former Portuguese colony that was returned to China in 1999. Gambling has been legal in Macau since the 1850s. Turismo de di versoix de macao (STDM) had exclusive rights in the casino world until 2002, but has since competed with other casinos, including some owned by Vegas casinos. In 2006, it made more profits than Vegas Streep, according to regulators. Continuing to offer new products and competing with global markets has helped turn small specialty bases into thriving destinations in the gambling world. Today, Macau has 16 casinos, including MGM Grand, Sands Macau, and Win Macau. Macao's jockey club is owned by Stanley Ho, where horse racing and greyhounds finish gambling. This type of betting is very similar to the betting in the United States, which offers on-course, off-course, internet betting, telephone services, and more. Although locals may be less likely to participate in gambling, many players from Hong Kong and mainland China visit Macau for gambling. Macau has been called Asia Vegas and it's easy to see why.
