Asian Poker Tour Winner

February 10, 2009

The Asian Poker Tour’s (APT) Main Event has a winner and his name is Neil Arce. Arce took home $185,000 for his top win at the Philippines event as it wrapped up Sunday night. The event was played at the Dusit Thani Hotel in Manila, and there was a total of 262 players from 40 different countries. When all was said and done, Arce was the only one left standing.

He told APT officials after the poker tournament that “the key to winning the tournament was position.” Last year’s winner Steve Yea was sitting to his right and he said that he was lucky in that way because had he been on his left then he would have been playing a different poker game. He said that he kept out of his way and that helped him come in first for the poker event.

Yea ended up coming in second place with a $100,000 win, and was followed by Casey Kastle in third place with $70,000. Arce took the chip lead on Day 1A and managed to hold the third largest stack upon entering the final table. When the cards were dealt Arce was actually the underdog with a K-Q and Yea held a A-K. However, with Arce getting a Queen on the turn it gave him the win.

The first twenty seven players took home cash prizes. Chris Parker, CEO of the Asian Poker Tour said that they were thrilled for Arce and that this big win is really good for the poker industry in the Philippines. They think that it will only make people enjoy poker even more than they do now, and that poker will continue to grow within the country.