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APT Taipei 2024: Fred Leung Expects Record Breaking Numbers

The Asian Poker Tour (APT) Taipei 2024 kicks-off on 28th February 2024 amid sky high expectations. The live poker series which will be held at Asia Poker Arena and Chinese Mahjong League is offering TWD 150,000,000 (~$4.8M) in advertised guarantee. The much-awaited Main Event comes with the biggest guarantee offered in the 17 year long history of APT, a TWD 65 Million (~$2 Million) is up for grabs!

APT Taipei 2024 – Fred Leung Interview

With such enticing prize money on offer, an impressive player turnout is expected at APT Taipei 2024. We wanted to know more about the series, its preparation, the behind-the-scenes hustle, and more from the Asian Poker Tour top boss Fred Leung. The CEO of APT, answered some questions exclusively for Gutshot Magazine ahead of the highly anticipated APT Taipei 2024.

Excerpts from the interview… 

1. Tell us about the idea behind hosting APT Taipei 2023, the biggest in APT history?

The idea itself and goal was simple: Launch the New Era of the Asian Poker Tour with an amazing partner in CTP, to host the largest poker festival in tour history.

Saying it is one thing, but to execute and deliver was a completely different animal. There were a lot of moving parts. Each, with its own set of challenges.

In many cases, it wasn’t even a matter of improvements, as some of our needs had to come from resources that didn’t exist prior to the ownership change in June 2022. There was a long phase of planning and integration before we could even get to the point of executing. Clearly, those efforts were rewarded as we exceeded every expectation, we had entering APT Taipei last year.

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ALSO READ: APT Taipei 2024: Full Schedule Out Now

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2. Tell us a bit about the three exclusive Lion trophies for HR, ME and SHR.

The APT Lion trophies hold multiple layers of symbolism, each adding to its value. It represents not only victory in poker but also the embodiment of lion-like qualities: strength, courage, and the pursuit of excellence.

Each APT Lion trophy, whether gold, bronze, or pewter, carries the legacy of the game and the dedication of its recipients. Michael Soyza explained it best:

3. One highlight moment that stands out for you in APT’s year 2023.

It’s not technically a moment, but one of the great rewards in coming back to the poker industry has been seeing the people again – whether that be players, the talent I get to work with each day, or other relationships I have formed in my time in poker.

It’s truly a blessing to see the continued support by the players from my previous company to now the Asian Poker Tour.

4. What is the prep like for the upcoming APT Taipei 2024?

The planning for the 2024 version of APT Taipei actually began from the moment we ended APT Taipei 2023.  We’re in a constant state of improvement with each passing poker festival so we’re extremely excited to implement all those learnings this time around.
Clearly, we anticipate more records to fall, which is why we’ve expanded to two venues in order to accommodate the increasingly large number of players.

It’s always a pleasure working with David Tai and his CTP team so any stress that comes with heightened expectations largely goes away when you get to work with great people.

5. When it comes to hosting a live poker series with massive guarantees, what are the elements you consider?

One word:  Everything.

6. When it comes to player participation, what kind of footfall are you expecting at APT Taipei 2024?

We will look to beat every record we made last year whether it be player participation or overall prize money.  That’s just the nature of any business and that never-satisfied mentality is one that’s particularly ingrained in our core team. I would expect at least 10,000 entrants over the course of the 12-day poker festival.

7. When it comes to attracting Indian poker players to APT, what is the brand doing to get more players from India? What’s the overall outlook on India as a market to tap into?

No doubt, India is an incredibly important market and we do indeed have specific initiatives there. However, it’s less about targeting one region and much more about creating the best poker festivals, period. The one unifying characteristic for all poker players, globally, is that they love the game of poker.APT is striving to be recognized as the No. 1 poker tour in Asia and players are naturally attracted to the competition and prize pools that come from that.

From the answers we’ve got from Leung about the upcoming APT Taipei 2024 event, getting more Indian poker players to grind at APT events and the new era at the live poker brand, we hope to see some fireworks at the upcoming APT Taipei 2024 series and the stops that follow in the coming future. If you wish to grind in APT Taipei 2024 check out the full schedule here.  For more news and updates on APT Taipei 2024, keep reading GutshotMagazine.com. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Telegram.

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