Once Upon a Time in (Asian) Mexico
The 2009 Aussie Millions are over. I want to thank everyone who provided positive feedback on my coverage of the Million Dollar Cash Game -- it's nice to know people are enjoying what I write. I'm in the Philippines now, a place I recently described as "the Mexico of Asia", to cover the 2009 Asian Poker Tour Philippines Main Event. Early indication are that the culmination of the APT Philippines will be a party Saturday night that will rival the APT Macau party -- the same party that was recently given the nod as "Best Party of 2008" by Bluff Australasia. Let the good times roll.
Being around the APT feels like being at the 2006 World Series of Poker. The 2006 WSOP was the height of the "golden age" of online poker before the UIGEA changed the poker landscape. Several industry giants (PartyPoker and PokerStars in particular) had recently undergone public floats and were awash in cash. You couldn't turn left at the Rio without bumping into a model with a too-small cut-off shirt stretched over her oversized chest. Everyone in the industry had a hospitality suite that was attempting to outdo each of the other hospitality suites in terms of opulence, freebie giveaways, and beautiful women.
The Asian Poker Tour, beneficiaries of a public float through one of its parent companies, freely bills itself as the "Asian Party Tour", with all the hallmarks of those halcyon days of 2006 -- booze, giveaways, parties and lots and lots of beautiful women. When one of the APT staff seemed tickled that her brothers were taking photos of a celebrity charity event, I said, "Well there are lots of good-looking people here." Her response was, "That's what we're known for."
Strange times. It makes me wonder what exactly the product is that they're trying to market. It feels like the APT is using business model that went out of style (and profitability) three years ago.
Not that I'm looking a gift horse in the mouth. You can be sure I'll be standing between two Asian beauties at the open bar Saturday night, getting good and proper pissed. Who knows? Maybe we'll even find an Asian donkey show afterwards.