New Zealand hosts large poker tournament

Further evidence that poker is a true global phenomenon, the Sky City Casino in New Zealand is hosing the Sky City Festival of Poker. The weeklong poker festival is expected to be the largest poker tournament ever hosted in the town of Auckland. Now in full swing, there are multiple satellite events taking place giving players a shot to play in the Main Event. With a $1 million dollar prize pool the event has lured many big names such as Chris Moneymaker and Joe Hachem to play in the event.

Executive Manager from Sky City, Ejaaz Dean said: “Tournament Poker is one of the world’s fastest growing sports and has huge television appeal and viewership. SKYCITY is proud to bring players of this calibre to our shores. I’m sure Kiwi poker fans will be excited at the prospect of not only matching skills against them in a game, but also learning what has made them amongst the world’s best.”

Even though a million dollars may seem drab compared to many large tournaments today, the opportunity to play poker in such a beautiful land certainly made the decision easier for these pros to make the long journey to New Zealand. The Main Event will begin on October 9th and will wrap four days later.