China Leisure Sports Administrative Center and World Poker Tour(TM) China Kick off Inaugural Season of WPT China National Traktor(TM) Poker Tour
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In a historic day that marked the evolution of Traktor Poker, or Tuo La
Ji, from traditional folk game to an officially recognized Sport by the
China Leisure Sports Administrative Center (CLSAC), the World Poker Tour
(WPT) China National Traktor™ Poker Tour
crowned its first Provincial Champions yesterday in Lanzhou, Gansu.
The tournament welcomed the Province’s best
players for the Tour’s inaugural event, which
is sanctioned under the CLSAC — the national
Sports Federation governing Leisure Sports under the China State Sports
Administration — and sponsored by WPT
Enterprises (WPTE), the exclusive marketing partner of the Tour.
The Sports Center in Lanzhou, a city famous for its ancient culture and
key position on the Silk Road, was filled to capacity with 418
competitors who battled for three days to determine the teams which will
represent the Gansu Province in the National Tour Grand Final.
The winning team, led by Zhu An Men and Chen Haili —
both residents of Lanzhou City — posted a
score of 5,090 to take the Gansu Provincial Title in the hard fought
battle of seasoned competitors. (Photographs, results and highlights
will be posted on www.wptpoker.cn)
Mr. Xing Xiao Quan, Secretary General of the CLSAC said, "October
12th will be remembered as a historic day for
poker in China, as the beloved folk game of Traktor poker has been
elevated to the position of an official National Sport.”
The tournament was the first of 15 Regional Preliminary tournaments to
be held each weekend throughout China during the inaugural Season, which
will run October 2007 through April 2008. Tour play is based on a team
structure where teams in each tour city compete to qualify for the Grand
Final.
"We are proud to recognize these first
Provincial Champions. The Gansu tournament has demonstrated that this
innovative concept can be successfully executed in China,”
said Peter Hughes, Chief Operating Officer of the WPTE who attended the
competition in Lanzhou. "This inaugural event
is a strong sign of the success we anticipate for this Tour. Traktor
Poker is a tradition and sport rich with history, and will only grow and
build momentum from here.”
The WPT China National Traktor Poker Tour 2007-2008 Season schedule is
as follows.
WPT CHINA TRAKTOR™ POKER TOUR 2007 –
2008 SCHEDULE(a) REGIONAL PRELIMINARY DATES LOCATION
Week 1
Oct. 12, 2007 (Fri.) - Oct. 14, 2007(Sun.)
Lanzhou, Gansu
Week 2
Oct. 19, 2007 (Fri.) - Oct. 21, 2007(Sun.)
Taiyuan, Shanxi
Week 3
Oct. 26, 2007 (Fri.) - Oct. 28, 2007(Sun.)
Xi'an, Shaanxi
Week 4
Nov. 02, 2007 (Fri.) - Nov. 04, 2007(Sun.)
Zhengzhou, Henan
Week 5
Nov. 09, 2007 (Fri.) - Nov. 11, 2007(Sun.)
Shenyang, Liaoning
Week 6
Nov. 16, 2007 (Fri.) - Nov. 18, 2007(Sun.)
Beijing / Tianjin
Week 7
Nov. 23, 2007 (Fri.) - Nov. 25, 2007(Sun.)
Nanchang, Jiangxi
Week 8
Nov. 30, 2007 (Fri.) - Dec. 02, 2007(Sun.)
Nanjing, Jiangsu
Week 9
Dec. 07, 2007 (Fri.) - Dec. 09, 2007(Sun.)
Shanghai
Week 10
Dec. 14, 2007 (Fri.) - Dec. 16, 2007(Sun.)
Fuzhou, Fujian
Week 11
Dec. 21, 2007 (Fri.) - Dec. 23, 2007(Sun.)
Hefei, Anhui
Week 12
Dec. 28, 2007 (Fri.) - Dec. 30, 2007(Sun.)
Wuhan, Hube
Week 13
Jan. 11, 2008 (Fri.) - Jan. 13, 2008(Sun.)
Changsha, Hunan
Week 14
Jan. 18, 2008 (Fri.) - Jan. 20, 2008(Sun.)
Guiyang, Guizhou
Week 15
Jan. 25, 2008 (Fri.) - Jan. 27, 2008(Sun.)
Guangzhou, Guangdong
Online Open Preliminary
October 2007 - January 2008
Ourgame.com
Grand Final
end of March - early April 2008
TBD
(a) Schedule subject to change
To join the official WPT China Community, receive updates, or to find
more information regarding the WPT China National Traktor Poker Tour,
please visit www.wptpoker.cn.
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China Traktor™ Poker Tour About WPTE
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found online at: www.worldpokertour.com/media.
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