MACTAN, Cebu – With the popularity of poker in the country, poker clubs are optimistic this sport will draw volumes of tourists who are enthusiasts of the classic card game.

Eric Livelo, Branch Manager of Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR)–Mactan said the increased awareness of poker among Filipinos was what pushed organizers of the Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) Season to bring the international poker tournament in Cebu for the first time last week.

APPT-Cebu 2009 was held at the Shangri-La Resort in Mactan Island last November

APPT Cebu also drew a number of professional players including Team PokerStars Asia Pros Celina Lin, Tae Jun-Noh, Bryan Huang and Jonathan Lin as well as Team PokerStars Australian Pros Tony Hachem and Eric Assadourian.

“The successful staging of a poker tournament in the Bahamas has inspired APPT to push ‘poker tourism.’

The event in Cebu paved the way for poker players around to world to now look at the potentials of Filipinos in poker,” said Livelo.

The event is not only meant to create more interest in the sport here, but also hopes to boost the local economy with the coming of poker tourists,” he added.

“Poker is a sports game that could eventually be added to the list of tourism attractions in Cebu. We hope to see more poker tournaments here in the future,” said Livelo.

The tour's next stop will be the Grand Final in Sydney, which will take place on December 1-6, 2009. (Malou Mozo)