Welcome to the Asia Poker Round-Up — your weekly snapshot of major tournaments, breakout players, featured poker rooms, and the latest industry news across the region.
Live Event Reports
Alluxi Athena Poker Tournament (AAPT) – June 16-25
Hong Kong’s Jia Yue Quan won the inaugural Alluxi Athena Poker Tournament (AAPT) Main Event in Bokeo, Laos, defeating a field of over 400 entries. He secured a career-high prize of USD 153,338, marking both his largest payout and first major title.
Jia Yue Quan
The main event, held from June 18–24, 2025, at Alluxi Casino, featured a USD 1,400 buy-in and a USD 800,000 guaranteed prize pool. The AAPT, backed by Alluxi Group, awarded over USD 1 million in prizes during its debut series. A second season is already in development for later this year.
Korea Poker Cup 2 – June 17-23
The Korea Poker Cup (KPC) Series 2, held from June 17 to 23, 2025, at Landing Casino in Jeju, South Korea, was a major success, attracting over 4,000 entries across 26 events and generating a prize pool of approximately USD 3.8 million.
The Main Event saw 1,432 entries, surpassing its USD 640,000 guarantee, and was won by China’s Chung Tang Lin, who claimed a prize of USD 132,527. Other notable events included the Super High Roller, which saw Hong Kong’s Winfred Yu earn USD 285,300, and the Mega Stack Closer, with a prize pool of USD 153,000. The festival solidified KPC’s position as a premier poker destination in Asia.
Chung Tang Lin
Current/Upcoming events in July
- 4-13 July: RDPT Jeju II, South Korea
- 10-28 July: Taiwan Millions Tournament TMT 18
- 15-21 July: AJPC Samurai Circuit, Philippines
- 17-21 July: Japan Poker Open Tour – JOPT, Tokyo, Japan
- 23 July-4 August: PokerStars APPT Manila, Philippines
Asia Player Spotlight
In this section we use the poker results database The Hendon Mob and current news to highlight Asian poker players.
Veerachai Vongxaiburana
Veerachai Vongxaiburana, a Thai-born day trader residing in Las Vegas, achieved a significant milestone at the 2025 World Series of Poker by winning his first bracelet in the $10,000 Big O Championship on 14th June. He triumphed over a competitive field of 402 entries, including notable players like Viktor Blom and Phil Hui, securing a top prize of $784,353. This victory marked his first six-figure score and more than doubled his previous career earnings.
Veerachai Vongxaiburana
Biao Ding
Biao Ding, a Chinese professional poker player, is already having a standout 2025. His HendonMob shows 17 cashes this year, of which half are from Triton events. Also half are final table finishes, with all cashes in this first half of 2025 adding up to around $5.2 million! He is now ranked second in the Chinese All-time money list with $17 million in cashes, right behind Aaron Shu Nu Zang in number one with around $22 million.
Poker Room Spotlight – Alluxi, Casino, Laos
Alluxi Casino, located in the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (GTSE) of Bokeo Province, Laos, has emerged as the country’s premier poker destination. Situated within the Kapok Star Hotel, the casino boasts a 3,000-square-meter gaming floor equipped with 32 live tables and 250 electronic slot machines.
In June 2025, Alluxi Casino hosted the inaugural Alluxi Athena Poker Tournament (AAPT), marking Laos’ first major international poker event. The series featured 28 events with a combined prize pool of $1 million, underscoring the casino’s commitment to establishing Laos as a significant player in the Asian poker scene.
Alluxi Casino
Poker in Laos: Legal situation
Laos has a unique approach to gambling, permitting casinos only within designated Special Economic Zones (SEZs). These zones, established in the mid-1990s to attract tourism, include areas like Bokeo, Savannakhet, and Vientiane. While casinos are legal within these SEZs, poker remains a niche activity. The Alluxi Athena Poker Tournament represents a significant step forward, introducing international-standard poker events to the region. However, outside these SEZs, gambling activities are prohibited, and online poker is also illegal, with no licensed platforms available.
Online poker in Laos occupies a grey area. While there are no specific laws that make online poker illegal, the government does not issue licenses to online poker rooms. As a result, most online poker rooms that serve Laos are located offshore. There are no real enforcement mechanisms against online gambling, and because it’s not completely clear if gambling online is illegal, many people engage in it.
In summary, while Alluxi Casino stands as a beacon for live poker in Laos, the online poker landscape remains unregulated and uncertain. Players interested in participating in online poker should exercise caution and stay informed about the evolving legal landscape.
Asia Legislation & Industry
Thailand Delays Casino Bill Amidst Public Backlash
Thailand’s proposed casino legislation has been delayed following significant public opposition. The bill, which aims to legalize casinos in integrated entertainment complexes, faced widespread criticism from various groups. In response, the ruling Pheu Thai party has moved the bill to the bottom of the legislative agenda, with plans to revisit it in the next parliamentary session set to begin in July 2025.
Source: GamblingInsider.com
Crackdowns Across Asia Target Illegal Gambling Networks
Authorities across Asia have intensified their efforts to combat illegal gambling, leading to a series of significant arrests and dismantled operations across multiple countries. In Thailand, a raid in Bang Yai resulted in 54 arrests and the seizure of over THB 218,000 (~USD 5,900) in cash. Additionally, in Pattaya, 50 foreigners were arrested for their involvement in illegal gambling and scam operations. These actions highlight the ongoing crackdown on illicit gambling within the country.
In South Korea, police dismantled an international online gambling ring that had been operating across eight sites in Southeast Asia since 2019. The total value of the operation was estimated at 530 billion won (~USD 384 million), leading to multiple arrests and significant confiscations.
Meanwhile, in India, authorities in Bhilwara arrested six individuals linked to an online betting ring, uncovering operations involving transactions worth around ₹90 lakh (~USD 110,000). Similarly, in Indonesia, a major online gambling ring was dismantled, centered around the popular Higgs Domino Island app. Authorities arrested 12 suspects and seized over 100 computers used in the illegal activities. These coordinated crackdowns across the region demonstrate a strong commitment to combating illegal gambling and its associated criminal activities.
Source: GamblingInsider.com
