There’s plenty to get excited about this August as the World Poker Tour returns to Cambodia to stage its newest tournament series WPT Prime at the luxurious NagaWorld Phnom Penh. The highly anticipated event is certain to impress with huge guarantees and a 24-game schedule that caters to every type of bankroll. The festival takes place from August 11 to 23 featuring buy ins from US$ 200 to US$ 10,000. The Main Event is gearing up to be the biggest in Asia Pacific this year as it boasts a jaw dropping US$ 500,000 guarantee. With the event approaching fast, here’s a glance at what’s in store and everything else to help you prepare for the trip.
Entry requirements
First thing to know is Cambodia is open to all travelers. As of October 2021, international borders opened, and as of March 2022, only proof of full vaccination is required. For partially vaccinated and unvaccinated visitors, good news as well. As of July 11, a mandatory antigen test will be administered upon arrival (at the traveler’s expense) with a negative result required to avoid quarantine.
In addition, to enter the country, most foreigners will need to acquire a Cambodian Visa. Passport holders from Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, Laos, Singapore, and Seychelles are exempted. For the rest, the most convenient route is via e-Visa. You can also get a visa upon arrival but you may have to endure long lines.
With that said, it’s time to shine the light on the WPT Prime Cambodia schedule.
WPT Prime Cambodia schedule
The 24-game lineup will see two events with guaranteed prize pools, five high roller tournaments, and a satellite to the WPT World Championship $15M GTD. The schedule also includes the highly popular Mystery Bounty and the Ladies NLH.
WPT Prime Cambodia schedule of events
Breaking it down, the festival opens on August 11 with the WPT Prime Cambodia Opener featuring a US$ 150,000 guarantee. This is the largest opener guarantee ever put forth by the WPT in Asia. To join the action, four entry heats are scheduled. Buy in is US$ 550. The event runs through August 14.
Buy in: US$ 550
Guarantee: US$ 150,000
Day 1A – Day 1D: August 11 to 13
Final Day: August 14
Just announced, one lucky person will win an Opener Package worth US$ 1,000. From the official festival site www.wptcambodia.net, all you need to do is download and share the official picture below on your social media wall with a specific template message then set your post to “Public” and that lucky winner could be you! To be eligible for the giveaway, make sure to check the mechanics of posting. The package includes one Opener Entry ticket, three nights stay at NagaWorld Integrated Resort, and US$ 250 room credit.
The next event boasting a guarantee is the festival headliner, WPT Prime Cambodia Main Event. This is the title and trophy everyone wants to claim. It runs from August 18 through August 22 with three starting days kicking it off.
At the inaugural WPT Cambodia in 2019, the Main Event amassed a booming field of 750 entries to nearly triple the $250K guarantee. Coming this August, an ambitious US$ 500,000 guarantee has been announced. This is the largest Main Event guarantee offered in the Asia Pacific region since the pandemic. The goal however is to reach seven figures and with various groups and international players already confirmed to attend, confidence is high to hit this figure.
To spice up the champion’s purse further, included in this year’s title is a US$ 10,400 entry ticket to the WPT World Championship $15M GTD. The winner is also eligible for the WPT Player of the Year title.
Dates: August 18 to 22
Buy in: US$ 1,100
Guarantee: US$ 500,000
Day 1A – Day 1C: August 18 to 20
Day 2: August 21
Day 3: August 22
As always, players will be looking to maximize value by seeking out cheaper deals. To enter the Main Event at just a fraction of the price, the schedule is littered with nine Main Event Satellites, one offered daily from August 11 to 19. Buy in is US$ 150 with the last one costing US$ 250.
Other Events
Aside from the guaranteed events, players have plenty to keep busy. As advertised, WPT Prime Cambodia has something for everyone. On the low to mid range, with buy ins from US$ 200 to US$ 550, are Short Deck, Ladies NLH, Superstacks, Freezeouts, Turbos, and even a Pot Limit Omaha variant. One event heating up nearly every roster live and online is the Mystery Bounty. This is also in the Prime schedule. You can expect to see players pour in for this event, each one hoping to be the luckiest.
For those with heavier bankrolls, the schedule serves up five events with buy ins from US$ 2,200 to US$ 10,000. For those interested in testing their skill at the Super High Roller event but at a lesser cost, there is one satellite offered on August 15 with a buy in of US$ 800.
NLH Mini High Roller – US$ 2,200 buy in – August 14 to 15
WPT Prime Cambodia Super High Roller – US$ 5,300 – August 16 to 17
WPT Prime Cambodia 10K SHR Single Day Challenge – US$ 10,300 – August 18
WPT Prime Cambodia Short Deck High Roller – US$ 5,300 – August 19
WPT Prime Cambodia High Roller 3K – US$ 3,000 – August 21
You can view all the tournament structures via the link provided:
WPT Prime Cambodia tournament structures
WPT Player of the Festival
Adding even more value for your buck, once the festival starts, one hot race will be the WPT Player of the Festival title. The player that accrues the most points at the end of the 13 day event will earn this coveted title, a special trophy, and a US$ 5,000 WPT Passport to any 2022 WPT Main Tour of the player’s choice. Vietnamese / American player Duy Ho won the first at WPT Prime Vietnam and Australia’s Romain Morvan won one at WPT Prime Gold Coast.
Satellite to WPT World Championship
On December 1 to 20, the globally renowned brand presents players worldwide the WPT World Championship featuring a US$ 15 Million guarantee. This is the single largest event guarantee ever put forth for a tournament. At the upcoming WPT Prime Cambodia, the schedule offers a Feeder to the WPT World Championship Satellite. Two chances to enter with Flight A and Flight B Turbo running on Sunday, August 21. Each flight costs US$ 300 to enter.
For players that prefer to skip the Feeder, they can directly enter the WPT World Championship Satellite for US$ 1,500. Each package is worth US$ 12.5K. Satellite is on August 22.
Pre-payment and Special Poker Room Rates
Pre-payment
To avoid carrying loads of cash, as early as now, players can pre-pay for select tournaments, which include the Main Event. Wire transfer must meet a minimum of US$ 7,500 and be received by July 31. All the details can be found here.
Special Hotel Room Rates at NagaWorld
Like the inaugural festival, NagaWorld is offering very affordable hotel room rates, however, you must reserve by the latest of July 31. Rooms start at US$ 55 per night. Deluxe rooms are a pricier US$ 95 per night. These rates are only valid from August 10th to August 23rd.
Stay tuned to Somuchpoker for more updates on WPT Prime Cambodia
