Free Invite For Michael Phelps To Asian Poker Tour
August 10, 2009 9:37 amAsianLogic Limited have extended a free invitation to Olympic swimming legend Michael Phelps to attend the Asian Poker Tour (APT) Macau Festival, which they organise.
Phelps is widely considered the best swimmer and one of the best Olympians of all time having won 14 gold medals including a record breaking 8 gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Games. He recently expressed an interest in poker and has visited Las Vegas, met Doyle Brunson and other poker pros as well as making it into the money at the 2008 Caesars Poker Classic.
Last year, after the swimmers interest in poker became known to AsianLogic, they issued him a free invite to the $4,438 buy-in tournament at the Galaxy StarWorld Hotel And Casino in Macau. Undeterred by Phelp’s lack of appearance last year the Asian Poker Tour, who also extended an invite last year, have issued an open letter to Michael Phelps stating:
“Last year, you were in Beijing for the Olympics and we encouraged you to head down to the Asian Poker Tour Macau event at the StarWorld. We heard positive noises, but there was no sign of the human dolphin when they called ’shuffle up and deal.’ We would like to extend this invite once again to you to come, all expenses paid, and take part in this showpiece poker event. The Main Event is in Macau between the 20 – 23rd August but the 12 day festival of poker starts on August 12th so let us know!”
It would appear that the free invite also includes none other than the US president himself as the letter to Phelps says: “…you could ask a certain poker playing President by the name of Barack Hussein Obama II if he fancies joining you!”
Whether the famous duo will show this time remains to be seen but either way the Asian Poker Tour Festival Macau is set to be bigger than ever having doubled the length of this year’s festival from 6 to 12 days to include fifteen side tournaments and the $34,400 (HKD) NL Main Event. Last year’s winner Yevgeniy Timoshenko, Johnny Chan, J. C. Tran, Nam Le, Steve Sung, Quinn Do, David ‘Chino’ Rheem and Kwang Soo Lee should all be there too.
Filming of the new poker movie, ‘Poker King’, will also be taking place on the sidelines of the APT Festival Macau and is expected to be released later on in the year.