French Player Beats Out International APT Macau Main Event Final Table

The Asian Poker Tour Macau Main Event finished with a Frenchman besting an international final table representing China, Korea, Sweden, the U.S., and Slovenia (Hong Kong having the greatest final table turnout, occupying 4 of 9 seats). The sole French player at the final table, Adrien Allain shot up from being 3rd in chips at the start of the final table to win the 2009 APT Macau title and $391,556 in cash.

What also makes Allain’s win so exciting for online poker players is that he won his seat at the event (one of 326 to compete) through a satellite qualifier at a poker site for a measly $5 buy-in.

Chip leader at the final table’s start was Inwook Choi, a young rising star in poker. The final table started with 5 of 9 players holding the short stack. J.C. Tran was another APT Macau Main Event final table favorite, a member of the renowned Poker Pack, known as the APT’s ambassadors.

One of the players at the final table is a crew member on “Poker King”, which is to be the first Chinese-language film about poker, expected to have a similar effect on Chinese culture as “Rounders” had on Americans.

Slovenia’s Casey Castle might have made the most remarkable showing of the final table competitors, though, having made APT history by being the first and only player to make 3 final tables in a row. And in this one he shot up on the last day from 84th out of 88 to make it in.