How to See the World Following the Poker Circuit

Forget the smoke-filled, badly-lit rooms from the movies, poker in the 21st century is international and for the players who has restless feet the world’s their oyster.

Every month there’s a poker event being held somewhere in the world and to make the life of nomads and poker enthusiasts easier, we’ve compiled a list of the biggest, most popular international poker tournaments.

Right now you might be thinking: how the hell can I afford to pay thousands of dollars to buy into one of these tournaments on the poker circuit? Fear not because the internet is here to help you!

There are plenty of opportunities to enter online poker tournaments with the chance of winning VIP tickets to some of the world’s premier poker tournaments, sometimes even with flights and hotel accommodation thrown in for good measure.

Quit dreaming and start playing. These are the poker tournaments that will take you on a journey around the word.

World Poker Tour

The biggest poker tour of them all is undoubtedly the World Poker Tour (WPT). Just as the name implies, this is a series of poker tournaments that are held all over the world and are broadcast to millions of fans.

The WPT Main Tour is currently in its 13th season. With buy-ins ranging from $3,500 to more than $15,000, the lucky contestants get to play in some of the world’s most luxurious casinos.

On this years’ itinerary, the WPT will visit the Borgata in Atlantic City, New Jersey; Fallsview Casino in Ontario, Canada; Emperor Palace Hotel in Johannesburg, South Africa; and many other premier properties around the globe.

World Series of Poker

The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is where all the action is and it is everywhere! The second biggest poker tournament has been going strong since 1970 and the 2014/15 season is currently in full swing.

There are nine more stops on the WSOP circuit, which will take you on a grand tour of the USA. The tournaments are being played in various venues across all states, such as Palm Beach Kennel Club in Florida, The Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles (CA), Harrah’s in New Orleans (LA) and the magnificent Foxwoods Resort in Connecticut.

Everybody can participate by registering online and the WSOP allows for a much wider range of buy-in to ensure that no matter your bankroll you can hit the road and join in the fun.

Latin American Poker Tournament

The Latin American Poker Tournament (LAPT) began in 2008 and has quickly established itself as the largest poker tournament in Central and South America.

The LAPT has just wrapped up its 7th season and announced the full schedule for the next one, which will kick off in March 2015 in Viña del Mar, Chile.

The tour will move on to some of the hottest poker spots in Latin America, with tournaments in Panama, Peru, Uruguay and finally reaching its climax at the end of November with the final stage in the city of São Paulo, Brazil.

Tournament buy-ins will vary from destination to destination, with amounts ranging from $1,100 to $2,500.

European Poker Tournament

The European Poker Tournament (EPT) mimics the structure of the WPT but focuses on European destinations. Buy-ins for EPT tournament are famously expensive, some going up to $8,000, however the experience of participating in the events while being able to visit world-renowned tourist attractions makes it more than worth it.

The EPT is in its eleventh season and there are still three events to go before the grand final in Monte Carlo between 28 April and 8 May.

You’ll probably have to give the event currently being held in Deauville, France a miss unless you can catch a last-minute flight, however the next event will be held from 22-28 March in Malta, giving you plenty of time to warm up for the grand finale.

Asia Pacific Poker Tournament

The Asia Pacific Poker Tournament (APPT) gives the vagrant poker pro the chance to tour places like Macau, the Las Vegas of the East, South Korea, the Philippines, Australia and New Zealand.

One of the highlights of the APPT is the Aussie Millions, which is the richest poker tournament in the all of the South Hemisphere. This event takes place at the Crown Melbourne and is considered as a must-play for any poker player worth his salt.

Season 9 of the APPT is currently underway and already thousands of poker players are making their travel arrangements to play at the events and test their skills against others at some of Asia Pacific’s most glamorous gambling destinations.

Planning your poker adventure

All the big poker tournaments provide the opportunity to book your accommodation right at the resorts where the event will be taking place, often with special discounts just for members. You can check out a full list of hotels on their websites.

There are plenty of low-cost flights you can choose to get you to your destination, and if you’ll be playing at events in a particular region you can explore other means of transport such as trains, or even hiring a car and go on a road trip.

Adventure awaits you as a poker roadie, just remember to pack light so that you’ll have enough space where to stuff all your winnings!