Tony G Wins Betfair Asian Poker Tour
Poker Pro Donates Half of Prize to Charity
Tony Guoga, better known on the tournament circuit as
Tony G, won the Betfair Asian Poker Tour main event, winning $451,700
and giving the Australian a place in history as the first victor of
the first major poker tournament held in Asia.
Guoga will give half the winnings to charity.
"I want people to know that poker is sport. This
is not a large amount compared to what people like Bill Gates give
to charity but it is a gesture to show that it's not all about the
money, it's about the competition as well," Guoga said.
The charities to receive the money will be located in
Austria and Asia and will be nominated by Betfair.
Guoga outlasted nearly 400 players in the event that
took place this week at the Mandarin Ballroom of the Meritus Mandarin
Hotel in Singapore. The tournament cost $5,000 to enter, and many
people qualified through BetfairPoker.com.
Local player Joshua Ang finished in second place, winning
$233,200. He also received the Merlion trophy, which is a symbol of
Singapore. The trophy was given to Guoga, but he gave it right to
Ang so that it would stay in Singapore.
The top 10 players finished in the following order:
* Tony Guoga, $451,700
* Joshua Ang, $233,200
* Lee Nelson, $116,600
* Samuel Lehtonen, $102,000
* Jeff Kimber, $87,400
* Mark Whent, $72,900
* Hans Vogl, $58,306
* Hendrik Dahlgaard, $43,700
* Brendan Walls, $29,200
* Neil Yong, $17,500