News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Mon. aug. 8, 2011: Poker is slowly spreading all over the world. It started in the United States, moved to Canada and most of Europe and some parts of Asia, and now, many people wonder if South America is next. While casino games has not historically been big in South America, there’s no reason to believe it can’t become as wildly popular there as it has everywhere else.
How Poker in South America Can Become Popular
One way that poker may start to gain traction in South America is through the efforts of the Latin American Poker Tour. Those who are familiar with the World Poker Tour or the European Poker Tour will have an idea of what the Latin American Poker Tour is all about. It was started by PokerStars in 2008 with the idea of bringing poker to Central and South America in just the way they did in 2004 when they started the European Poker Tour. The idea is that with televised local tournaments, poker in South America gets more exposure, making more South Americans wish to participate, which fosters the steady growth of poker.
What Can You Win Playing Video Poker in South America?
Obviously if you can find a good video poker game in South America, there is no limit to how much you can win. How much you can win in a Latin American Poker Tournament will depend on the buy-in and number of players who sign up. However, in its first season, the LAPT gave away over 2.6 million dollars, with the most won by Valdemar Kwaysser of Hungary for his $274,103 win in San Jose. In its second season, the LAPT gave away over four million dollars, with the top amount going to Dominik Nitsche of Germany, who won $381,030 for his victory at the LAPT final in Mar del Plata, Argentina.
Will There Be More Poker in South America?
Due to the success of the LAPT, more seasons and hence, more tournaments in South America are planned. If previous poker tours are any indication, this will give rise to many more South Americans interested in poker and competing in not only LAPT events, but in WSOP and other events as well.
