Two baize-topped tables have been set up in a Causeway Bay hotel for the Saturday night regulars of the Hong Kong Poker Group. At one table, stony-faced players assess their new hands in a silence that's broken only by an occasional wisecrack. The other table is increasingly noisy as excited players toss in HK$10, HK$20 and then HK$100 chips. Soon the pot amounts to a week's salary and the night has only just begun.
The gamblers are playing Texas Hold'em, the most popular variation of poker in North American casinos, which has also developed a loyal following in Hong Kong. According to the portal Meetup.com, it has grown from one online group linking 100 local enthusiasts a year ago to 400 players gathered under four groups.
Texas Hold'em is also played on poker nights at clubs such as Philia, Cixi and Drop. At a tournament at M1nt, players are bidding for the top prize of a seat at this year's Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) in Australia, with a return airline ticket and hotel accommodation, worth US$6,000.
Players attribute the popularity of poker to online gaming and tournaments such as the APPT and the televised World Series of Poker that have made wealthy stars of the best players since 2003.
The portal PokerSchool.com.hk also provides information about local and international tournaments and teaches people how to play the game.
'You have tournaments with massive payouts and fame for the players,' says Kenneth Leung Yuen-kiong, founder of the Hong Kong Poker Group, whose 160 members pay up to HK$2,000 for a seat at games. 'Asians love to gamble, so everyone wants a piece of the action.'