Pokerstars Live Manila recently announced the postponement of the APPT Manila which was scheduled to be held on July 31 – August 9, 2020.
The news is no longer a surprise given the current situation.
COVID19 Manila situation.
The Philippines has been in a long state of a lockdown or Enhanced Community Quarantine. Currently, it is under MECQ or modified enhanced community quarantine allowing some business establishment to operate but not at full capacity.
Some establishments like Casino are not yet allowed to operate but there has been a push by PAGCOR to start allowing them to open.
The case of people having the virus is still continuously rising. The current total cases have surpassed 24,000.
source Rappler
The government is relaxing quarantine measures but not due to virus growth but this is due to the economy. But that is a big factor as APPT caters more to foreign players.
Pokerstars headquarter
Pokerstars has also been very careful. One of the most anticipated tournaments was the PSPC Barcelona 2020.
The tournament was scheduled to be held August 20, 2020 but it was announced that it was going to be cancelled in late May.
Managing Director at The Stars Group Séverin Rasset said:
“We realize that this news will come as a disappointment to many, but we know you will understand and appreciate why this is necessary. Our priority is the safety and good health of all our players and staff, as well as the communities that host such large events.”
Pokerstars Live Manila is still part of Pokerstars whose main priority is the health of the players. The headquarters is making decisions early canceling Tier 1 events for the sake of the players.
PAGCOR policy
PAGCOR has already submitted to the IATF on Covid19 to allow the re-opening of gaming facilities.
However, as there is no poker room that has announced how their operations would be. The current PAGCOR announcement is to set 3 players per table limit on table games.
There is still no news on how the new normal will be. Will poker be allowed to have more players?
Conclusion
With the current situation leaving so many unanswered questions. The cancelation early on is a great decision.
However, we too hope that live events become available soon.
Until then. stay safe Poker Playas!
