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JUPITERS Casino has
moved to cash in on the international Texas Holdem poker craze
whipped up with the help of Aussie poker king Joe Hachem and
celebrity card sharps such as Ben Affleck.
Jupiters and its
sister Treasury Casino in Brisbane will soon add poker to their
array of gambling options.
The move is in
response to the booming popularity of poker, which is attracting a
rapidly growing following around the world, with devotees including
Hollywood actor Affleck.
Last month,
Melbourne father-of-four Mr Hachem added to the hype when he beat
more than 5500 players to win the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas
and pocket a record $10 million.
Poker has become
a surprise television hit and various internet poker sites attract a
legion of cyber-gamblers.
Plans to
introduce poker to the Jupiters and Treasury casinos were announced
last week at a sod-turning ceremony for a $53 million expansion at
the Gold Coast casino.
Jupiters gaming
operations manager Robbie Vaile said poker had proven popular at
Melbourne's Crown Casino – where Hachem first made his mark – and at
Sydney's Star City which Jupiters-owner Tabcorp also controls.
"Poker is
growing enormously in popularity around the world and it's getting
an increasing following in Australia," Mr Vaile said. "It's not as
lucrative as our other games but it's a game you want to offer to
bring people in."
Mr Vaile said
Jupiters was awaiting approval from the Office of Gaming and hoped
to start nightly poker games at both casinos within a month or two.
Initially, he said, there would be two Texas Holdem poker tables at
Conrad Jupiters and four at Treasury. |
