GPL Sets Sights on China

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Tuesday, November 15th, 2016 | Written by Stephen Smith

French entrepreneur Alex Dreyfus is on a mission to change the perception of poker from being just a gambling activity to one on which it is viewed as a spectator sport with a following as devout as the fan bases of the NBA, NFL, MLB and the NHL. In reality, however, his Global Poker League (GPL) has fallen short of creating the level of excitement and support that he had both anticipated or hoped it would achieve. Nevertheless, Dreyfus isn’t ready to give up, and he’s now ready to take a big gamble on a market he believes is ready to take competitive poker to the next stage–China.

The Chinese Sports Boom

Despite a booming economy and a huge population, China does not have the professional sports leagues that other parts of the world enjoy. That could all change soon, though, as a concerted effort is now underway to improve the climate for a competitive sports industry to take root in the huge country of 1.4 billion people. Case in point, Alibaba is already planning to invest $100 million in supporting a professional rugby league in China, with other plans also a foot to make spectator sports a part of Chinese culture. Against this back drop, Dreyfus feels the time is now right to introduce competitive poker to China, and cash in on the potential sports boom.

The timing coincides with an exponential rise in the popularity of global esports events, and elaborating on the skill element of competitive poker, Dreyfus said: “It’s a mind sport, a skill game. If you play one game only, there is a big luck element, but if you play regularly then it’s the skill that is predominant.. Tournament poker is a competitive game and like esports, the poker we envision is being structured as a sport.”

A Big Investment

In order for Dreyfus to introduce his Global Poker League to the Chinese market and get competitive poker off the ground, the entrepreneur’s company Mediarex Sports and Entertainment has already secured $4.9 million in funding from two investors. This includes Ceyuan Capital of China, and Head and Shoulders Capital of Hong Kong, whose head is Stanley Choi, a competitive poker player who had one of the biggest wins in the history of poker after taking down the $257,854 buy-in Macau Super High Roller Poker Event in 2012 for $6,465,560.

Plans in the Works

To launch the Global Poker League, Mediarex Sports and Entertainment is partnering with Sina Sports, which will serve as its digital media partner, although the company has a much larger task in front of it. Before the Global Poker League can officially launch, Sina Sports is being charged with the responsibility of preparing the Chinese market for professional poker. Complicating the matter is the fact that Texas Hold’em is not a game that is prevalent throughout China, and most Chinese do not understand its rules and mechanics. In order for the Global Poker League to be successful, the public will therefore need to first be educated in the finer points of the game.

The Global Poker League

The Global Poker League plans to introduce a mainland-based league with teams located in various Chinese cities. In its present form, the Global Poker League is divided into 12 teams from America and Europe which compete against one another with the intention of making through to the playoffs (November), and the Finals (December) in Las Vegas.

One of the GPL’s innovations includes having the action take place within “The Cube”, a 20-foot square glass box where two players compete against one another using iPad-like devices. In the meantime, a live audience will be able to see the “the players’ hole cards, listen to players’ hand discussions while they’re still in each hand, and get a huge amount of live data about the hand in play.”

A Big Gamble

Because poker is completely novel to China, industry analysts feel that efforts to bring the Global Poker League to the country are a big risk. Undaunted by the challenges ahead, Dreyfus feels confident that the Chinese will be eager to learn about the game and watch the pros showcasing their skills at the tables. Highlighting his optimism, Dreyfus points to the fact that more than 100 million Chinese players have already downloaded free Texas Holdem mobile apps online, and that live twitch streams by pro players have attracted a popular following among many Chinese players.

Reflecting Dreyfus’s positive views is one of his Hong Kong-based investors, who stated: “I wouldn’t say this is a risky bet. UFC didn’t take off until they tweaked the formula. Other televised poker formats didn’t take off until the hole cam showed audiences hidden cards. But the core elements are there and no-one else is really working on it other than GPL.”

But will his big bet on China finely mean success for the Global Poker League? We’ll have to wait and see.