Team China, made up of poker heavyweights such as Johnny Chan and David Chiu as well as veterans Chau Giang, Winfred Yu, Rich Zhu, Derek Cheung and Maria Ho, have been crowned champions of the first-ever World Team Poker (WTP) tournament.

Despite the big names on their roster, Team China went into the tournament as underdogs to much-fancied Team USA, who not only enjoyed home ground advantage in Las Vegas, but also had the benefit of drawing on an all-star contingent comprising Doyle Brunson, Phil Hellmuth, Erik Seidel, Chris Ferguson, Jennifer Harman, Howard Lederer and Mike Matusow.

Chan is undoubtedly a legend in poker circles, having won back-to-back World Series of Poker (WSOP) championships in 1987 and 1988. He currently has ten WSOP bracelets, putting him in a tie with Doyle Brunson for second on the all-time list.

Chiu, meanwhile, is one of the most consistent winners on the tournament circuit and the proud owner of four WSOP bracelets. In addition, he won the World Poker Tour (WPT) Championship in 2008 and was the winner of the first Tournament of Champions.

Using steady play all throughout, Team China entered the five-team final table as the chip leader. However, by the time heads-up play started between China and Brazil, it was Team Brazil ahead with an almost 3-1 chip advantage. It did not matter to the Chinese team as they clawed their way back to retake the lead.

In the end, with the game set at Pot Limit Omaha, both teams got their money all-in pre-flop after a series of re-raises before the flop. Team China showed while Team Brazil tabled .

The flop came to give both teams life – two-pair for the Chinese team and a straight draw for the Brazilians. The turn and river blanked, giving the bigger-stacked Team China the win and top prize.

“Just like in any poker tournament, there were times that luck was on our side,” said a jubilant David Chiu. “However, we really had a lot of great teamwork and I think that’s one of the main things that helped us get to the top. It’s the first World Team Poker event and Team China is the champion!”

Team China’s win is also another telltale sign of the emergence of Chinese players in the poker scene. Members of the group, including Winfred Yu, believe that the market in China, especially Macau, is on the upswing.

“Chinese people like to gamble and at the same time they are very interested in a lot of challenging and skill games. Also, a lot of them are very good at math, so that helps as well,” said Yu, who manages the Poker King Club at the StarWorld Hotel and Casino. “Throughout the years I’ve seen how Chinese players have been developing and I think it’s just a matter of adapting to the game and learning the tips and tricks.”

A total of eight teams participated in the US $50,000 buy-in event, which took place on May 19 at the Golden Nugget Casino in Las Vegas. Team China took home US $300,000 for winning while the Brazilian team received US $100,000 for their runner-up finish.

Sourced from Asia Poker News