Could Hong Kong be on the verge of celebrating its very own World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champion?
As the 2016 version of the world’s most prestigious poker tournament rolls into its seventh day today, Kakwan Lau – from Sheung Shui in Hong Kong’s New Territories – is one of just 27 players remaining from a mammoth starting field of 6,737.
He is already guaranteed at least US$270,000 for his efforts but will be aiming much higher with the 2016 WSOP Main Event champion to take home US$8 million. Lau currently sits 12th on the chip counts with the nine remaining players at the end of today’s play to return to Las Vegas in November to play down to a winner. 
While the great Johnny Chan, who won the WSOP Main Event two years running in 1987 and 1988, spent six years in Hong Kong as a child before emigrating to the USA, Lau would be the first born-and-bred Hong Kong person to claim poker’s most sought after prize.
Victory would also complete a stunning WSOP for Chinese players, with Yue Du from Chongqing City becoming just the second Chinese player of all time to win a WSOP bracelet. Another three players – Yueqi Zhu, Yang Zhang and Yaxi Zhu – made final tables throughout the series.
