Following a historic day which saw the evolution of Traktor Poker, or Tuo La Ji, from traditional folk game to an officially recognized Sport by the China Leisure Sports Administrative Center (CLSAC), the World Poker Tour (WPT) China National Traktor Poker Tour crowned its first Provincial Champions this week in Lanzhou, Gansu Province.

The province’s best players showed up for the Tour’s inaugural event, which is sanctioned under the CLSAC, the national Sports Federation governing Leisure Sports under the China State Sports Administration, and sponsored by WPT Enterprises (WPTE), the exclusive marketing partner of the Tour.

The tournament was the first of 15 Regional Preliminary tournaments which will be held each weekend throughout China during the inaugural Season, set to run from October 2007 through April 2008. Tour play is based on a team structure where teams in each tour city compete to qualify for the Grand Final.

A score of 5,090, posted by the winning team, led by Zhu An Men and Chen Haili, both residents of Lanzhou City, took the Gansu Provincial Title in the hard fought battle of seasoned competitors. Xing Xiao Quan, Secretary General of the CLSAC said, “October 12th will be remembered as a historic day for poker in China, as the beloved folk game of Traktor Poker was elevated to the position of an official National Sport.”

Peter Hughes, Chief Operating Officer of the WPTE who attended the competition in Lanzhou, said, “We are proud to recognize these first Provincial Champions. The Gansu tournament has demonstrated that this innovative concept can be successfully executed in China. This inaugural event is a strong sign of the success we anticipate for this Tour.”

Hughes added, “Traktor Poker is a traditional sport rich with history and I am sure it will only grow and build momentum from here.”

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