‘PokerStars LIVE at the City of Dreams’ today announced that the next Macau Poker Cup (MPC) will take place from April 19-28, 2013. The 18th installment of the MPC is expected to be the biggest ever, as the HKD $11,000 Red Dragon Main Event will boast a massive guarantee of HKD $5,000,000.

The Red Dragon tournament currently holds Asia’s record for biggest tournament field after 635 unique players took part in the event in February, 2012. This record is expected to be broken by the next MPC as PokerStars celebrates its newest live poker room which is also the largest and most luxurious in the enclave.

“It’s become a tradition of sorts for PokerStars LIVE Macau to open with the Macau Poker Cup,” said Danny McDonagh, PokerStars’ Director of Live Operations in the Asia-Pacific. “There’s been an incredible buzz since we announced the move to City of Dreams, Macau and we are doing everything possible to ensure our new home begins with a new record.”

Mr. Steven Webster, Senior Vice President, Marketing of Melco Crown Entertainment Limited (SEHK:6883) (NASDAQ: MPEL), owner, developer and operator of City of Dreams, said, “City of Dreams always strives to bring the most innovative, premium gaming experience to our patrons. ‘PokerStars LIVE at the City of Dreams’ is set to provide a sophisticated yet fun atmosphere designed with the player’s comfort in mind to attract the world’s top poker players and will become the permanent venue for Asia’s most successful poker tournaments. We believe ‘PokerStars LIVE at the City of Dreams’ will significantly enhance the face of the Macau Poker scene.”

The ten-day schedule will contain nine Official Asia Player of the Year (APOY) events, including the HKD $5,500 NL Hold’em and HKD $20,000 NL Hold’em tournaments that come with guarantees of HKD $500,000 and HKD $1,000,000 respectively. The 2013 APOY winner will receive a one-year sponsorship deal with PokerStars LIVE Macau.

“I always get excited about the Macau Poker Cup, but this is the one Red Dragon you don’t want to miss,” said two-time Red Dragon winner Celina Lin. The Team PokerStars Pro added: “You never need an excuse to go to City of Dreams. If you’re in Macau and like to have fun then you’ve definitely been there already. Adding poker just means that certain people may never leave the property now!”

Players can qualify for the Macau Poker Cup for free at PokerStars.net from March 4.

Macau Poker Cup schedule

Friday, April 19
20:00 $2,000 Deepstack ($200,000 Guarantee) [2-day event]

Saturday, April 20
18:00 $5,500 NLH ($500,000 Guarantee) – Day 1A (Day 1B re-entry allowed)

Sunday, April 21
18:00 $5,500 NLH ($500,000 Guarantee) – Day 1B [2-day event]

Monday, April 22
20:00 $5,000 KO Bounty [2-day event]

Tuesday, April 23
20:00 $3,000 NLH Turbo

Wednesday, April 24
19:00 $11,000 RED DRAGON ($5,000,000 Guarantee) – Day 1A

Thursday, April 25
19:00 $11,000 RED DRAGON ($5,000,000 Guarantee) – Day 1B

Friday, April 26
16:00 $1,500 NLH Turbo
20:00 $11,000 RED DRAGON ($5,000,000 Guarantee) – Day 1C

Saturday, April 27
17:00 $20,000 NLH ($1,000,000 Guarantee) [2-day event]
20:00 $6,000 NLH [2-day event]

Sunday, April 28
14:30 $2,500 KO Bounty

All tournaments are subject to regulatory approval. For a complete schedule please visit: www.pokerstarsmacau.com.