World Series Of Mahjong

Well, you might have heard of the World Series of Poker, but this year will bear witness to the biggest ever World Series Of Mahjong (WSOM)! The WSOM will see the world's best Mahjong players coming together in a massive cash-game tournament. Players will be able to show off their tile skills and talents, whilst being in with the chance of winning a cash prize.

As with the World Series of Poker (WSOP), the WSOM will be hosted as a circuit event, and will offer cash prizes to those players finishing in the top positions. The tournament culminates in the final showdown, and as with the WSOP, it is called the Main Event. The prize pool for the Main Event is estimated to be in excess of $1million (USD).

For 2009, the event will see nearly 400 players, from 15 countries within the world Mahjong circuit, taking part. This year's event will be the 3^rd WSOM and is already attracting a huge global following.

In 2008 we saw Dasihiro Otsubo take home the prize necklace at the River/Richi event, and Alex Ho winning the Main Event. Alex managed to stay in the tournament for the full 3-day duration, claiming a top prize of $500, 000 (USD) and the championship necklace.

SO, IS MAHJONG SET TO BE THE NEXT TEXAS HOLD'EM?

Why is this year's tournament being received so enthusiastically by the global Mahjong gambling community? You may remember, if you are a fan, how when starting out, the WSOP was a small, little known event, with a fraction of the clout it has in today's poker obsessed gambling community. But, following several good years of marketing and publicity, the online poker community exploded exponentially, into the multi-billion dollar industry we see today. Thousands of players compete every year for a chance of touching some $$$$ at the WSOP. Although the WSOM is far from the dizzying heights of the WSOP, it is growing year on year, and word is spreading quickly about this year's tournament.

Those of you with an eye for financial opportunities will be reaching for your tiles and practising everyday to beat the rush of players on to the circuit to become one of the greatest players around- after all, the field is wide open, and practice makes perfect, starting now could pay dividends later.

The venue being cited for the World Series of Mahjong is none other that the Venetian Macau- a luxurious place and a Mecca for gamblers. The tournament dates are not yet fixed, but it is likely to be held at the end of November. Macau is a world class resort, and thousands of people will be arriving to participate in this year's festivities.

As with a fine wine, the WSOM is only going to get better with age. The buy in, of $625, may put some people off, but the price is low for such a huge tournament. With a 4-player format, the competition is intense, fast paced and exciting. Spectators can expect to witness games within games, where players need to constantly duel, one-on-one, with their opponents in order to move forward to the higher stages of the competition.

Mahjong can certainly be considered as an up and coming rival to poker. The popularity of the game increases year on year, and the reputation of the 2008 WSOM is a good indicator of the increasing attraction Mahjong holds for the gambling fraternity. By 2012, do not be surprised if the WSOM becomes one of the main events in any serious gambler's calendar. To qualify for the events players are able to join satellite gaming events, or better yet, go to Macau themselves and hedge their bets once there. Mahjong is a wonderfully entertaining game, perhaps there is a little less strategy than with poker, but it is more than made up for by the excitement and entertainment value that will be drawn from taking part.