After seeing the post about a shooting range in China, it really intrigued me, because I never ever would have thought there was something like that in China.

Anyhow, there have been a few different types of threads involving, Hong Kong, Macau, and China, but figured we'd start one thread for any questions and answers.

I personally don't know much about this shooting range, and it sounds very cool.

It is very cold with snow and everything in Beijing right now, so the shooting thing may be better in a few months since I assume this activity MUST be done outside somewhere out in the countryside.

My situation in China, is that I live in South East China in Guangzhou (100 min from HK, 70 min from Macau). I help out with a family business involving importing and exporting leather goods. There is a good amount of ex-pats living here and there are some live poker games, with some HORRENDOUS players....Just waiting until Macau jumps on the band wagon so they'll be some legitimate poker action around here.

WTF? there were games in Guangzhou? I was in hk/guangzhou for two weeks the past summer and was bored out of my mine. My friends did shopping and I sat in an internet bar with a bunch of smokers.

Can anyone confirm that Ftp, stars, and party work without any problems on the mainland? Specifically Shanghai and Beijing. Thanks.

Como what??

I thought was poker already there, is it just not good poker? Part of the reason I am going there soon

I know Stars and FTP are fine on the Mainland, but sometimes you ll have connectivity issues and the connection wont be as fast. If it means anything, you know on Stars how it gives you a percentage number of your connectivity? I've never been higher then 86%, and on average I'd say it is usually around 65-70%.

The only poker Macau has is some of those electronic tables, I think one of the casinos has like 6 of them, so technically, poker is still not fully introduced there. They did have the Pstars tourney two months ago (no cash games), but I have yet to hear anything else.

In Guangzhou, they hold some tourneys at a bar, and another group of ex pats play at an apartment. I've yet to play at the guys apartment, but this game is more legit, and from the layout seems they actually have a clue of how to play.

Im in Chengdu right now. Ive stayed in a budget, super 8 type of hotel and a 4star hotel. in the budget one (120rmb/night) internet was noticeably slow, enough to impede gameplay. in the nicer hotel (630/night) the internet is perfectly fine usually. stars, ftp and bodog are all working for me. if this is the case in chengdu i think its safe to assume you'll be fine in beijing/ shanghai

Does anyone know which casino in Macau has those electronic tables, and for what limits? thanks

I spent a few nights at the galaxy starworld casino recently. They had 4 automatic tables but I only saw action on 1-2 at a time and the games started usually around 5-6pm. Only action was with NL 5/10 HKD blinds (1k max buyin, 1 USD is about 8 HKD). There was a small list of names to 10/20 but it never got opened while I was there. The level of play was actually surprisingly good. Smoking was allowed on the tables and 80% of players smoked so that pretty much sucked. I checked out the nearby Wynn casino too but couldn't find a single poker table in their HUGE gaming halls.

thanks toke

HP, id love a good trip report about the electronic tables, and/if there is any kind of poker at any other casinos...thanks

probably can do, in a month thehabit

is there any visa regulations?

I have a german passport
I will fly to hong kong and I am planing to go by boat to macau (macau to bangkok by airplane)

You should double check timok with Germany,

Im a US citizen and dont need a visa for HK or Macau, but if you want to enter the mainland, I assume EVERYONE needs a visa.

Also, if your taking a trip to Macau, and HK, I'd hope you'd take some extra time to see China as well. If you need a visa, this can be done in a day or so time in HK.

it's the same for germany.

I thought I am to lazy to get the visa in germany but if I can get it in HK...what do I need to visit in Shenzhen, HK, Macau delta?
I have about 1 week. I start in HK and need to be at Macau airport one week later

I read there is a nice rollercoaster theme park in shenzhen?

Right now its ****in cold here man, even around HK and Macau....Worst Winter China has EVER had...affecting the WHOLE country.

Right now at Guangzhou train stations there is over 150,000 people stranded trying to get home early before Chinese New Years.

HK/Macua- No visa needed for a US citizen

Shenzhen- you need a visa, since its your first trip to the mainland, and you dont have an invitation letter you wont be able to get a MULTIPLE entry visa, meaning once you go in the mainland, then leave, thats it...you cannot re-enter without getting another visa.

Shenzhen- Blah....not the greatest place imo, but I have heard of the amusement park your speaking of. They also have indoor skiing there.

In Panyu ( part of Guangzhou ), actually down the street from me, is the largest zoo and theme park in Asia....Waterpark, awesome zoo, theme park, and a huge stunt show with a bunch of ex pats in it.

Not sure when your coming, but this week would be horrible because of the weather and the craziness of Chinese New Years coming up. Just for example, last week it was about 75 degrees here, and now its 42 degree....sickening...

I saw a stunt show in panyu. The outdoor seats were pretty cheap, but the show itself is comparable to say, the mystic at treasure island. The tickets were like 200-300 yuans, which is 30 bucks US. I'd recommend the show.

Excited...Lets just hope these casinos get a move on it already and get tables there asap!

Government Approved the Most Popular Form of Poker

Officials in Macau have given casinos the green light to spread Texas hold’em games. The Macau government announced the change through its official bulletin Monday, and casinos are allowed to start spreading the games immediately.

At least one casino, the Grand Lisboa, has begun to spread the games. This casino is the flagship property of Sociedade de Jogos de Macau (SJM). SJM operates 17 casinos in Macau.

Tournament Texas Hold’em was first played in Macau during the PokerStars Asian Pacific Poker Tour in November 2007. APPT received special permission from the government to hold the event at the Galaxy Grand Waldo Casino. With 352 entries, it was a smashing success and showed that Texas hold’em poker could thrive in the largest casino market in the world, despite the fact that most of Macau’s visitors are not familiar with the game.

“The APPT Macau was a test event meant to demonstrate the viability of poker as a new game that diversifies the gaming market, encourages international tourism (primarily from individuals who are not traditional visitors to Macau), and has a broad distributed benefit to everyone involved,” said Jeffrey Haas, APPT president. “The results from this test were successful, and since then APPT and Galaxy Grand Waldo have been working to help bring poker to Macau on a permanent basis.”

Before this change, Galaxy had the only "poker room" in Macau. It has four Poker Pro machines - spreading no-limit hold'em games ranging from 75¢-$1.25 to $6-$12 - and two Poker Pro heads-up tournament tables at its flagship property, Star World. During the APPT event, the Grand Waldo was also testing a Lightning Poker table, a company operated by professional poker player Brian Haveson.

The casino was able to have the machines because Macau considers automated poker machines in the same category as slots.

Casinos will be permitted to take 3-5 percent of each pot for rake, but cannot exceed five times the big blind. Games can start with as few as two players (although each table will be required to hold at least 10 players, plus the dealer).

Las Vegas casino operators Wynn Las Vegas, Sands, and MGM Grand all have properties in Macau, which passed Las Vegas in gambling revenue as the world leader in 2006. In 2007, casino gambling generated $10.3 billion, which was a 46-percent increase from the previous year.

long speech short:
now there will be poker in macau?


anyone in macau right now to confirm if there are tables?

I will be in macau end of february and I would like to play a little texas holdem fixed limit

I read galaxy casino had two 1-2NL tables, 1 one 5-10NL, and 1 20-40LHE with some decent waits...It didnt state specific in the article, but I assume thats the conversion to US dollars, Id really hope so anyway..

woo,

thanks for the info.

based on your locations:
whats the weather like right now?

1. I'm gonna spend one day in Canton/Guangzhou in early March. I know nothing of that city. What activities do you recommend? No partying/poker. I'm there with the wife.

2. Also, any generan tips for Sanya? I'll spend 6 days there (March).

3. What's the right format for a foreign phone number in China? I'm tryng to reserve an airplane ticket from Southern China Airlines but the mother****er keeps rejecting my resrvations and says "Wrong format in phone #". My number is (like) +358401234567. I've tried (358) 401234567 and whatnot. No success. HELP!

Hey, Ive never been to Sanya so I can t help you there...

But I guess good things to do with the wife/gf in GZ would be go to Chim Long Zoo, biggest zoo in all of asia, also has some type of stunt show, huge theme park - (biggest roller coaster in the world, and other crap like a six flags), water park...

Eat lots of good Chinese food (best restaurants and the most restaurants in all of China are in GZ), and of course shopping (high end, as well as the local markets with cool stuff)

Ive never done it but you can go to Baiyun Mountain, check out Shaiman Island where the English and French settled a long ass time ago.

Just walk around the city, you ll find things to do.

Id suggest completely ignoring ANY beggers, seriously if u give them anything, a pack will come outa no where and swarm you especially if your a lao wai (foreigner).

Be prepared, not many people speak English at all around here, so if your going to be traveling by taxi, make sure you have a card with written chinese or call a chinese speaker to help you out...Dont worry the taxis wont rip you off, they re pretty trustworthy here.

And as far as the phone format...I dunno exactly what you mean but my mobile format would be like this if you were dialing INTERNATIONALLY to someone in China...

+861358739876...

No. There is not. It is like a 1/8 size abandoned amusement park. If you go here without having some other reason (in my case, I coincidentally stayed in a hotel for business across the street), the joke will be on you.

ETA: The shenzhen tourist propaganda about there being 7 great sites here or something is complete and total fiction. Don't believe a word of it about, I can't remember what the amusement park and the great wall thing and everything in the world in miniature. None of this is worth going to.

URGENT (for me...)

How long do all the byrocratic and all the other stuff take on China Guangzhou airport for someone arriving there from Finland? The only connectiong flight on my arrivedate to my next location that still has seats left leaves at 10.20am and my flight from Finland arrives at 08.20am. Do I have to present my visa etc on my arrival to Guangzhou or my next location, Sanya? Do I have to re-check-in my luggage or will they be shipped straight to Sanya?

I'll be flying with Finnair -> Hainan Airlinas (different alliances).

What kind of leather goods? Do you do accessories (belts or wallets)?