Global Poker Index founder Alex Dreyfus has scored another important Chinese market ally, enhancing his partnership deal with digital sports media firm Sina Sports earlier this year (see previous report) with a new deal with Ten Cent Poker, a major online poker subsidiary of internet commerce giant Ten Cent with correspondingly major marketing clout.
The deal will see Tencent Poker Tour players recognised in the Global Poker Index player ranking system, increasing the Chinese presence of the brand and its sister, the Global Poker League.
The GPI ranks 460,000 players competing in 97 countries, and the addition of China considerably enhances its relevance.
Dreyfus says that the deal is part of his strategy to prepare for the possibility of online poker breakthroughs in China, where recent promotional events have shown how popular the game is with legions of fans in the vast country.
His immediate plans include a GPI Awards ceremony on Chinese soil, and the launch of a Global Poker League China next year.