WPT Korea Cancelled

Instead of "cards in the air" there may be missiles in the air at the World Poker Tour National Korea.

Heightened tensions between South Korea and China that include strategic maneuvering by the U.S. have forced the WPT to cancel the event that was scheduled for March 17-21 at Paradise Casino at Jeju Grand in South Korea.

Cancellation Regrets

The WPT issued an official statement reluctantly pulling the plug on the festival, but really had no choice due to "suspended air travel in the region." Airlines that service Southeast Asia such as Spring Airlines and China Eastern and that typically offer travel between China and Jeju have grounded all flights between the two destinations.

Jeju is a popular tourist locale for travelers from China. Gamblers from that country likely would have made up a big part of the field of the nearly dozen events on the WPT Korea schedule.

What's the Trouble?

The rift centers around the decision of South Korea to permit U.S. forces to deploy a missile defense system in the country. China retaliated by limiting trade and travel to and from South Korea.

The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System (THAAD) deployed by the U.S. apparently means no ill will toward China, but is instead a precaution against the unpredictable behavior of North Korea's supreme leader, Kim Jong-un.

"The THAAD system is the most minimum defense mechanism against North Korea's nuclear missile threats," South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-koo told Reuters. "China has been overly assessing the radar and excessively protesting against its deployment."

It isn't often that international relations snuff out such a harmless activity as a poker festival. But these are the times in which we live.

"In the best interest of our players, the event will no longer be taking place," read the WPT statement.