Move over, Singapore and Thailand! Vietnam has taken the crown as Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing tourist hub. With a 30.2% increase year-on-year (or roughly four million foreign visitors) in the first two months of 2025, the country has truly lived up to its name as Asia’s Rising Star. But why is everyone flocking to it?
A big part of the answer lies in a riveting documentary about the 2023 Triton Super High Roller Series hosted in the country. Produced by the ACR Network, High Stakes Adventure: Vietnamis an exciting adventure that truly showcases how Vietnam has grown as a high-end tourist destination with the best resorts and casinos ripe for action. If you’re prepping for your poker trip, ensure you’ve got this on your YouTube watchlist.
Journey to Becoming a Poker Champion
High Stakes Adventure: Vietnam follows the journey of ACR Team Pro players Monika Zukowicz, Jeff Boski, Jon Van Fleet, Ana Marquez, and ACR Stormer Mark Rubbathan as they compete in the Triton Super High Roller Series in Vietnam. Americas Cardroom produced the documentary and posted it on its official YouTube channel. The poker platform was also responsible for getting the team on the road in the first place, having awarded them $100,000 poker prize packages through the site’s competitions. The prize package includes a cashout pool, a seat at the tournament, accommodations, and flight tickets. This is often how Americas Cardroom operates, and the culmination of its efforts hit new heights with the very first High Stakes Adventure in 2023.
The ACR Team Pro squad comprises elite poker players sponsored by the platform, with its biggest ambassador being the iconic Chris Moneymaker. Although Moneymaker didn’t join the trip, he shared how it was “an honor to congratulate Mark on his life-changing win on FaceTime.” Moneymaker is no stranger to making it to the big leagues from humble beginnings. He is largely considered the face of the online poker boom from his historic first Main Event win during the 2003 WSOP tournament. Rubbathan, known by his online poker handle “Weazel,” is a part of the ACR Stormer team from the platform’s Twitch poker community. This achievement was especially monumental for him, having come from a time when he struggled to make ends meet.
As with any competition with high stakes and unfamiliar land, the documentary is a gripping romp into how players can take on ‘A $100,000 Journey to Becoming a Poker Champion’ (as listed on their channel). It features the best that Vietnam offers poker enthusiasts and captures every emotion from the faces behind the table, from the thrills and focus to the nerves and tears. Well-versed poker fans will also enjoy seeing cameos from many established players throughout the documentary.
Americas Cardroom has long earned its reputation thanks to its massive poker tour packages and the sheer volume of tournaments it packs into its annual schedule. In 2025, the site doubled down on this schedule and now offers twice as many events, catering to different skill levels, preferred buy-ins, and playstyles.
Vietnam’s Swelling Poker Scene
“I want to be the best poker company…for people that work with me and play poker,” shared Winning Poker Network CEO Phil Nagy. This motivation plays a huge part in why he chose Vietnam’s Hoiana Resort & Golf as the venue for Triton. The luxurious resort is the world’s leading fully integrated resort (IR) with a casino complex that makes for the perfect competitive location to make any poker player feel like a VIP.
As Nagy shared his goal of making every package winner feel the heights of VIP treatment, so does Vietnam deliver with its bustling poker scene. Hoiana joins a lush trio of IRs along with Corona and the pioneer of its kind, the Grand Ho Tram. These world-class locations boast unique offers, but combine efforts to make Vietnam the hottest destination for poker travel. For instance, the Corona is the only IR in the country that lets players without a foreign passport gamble. All three have a beachfront view that will make visitors forget their troubles.
Learning from the structure of those that came before, the casino offerings in Vietnam’s top spots are well-managed and have plenty of diverse stakes to keep players engaged. Their familiarity with what the target market wants is apparent in how the casino areas are built and the inclusion of relaxing facilities to unwind in after a high-stakes event or match. The specificity over volume lends itself nicely to Vietnam as a powerhouse, with private tours in popular tourist spots like Ha Long Bay and the Mekong Delta, making the entire experience even more immersive and personalized for traveling players. Comfortable transport, hidden gems, and flexible itineraries tailor the experience expertly. No wonder a big leaguer like Nagy would back the place so openly, just as it rises as an international hub for poker.
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