In this week’s Calling The Clock the World Poker Tour announce plans to move into Japan, partypoker announce a $35m GTD Powerfest, and Patrick Leonard gives us a sneak peek behind the curtain at bitB Staking.

I always like to begin with the most important piece of news, and this week I give the nod to the World Poker Tour (WPT) and their envoy into the land of the rising sun.

I know the live grinders have begun belittling the tour for hosting an event that doesn’t have any cash prizes, but we have to remember that the legislation is not yet ironed out, and a presence in the region is better than no presence.

WPT Japan takes place November 23-26 in Tokyo, with the winner’s earning packages to future WPT Asia-Pacific based live events. Points made in the WPT Japan Main Event will also count in the WPT Asia-Pacific Player of the Year race.