The police are investigating a poker contest held in East China's Jiangsu province in which participants are allegedly involved in gambling, reported chinanews.com on Saturday.

The competition attracted more than 1,000 players from home and abroad, including celebrities. Reports say rock star Wang Feng, fiance of Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi, attending the event's opening ceremony and a charity game.

The tournament required an entrance fee of 3,000 yuan ($484), and the prize money was reportedly close to 8 million yuan.

According to a player who wanted to remain anonymous, players of the Texas Hold'Em poker contest were allowed to rebuy into the game as many times as they want to stay in the game, which considerably increased the prize money.

Nanjing police suspended the competition on Friday after receiving tip-offs about its gambling nature.

The organizers did not gain permission from China's sports governing authority, the General Administration of Sports of China (GASC), to hold the competition, said Guo Yujun, head of the chess and cards game division of the GASC.

Despite the popularity it has gained over recent years, Texas Hold'Em has not been granted the status as an official competitive sport in China, a country where gambling is illegal, according to Guo.

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