APT Main Event (55,000 TWD)

The air crackled with anticipation at the APT Taipei 2025 series as the penultimate day of the record-breaking APT Main Event unfolded. From a field of 48 battle-hardened players, only nine emerged from seven hours of heart-pounding poker, each now tantalizingly close to etching their name into poker history.

The stage is set for the final table of the largest and richest Main Event in the APT’s 19-year legacy, with a staggering TWD 121,033,440 (~$3.7 million) prize pool up for grabs.

Leading the charge into the final day is Hong Kong’s Wayne Lam, who commands a towering stack of 17,925,000. A relative unknown with just $37,000 in career cashes and no prior APT cash, Lam has defied the odds, already doubling his lifetime earnings. Now, he stands on the brink of poker immortality, with the life-changing TWD 19,009,440 (~$586,710) top prize within reach. The weight of the moment hangs heavy, but Lam’s steely focus and fearless play have made him the man to beat.

Hot on the heels of Lam is Japan’s Rintaro Kagawa with 17,825,000, less than a small blind behind. Kagawa, no stranger to APT final tables, faces his biggest challenge yet, with a stage far grander than any he’s seen before. Rounding out the top three is Malaysia’s Owen Chong with 15,375,000. Chong closed today with momentum, eliminating Daehyung Lee in twelfth place and winning a crucial blind-on-blind battle against Nishant Kumar.

Representing Thailand is APT regular Kiwanont Sukhum, who enters the final table in eighth place. A master of short-stack play, Sukhum spent much of today near the bottom but navigated his way to the final nine. Sukham won three APT titles in six months, and has nearly $250,000 in career earnings, so he has the experience and resilience to make him a formidable contender.

Anchoring the chip counts is Vietnam’s Dang Thi Hue, with around 16 big blinds. Hue, a former APT Phu Quoc Main Event champion with a career-best $53,346 score, knows what it takes to conquer a high-pressure final table. Her opponents would be foolish to underestimate he, as she’s proven she can go all the way.

Day 4 Action

The APT Taipei Main Event saw 48 players return to the felt on Day 4, each vying for a spot at the biggest final table in APT history. The action was relentless from the first shuffle, with eliminations coming fast and fortunes shifting dramatically.

It took just a few hands for the first casualty of the day. Guolun Huang ran his pocket jacks into Yu Cheng Hsu’s pocket kings, sending Huang to the rail in 48th place. Huang was soon joined at the payout desk by John Panish (46th), Robert Nemeskeri-Kiss (42nd), Peter Kiem (41st), Sho Katsura (39th), and Tomoya Kuratani (35th).

Hong Kong’s Nicholas Go, fresh off a runner-up finish in the APT Superstar Challenge, entered today with an above-average stack and brought his signature charisma to the tables. However, his Main Event dream ended in 32nd place at the hands of Wobeng Lee. Go held the dominating hand preflop, but a brutal runout spelled the end of his remarkable run.

One of the standout stories of the day was Natural8 ambassador Kitty Kuo, who began Day 4 as the chip leader. Kuo’s day took a turn early in the second level when she doubled up Sukhum. The Thai pro’s top pair and flush draw held against Kuo’s pocket kings, marking the start of a downward spiral.

Kuo then lost a chunk of her stack to Marcus Law’s pocket aces and dropped more chips in a race against Kumar’s ace-king with her pocket sixes. The most devastating blow came against fellow Main Event winner Hue, who was all-in with ace-queen of clubs against Kuo’s pocket aces. A backdoor flush saved Hue, leaving Kuo reeling in the middle of the pack.

This Kitty didn't have nine lives though, as Kuo's hopes of winning a second Main Event were extinguished when her ace-six finished second best to Kagawa’s jack-five. Two jacks on the flop sealed her fate, and Kuo was sent to the cashier’s desk to collect her 21st place payout.

When the day progressed, the field thinned rapidly. After the dinner break, only 14 players remained. Powel Fang’s pocket kings were no match for Kumar's flopped nut flush, leaving Fang with a tenth of a big blind, a point of which he couldn’t recover. Law (13th), Lee (12th), and APT Taipei Poker Classic 2024 Main Event runner-up Abraham Ceesvin (11th) followed in quick succession, setting up the final table bubble.

The final hand of the day arrived when Anusorn Asiralertsiri of Japan became the last player eliminated on Day 4. Asiralertsiri’s pocket fours were in a race against Lam’s ace-queen, and while the flop favored the Sailboats, a queen on the turn ended his run in 10th place. With that, the final table of the largest APT Main Event in history was set, promising an electrifying final day as the remaining players battle for the coveted title and life-changing prize.

Play resumes at 11:15 AM on Saturday, May 3, where the final nine players will battle until one is crowned APT Main Event champion. There’s forty-nine minutes remaining in Level 34, and with the average stack at 38 big blinds, every decision will be magnified as the blinds continue to rise.

*includes APTC Main Event seat valued at TWD 350,000

The final table will be streamed with a 30-minute delay, ensuring fans can follow the action without spoilers. Live updates will remain in sync with the broadcast to provide a seamless experience.

With the final table of the largest APT Main Event in history set, the final day promises an electrifying battle for the coveted title and life-changing prize, here inside the Red Space venue in Taipei, Taiwan.

Abraham Ceesvin open-shoved from the small blind for 2,400,000 and Akira Takasugi defended in the big blind to put his opponent at risk.

Abraham Ceesvin: J♠ 2♠

Akira Takasugi: J♥ J♦

Takasugi dominated and held the lead throughout the board of 3♥ Q♦ 7♠ 8♥ 3♣ , busting Ceesvin in eleventh place for a payday of TWD 1,252,500 (~USD 38,660).

Wayne Lam opened the button to 500,000 and Akira Takasugi defended from the big blind.

The two checked through a flop of 8♣ 7♣ J♠ to see the 4♠ turn, where Takasugi checked to Lam, who then fired out 1,000,000. Takasugi came along for the ride.

When the T♦ fell on the river, it went check-check.

Takasugi tabled J♥ 9♣ for a rivered straight to rake in the pot as Lam tossed his cards into the muck.

Akira Takasugi opened the hijack to 500,000 and Anusorn Asiralertsiri shoved all in from the cutoff for 1,825,000. Takasugi called to put the Thai player at risk.

Akira Takasugi: 5♠ 5♥

Anusorn Asiralertsiri: 9♥ 9♣

The board rolled off 7♣ 6♣ 6♠ T♥ 8♥ , shipping Asiralertsiri a double-up.

Akira Takasugi opened from under the gun to 400,000 and only big blind Marcus Law defended to play.

The flop arrived: 5♠ 2♠ 8♠ and Law check-called Takasugi's bet of 300,000 to open a 3♠ turn.

Check-check and a 5♥ was dealt on the river. Law tapped over to Takasugi who put in 1,000,000. Law folded.

In the next hand, Abraham Ceesvin opened on the button for 450,000. Takasugi defended his big blind. Flop came J♦ 7♦ 4♠

Both checked to see a 8♣ turn. This time, Takasugi led out for 800,000. Ceesvin folded.

Marcus Law limped in from the small blind and Akira Takasugi checked over in the big blind.

The two checked through a flop of 9♣ 5♣ J♠ to see the 7♣ fall on the turn, where it went check-check again.

The 8♥ hit on the river, and Law check-folded after a bet of 500,000 from Takasugi.

In the last hand for Level 30, Dawid Smolka couldn't escape the fate of eliminaiton eventually.

Dawid Smolka moved all in from under the gun for 65,000 and was called by the blinds, Akira Takasugi and Yu Xin Liu.

Both players checked through the board of 9♦ A♣ K♥ 7♥ 9♦ to a free showdown.

Takasugi revealed 7♦ 8♠ for a pair of sevens against Smolka's T♦ 6♥ and Liu's J♦ 5♦ , sending Smolka out of the field.

Akira Takasugi raied to 160,000 from the cutoff and Dawid Smolka shoved all in from the small blind for 1,408,000. Donghyun Lim also moved all in from the big blind for around 4,000,000. Takasugi called for his remaining chips.

Dawid Smolka: A♥ 9♣

Donghyun Lim: Q♠ Q♣

Akira Takasugi: K♦ K♣

Takasugi looked poised to scoop in a humongous pot with pocket kings on the flop of 5♣ 7♦ 4♦ .

However, the dealer sent an A♣ on the turn, improving Smolka to superior pair of aces.

The river bricked out a 6♥ , locking up a monstrous pot for Skolka and leaving Lim crippled with less than one million chips.

Day 4 of the TWD 55,000 Main Event at APT Taipei 2025 gets underway today at the Red Point Center’s Red Space, with just 48 contenders keeping their tournament run alive in the field after a gruelling Day 3 tested both stamina and skill.

With the absolute value TWD 19,009,440 (~USD 586,710), the iconic lion trophy, and a place in the APT history books up for grabs, the remaining players will battle through 60-minute levels — starting with only 4 minutes left in Level 26 — until just nine players remain to form tomorrow’s final table.

Outdistancing the rest as the chip leader is Natural 8 Ambassador — Kitty Kuo of Taiwan, who bagged up a dominating stack of 7,575,000 chips. Kuo catapulted to the top of the chip counts with a late-night surge, highlighted by a pivotal cooler where her bullets cracked Shinya Maeda’s cowboys. She is the only player to have eclipsed the 7,000,000-chip mark heading into Day 4.

Sitting in second place on the leaderboard is Taiwan’s Huang Mu Shiang, who amassed an impressive 5,205,000 in chips. Wayne Lam of Hong Kong rounds out the top three with 5,175,000 chips entering Day 4.

All three players carry over five million in chips and are well-positioned to apply early pressure as the action starts.

Four of the initial chip leaders from the opening flights fell short of Day 4, but the Day 2 pacesetter, Nicholas Go remains in contention with a healthy 2,350,000 in chips. Known for his expressive table presence, Go will be hoping the poker goddess Fortuna continues to smile on his run.

The field still features several experienced pros, among them three-time APT titlist Abraham Ceesvin (1,025,000), two-time APT titlist Robert Kiss (2,100,000), and Peter Kiem (1,095,000) – winner of the 2024 Taipei Poker Classic High Roller Double Stack.

*Plus an APTC Main Event Seat worth TWD 350,000

Action kicks off at 11:15 a.m. local time. Blinds resume at 25,000/50,000 with a 50,000 big blind ante, and survivors will whittle down the field for the final table, guaranteeing a minimum payout of TWD 1,500,000 (~USD 46,300).

Stay tuned there for key hands from Day 4 of the 2025 APT Taipei Main Event.