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.

Kiwanont Sukhum made it 500,000 to go from under the gun and Wayne Lam three-bet to 1,250,000 from the hijack. Sukhum then shoved all in for around 12,000,000. Lam also went all in for 6,450,000 after tanking for some time.

Kiwanont Sukhum: A♣ Q♠

Wayne Lam: A♥ K♥

Lam was ahead with a higher kicker. A flop came 5♠ 5♣ 7♦ , offering no help to Sukhum.

The dealer dealt the runout of K♠ 3♠ , improving Lam to a pair of kings and delivering him a humongous double-up.

Kiwanont Sukhum opened the hijack to 2,600,000 with 275,000 chips behind, and Abraham Ceesvin shoved all in for around 4,800,000 on the button. Sukhum then called off his last few chips, putting himself at risk.

Abraham Ceesvin: K♦ Q♦

Kiwanont Sukhum: 4♦ 4♥

Sukhum held the lead on the board of 8♥ 6♦ 7♥ 9♣ 3♥ , locking up a crucial double-up.

The action folded to Kiwanont Sukhum on the button who went almost all-in for 1,200,000, leaving a 25,000 chip behind to protect his cards.

Big blind Abraham Ceesvin shoved all-in, covering Sukhum.

Sukhum threw in some time banks and looked around the room to see if anyone else was all-in. It was, after all, a significant pay jump from 24th to 23rd.

With no one going all-in, Sukhum threw in his last 25,000.

Kiwanont Sukhum: A♦ 4♠

Abraham Ceesvin: A♣ 8♥

While Ceesvin was ahead, the board completed T♥ T♠ 9♠ 7♥ A♥ to split the pot between the two.

In the next hand, Nopparut Piyatassakorn opened to 320,000 and Sukhum once again went almost all-in for 1,300,000, leaving 45,000 behind. Piyatassakorn declared all-in and Sukhum put in the remaining chips.

Kiwanont Sukhum T♠ T♣

Nopparut Piyatassakorn: A♥ J♦

The board completed 8♠ 8♥ Q♠ K♣ 6♦ to give Sukhum the double-up breakthrough on the second try, leaving Piyatassakorn with crumbs.

In the next hand, Piyatassakorn raised an almost all-in to 460,000, leaving 40,000 behing, but found no callers and he scooped the blinds.

And just when this writer blinked to write a report - Piyatassakorn busted out in 24th place.

Kitty Kuo, who has been in the thick of it, opened the button to 250,000 and was defended by Kiwanont Kukhum in the big blind.

Kukhum checked on the flop of K♣ 4♠ T♥ , and Kuo continued for 300,000. Kukhum made the call.

The Q♥ landed on the turn, and it went check-check.

When the 9♥ fell on the river, Kukhum checked to Kuo, who fired 500,000. Kukhum made the call.

Kuo revealed a straight with J♣ 8♣ , forcing Kukhum to muck his cards.

The start of day chip leader Kitty Kuo made it 65,000 from the button and Kiwanont Sukhum defended from the big blind with roughly ten big blinds behind.

When the flop came down 9♦ 2♣ 8♣ , Sukhum started out with a check and Kuo put out a continuation-bet of 225,000. Sukhum thought it over for a while and then check-jammed for 625,000. Kuo snap-called.

Kiwanont Sukhum: T♣ 9♣

Kitty Kuo: K♥ K♣

Sukhum flopped the world with top pair and a flush draw against two kings of Kuo. Sukhum took the lead on the 7♣ turn improving to a flush. Kuo, did have a redraw to a higher flush though.

The river was the Q♥ , which was safe for Sukhum, and he doubled through the Natural8 ambassador and only remaining APT Main Event champion left in the field.