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.

On the final table bubble, Owen Chong called from the small blind and Nishant Kumar checked out of the big blind.

The flop came down 8♠ T♠ 4♥ and Chong fired out a bet of 300,000. Kumar made the call.

The 9♣ fell on the turn and Chong continued to bet, this time for 800,000. Kumar raised to 2,000,000, which Chong called.

The river was the J♥ and both players checked. Chong tabled T♦ 9♦ for two pair and Kumar could only muck.

Owen Chong made it 500,000 under the gun before Nishant Kumar three-bet to 1,300,000 from the next seat. When it folded to Daehyung Lee in the big blind, he four-bet shoved for 1,700,000. Chong five-bet to 3,800,000, forcing Kumar to fold and the cards were flipped over.

Daehyung Lee: 2♠ 2♦

Owen Chong: K♠ K♥

Lee was in a lot of trouble and needed to find a deuce to keep his Main Event dream alive.

The dealer fanned out a flop of Q♥ 9♥ 6♥ , keeping Chong's Cowboys ahead.

The 5♥ on the turn gave Chong a flush draw, and left Lee with just one-out.

It wasn't meant to be for Lee as the 3♠ appeared on the river, and he was out in twelfth place for TWD 1,114,000 (~$34,380).

With Powen Fang forced all-in from the big blind, Nishant Kumar made it 500,000 from the hijack and everyone else folded. The cards were turned over and Fang was at risk.

Powen Fang: A♣ 7♦

Nishant Kumar: K♠ T♦

This time Fang got it in good, but the K♣ 2♦ 9♠ flop put Kumar in the lead with top pair.

The rest of the board ran out J♦ T♣ , and Fang was out in fourteenth place for TWD 994,000 (~$30,680).

Powen Fang came in with a raise to 500,000 from early position. Nishant Kumar called on the button, and Shinichiro Kano defended his big blind.

The flop came down a monotone 2♣ J♣ 3♣ and Kano checked. Fang bet 500,000, which only Kumar called.

Fang slowed down and checked the 9♥ turn, prompting Kumar to checke behind. The 4♠ hit the river and Fang bet 2,000,000.

Kumar burned through a time bank before he raised to 5,000,000. If Fang was to call and lose, he would be left just 25,000. After a few moments, Fang called, and Kumar turned over A♣ 6♣ for the nut flush to take down a huge pot.

Powen Fang made it 500,000 from the cutoff and Nishant Kumar called from the big blind.

When it checked to Fang on the K♥ K♠ 2♦ flop he put out a continuation-bet of 500,000. Kumar didn't take long to check-raise to 1,100,000.

Fang tossed in his time banks and thought for a while before he three-bet jammed for 3,500,000. Kumar thought it over briefly and then let go of his cards. Fang pulled in a much-needed pot.

Nishant Kumar made it 500,000 from the hijack and Dang Thi Hue defended her big blind.

When the flop came down 6♥ 7♥ 2♦ Hue started out with a check and Kumar bet out for 575,000. Hue folded and Kumar dragged in the pot.

A flop revealed 4♠ J♣ 9♠ with around 650,000 chips in the pot when Nishant Kumar checked from the big blind and Daehyung Lee also knuckled it back in the cutoff.

Kumar fired out 215,000 on the board-pairing 9♣ turn and Lee made the call.

When an 8♣ hit on the river, instead of a check, Kumar tossed his cards directly into the muck and Lee took the pot.

Nishant Kumar raised to 875,000 from under the gun. Kitty Kuo thought it was a shove, and revealed her pocket sixes after the call.

After the dealer checked with the floor, action continued on the flop of 7♥ 8♣ A♥ , where Kuo check-called swiftly a shove around 980,000 from Kumar.

Kitty Kuo: 6♣ 6♠

Nishant Kumar: A♦ K♣

Kumar picked up the lead with a flopped top pair. A clean runout rolled off 2♣ 7♠ , delivering the sizable pot to Kumar

Donghyun Lim opened the cutoff to 120,000 and Nishant Kumar three-bet to 300,000. Lim made the call.

On the flop of J♠ A♠ 8♦ Lim check-called after a bet of 225,000 from Kumar.

When the 2♦ hit on the turn, Lim check-called again to a bet of 530,000 from Kumar.

After a Q♥ landed on the turn, it went check-check.

Lim revealed A♦ 9♦ for a flopped pair of aces to catch Kumar's bluff, who mucked the hand eventually.

There was 600,000 in the pot beside a board that showed 5♠ 2♠ 5♥ 6♠

Nishant Kumar led with a 160,000 bet before Ka Chuen Yip shoved all-in for around 560,000. Kumar let it go.