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.

Marcus Law raised on the button for 2,600,000 - leaving 300,000 behind. Big blind Rintaro Kagawa mistook it for an all-in and threw in a chip to call.

Nevertheless, he matched the 2,600,000 and a flop of Q♥ 2♥ 4♣ was opened.

Kagawa then put in a stack of chips to cover Law. Law threw in a whole bunch of time banks and looked at the other table which also had an all-in situation.

Law waited until the hand on the other table was completed and if the other player would bust-out. Why? Simple answer - Pay jump.

When news of Powen Fang busting out was done, Law pushed in his chips.

Marcus Law: 8♠ 8♦

Rintaro Kagawa: A♥ J♥

Law was ahead but had to avoid the 15 outs of Kagawa.

The 2♠ on the turn kept Law ahead and hopeful, but the 4♥ river ended his run in 13th place.

The remaining 15 players are off to get some grub and will be back in an hour.

Meanwhile here are some top chip counts:

Kitty Kuo shoved her last 3,000,000+ in the middle and monster-stacked big blind Rintaro Kagawa made the call.

Kitty Kuo: A♣ 6♥

Rintaro Kagawa: J♦ 5♦

Flop opened J♥ J♣ 9♣ giving Kagawa trips. The 8♠ had Kup drawing dead on the turn. The river 3♠ was a formality to seal her fate and end her chance to repeat as a Main Event champion.

Yu Xin Liu opened the button to 320,000 and Rintaro Kagawa three-bet to 1,000,000 from the big blind. Liu then shoved all in for around 3,950,000, which Kagawa called immediately.

Yu Xin Liu: A♦ K♠

Rintaro Kagawa: K♥ K♣

Liu had some hope to stay alive, however the board rolled off 7♣ 5♣ J♦ 3♣ Q♥ , offering him no help against Kagawa's pocket kings and sending him to the payout desk.

Rintaro Kagawa made it 325,000 to go from middle position and Dang Thi Hue three-bet to 900,000 in the small blind. Kagawa made the call.

Hue made a bet of 600,000 on the flop of T♣ 2♦ 8♦ and Kagawa tagged along.

The K♣ came on the turn, and it went check-check.

Hue checked over the 5♦ river, where Kagawa sent a chunky bet of 1,000,000, sending his opponent into the tank.

After around 2 minutes, Hue finally released her cards.