Biao Ding Victorious At Superstar Challenge For First APT Title

Whenever Biao Ding takes a seat at the table, opponents better be ready because this Chinese powerhouse has been on a tear since bursting onto the live scene in 2020. Currently ranked #2 in China, Ding has already racked up over US$ 3 Million in live tournament earning this year alone. He added another huge score at APT Taipei 2025, claiming his first-ever APT title by winning the Superstar Challenge and pocketing NT$ 10,358,375 (~US$ 319,705). This latest victory pushes his total live earnings to a US$15.6 million.

The Superstar Challenge cost a pricey NT$ 800,000 (~US$ 25,000), making it the most expensive event in the festival lineup. With 45 taking the plunge, it built a prize pool of NT$ 34,090,875 (~US$ 1,052,190) divvied among the top six finishers. Cashing out were Calvin Sungwon Lee and Alexander Wice, both players seeking redemption from their final table finish at the APT Super High Roller in 3rd and 5th place. Day 1 chip leader James Mendoza was stopped in 5th place, while Germany's Martin Finger ran it up to 4th place to collect the first six-figure USD payout. For Hong Kong's Nicholas Go, his impressive finish as runner-up earned him his largest ever tracked payout of NT$ 9,244,000 (~US$ 285,310).

#	Player	Prize	SPI
#1	DB Ding Biao	$319,705 TWD 10,358,375	1,918.23
#2	NG Nicholas Go Hong Kong	$285,310 TWD 9,244,000	1,356.39
#3	AW Alex Wice Thailand	$157,825 TWD 5,113,500	1,107.49
#4	MF Martin Finger Germany	$121,005 TWD 3,920,500	959.11
#5	JM James Mendoza Philippines	$94,690 TWD 3,068,000	857.86
#6	CS Calvin Sungwon Lee United States of America	$73,655 TWD 2,386,500	783.11