Main Event (9,000 NTD)

In the biggest Taiwan Millions Tournament season to date, local gunner Shih Chen Tai etched his name in the record books, conquering a massive 8,478-entry field to win his first ever Main Event title, along with NT$ 6,400,000 and a seat to the upcoming TMT Championship games.

“I’m very happy, this is my first Main Event win!”, Tai said with a smile following his victory. “Finally, finally! I won!”

From the start of the day, Tai wasn’t focused on the trophy. Instead, he played with calmness and precision saying, “I just tried my best to maintain an average stack, avoid losing chips, and seize every opportunity to win a pot.”

Tai returned to the Final Day as one of the 36 hopefuls, and managed to land second in chips once the final table was set. While many clashed for position or succumbed under pressure, Shih held his ground until he found his moment to strike.

That moment came with a massive hero call, where Tai stared down three barrels from chip leader Jia Lin Luo, and found the call with just middle pair. That pot swung 46 big blinds Tai's way, bringing him back into the game.

From then on, Tai never looked back, eliminating both Po Chia Liao in 4th, then Bo Sin Wu in 3rd, to take the lead into heads up play. Tai remained in control from start to finish, crippling early table captain Luo in one decisive hand to eventually seal the win.

“I wouldn’t say I was lucky,” he said when asked about key moments. “Almost every hand is 50/50. Maybe the 66 vs AT before the final table—that was important. But I just tried to play every hand well.”

Now, with the TMT Incense Cedar Trophy in hand, Tai is looking forward to a quiet celebration. “I’ll probably just relax, have a great meal with friends, and take it easy.” But one thing’s certain, “I’ll definitely play the next TMT Championship Main Event”, he added.

In a week defined by record numbers and unforgettable moments, it was Tai's timing and discipline that carried him to victory on Taiwan’s biggest poker stage. Congratulations to all the winners!

TMT 18 Main Event

Dates: July 20–28, 2025

Buy-in: NTD 9,000 (~USD 300)

Guarantee: NTD 31,000,000 (~USD 1,000,000)

Entries: 8,478

Prize pool: NTD 62,262,500 (~USD 2,110,880)

Severely crippled, Jia Lin Luo flicked in her last 6,000,000 and was quickly called by Shih Chen Tai to mark the final hand of the day.

Tai ahead, closed the action with the board running 7♦ A♦ T♦ Q♥ Q♦ , leaving Luo to settle for second place.

Shih Chen Tai limped 7♣ 4♦ on the button, and Jia Lin Luo with J♥ T♦ , checked her option.

On flop 8♠ 6♥ T♣ , Luo pulled a check raise to 5,800,000, and saw Tai stick around to turn 5♥ . Luo continued her aggression with another 10,000,000 barrel, and again was called by Tai.

With the pot swelling, the river brought an 8♣ , and Luo checked the action over to her opponent. Tai went for a final 22,000,000, putting Luo in a tough spot. After some deliberation, Luo couldn’t find the fold and paid it off, only to be shown Tai’s straight to leave her on life support with less than three big blinds.

After a thrilling final table battle, the TMT 18 Main Event is now down to its final two contenders, Shih Chen Tai and Jia Lin Luo. With the trophy in sight and nerves at an all-time high, both players paused the action to discuss a deal.

A decision was reached to flatten the payouts, trimming NT$ 600,000 from the top prize to even out the stakes and guarantee each a slightly bigger payday.

Shih Chen Tai once again open raised all-in folded to him on the small blind, and Bo Sin Wu called off his last 9,200,000 behind.

Looking to catch up, Wu picked up extra outs on the 8♦ 9♦ 6♥ flop, but ultimately bricked runout K♠ 6♣ , sealing his fate in 3rd place. With Wu’s exit, the TMT 18 Main Event is now down to heads up play.

Bo Sin Wu opened Q♠ T♥ for 3,200,000 in the small blind, and Jia Lin Luo flatted behind with 9♦ 6♦ .

On a board of 4♥ 8♠ 9♥ A♦ 2♦ , Wu unloaded the clip, firing 3,200,000, 5,500,000, and a bold 12,500,000 on the river.

Luo tanked, then called it all down, revealing a pair of nines to scoop the massive pot and leave Wu severely crippled.

Action folded to the blinds, pushing Shih Chen Tai to open raise all-in against short stacked Po Chia Liao. Liao called off his 22,600,000 behind and was in for a race for his tournament life.

The board 4♣ 6♠ 9♥ J♦ 3♦ quickly ran a pair for Tai, sealing the deal and sending Liao to the rail a few spots short of a title.

Po Chia Liao went with A♦ Q♠ his last 14,300,000 and was looked up by button opener Shih Chen Tai with Q♥ 5♠ .

Liao well ahead, easily scooped the double up, having ran a full house on board 9♦ 4♦ A♣ A♠ 9♣ to land the win.

Bo Sin Wu defended his utg open with K♦ T♦ , and called Jia Lin Luo's 8,000,000 three bet with A♥ T♣ on the button.

Both players checked flop T♠ K♥ 2♠ through to turn 4♦ , where Wu led for 7,000,000. Luo made the call, and paid a final 12,500,000 on river 2♥ , only to take the loss as Wu tabled top two pair, handing him the chip lead.

Action folded to the blinds, where Jia Lin Luo raised to 3,000,000 holding A♠ 6♦ . Shih Chen Tai defended his big blind with J♥ 4♥, and the two saw a flop of Q♠ J♠ K♠ .

Luo continued for 1,500,000 and ramped it up with 4,500,000 on the 6♥ turn. The river 2♥ brought a daring shove from Luo, putting Tai to the test for his last 17,700,000.

Tai was left unfazed, and snapped with a mere pair of jacks, exposing Luo’s bluff and marking Tai’s brilliant hero call.

Bo Sin Wu opened 2,500,000 utg with T♦ 6♦ and was joined by chip leader Jia Lin Luo behind with 7♦ 7♣ .

Wu went for a double barrel - 2,500,000 and 4,500,000 on board 6♣ J♥ 2♠ 5♦ , and saw Luo call both streets. Action slowed down on river 2♦ , revealing Wu's pair of sixes, unable to beat Luo's pocket pair.

Bo Sin Wu opened the button with K♣ J♦ and faced a 15,900,000 shove from Josei Kamei in the big blind. Wu made the call, only to find himself dominated by Kamei’s K♥ Q♥ .

The tables quickly turned on flop J♣ 8♥ 5♥ , giving Wu top pair while Kamei picked up a flush draw. But the turn 3♠ and river 6♦ bricked out for the Brit, bringing Kamei’s deep run to a close.

En Shyang Wang shoved his last 13,100,000 from the big blind holding A♠ 3♥ and was snapped off by utg raiser Bo Sin Wu with the best hand in the deck A♦ A♥.

Wang was in dire shape and found no help on board 7♥ 4♦ K♠ 8♠ J♦ , ending his deep run in swift fashion.

Po Chia Liao opened with K♦ J♥ on the cutoff, and Jia Lin Luo defended her big blind holding 9♣ 5♣ .

On flop A♥ 4♣ 5♥ , Luo check called a 1,500,000 cbet from his opponent, and got a free pass on turn J♠ . Luo tapped the table a third time on river A♠ , only to face a sizable 5,000,000 bet from Liao.

Luo couldn't find a fold and paid the price, only to muck as Liao revealed his higher two pair.

Wei Chen Lin looked down at A♠ K♦ and liked what he saw, jamming his remaining 12,500,000 into the middle. But right behind him in the small blind, Jia Lin Luo found a monster with K♥ K♣ and quickly made the call.

The board 6♦ Q♥ 2♦ 3♦ 6♣ offered no help for Lin, who was sent to the rail as Luo raked in another pot to add to her towering pile.

Zhen Jia Hong opened with a huge chunk of his stack at 5,500,000 with A♥ 7♥ , leaving himself with just 2,500,000 behind. Jia Lin Luo in the hijack put in a raise for 10,000,000 with A♣ J♦ , and Hong committed the rest.

Board 2♦ T♠ 6♣ 3♦ 9♣ ran dry for both, shipping Luo the pot with her ace-jack high holding up while Hong headed for the door.

Jia Lin Luo opened 1,800,000 on the hijack with A♠ J♣ , and was met with a 4,400,000 three bet from Josei Kamei a seat after with K♠ Q♥ . Luo ramped up the aggression, making it 9,000,000 to go, enough to get Kamei to lay it down.

Jia Lin Luo in the cutoff looked down on 2♠ 2♥ and raised 1,800,000. Wei Chen Lin in the big blind defended 9♦ 9♠ , and went on to check call two streets - 1,500,000 and 4,500,000, on board K♣ 8♦ K♦ 2♦ .

On river 2♦ , action slowed down, revealing Luo's rivered boat to scoop the pot and extend her lead further.

En Shyang Wang opened on the cutoff and shelled out just four big blinds more following a 3,200,000 shove from Jihwan Kim behind.

Wang ahead, widened his advantage further on flop A♣ 9♥ 7♦ , with the runout 6♦ Q♠ sealing Kim's fate as the first final table casualty.

🎥 Watch the Final Table LIVE via the links below and follow every all-in, bluff, and big moment as it happens!

Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/ctpclub

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/live/YGOWGB0oyuM

After a week of intense action, the final nine players are officially locked in for the TMT 18 Main Event finale! Each finalist is now guaranteed not only a hefty payout but also a coveted entry into the prestigious TMTC, making the stakes even higher.

Up top awaits the massive NTD 7,000,000 (~USD 237,210) top prize, along with the honor of etching their name into TMT history. Cards go in the air at 18:40. Stay tuned as the race for the title begins!

Fresh off a double, Yu Xuan Gao took another shot, open shoving for 15,100,000 utg. But this time, he ran into resistance as Shih Chen Tai reshoved behind.

Gao in rough shape, failed to hail a miracle on board 9♣ 6♣ 2♥ 4♦ 6♦ , sealing his elimination in 10th place, one spot shy of the final table.

Action folded down to the blinds, pushing Jihwan Kim to put the pressure on Josei Kamei with an open shove right on bubble time. Kamei tanked, and eventually called off his entire 11,200,000, running the risk of missing the final table cut.

His bold call was rewarded, having flopped top pair on board A♦ 3♦ Q♣ J♦ K♣ to secure the full double up.

Shih Chen Tai pushed 10,900,000 on the button, putting himself at risk right on the final table bubble. Chip leader Jia Lin Luo made the call a seat after, committing just a quarter of her stack.

It was all eyes on board as Tai’s pocket pair held firm through runout 7♠ 2♥ 3♣ J♠ 4♠ , securing his double and a shot at the final table spotlight.

Just one elimination stands between the final ten and a coveted spot at the TMT 18 Main Event Final Table. The tournament clock is now paused as bubble time comes into play, with the next bust out setting the official final nine.

Po Chia Liao kicked things off with an utg open and gladly put out 9,800,000 of his stack after Chih Han Hsu decided to jump the gun from the big blind.

Liao with a monster pair, was in no sweat across board K♦ 7♠ 6♥ 5♣ 4♦ , quickly dusting his opponent two spots short of the final table with top set.

Short-handed, Zhong You Chen committed his last 7,000,000 utg with A♠ T♠ and was looked up by Jia Lin Luo on the big blind with A♣ Q♠ .

Both players found a pair on board Q♦ 6♦ T♣ 4♥ J♠ , with Luo keeping ahead all the way, further extending her lead over the field.

Zhen Jia Hong open shoved 11,100,000 folded to him on the button, leaving Yu Xuan Gao to give it a thought. After some deliberation, Yu made the call for half his stack, building a 30 BB pot in the middle.

Whilst ahead, Yu painfully took the loss after Zhen paired up on board 7♣ 7♠ J♥ 6♠ 8♥ to survive through and clutch the double.

A tense blind vs. blind clash saw Josei Kamei make a gutsy final call, putting his tournament life at risk against second-in-chips Jihwan Kim.

Kamei, needing to connect, found exactly what he needed on the board of 7♠ 6♥ Q♥ A♠ 6♣ , seizing the pot and securing a crucial double up to stay firmly in contention.

Yu Xuan Gao lit up with a 1,200,000 open, followed by a hefty 6,600,000 three bet from En Shyang Wang on the hijack. Adi Zecharia cold shoved two seats after for 7,500,000, leaving Wang priced in to call.

Zecharia in great form, was poised to bagged the double, but fate had other plans as board 4♣ J♥ 6♦ J♦ 7♣ ran Wang trip jacks to snag the win.

Kuan Lun Chen opened on the hijack and responded with a four bet jam for slightly over 9,000,000 against Chih Han Hsu's button three bet. Hsu however, stepped up to the plate, barely covering his opponent.

Hsu falling behind, was in luck to flop two pair on board Q♣ J♥ J♠ 2♣ 8♥ , enough to bust Chen out of the running in 17th place.

A back and forth exchange between Yoda Lin and Jihwan Kim landed both stacks quickly in the middle, Kim at risk for his entire 11,100,000.

Running a coinflip, Lin was close to clipping the chip leader pot across board 3♣ J♣ T♣ 4♠ , up until the river peeled an A♠ to ship Kim the win instead.

Yoda Lin moved all-in on the button for 8,450,000 against an open, and saw Wei Chen Lin cold call right behind. Initial raiser got out of the way, leaving the two to showdown for a 40 BB pot.

Yoda in a sweat, managed to flop a flush draw on board K♣ J♣ T♥ 5♥ , and caught one of his outs on river T♣ to boost him back up the ranks.

Chi Huan Kuo open ripped his entire 5,350,000 utg and ran smack into Wei Chen Lin's nutted hand on the button.

Lin sitting comfortably, cruised to victory on board T♠ 2♦ 9♥ 5♣ J♦ , ending Kuo's run for good.

With an open and two calls in front, Wei Chun Lai squeezed all-in on the small blind for 6,475,000, and was challenged by Chia Lin Luo, putting him at risk.

Dominated, Lai had his hopes up as the flop came 6♦ K♠ J♦ , but ultimately succumbed to his fate after the runout 5♠ T♥ gave Luo a broadway straight to knock him out.

Having just lost a third of his stack following a bad beat, Josei Kamei found himself back in the mix, this time him being at risk for his remaining 6,350,000 against Yao Wen Yang.

Standing at the brink of elimination, Kamei's luck finally took stride, landing a pair of eights on board K♦ 5♦ 2♥ 8♣ 7♥ to save him from his demise.

Yoda Lin pushed his last six big blinds in folded to him on the hijack and was tank called by Josei Kamei in the small blind with a better ace.

Lin staring at a potential elimination, sat back down, having flopped a pair of sevens on board 7♥ 3♣ 8♣ K♥ T♠ to take the win.

Hsu Hung Ju opened on the button and decided to put his tournament life on the line (3,725,000) following an all-in from Kuan Lun Chen in the big blind.

In for a race, board K♦ J♥ 6♥ 9♣ 5♥ quickly swayed Chen's way, capping Hsu's run in 23rd place.

With over 5,000,000 already in the middle and a board of J♠ 4♥ A♣ 5♥ 5♠ laid out, Yu Jia Hu made a bold statement, jamming a pot sized shove on the river. But Yu Xuan Gao snap called with top two pair A♥ J♦ to catch Hu’s bluff Q♥ J♥ and seal his elimination.

With blinds mounting and options running thin, Shiang Yun Hwang made a gutsy stand, jamming her last 2,975,000, only to run headfirst into Hyun You Chung’s monster pair.

Needing help to survive, Hwang found no lifeline on the board of 2♥ A♠ J♦ 2♦ 4♦ , cutting the field one female contender short.

In dire need of a double up, Dicky Tsang pushed 2,725,000 in the cutoff and was challenged by Yao Wen Yang right on the big blind.

Tsang bricked out board Q♣ 4♦ J♦ J♠ 4♥ completely, sending him to the rail in 26th place.

Wei Chen Lin shoved his 4,950,000 stack from the small blind and was looked up by cutoff raiser Yao Wen Yang.

Running behind, Lin dodged elimination, having rivered an ace on board J♥ 7♦ 4♥ T♦ A♦ to crack Yang's kings.

Attempting to recover, Jen Li Liu gladly risked his last 3,200,000 and faced early opener Bo Sin Wu for a showdown.

While significantly ahead, Liu's Main Event dreams came crashing down as board K♦ 8♣ T♠ 6♣ K♥ rolled trip kings for Liu to send his aces bound for the muck.

Down short, Edward Yam went with 8♦ 8♥ for his last 2,550,000 and was snap called by Josei Kamei in the big blind with A♥ A♣ .

No surprises arrived on board K♣ T♥ Q♠ J♣ 3♣ , eliminating Yam from this season's Main Event games entirely.

Hsu Hung Ju opened on the button and called Po Chia Liao's 3,575,000 all-in from the small blind.

Liao in danger, escaped elimination, having landed a straight on board J♠ T♣ 4♦ 8♦ Q♠ to turn the tables.

Bo Sin Wu once again found himself at risk, having called for his entire 5,700,000 following a four bet jam from initial raiser Jen Li Liu.

Wu was ahead with the cowboys, and easily picked up the win across board J♦ 9♦ 8♠ 2♠ T♠ having faded the ace.

Bo Sin Wu open shoved his 2,775,000 utg and was met with another push from Liu Kai Ray two seats over. The rest of the table stepped aside, leaving the two to showdown.

Board 5♠ T♠ 3♦ 8♦ J♣ instantly landed Wu a set, earning him the double in quick fashion.

A three way preflop showdown landed on the felt with chip leader Chih Han Hsu covering both Hsu Hung Ju (4,500,000) and Tsung Wei Lee (2,000,000).

Board 7♦ T♠ 6♥ T♣ A♠ kept Hsu's aces way ahead from start to finish, shipping Hsu the nearly 50 BB pot while Lee bound for the door.

Jen Li Liu opened 500,000 utg and was priced in to call Yuan Jui Chang's 1,575,000 all-in behind.

Liu dominated, caught up quickly on board 9♦ 7♠ 2♥ 3♦ 8♥ , ending Chang's Main Event run in 35th place.

With just two big blinds to start the day, Chen pushed his last 475,000 on the button and found two callers in both Hsu Hung Ju and Po Chia Liao on the blinds.

On flop Q♦ 2♦ 8♥ , Hsu led 300,000 and Liao quickly got out of the way.

Hsu K♣ Q♣

Chen K♥ 4♥

Chen in rough shape, headed for the exit as the day's first casualty as turn Q♠ and river J♦ completed the board.

TMT 18 Main Event Final Day action begins, good luck to all the players!

After eight intense starting flights and a weeklong grueling action, the TMT 18 Main Event has finally reached its grand finale. Just 36 players remain from a record-smashing 8,478-entry field, each with their eyes firmly set on the NTD 7,000,000 (~USD 237,320) top prize and a place in TMT history.

Leading the pack is Taiwan’s Chih Han Hsu, who surged into pole position with 16,700,000 in chips (67 BB), fueled by a pivotal late-night knockout. On his tail is compatriot En Shyang Wang (16,025,000), followed by Shih Chen Tai (11,700,000), both well-positioned to make deep runs.

The road to the final table begins today, and by the end of the night, only one will be crowned the TMT 18 Main Event Champion. Cards are in the air at 11:00. Stay tuned in as SMP brings you live updates, key hands, and all the big moments straight from the tournament floor!

TMT 18 Main Event

Dates: July 20–28, 2025

Buy-in: NTD 9,000 (~USD 300)

Guarantee: NTD 31,000,000 (~USD 1,000,000)

Entries: 8,478

Prize pool: NTD 62,262,500 (~USD 2,110,880)

Online: 537 entries

Local: 258 entries

Overseas: 171 entries, 28 ITM / 14 qualified

Day 1A: 985 entries, 148 ITM / 79 qualified

Day 1B: 502 entries, 76 ITM / 41 qualified

Day 1C: 628 entries, 95 ITM / 51 qualified

Day 1D: 817 entries, 123 ITM / 65 qualified

Day 1E: 884 entries, 133 ITM / 70 qualified

Day 1F: 958 entries, 144 ITM / 77 qualified

Day 1G: 1,507 entries, 227 ITM / 121 qualified

Day 1H: 1,231 entries, 184 ITM / 98 qualified

Day 2: 673 players, 36 qualified

Final Day: Monday, July 28