APT Taipei 2025 Blasts Open With Record Breaking APT National Cup

The Asian Poker Tour‘s dominance across the Asian region is undeniable, and it didn’t take long for the world to be reminded once again. Returning to Taiwan for its second stop of the year, APT Taipei 2025 wasted no time filling up the brand new Red Space – a new venue built to handle the massive wave of players eager to be part of the action.

Asian Poker Tour – APT Taipei 2025

Record Breaking APT National Cup

The games opened on April 25 with the APT National Cup which featured a NT$ 10,000,000 (~$305,000) guarantee and buy-in at NT$ 12,000 (~$365). But that figure quickly became just a starting point, as players flooded the room, smashing all expectations with a record 2,161 entries across three flights. Even more impressive, the turnout included 1,265 unique players, a clear sign of how much anticipation surrounded the brand’s return.

Flights Review

Breaking down the flights, by the time registration closed for Flight A, the 821 entry tally still had over 500 players seated, all vying for one of the 113 ITM spots. As players fell, the venue quickly refilled with Flight B contenders which drew an even larger 844 field. It wouldn’t be a stretch to imagine the organizers questioning if the space was big enough, as an alternates list was already starting to build. Flight B wrapped up well past 1am with 119 players finding success.

The final flight was a turbo with many fallouts from the earlier flights looking for redemption. The last wave added another thunderous 496 entries which trimmed to just 70 by the time the bubble burst.

• Flight A: 821 entries / 113 advanced
• Flight B: 844 entries / 119 advanced
• Flight C: 496 entries / 70 advanced

When all the flights completed, the numbers were finalized. The APT National Cup prize pool soared to a massive NT$ 21,264,240 (~US$ 656,304), officially making it the richest opening event in APT history. Up top, the eventual champion will lock up a hefty NT$ 3,454,240 (~US$ 106,612). 

Players At The Scene

With the APT National Cup attracting 1,265 unique players, it was the locals who made the biggest impact. Taiwanese players dominated the tables and made up the majority of the 302  that advanced to Day 2. There was also strong representation from Thailand, Hong Kong, Korea, and APT regulars from all over the world.

Among the familiar faces spotted in the field were Charlie Chiu, Chi Jen Chen, Chia Hsiang Ko, King Lun Lau, Kunal Patni, Peter Kiem, Yohwan Lim, Joris Michl, and David Erquiaga, to name a few.

While some of the notables found a bag, it was UK’s Jayson Lee Cooper who topped the charts. Cooper was seen at the APT’s first stop in Manila last February where he picked up a couple of small cashes, hoping for this to be the largest. You can follow the Day 2 action via the Live Updates.

First Champions

The APT National Cup wasn’t the only event running on opening day. With a packed lineup of 126 events running from April 25 to May 4, ten of those completed with players happily hoisting APT Lion memorabilia.

#2 Women's Event (3,500 TWD)

Marina Ueda Wins First Women's Event

In an effort to boost female attendance at APT festivals, there is a Women's Event scheduled every day. The first one was already a huge success with a turnout of 135 entries. Out of the NT$ 378,043 prize pool, only 20 earned a cut. Japan's Marina Ueda claimed the largest portion after denying local hope Caixin Wong at heads up. This was Ueda's first ever APT win. For Wong, it was a near back-to-back title having won the Lady's Event at the ZSOP festival just last month in Taiwan.

Total Prize

$11,615

Entries

135

ITM

20

#	Payout	Player
1	$2,830 92,043 TWD	MU Marina Ueda Japan
2	$1,890 61,500 TWD	CW Caixin Wong Taiwan
3	$1,245 40,500 TWD	YY Ying Yi Wu Taiwan
4	$1,030 33,500 TWD	OA Ohta Ami Japan
5	$830 27,000 TWD	KR Kira Ravnak Czech Republic
6	$645 21,000 TWD	SU Sumire Uenomachi Japan
7	$490 16,000 TWD	SK Sakuya Kanda Japan
8	$355 11,500 TWD	HM Hoi Man Leung Taiwan
9	$275 9,000 TWD	SY Sheng Ying Chen Taiwan

Check the 20 Payouts & Results ...

#3 PL Omaha Hi-Lo - 5 Card (Big O) (15,000 TWD)

Sosuke Hatano's Victory Streak Continues

Before this win, Japanese recreational player Sosuke Hatano racked up six cashes since the start of the year in Korea, Japan, and the Philippines. Impressively, four were victories and two were 2nd place finishes. Now in Taiwan, Hatano continued the hot streak with victory at the PLO Hi-Lo 5 Card, outlasting a field of 33 runners. He earned a career high payout of NT$ 150,886 (~US$ 4,635).

Total Prize

$12,545

Entries

33

ITM

5

#	Payout	Player
1	$4,635 150,886 TWD	SH Sosuke Hatano Japan
2	$3,195 104,000 TWD	YC Yu Cheng Tai Taiwan
3	$2,045 66,500 TWD	SR Sin Ren Chen Taiwan
4	$1,475 48,000 TWD	GS Gary Steven Benson Australia
5	$1,200 39,000 TWD	LM Lok Ming Chan Hong Kong

#4 Single Day High Roller (60,000 TWD)

Alfie Poetra Wins Single Day High Roller

High profile players could not resist the opening day's Single Day High Roller which included Chih Wei Fan, Ryan Plant, and recent Korea Poker Cup SHR winner Meng Ling Lin. These heavy hitters ran deep into the final table of the 33 entry field however could not get past USA based Indonesian player Alfie Poetra who locked up the win and the lion's cut of the NT$ 4,406,400 (~US$ 135,370) prize pool. This was Poetra's first ever APT High Roller win for a payout of NT$ 1,212,400 (~US$ 37,245).

Total Prize

$135,370

Entries

85

ITM

11

#	Payout	Player
1	$37,245 1,212,400 TWD	AP Alfie Poetra United States of America
2	$26,465 861,500 TWD	CW Chih Wei Fan Taiwan
3	$17,325 564,000 TWD	ML Meng Ling Lin Taiwan
4	$13,335 434,000 TWD	RP Ryan Plant United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
5	$10,555 343,500 TWD	KC Kai Cheng Hsu Taiwan
6	$8,265 269,000 TWD	FJ Frank Joseph Cucchiara United States of America
7	$6,500 211,500 TWD	CJ Chan Je Min Jeremy Malaysia
8	$5,070 165,000 TWD	AT Akira Takashima Japan
9	$3,855 125,500 TWD	SJ Seunghyuk Jung Korea (Republic of)

Check the 11 Payouts & Results ...

#5 Limit Triple Draw - Lowball Mix (A-5, 2-7, Badugi) (10,000 TWD)

Total Prize

$11,840

Entries

47

ITM

7

#	Payout	Player
1	$3,730 121,415 TWD	DA David Arthur Spencer Canada
2	$2,690 87,500 TWD	DS Dong Soo Han Korea (Republic of)
3	$1,720 56,000 TWD	LT Li Ta Hsu Taiwan
4	$1,305 42,500 TWD	PC Pui Cheung Ng United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
5	$1,015 33,000 TWD	AJ Adam James Greenlee United States of America
6	$770 25,000 TWD	JE Jacob E Nepom United States of America
7	$615 20,000 TWD	AC Andy Chen Canada

#6 Turbo - PL Omaha High - Double Board - Bomb Pot (10,000 TWD)

Total Prize

$13,350

Entries

53

ITM

7

#	Payout	Player
1	$4,180 136,116 TWD	TK Tony Khoang Netherlands
2	$3,040 99,000 TWD	CC Chan Cheng Hao Japan
3	$1,935 63,000 TWD	HK Hayato Kitajima Japan
4	$1,475 48,000 TWD	DM Danny Ming Fan Chang United States of America
5	$1,135 37,000 TWD	CY Chia Yen Lu Taiwan
6	$875 28,500 TWD	WK Wooseok Kim Korea (Republic of)
7	$705 23,000 TWD	SW Shun-ping Wang Taiwan

#7 Turbo - High Roller (35,000 TWD)

Redemption For Hirotaka Fukatsu

In February, at the APT Manila Classic, Japan's Hirotaka Fukatsu, came close to winning two APT Turbo - High Roller events, finishing 5th and 3rd. Looking to get past that hump, Fukatsu returned with a vengeance at APT Taipei 2025, taking another shot at the same event on opening day. This time, he got the result he was chasing, outlasting the 34-entry field to capture his first-ever live tournament title and the lion's cut of the NT$ 1,028,160 (~US$ 31,585) prize pool. He pocketed a career high payout out of NT$ 380,660 (~US$ 11,695) and his first champion's trophy.

Total Prize

$31,585

Entries

34

ITM

5

#	Payout	Player
1	$11,695 380,660 TWD	HF Hirotaka Fukatsu Japan
2	$8,050 262,000 TWD	WW Wei-hsiang Wang Taiwan
3	$5,130 167,000 TWD	MP Matthew Paul Belcher United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
4	$3,715 121,000 TWD	TF Tetsuya Fujiwara Japan
5	$2,995 97,500 TWD	HS Hyun Sup Kim Korea (Republic of)

#8 Hyper Turbo Home Games - NL - Hold'em - Rivers (Each Player Receives Their Own Face-Down River Card) (3,500 TWD)

Total Prize

$4,990

Entries

58

ITM

8

#	Payout	Player
1	$1,505 48,918 TWD	DS Daniel Shiang An Yang Taiwan
2	$1,075 35,000 TWD	WM Watanabe Miyu Japan
3	$690 22,500 TWD	PL Po-jung Lin Taiwan
4	$520 17,000 TWD	KW Kaijui Wang Taiwan
5	$415 13,500 TWD	YC Yu Chi Liu Taiwan
6	$325 10,500 TWD	YT Yun Ting Chen Taiwan
7	$260 8,500 TWD	GB Gulbahar Bay Janova Australia
8	$200 6,500 TWD	YZ Yuanfu Zhang Canada

#9 Hyper Turbo - No Limit - Dealer's Choice 7 Card Stud (9 Games) (8,000 TWD)

Total Prize

$3,540

Entries

18

ITM

4

#	Payout	Player
1	$1,480 48,205 TWD	YW Yuya Wakayama Japan
2	$1,000 32,500 TWD	CH Chi Ho Kevin Tse Hong Kong
3	$630 20,500 TWD	KY Keita Yamashiro Japan
4	$430 14,000 TWD	JZ Jie Zhang Hong Kong

#10 Hyper Turbo - High Roller (25,000 TWD)

Total Prize

$22,560

Entries

34

ITM

5

#	Payout	Player
1	$8,320 270,900 TWD	QT Quang Thai Do Viet Nam
2	$5,760 187,500 TWD	YC Yu Chung Chang Taiwan
3	$3,670 119,500 TWD	CS Chia Shan Tsao Taiwan
4	$2,655 86,500 TWD	LC Laitai Chung Taiwan
5	$2,150 70,000 TWD	HW Hao Wang Taiwan

#11 Super Hyper Turbo (8,000 TWD)

Total Prize

$9,830

Entries

50

ITM

7

#	Payout	Player
1	$3,090 100,516 TWD	IL I Lin Shin Taiwan
2	$2,245 73,000 TWD	IM Iat Man Leong Macao
3	$1,430 46,500 TWD	JK Jenn Kang Chong Taiwan
4	$1,075 35,000 TWD	YJ Yu Jay Shih Taiwan
5	$830 27,000 TWD	WZ Wangcheng Zhang China
6	$645 21,000 TWD	JC Jia Cheng Luo Taiwan
7	$520 17,000 TWD	KY Kuei Yang Chen Taiwan

Coming up: APT Main Event

There are still plenty of APT Lions up for grabs with the festival running until May 4, 2025. Coming up on April 27 is the brand’s flagship tournament, the APT Taipei 2025 Main Event with a huge NT$ 70 million (~US$ 2.1 million) prize pool guarantee. According to the APT, more than 700 players have already won seats via satellites on Asia online platform Natural8.

Links:

Extra Tips for Players At APT Taipei 2025
APT Taipei 2025 Schedule
APT Taipei 2025 Results