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.

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