Philippines Take Center Stage: Takayama And Mateo Both Win High Roller Titles As Main Event Surpasses 1,000 Entries

What a day for the Philippines at Asian Poker Tour (APT) Taipei 2026 in Red Space and Asia Poker Arena , as the country claimed both High Roller titles on Day 5. Mike Takayama made history by winning the largest-ever APT Super High Roller , staging an incredible comeback from just 3 big blinds to claim the TWD 12,157,260 (~USD 387,192) top prize. The momentum continued as Christopher Mateo took down the Single Day High Roller Mystery Bounty, securing yet another major title and TWD 1,030,720 (~USD 32,827) for the Philippines.

Meanwhile, the APT Taipei Main Event is already shattering expectations, with total entries hitting 1,024 after Flight A. Other highlights included Yu Lin Ting winning the richest Mystery Bounty in APT history and the successful debut of the Sviten Special . With APT Taipei Main Event Flight B and the TWD 800K Superstar Challenge kicking off today, the momentum shows no signs of slowing down.

Mike Takayama Wins Largest Super High Roller In APT History

APT has just concluded its largest-ever Super High Roller at APT Taipei 2026, where a record field of 136 entries created a massive TWD 41,290,960 (~USD 1,323,430) prize pool. The event ended with a battle between two players from the Philippines: the well-known Mike Takayama and rising star John Costiniano .

I’d like to thank my friends and supporters. I’d like to thank my grandma. I really wished that I would win. And also to my wife and family, I’d like to thank them. Even though I’m very stubborn, they still support me.

From Short Stack To Champion

While Takayama eventually took the trophy, his path to the win started with a massive comeback. Early on the final day, it looked like Takayama would be one of the first to go. When there were only 24 players left, he was down to just 3 big blinds.

I’m so happy. Yesterday I was very short-stacked; I just tried to be patient so I could reach Day 2. Earlier, with around 24 players remaining, I had about 3 big blinds left.

He managed to stay patient and slowly built his stack back up, eventually reaching a final table filled with some of the best players in the world. To get to the end, he had to outlast Ethan ‘Rampage’ Yau , who started the day as the chip leader but finished in third, as well as top pros like Daniel Tang and Chih Wei Fan .

The moment I went to the final table, I told myself to be brave. I have to because all my opponents are good players.

Two Filipino Stars Battle For The Title

The tournament finally ended when the two Filipino players faced each other for the title. In the final hand, Costiniano raised with ace-queen and called an all-in from Takayama, only to find himself in a very tough spot against Takayama’s aces. Costiniano couldn’t find the cards he needed to win and finished in second place for TWD 6,628,700 (~USD 212,460).

This was another close call for Costiniano, who recently finished as the runner-up in the APT Championship (APTC) Main Event, the biggest tournament in Asia. By reaching the final two again, he showed everyone just how much talent he has.

Along with the prize money, both Takayama and Costiniano, won a seat to the upcoming APTC Main Event in November. Since Costiniano came so close to winning that title before, he now has another chance to try and take it home.

#45 APT Super High Roller @RED (330,000 TWD)

Total Prize USD

$1,323,430

Total Prize

NT$41,290,960

Guaranteed

NT$15,000,000

Entries

136

ITM

20

#	Payout	Player	SPI
1	NT$9,760,160 $312,825	MT Mike Takayama Philippines	2,489.76
2	NT$6,628,700 $212,460	JN John Niko Costiniano Philippines	1,760.52
3	NT$4,371,700 $140,120	EY Ethan Yau United States of America	1,437.46
4	NT$3,611,200 $115,745	DT Daniel Tang Hong Kong	1,244.88
5	NT$2,899,600 $92,935	KH Konstantin Held Germany	1,113.45
6	NT$2,273,300 $72,860	CW Chih Wei Fan Taiwan	1,016.44
7	NT$1,703,900 $54,610	HH Harry Halim Indonesia	941.04
8	NT$1,260,700 $40,410	TR Tony Ren Lin China	880.26
9	NT$976,000 $31,280	FK Fendy Kosasih Indonesia	829.92

Check the 20 Payouts & Results ...

Sung Jin Yun Leads APT Taipei Main Event As Entries Hit 1,024

The APT Taipei Main Event is officially underway at the Asia Poker Arena, featuring a large TWD 70 million (~USD 2.2 million) guarantee. Along with the prize pool, the tournament is awarding eight seats to the APT Championship (APTC) Main Event. Six go to the top finishers, while two extra seats will be given away through random draws for players who reach the money and Day 4.

Strong Attendance For Flight A

The opening Flight A saw a lot of interest from the very first level. By the end of the day, the field reached 514 entries, which stands as the second-largest opening flight in the history of the tour.

Combined with 510 entries from the “OnLive” flight on Natural8, the total count has already reached 1,024. With three more starting flights still to come, the field is expected to grow much larger before registration finally closes on Day 2.

Sung Jin Yun Bags The Chip Lead

South Korea’s Sung Jin Yun finished the day at the top of the leaderboard with 365,100 chips. He is followed closely by Singapore’s Shun Gui Toh with 360,200 and Manwoo Park with 348,300, who were the only players to cross the 300,000 mark.

Many well-known players also moved on to Day 2, including former champions Shixiang Khoo and John Tech . Other notables who found a bag include Joseph Cheong ,  Martin Sedlak , and Akshay Nasa . These players now have a short break before returning to continue their run for the title.

Upcoming APT Taipei Main Event Flights And New Day 2 Format

With three starting flights still to go, there are plenty of chances for players to secure their spot in the next round. Flight 1B begins at 11am today. The final two flights, 1C and 1D, take place tomorrow, with 1C starting at 11am and 1D following at 6pm.

A First For The Tour: Split Day 2 Flights

For the first time, the tour is introducing two separate Day 2 flights. This change helps manage the large field while giving players more options to join the action.

• Day 2A: For survivors of Flights 1A, 1C, and 1D. It starts at 11am on Wednesday, April 29.
• Day 2B: For survivors of Flight 1B. It starts at 3pm on Wednesday, April 29.

Late registration stays open for the first 60-minute level of both Day 2 flights. This means players who didn’t play a Day 1 flight can still buy in directly. However, players must choose one or the other, you cannot buy in directly to both Day 2A and Day 2B.

Playing Into The Money

Both Day 2 flights will play for ten levels or until the “money bubble” bursts. To ensure fairness, the top 14.5% of the field in each flight will make it into the money.

Anyone who makes it through their Day 2 flight will have officially reached the “In The Money” (ITM) spots. All surviving players will then combine for Day 3, which kicks off at 11:15am on Thursday, April 30, as the tournament moves toward crowning a champion.

Yu Lin Ting Wins Richest Mystery Bounty In APT History

Taiwan’s Yu Lin Ting outlasted a field of 1,540 entries to win the richest Mystery Bounty in APT history. The event featured a record TWD 25,872,000 (~USD 829,230) prize pool, with Ting taking home a career-best TWD 2,905,800 top prize and his first silver lion trophy.

Ting entered heads-up play with a huge lead and quickly defeated Japan’s Keisuke Tateda. Along with his cash prize, Ting won a seat for the APTC Main Event. Tateda and third-place finisher Oliwer Sankiewicz both walked away with career-best scores in the record-breaking field.

While Ting won the tournament, the day’s biggest bounty winner was fifth-place finisher Anson Lau . The Hong Kong player knocked out 11 opponents and pulled the top TWD 1.5 million bounty. In total, Lau earned over TWD 2.3 million, as his bounty rewards were worth much more than his fifth-place payout.

#40 APT Mystery Bounty - Sponsored by Natural8 @RED (20,000 TWD)

Total Prize USD

$829,230

Total Prize

NT$25,872,000

Guaranteed

NT$20,000,000

Entries

1,540

ITM

216

#	Payout	Player	SPI
1	NT$2,905,800 $93,135	YL Yu Lin Ting Taiwan	3,192.60
2	NT$1,637,700 $52,490	KT Keisuke Tateda Japan	2,257.51
3	NT$1,154,400 $37,000	OS Oliwer Sankiewicz United States of America	1,843.25
4	NT$843,800 $27,045	KL Kangwoong Lee South Korea	1,596.30
5	NT$666,100 $21,350	AL Anson Lau Hong Kong	1,427.78
6	NT$514,700 $16,500	RV Renato Villanueva Jr Philippines	1,303.38
7	NT$393,800 $12,620	SK Shixiang Khoo Singapore	1,206.69
8	NT$278,400 $8,920	JH Jin Hee Min South Korea	1,128.76
9	NT$213,300 $6,835	YB Yu Bin Heon South Korea	1,064.20

Check the 216 Payouts & Results ...

Another Win For The Philippines As Christopher Mateo Claims High Roller Title

Following Mike Takayama’s victory in the record-breaking Super High Roller, another Filipino star has taken center stage at APT Taipei 2026. Christopher Mateo emerged victorious in the Single Day High Roller – Mystery Bounty, securing yet another major trophy for the Philippines.

Mateo outlasted a field of 41 entries to claim a total prize of TWD 1,030,720 (~USD 32,807). While his first-place finish earned him TWD 475,720 from the prize pool, his aggressive play during the knockout stages paid off even more handsomely. He pulled a massive TWD 555,000 in mystery bounty rewards, nearly doubling his prize through successful bounty hunting.

For the Philippines, the day was a total success. With Mateo’s victory coming so soon after Takayama’s historic Super High Roller win, the country is currently dominating the high-stakes events in Taipei.

Historic Debut For Sviten Special On The APT

The APT saw a milestone moment with the debut of Event #49: Turbo – PL Drawmaha Sviten , better known as Sviten Special. The new mixed-game format was an immediate hit, drawing 61 entries and creating a TWD 500,219 (~USD 15,112) prize pool. China’s Kwok Fu Fung walked away with the historic first title, earning TWD 145,719.

The event was brought to the tour with the help of Martin ‘Franke’ von Zweigbergk, who was impressed by the strong turnout for a late-night turbo. Franke noted that with six different nations represented at the final table and the top four finishers all hailing from Asia, the game has officially become an international success.

#49 Turbo - PL Drawmaha Sviten @APA (10,000 TWD)

Total Prize USD

$16,030

Total Prize

NT$500,220

Entries

61

ITM

9

#	Payout	Player	SPI
1	NT$145,720 $4,670	KF Kwok Fu Fung China	500.26
2	NT$105,000 $3,365	HY Hongyu Yan Taiwan	353.74
3	NT$68,500 $2,195	SS Sorawit Suriyakarn Thailand	288.83
4	NT$51,500 $1,650	CH Chi Ho Kevin Tse Hong Kong	250.13
5	NT$40,000 $1,280	WW William Wang New Zealand	223.72
6	NT$31,000 $995	RM Riku Matias Koivurinne Finland	204.23
7	NT$24,500 $785	NS Naoto Sato Japan	189.08
8	NT$19,000 $610	YH Yi Hsuan Chen Taiwan	176.87
9	NT$15,000 $480	KY Kwan Ying Cheung Hong Kong	166.75

Key Events: Saturday, April 27

As Day 6 kicks off, all eyes are on Flight B of the APT Taipei Main Event, which got underway at 11:00 with its massive TWD 70 million guarantee. The schedule remains packed with the Superstar Challenge and the Ultra Stack both starting before noon. For those looking to secure a seat for less, satellites for the Main Event and the Women’s Main Event run throughout the evening starting at 17:30.

All facts, figures, quotes, and images courtesy of Asian Poker Tour.