APT Online first half champions: Niklas Astedt, Yifan Wei, Bellator Deus, Wuyi Wang, X_ikss_X, jazavac98, Gracinda1965, barrakuuda4

The APT Online Series featuring a $10 Million guarantee across 17 events is well underway at Asia’s largest online platform Natural8. The games kicked off on February 12, 2023 and will run until March 7, 2023. If you haven’t joined the action, the time is now. Two big events will soon hit the virtual felt – the $1 Million guaranteed Mystery Bounty and the $2 Million guaranteed Main Event.The series has now reached its halfway mark. Here are the first eight winners.

APT 1: 2023 Bounty Kick-Off: X_IKSS_X – $27,276

Kicking off the APT Online series was the 2023 Bounty Kick-Off with 1,613 hopping on the saddle to generate a prize pool of $320,987. The top 224 earned a cut with the largest portion going to Russian player nicknamed X_ikss_X of $27,276. Joining the GG Network this year, the win was X_ikss_X’s biggest takedown, nearly quadruple his previous high score.

X_ikss_X entered the final table running second from the bottom. He proceeded to pick up several double ups, then knocked out Michael Jozoff in 3rd place with set easily beating . To capture the win, X_ikss_X denied FuuuuHaaoooo’s flush draw on a board .

Buy in: $215

Guarantee: $202,300

Entries: 1,613

Prize pool: $320,987

ITM: 224 places

APT 2: Superstar Challenge: NIKLAS ASTEDT – $131,564

Some of the world’s elite made an appearance at the Superstar Challenge, an event popularized by the Vietnamese live circuit. The first online edition had a buy in of $2,500 and a $250K guarantee. With a substantial 270 signing up, the prize pool ballooned 2.5 times, resting at $641,250.

Among the attendees was China’s Wei Zhao, notorious for pouring a rain of re-entries. He did so again at this event with 7 buy ins. Zhao did recover a tiny bit of the money, finishing in 33rd place for $4,459. On the flip side, among those cashing in at a profit were Hong Kong’s Dicky Tsang “Floatinworld” (27th – $4,459) and WSOPC Online ring winner Wingkeat Chin “miya111” (8th – $17,544).

Taking it to the limit was none other than online icon, Sweden’s Niklas Astedt, adding yet another victory and six figure payout to his incredibly long list of achievements. Astedt defeated Canada’s Michael Watson at heads up to seize the $131,564 champion’s prize. To date, Astedt has over $23 Million in online earnings.

Buy in: $2,500

Guarantee: $250,000

Entries: 270

Prize pool: $641,250

ITM: 39 places

Final table payouts

APT 3: Phu Quoc Love Island: YIFAN WEI “VISENT” – ₫326,338,942 ($13,869)

Off the western coast of Vietnam is the island of Phu Quoc. Last year, the APT was the first brand to stage an event in the coastal tourist destination and will be returning again this year from March 24 to April 2. For its third APT Online trophy event, the brand named it Phu Quoc Love Island with a guarantee of ₫2,000,000,000. With 2,689 taking interest, the prize pool rose to ₫2,721,268,000 (~$115,650). Out of the 431 earning a piece, China’s Yifan Wei “visent” emerged as champion for a payout of ₫326,338,942 (~$13,869) and his first APT title.

Buy in: ₫2,000,000(~$85)

Guarantee: ₫2,000,000,000 (~$85,000)

Entries: 2,689

Prize pool: ₫2,721,268,000 (~$115,650)

ITM: 431 places

Final table payouts

APT 4: Da Nang River’s Bounty: BELLATOR DEUS – ₫374,404,940 (~$15,900)

Another new destination for APT in 2022 was Da Nang, located on the eastern coast of Vietnam. This is one of the country’s most popular local hotspots with tourism fast on the rise. APT Online’s fourth trophy event is named after this beach destination. Dutch player Bellator Deus outlasted the 2,141 entries, needing only one bullet to keep his head high. Deus earned ₫190,253,568 and ₫184,151,372 in bounties to collect a GG net high score of ₫374,404,940 (~$15,900).

Buy in: ₫2,200,000(~$95)

Guarantee: ₫2,500,000,000 (~$106,250)

Entries: 2,141

Prize pool: ₫4,474,690,000 (~$190,170)

ITM: 296 places

Final table payouts

APT 5: Hanoi Enter the Dragon : JAZAVAC98 – ₫474,063,689 ($20,147)

Hanoi Enter the Dragon, a fitting header for one of APT’s most favored Vietnam destinations. Last year, the brand held two events in capital city Hanoi, both events drawing massive crowds. This year, the APT opened its calendar season at the VSOP Hanoi, paying out its largest yet in the country of over $2.6 Million.

The APT Online Hanoi Enter the Dragon was the fifth trophy event. 1,434 hit the virtual felt for a sizable pot of ₫4,495,590,000 (~$191,000). Montenegro’s “jazavac98” shipped it for a ₫474,063,689 (~$20,147) payday. This was the champion’s biggest win on the GG network. The following day, jazavac98 nearly claimed another heavy fielded tournament, though not APT Online, finishing 4th out of 1,122 entries.

Brazil’s “llllllllllllllll” finished fourth but due to the large amount of bounties collected, the total payout was higher than third place finisher Australia’s Malcolm Trayner “HappyWhale“. Other notables, Thailand’s Thanisorn Saelor (8th) and Taiwan’s Nevan Yu Chung Chang (9th) just missed the final table. Singapore’s Jack Liew “SharksDonk” ran a deep 19th place to make five stakers happy.

Buy in: ₫3,300,000 (~$140)

Entries: 1,434

Prize pool: ₫4,495,590,000 (~$191,000)

ITM: 150 places

Final table payouts

APT 6: Ho Chi Minh City Cup: GRACINDA1965 – ₫756,955,126 (~$32,170)

The Ho Chi Minh City Cup pays tribute to the many APT visits in the past years. The brand was the first to stage an international series in Ho Chi Minh City formerly known as Saigon that drew a thunderous 664 Main Event entries. It continues to be one of the APT’s annual stops. The next one is on June 2 to 11 , 2023.

At three handed, the players struck a deal. Belarusian “IAMGROOOT” was awarded ₫854,593,972 for the largest stack, Canada’s Aaron Barone “TennEggGuy” earning ₫799,527,277 for second in chips, and Malta’s “Gracinda1965″ a payout of ₫756,955,126 (~$32,170) for the shortest stack. Gracinda1965 went on to win the trophy.Among the notables running deep was Australian superstar Michael Addamo in 13th place.

Buy in: ₫5,500,000 (~$235)

Entries: 1,592

Prize pool: ₫8,055,520,000 (~$342,350)

ITM: 269 places

Final table payouts

APT 7: Mini Main Event: BARRAKUUDA4 – $70,176

The Mini Main Event drew 8,505 entries across multiple Day 1 stages with each one stopping at ITM. This saw 919 players advance to the Final Day all of them guaranteed a piece of the $688,564 prize pool. Pulling through was Estonia’s “barrakuuda4” for $70,176. While this win was the champ’s largest GG network score, it pales in comparison to the million dollar payout won at a rival site.

Brief rundown of the final table action, at four-handed barrakuuda4 got lucky with spiking the two-outer to avoid elimination against Brazil’s Eder Campana’s . Barrakuuda4 went on to send Tal Noach to the rails with pocket Jacks dominating pocket Sevens. To close it out, barrakuuda4 out-kicked China’s “974zzzzz” with Ace-Eight over Ace-Seven (pictured above).

Buy in: $88

Guarantee: $500,000

Entries: 8,505

Prize pool: $688,564

ITM: 919 players

Final table payouts

APT 8: Metro Manila Million: WUYI WANG “Loris51” – ₱621,854 (~$11,290)

Metro Manila, Philippines has been the APT’s hub since its inception in 2008 with games held in various locations around the country. Year after year, it is one of the brand’s most popular stops.

For the APT Online’s eighth trophy, it was coined the Metro Manila Million featuring a ₱4 Million guarantee. With a cheap buy in of just ₱2,200 (~$40), it drew 2,562 entries for a richer prize pool of ₱5,185,488 (~$94,135).

Entering heads up, Saul G0odman was up 38 BB to 15 BB and was interested in a deal however was turned down by China’s Wuyi Wang “Loris51”. The first all in ended on a split pot, the second doubled up Wang with spiking the ten to beat This switched the ranks and a third called shove came down. Saul G0odman won it with pocket Threes sruviving overcards.

The fourth and fifth clashes went to Wang with the fifth one seeing land two pair to deny (pictured above). This sent Saul G0odman plunging and was out on the next hand. The win was redemption for Wang missing out on a trophy in 2020 at the APT Online Championships Event, where he fell one spot short.

Buy in: ₱2,200 (~$40)

Guarantee: ₱4,000,000 (~$72,610)

Entries: 2,562

Prize pool: ₱5,185,488 (~$94,135)

ITM: 431 places

Final table payouts