APT Taipei 2024: Chen Yu Hung tops Main Event Day 1A; Isaac Haxton, Teng Kuei Hsu win big

Cards continued to fly at APT Taipei 2024 with Chen Yu Hung, Isaac Haxton, and Teng Kuei Hsu topping the Day 5 headlines. At the side events, Taiwan’s Yu Tang Wang is up to three trophies and Singapore’s Bao Qiang Ho wins back-to-back Hyper Turbo High Roller titles. Also grabbing APT lions were high roller sluggers Klemens Roiter and Nozomu Shimizu.

The twelve-day festival kicked off on February 28 and will run through March 10, Gamess are being held at two locations in Taipei City: Asia Poker Arena and Chinese Mahjong League. Scroll down for the most recent highlights.

Red-hot Chen Yu Hung displays the goods at APT Taipei 2024 Main Event Day 1A

The much-awaited APT Main Event, featuring a record high guarantee of NTD 65,000,000 (~USD 2,050,000), wrapped up the first of four entry flights with 265 contributing the NTD 70,000 (~USD 2,200) buy in. After ten rounds of scheduled play, Taiwan’s Chen Yu Hung aka Sam Hung bagged a monstrous 276 bb, setting the bar very high for the ensuing heats. Hung is running red-hot this year. In January, he shipped the USOP Taiwan Main Event for a career high payout of NTD 5.3 Million.

Among the players with over 100 bb joining Hung into the next stage are notables Chia Yun Wu (182 bb), Jennifer Cassell (179 bb), Dingxiang Ong (158 bb), Piet Pape (150 bb), APT 2015 Cebu Main Event champion John Tech (143 bb), Kun Han Lee (134 bb), APT 2018 Championships Macau champion Sparrow Park Yu Cheung (107 bb), and Patrick Liang (103 bb).Also advancing were two-time APT Championships winner Yohwan Lim (68 bb) and APT Championships winner David Erquiaga (59 bb).

Date: March 3 to 9, 2024
Buy in: NTD 70,000 (~USD 2,200)
Guarantee: NTD 65,000,000 (~USD 2,050,000)
Flight A: 265 entries / 95 advanced
Flight B: March 4, 2024 at 11am
Flight C: March 5, 2024 at 11am
Flight D: March 5, 2024 at 6pm

Next up is Day 1B which runs on Monday, March 4, 2024 starting at 11am. For those new to the Asian Poker Tour, the NTD 65,000,000 (~USD 2,050,000) Main Event guarantee is the largest prize pool ever presented by the brand. The structure is revered as one of the best in the region. Players start with a deep 40,000 stack (400 times the opening blind). Flight A blinds increase every 60 minutes, Flight B blinds increase every 45 minutes, and Flight C and Flight D blinds increase every 30 minutes then 40 minutes at the start of Level 7. All entry flights play a total of 10 levels.

In 2023, the APT Taipei Main Event generated a prize pool of NT$ 62,594,100 (~USD 2,012,380). Thailand pro Punnat Punsri clinched it for the largest APT Main Event champion’s payout to date of NTD 11,210,400 (~USD 364,300).

On a side note, theAPT Golden Lion Trophy will be one coveted hardware having been recently awarded the Fans Choice for Best Trophy at the Global Poker Awards.

Isaac Haxton wins record-breaking Super High Roller

Proof of why multi-million dollar player Isaac Haxton is one of the world’s best was witnessed firsthand at the APT Super High Roller event. Haxton outlasted the star-studded 137 entry field, capturing his first title on Asian soil and a handsome payout of NTD 9,089,650 (~USD 287,011).

The APT Super High Roller was another tour record breaker with the NTD 300,000 (~USD 9,475) buy in creating a smashing NTD 37,873,650 (~USD 1,196,000) prize pool. Many players from of the earlier high roller events were present such as Espen Jorstad (WSOP 2022 Main Event champion), Danny Tang (four-time Triton champion), Steve O’Dwyer, David Coleman, John Tech, Chin Wei Lim, Chi Jen Chu, Chen An Lin, and defending champion Sam Lam to name a few. Day 1 wrapped up with Lam out of the running and Filipino WSOP bracelet winner Mike Takayama leading the 27 survivors.

Final Day recap

Day 2 action was largely dominated by Isaac Haxton railing two players – Alexandros Theologis (13th) and Vincent Huang (10th) – to enter the final table with a 30 bb lead over his closest challenger Edward Chun Ho Yam.

With his big stack, Haxton continued to drive the action, rising further by eliminating WSOP bracelet winner Sung Joo Hyun in 8th place. A couple of busts later, Yam cleaned out Mike Takayama in 5th place, Anson Yan Shing Tsang (4th) got Hax-ed next to claim the first six-figure USD payout, and heads up was formed after Yam’s Ace-Seven failed to improve against Tony Ren Lin‘s snowmen.

The final battle kicked off with both players very deep – Haxton with 72 bb and Lin with 64 bb. As both players tugged at the chip lead, Haxton landed a wild two-outer with set over Lin’s two pair. Haxton snap-called Lin’s shove on a flop , got burned on the turn then saved on the river .

With a massive advantage, the victory was sealed on a cooler with Haxton’s pocket Kings crushing Lin’s pocket Queens. Make sure to catch the thrilling race to victory via the livestream.

Date: March 2 to 3, 2024
Buy in: NTD 300,000 (~USD 9,475)
Entries: 137
Prize pool: NTD 37,873,650 (~$1,200,000)
ITM: 20 places

Final table payouts

Teng Kuei Hsu wins Mystery Bounty Hunter, Chao Ting Cheng draws the big one

Another big field was seen at crowd favorite Mystery Bounty Hunter – Sponsored by Natural8 – with a total of 1,053 entries (590 unique) building an impressive prize pool of NTD 18,385,380 (~USD 582,160). Taiwanese players outshined. Out of the 147 ITM returnees, Teng Kuei Hsu went the distance for a total payout of NTD 2,483,380 (~USD 78,425) and Chao Ting Cheng turned his 44th place payout of just NTD 59,000 into a huge NTD 1,559,000 (~USD 49,200) after pulling the biggest bounty worth NTD 1,500,000.

Bao Qiang Ho and Yu Tang Wang join multi-winners club

In addition to the key events, side event action has also had its share of exciting stories. The latest were Singapore’s Bao Qiang Ho and Taiwan’s Yu Tang Wang joining Mark Furniss in the multi-winners club.

Starting with Bao Qiang Ho, he shipped back-to-back Hyper Turbo High Roller events. This was reminiscent of his APT Incheon 2023 where he first won back-to-back side events. This time, on Ho’s first takedown, he outlasted a field of 45 entries to claim the NTD 266,700 top prize, then bested a field of 46 entries to rein in a second APT Trophy and the NTD 341,950 top prize. In total, Ho earned a combined NTD 608,650 (~USD 19,200).

Taiwan’s Yu Tang Wang was just as impressive, snatching three trophies, two of them on the same day! Wang’s first win was at the Limit Triple Draw 2-7 where he shined above 22 entries for a payout of NTD 53,667.

On the following day, it was bang-bang starting with the 9 Game (Limit H-E-R-O-S, + PLO, NLH, 2-7 Single & Triple Draw) beating out a field of 35 entries for NTD 111,155, then in the evening, the NL Single Draw Mix (Badugi, A-5, Badacey, 2-7, Badeucey, High) topping the 32 entry field for a payout of NTD 71,206,40. Wang is running red hot at the series with a total of seven final tables so far.

Other High Roller results

Klemens Roiter wins Baby Superstar Challenge

After two final tables, Austria’s Klemens Roiter finally scored his first APT trophy at the Baby Superstar Challenge. With buy in at a hefty NTD 300,000 (~USD 9,730), the 41 entry field was populated with the most decorated players in the room. In the end, Roiter kept the Japanese at bay to claim the title and NTD 3,484,450 (~USD 110,024) top prize. He has now collected a combined NTD 7,318,450 (~USDS 231,000) over three events.

Buy in: NTD 300,000 (~USD 9,730)
Entries: 41 entries
Prize pool: NTD 10,964,450 (~USD 346,260)
ITM: 7 places

Payouts

Nozomu Shimizu scores another APT High Roller win

Japanese crusher Nozomu Shimizu was at it again, picking up another APT Trophy, this time at the High Roller Turbo event. As a quick flashback, in December 2023, Nozomu stunned with back-to-back APT Super High Roller wins in Hanoi. For his latest triumph, the Japanese star topped the 43 entry field for a payout of NTD 637,950 (~USD 20,144).

Buy in: NTD 50,000 (~USD 1,560)
Entries: 43 entries
Prize pool: NTD 1,876,950 (~USD 59,275)
ITM: 6 places

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APT Taipei 2024: News