APT Taipei Poker Classic 2024: Kaihung Hu takes down APT National Cup; Joseph Wilkinson joins winner spotlight; Main Event underway

Ready to tackle the crowd, this season’s APT Taipei Poker Classic 2024 runs its action across two venues – Asia Poker Arena [APA] and Chinese Mahjong League [CML], in anticipation of big numbers to come. Across the second day of festivities, local runner Kaihung Hu reigned victorious over the APT National Cup, having outlasted the staggering 1,680 entry field. Celebrating winners’ glory alongside Hu was UK’s Joseph Wilkinson, who bagged a maiden win at the NL Hold’em Freezeout event for a memorable first tournament experience on Asian soil.

Running up next is the highly awaited NTD 65,000,000 (~US$ 2,057,610) guaranteed Main Event which kicks off this Sunday, September 29th – Flight A. Three more heats come in following through Tuesday, October 1st, all geared to course through ten levels of play.

APT Poker Classic 2024 – Full Schedule

Kaihung Hu takes down APT National Cup

Day 2 of the first highlight on schedule, APT National Cup welcomed 235 runners back on the felt, each guaranteed a NTD 16,000 (~USD 510) cut of the NTD 14,353,920 (~USD 454,375) prize pool. Several seasoned contenders stood in the mix, majority of which fell by wayside throughout the day. Among those included Day chip leader Yu Cheng Lee (24th), Kun Han Lee (47th), Natural8 India ambassador Kunal Patni (51st), bracelet winner Carlos Chang (136th), and former APT Main Event Champion Shixiang Khoo (202nd).

By the eighth hour in, the final nine finally took shape with local runner Mao Lun Yu stacking atop the ranks. Hu entered the final games just pinched right in the middle of the pack, with fifteen big blinds. It wasn’t until Hu secured a double up against the chip leader did he pick up momentum across the final rounds. Yi Ching Wan on the other hand, was running up a storm, having knocked out half of the final table including Mao Lun Yu in 5th place finish. Hu however, quickly caught up, having eliminated both Chi Ho Yeung and Jun Tsunezumi in 3rd and 4th place respectively, to earn a 1.5:1 advantage into heads up play.

In under ninety minutes, tournament action drew to a close with Hu reigning as the APT National Cup’s newest champion. The final hand saw Hu A♠J♠ finish off Wan Q♠10♠ on board A♥Q♣2♥9♣7♠ for the overall victory. For a crushing performance, Hu takes with him the NTD 2,519,920 (~US$ 79,770) top prize while leaving Wan to settle for a runner up finish.

• Date/s: September 27-28, 2024
• Buy in: NTD 10,000 (~US$ 315)
• Guarantee: NTD 10,000,000 (~US$ 315,240)
• Entries: 1,680 (633 unique)
• Prize pool: NTD 14,353,920 (~US$ 454,375)
• ITM: 80 players

APT National Cup Final Table Payouts

Backtrack on all the day’s action via SMP Live Updates

Joseph Wilkinson bags career maiden win at NL Hold’em – Freezeout

United Kingdom’s Joseph Wilkinson is in for a highly memorable run at this season’s APT Taipei Poker Classic games, with an early victory already under his belt. Wilkinson topped the NL Hold’em Freezeout 66-entry field, and secured his career first win for NTD 498,720 (~US$ 15,780). The incredible feat stands to be Wilkinson’s first tournament result in Asian soil, with his biggest success across the felt remaining to be a runner up finish in the 2023 partypoker Irish Poker Festival MILLIONS PLO Championship event.

• Date/s: September 28, 2024
• Buy in: NTD 30,000 (~US$ 940)
• Entries: 66
• Prize pool: NTD X (~US$ X)
• ITM: 9 players

NL Hold’em Freezeout Full Payouts

Up Next: Main Event

The highly awaited NTD 65,000,000 (~US$ 2,057,610) guaranteed Main Event has officially kicked off its first flight on schedule, with three more heats set to follow through Tuesday, October 1st. All entries set players back NTD 50,000 (~US$ 1,570) for a starting stack of 40,000, equivalent to 400 times the opening blinds. Each qualifying round is geared to course through ten levels of play, with the first six running a faster pace for the upcoming flights. 

Plenty of time to join the action with registration open until the start of Day 2 A/C, October 2nd. 

• Date/s: September 29 – October 5, 2024
• Buy in: NTD 50,000 (~US$ 1,570)
• Guarantee: NTD 65,000,000 (~US$ 2,057,610)
  

• Flight A (60 mins) – Sunday, September 29
• Flight B (45/ 60 mins) – Monday, September 30
• Flight C (30/ 45 mins) – Tuesday, October 1
• Flight D (30/ 45 mins) – Tuesday, October 1
• Day 2 A/C – Wednesday, October 2
• Day 2 B/D – Wednesday, October 2
• Day 3 – Thursday, October 3
• Day 4 – Friday, October 4
• Final Day – Saturday, October 5