Main Event Down to Nine as Mini Main Crowns Nevan Chang

Main Event Day 4: Nishant Sharma Soars to the Top

After four long days inside the Red Space Venue, Taipei, the APT Championship Main Event — the richest in the tour’s history — has finally arrived at its final nine. Day 4 began with 34 hopefuls chasing a seat on one of the most prestigious final tables ever assembled in an Asian major, and by the end of a dramatic 13-hour session, India’s Nishant Sharma stood above them all.

Sharma returns to the final table with 9,125,000, good for 152 big blinds, and the chance to become the third Indian player to lock up a seven-figure payday. From the moment cards went in the air, he applied controlled pressure, picked up well-timed value, and closed the night in style after winning a decisive pocket jacks versus pocket tens cooler to eliminate Jun Hao Wu in tenth.

The early levels delivered some immediate movement. Hao Chuang cracked the resistance of Malaysia’s Ben Loo , and Sharma followed by dispatching George Tomescu in a queen-over-king confrontation.

Matas Cimbolas also surged after making a standout call with ace-king against Eisuke Katsuren , earning a full double and pushing into the upper tier.

As the day settled, notable names continued to hit the rail. Dohang Na (31st), Adam Alfie (29th), Jereld Sam (24th), Ori Kossonogi (22nd), Martin Sedlak (19th), and Ankit Ahuja (18th) all fell short of a deep Day 4 run.

What followed was a whirlwind. Five eliminations in under half an hour slashed the field from 16 to 11, turning what looked like a long grind into a sprint. Dominik Nitsche was at the centre of several of those moments, knocking out Thanh Tien Nguyen with aces versus queens and later eliminating Andrew Han after improving with king-six.

Chuang added another when his sixes came from behind to crack the queens of Xiaowen Zhao , who finished in eleventh.

Then came the long stretch: a five-hour stalemate where no one wanted to blink. During that period, John Costiniano delivered one of the day’s biggest stories, climbing from just a handful of blinds to a massive stack through a series of clutch doubles. He survived ace-eight versus king-queen, coolered Huang with aces over tens, and made a correct hero call with jacks to push himself firmly into the middle of the counts.

Finally, the night came to an end when Sharma picked up pocket jacks against Wu’s pocket tens and flopped a full house to seal the final table.

Final Table Chip Counts

Nine players now remain, each guaranteed at least TWD 3,047,100 (~USD 97,660), and all chasing the life-changing TWD 37,030,773 (~USD 1,186,880) first prize — the largest Main Event payout in APT history.

Mini Main Championship: Nevan Chang Scores Career-Best Win

Taiwan’s Nevan Chang outlasted a huge 1,603-entry field to win the Mini Main Championship for TWD 7,085,620 and the APT lion trophy. Justin Chu led starting the day, while Chang returned with a middle-of-the-pack stack before finding steady momentum through the afternoon. Early exits included Jun Li and Fabian Rolli, while satellite qualifier Minjeong Kim impressed with an early surge after getting full value with aces.

Winner’s Reflection

Reflecting on his victory, Chang said:

“I wasn’t planning to play this event after busting the 5K High Roller, but a friend convinced me to jump back in. I’m so glad I did—it feels incredible to win.”

On the support from his partner during the final table, he added:

“Having my partner cash in the same event made this even more special. It was amazing to have someone cheering me on all the way.”

The Final Table

At the final table, action picked up immediately. South Korea’s Soobum Kim fell in ninth after calling off into Chang’s nut flush, and Taiwan’s Wei Kai Lin followed in eighth when his king-ten couldn’t overcome Chang’s ace-seven. Kwok Chun Ng ran into pocket deuces to exit seventh, and Chang Fu Hung bowed out in sixth after ace-five suited lost to Chang’s ace-jack. Yew Fatt Kan departed in fifth running ace-three suited into pocket jacks, while Rob Hollink ’s strong run ended in fourth when king-queen suited couldn’t hold against Chu. Chu then slipped to third after losing two key pots, including an all-in where king-ten fell to Chang’s ace-ten.

Heads-Up Action

Heads-up began with Chang holding the advantage over Malaysia-based Joel Singam . Although Singam evened the stacks early with a big pot, Chang wrestled back control after rivering a flush. Moments later, Singam moved in with queen-ten suited and Chang called with ace-six suited, closing out the tournament after pairing the flop and boating on the turn. It marked the biggest live cash of Chang’s career and another standout moment in a series already filled with big results for the Natural8 ambassador.

#1012 Mini Main Event Championship (35,000 TWD)

Total Prize USD

$1,553,675

Total Prize

NT$48,474,720

Entries

1,603

ITM

227

#	Payout	Player
1	NT$7,085,620 $227,100	NC Nevan Chang Taiwan
2	NT$6,250,000 $200,320	JS Justin Singam Joel Malaysia
3	NT$3,370,300 $108,020	CJ Chi Jen Chu Taiwan
4	NT$2,451,500 $78,575	RH Robertus Hollink Netherlands
5	NT$1,940,600 $62,200	YF Yew Fatt Kan Malaysia
6	NT$1,520,100 $48,720	CF Chang Fu Hung Taiwan
7	NT$1,162,400 $37,255	KC Kwok Chun Ng Hong Kong
8	NT$820,900 $26,310	WK Wei Kai Lin Taiwan
9	NT$628,400 $20,140	SK Soobum Kim South Korea

Check the 227 Payouts & Results ...

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