TMT 18 Opening Week Shatters Expectations; Main Event Set to Break New Ground

yesterday at 3:18 AM

TMT 18 Opening Week Shatters Expectations; Main Event Poised for Historic Turnout

The 18th edition of the Taiwan Millions Tournament (TMT), one of the most anticipated festivals to take over the region, kicked off to a roaring start just days ago at CTP Asia Poker Arena in Taipei. Running through July 28th, the first stretch of the series has more than lived up to the hype, delivering packed fields, record numbers, and nonstop action altogether. With a massive NT$ 56 million (~US$ 1.9M) festival guarantee set first and foremost, this summer’s edition has already drawn players from across the region and beyond, making Taipei the center of attention across the Asian circuit for the month.

The series launched exactly a week ago on July 10th, with the opening event Warm-Up GiantStack, drawing an impressive 822 entries right out of the gate—more than double of last season’s turnout. Taiwan’s own Shi Quan Wang shipped the accolades, being the first to rise as a TMT champion this season. Weeklong numbers continue to impress, consistently outpacing past editions and setting the stage for what’s clearly shaping up to be one of TMT’s most memorable runs to date.

#1 Warm-Up GiantStack (3,500 NTD)

Total Prize USD

$80,280

Total Prize

NTD 2,348,100

Guaranteed

NTD 1,000,000

Entries

822

ITM

124

#	Payout	Player
1	NTD 319,500 $10,925	SQ Shi Quan Wang Taiwan
2	NTD 225,100 $7,695	H Huang Taiwan
3	NTD 147,400 $5,040	GS Guy Sun Taiwan
4	NTD 110,000 $3,760	YS Yi Sheng Taiwan
5	NTD 84,400 $2,885	YC Yenpo Chen Taiwan
6	NTD 68,100 $2,330	TE Tsung En Yeh Taiwan
7	NTD 57,200 $1,955	ZJ Zhen Jia Hong Taiwan
8	NTD 46,300 $1,585	SZ Suyu Zhen Taiwan
9	NTD 35,600 $1,215	HT Hsiangwei Tong Taiwan

Check the 124 Payouts & Results ...

TMT 18 – Full Schedule
TMT 18 – Festival Results

First TMT 18 Cedar Trophy Goes to Lin Wei Kai

TMT 18 Opening Week Shatters Expectations; Main Event Poised for Historic Turnout — Lin Wei Kai

Another local standout Lin Wei Kai grabbed headlines this week after claiming the first TMT 18 Incense Cedar Trophy of the series in the Kick-Off. Already a familiar name on the TMT stage, thanks to a PLO title in Season 15, Lin raised the bar this time with a new personal best, banking just over NT$ 1 million (~US$ 35K) to quadruple his biggest live score record.

Lin outlasted a massive 2,611-entry field, another benchmark for the brand, easily smashing its NT$ 5 million guarantee (~US$ 170K) to build a prize pool of more than NT$ 8.8 million (~US$ 299K). After a grueling Day 2 and a final table streamed live for fans, Lin emerged triumphant, securing both the iconic hardware and the top honors.

#3 Kick-off (4,000 NTD)

Total Prize USD

$294,185

Total Prize

NTD 8,604,700

Guaranteed

NTD 5,000,000

Entries

2,611

ITM

392

#	Payout	Player
1	NTD 1,044,000 $35,695	LW Lin Wei Kai Taiwan
2	NTD 697,000 $23,830	CH Chunmin Huang Taiwan
3	NTD 518,000 $17,710	CH Chi Hang Chau Hong Kong
4	NTD 388,000 $13,265	WT Wai To Cheung Hong Kong
5	NTD 294,000 $10,050	WR Wu Ren Wei Taiwan
6	NTD 225,000 $7,690	LK Lin Kang Chou Taiwan
7	NTD 174,000 $5,950	TC Tingyu Chen Taiwan
8	NTD 135,000 $4,615	LH Leh Hua Wei Taiwan
9	NTD 106,100 $3,625	MP Ming Pui Cheung Hong Kong

Check the 368 Payouts & Results ...

Taiwan Players on a Tear

As expected, local players have indeed dominated the early stages of TMT 18, not just in turnout but also in regards to performance. With just three trophies escaping Taiwanese hands, the strength and depth of the homebase are on full display. All week long, the schedule was packed with a variety of side events including PLO, Head Hunters, Turbos, and its share of Ladies Events, keeping the energy high from day one.

TMT 18 Opening Week Shatters Expectations; Main Event Poised for Historic Turnout

Among the highlights, the first High Roller event drew a solid 175-entry field and crowned Pokai Peng as its champion, further adding to Taiwan’s trophy haul. The Ladies Events also turned heads, drawing strong turnouts with the support of Molly Aesthetic Clinic. Local runner Pei Han Chang rose above a field of 81 players to secure the first women’s title, followed by compatriot Peiyo Du‘s triumph four days later, both jumping up in rank across the newly launched Women’s Leaderboard.

Players from across Asia have also made their mark, with standout wins from South Korea’s Jin Yuyeong and Hong Kong’s King Lun Alan Lau, alongside strong finishes from Taiwan’s Wei Li Hsu, Li Wei Wang, and Chung Liang Kuo.

One of the festival’s marquee events, the Taipei City Cup drew an impressive 990 entries, well beyond expectations, and built a prize pool of NT$ 2.3 million (~US$ 78K), more than doubling its NT$ 1 million (~US$ 35K) guarantee. After two intense days of play, Taiwan’s Chang Ming Lo emerged victorious, securing the title and further fueling local momentum.

TMT 18 Opening Week Shatters Expectations; Main Event Poised for Historic Turnout

The second Incense Cedar Trophy event—the Mini Main Dreamer, is likewise on course for another record showing, having already blown past its NT$ 4 million (~US$ 136K) guarantee before its first day of qualifiers was even dusted. With over a thousand entries already in the bag, the eventual champion will take no less than a seven-figure NT$ payout.

TMT 18 Main Event Just Days Away

TMT 18 Opening Week Shatters Expectations; Main Event Poised for Historic Turnout

Now, all eyes turn to the TMT 18 Main Event, set to kick off in just three days, July 20th at Red Space. For the third straight season, the series’ crown jewel features a NT$ 31 million (~US$ 1 million) guarantee, paired with a highly accessible NT$9,000 (~US$ 300) buy-in, a combination that continues to attract players from all walks of the game.

Last year’s edition drew over 6,000 entries, easily surpassing the guarantee and awarding Youngkyu Kim a career-defining NT$ 4.12 million (~US$ 125K) payday. But the benchmark still belongs to TMT 16, which set the bar with a record 6,953 entries, a figure organizers are highly expecting to top this year.

TMT 18 Opening Week Shatters Expectations; Main Event Poised for Historic Turnout

From humble beginnings in 2018 with just 420 entries, the TMT Main Event has grown more than tenfold, now standing as one of the most sought out tournaments in the region. As the latter half of the festival approaches, the buzz in Taipei is only getting louder, with the spotlight now turning to the biggest title of them all.