Tom Verbruggen

🇳🇱 Tom Verbruggen

Profile Bio

Tom Verbruggen is a Dutch live tournament player currently working to make his mark in the Asia-Pacific circuit. His live tournament earnings are approximately US $810,000. Known for his travel-friendly choice of Asian events, Verbruggen has consistently chosen Manila, Jeju and Taipei as his go-to stops for building experience and results in major fields.

Career Highlights

Although Verbruggen’s career is still on the rise, he has achieved several standout moments. He captured the title in the APT Taipei Mini-Main Event in 2024 and also won the Mystery Bounty event at the same series. One of his larger single cashes in Asia was the second place in the APT Jeju Mini Main Event for KRW 31,127,000 (~US $22,916).

Recent Results & Global Presence

In October 2024 Verbruggen claimed victory in the Bybit Mystery Bounty Hunter event in Taipei, earning USD 21,580 plus additional bounty earnings. He continues to build his live tournament résumé in Asia, focusing on major regional stop-overs and steadily increasing buy-ins and field size as he develops his career.

LAST SEEN at: JEJU POKER FESTIVAL 2025

Playing Style & Outlook

Verbruggen plays with a strategic but open approach, taking advantage of his exposure to the Asian poker scene (having lived in China for several years) and his multilingual ability to adjust to international fields. With this foundation and his recent results, he is well positioned to graduate from a rising contender into a regular deep-run threat in major Asia-Pacific tournaments.

Interview With Tom Verbruggen

(RDPT Jeju 2025, May 8, 2025)

How was your run here in the main event?

My run today is all right, I would say today I only fired one bullet. I think my highest chip count was 200K this was around break, so after level 9, then unfortunately from there I went slowly or surely downhill, so I only bagged 93K which will be 15BB. Tomorrow could be better but at least I’m in Day 2, and as one of my coaches says “you can’t win the main event in day one, so let’s go for day 2”.

You had a pretty good run here in Asia, can you tell me which one is your most memorable win?

I would say the most memorable were actually last year towards the end of last year was really good. I had good run at APT where I won two events in one series. Then I got second in a High Roller in Vietnam at USOP, and then I went to the inaugural player series in Taipei and I won the super High Roller there. It hasn’t been really good this year, a little bit less.

You’ve had so much success with plenty of final tables here in jeju – including the back to back to back super high roller and both superstar challenge final tables at the Poker Dream 16 we had the pleasure to report about – what is it about Jeju that brings the best out of you?

It’s nice to come here in Jeju because there are many Chinese people here and I used to live in China for over seven years, so for me it’s actually a great opportunity as well to keep my Mandarin on point. I think it’s a very beautiful casino here, very luxurious so it’s a nice place to be.

USOP high roller 2nd place in december for your biggest $103K cash to date and finally a win a week later at the PST Super high roller. Did you work on your heads up game to clinch the title more often, if the opportunity presents itself next time?

Yes, I have been working on my heads up play but maybe not yet as much as I should. This summer I’m gonna go to Vegas for WSOP for the first time. I think it’s definitely good this upcoming weeks which i will be studying to put some extra attention to the heads up play, because this is actually where the most money is going to be made.

You’ve been on the Asian poker scene since 2019, what do you like about it compared to Europe or other places in the world and where in Asia do you like to play the most?

Actually, I played one event in 2019, this was the APT in Vietnam and actually since last year I started to grind full time in the Asian circuit. I was living in China, so this was always convenient and closeby and yeah I think it’s much easier to travel here in Asia. My friends are here as well, we travel together so this is one of the main reasons for me. It’s often a nice weather here compared to Europe.

Do you have a mentor or coach? if yes how does it help you improve your game?

I mean, they’ve been extremely important for me from the start, because I only started grinding since last year. I would say they helped me a lot with confidence and with all the important things that I need to know, when going to the different tours. I would say without my coaches, I wouldn’t be where I am today for sure.