Danny Tang & Entourage

The APT Jeju 2025 kicked off on September 26 for a 10-day poker festival that concludes later on October 5, 2025 at the Landing Casino at Jeju, Korea.

One of the festival highlights - the Superstar Challenge - kicked off the series with a bang. This event has the distinction as being the richest buy-in of the series, pegged at KRW 35 million (~USD 25,000).

Such a buy-in attracts some of the worlds top poker high-rollers, with 40 entries signing up to build a juicy prize pool of KRW 1,326,000,000 (~USD 937,140), making it the largest tour prize pool for this event on Korean soil.

The top six places paid out, with the eventual champion taking home a KRW 446,080,000 (~USD 318,630) top prize – the largest this tournament has ever awarded in the country, and second largest overall for an APT Superstar Challenge event.

The crowned champion was none other than Hong Kong's Danny Tang who defeated Ricky Huang of Australia in an exciting tug-of-war heads-up showdown to claim the champion's loot, the coveted Black Stealth Lion trophy and a seat valued at KRW 14M (USD 10,000) to the APT Championship Main Event running in Taipei, Taiwan in November.

In the final showdown, Tang, holding king-ten, managed to spike a miracle ten on the river to overtake the pocket sixes of Huang to seal the championship and claim a third career APT title.

Tang won his first title in a TWD 16,500 NLH - Monster Stack back in APT Taipei 2019 and his second during APT Jeju 2024 when he topped the All-Star Showdown.

The Road To The Championship

On Day 1 of the Superstar Challenge, only 16 survivors were able to make through fourteen 40-minute levels to bag chips at the end of the day.

Thailand's Punnat Punsri was the overnight chip leader, bagging up a stack of 1,400,000 His nearest rival was Germany's Fabian Gumz with 1,105,000 chips. Rounding up the podium was China's Biao Ding with 970,000.

Australia's Joshua McCully and Biao Ding were former winners of this event and had the chance to go for the double, but a higher record could be set with two-time winner Joseph Cheong who had an opportunity for a three-peat.

Joseph Cheong

Eventually, only Biao Ding was able to cross to the money line, ending up with a third place finish.

The bubble burst on Thailand's Thanisorn Saelor who saw his pocket nines run into the pocket queens of the Czech Republic's Roman Hrabec.

From there, cautious play became the dominant strategy, but the pressure of the rising blinds will always play its part on the shorter stacks.

Eventually, the first elimination amidst the final six in the money fell on Dylan Foster of Australia who managed to scrape through to the final 6 despite nursing a short stack most of the day, but had his ace-six run into the big slick of Ricky Huang.

Fabian Gumz started the day second in chips and was able to bring it to a fifth place finish, running big slick into Huang's pocket jacks.

Hrabec put up a formidable fight, but finished fourth when he committed his short stack with nine-seven of diamonds and could not get past the ace-four suited of Huang.

Hong Kong's Biao Ding came close to a second Superstar Challenge title, but his king-queen of diamonds was unable to overcome the pocket sevens of Danny Tang., who flopped a set and Ding was forced to settle for third.

*Includes seat to APT Championship Main Event

Danny Tang

Danny Tang of Hong Kong got past the final hurdle of defeating Ricky Huang of Australia in the final heads-up showdown to finally claim the Superstar Challenge title in APT Jeju 2025.

It was an up and down heads-up match with lots of lead changes, but eventually the most important flip was the one that counted to secure the championship.

A total of 40 entries generated a prize pool of KRW 1,326,000,000 (~USD 937,140) with the lion's share of KRW 446,080,000 (~USD 318,630) going to Tang. Tang also won the coveted APT black stealth lion trophy and a seat to the APT Championship Main Event in Taipei worth KRW 14M (USD 10,000).

This APT win marks Tang's third career APT title. Tang won his first title in a NTD 16,500 NLH - Monster Stack back in APT Taipei 2019 and his second during APT Jeju 2024 when he topped the All-Star Showdown.

The champion's loot pushes Danny Tang's total live earnings to nearly USD 34.5 million.

Stay tuned for a full event recap.

Ricky Huang

Hand #82: Danny Tang limped in the small blind. Big blind Ricky Huang jammed all-in for 2,700,000 and Tang made the call.

Danny Tang: K T

Ricky Huang 6 6

Board: 3 9 3 2 T

Huang was ahead all the way and just had to fade the six outs of Tang on the river.

The poker gods decided differently and Tang rivered one of the tens to become the Superstar Challenge champion, sending out Ricky Huang as a very worthy runner-up for KRW 308,320,000 (~USD 220,230).

Hand #81: Ricky Huang raised to 240,000 on the small blind and Daniel Tang defended.

Flop arrived 5 9 7

Both checked to open a 8 on the turn.

Tang bet 850,000 and Huang called to show a K on the river.

Tang led out for 1,900,000 and Huang responded with a call.

Tang peeled opened T 6 for a ten high straight, edging out the K 6 of Huang, which only made a nine high straight.

Hand #77: Small blind Ricky Huang opened for 240,000 and Danny Tang defended his big blind.

Flop came 7 T J

Tang check-called Huang's 200,000 bet to show a A on the turn.

Both checked to see a K on the river.

Tang checked, then folded after Huang fired 700,000.

Hand #78: Tang raised to 250,000 and Huang defended his big blind.

Flop arrived J 8 7

Both checked to see a Q on the turn.

Huang led this time for 450,000 and Tang gave up.

Hand #79: Huang limped on the small blind and Tang checked.

The flop peeled open 2 5 K

Both checked to show a J on the turn.

Tang fired 180,000 and Huang gave up.

Hand #80: Huang gets a walk on his big blind.

Hand #74: Daniel Tang flat calls on the small blind. Ricky Huang raised to 300,000 on the big blind.

Tang answered back with an all-in jam for 3,200,000. Huang tanked, before making the call.

Ricky Huang: K Q

Daniel Tang: 3 3

Board: J A 6 9 7

Tang's pocket threes faded Huang's outs and turn the tables around.

Hand #75: Huang completed the blinds and Tang raised to 335,000. Huang made the call.

Flop showed 2 7 Q

Tang led out for 280,000 and Huang called to see a 4 turn.

Tang double-barrelled 650,000 and Huang responded with a call.

The river showed a 7 and Tang slowed with a check. Huang then fired 1,000,000 and Tang surrendered.

Hand #76: Tang raised to 250,000 and Huang folded.

Hand #69: Small blind Ricky Huang called and big blind Daniel Tang raised to 335,000 and Huang mucked.

Hand #70: Tang raised to 200,000 on the small blind and Huang three-bet to 650,000. Tang surrendered.

Hand #71: Huang limped in and Tang checked his big blind.

Flop arrived 7 6 A

Both checked to see a 5 turn.

Tang check-called after Huang fired 300,000 to see a 2 river.

Tang checked, then folded when Huang fired 1,400,000

Hand #72: Tang limped in the small blind and big blind Huang checked.

Flop came 8 2 5

Both checked to see a Q turn. Both check again to open a 9 river.

Huang fired 200,000 and Tang called.

Huang tabled J 6 for nothing while Tang showed 4 2 for a pair of deuces to scoop the pot.

Hand #73: Huang limped and Tang checked to open a flop of 7 T 6

Tang checked then folded after Huang fired 125,000.

Danny Tang vs Ricky Huang

Players will take a quick break for a photo opp (as seen above) before the final heads-up begins and a new Superstar Challenge will be crowned.

Biao Ding

Hand #68: Tang jammed all in for 1,900,000 on the button. Biao Ding risked his last 1,300,000 on the big blind.

Danny Tang: 7 7

Biao Ding: K Q

Board: J 7 6 8 A

Tang flopped a set and had Ding drawing dead by the turn, he finishes with KRW 196,800,000 (~USD 140,570).

Hand #65: Action folded to the blinds and small blind Ricky Huang raised to 200,000. Biao Ding called on his big blind.

Flop arrived A 8 2

Huang continued for 200,000 and Ding stood down.

Hand #66: Small blind Biao Ding moved all in for 1,400,000 and scooped the blinds.

Hand #67: Small blind Tang just limped and big blind Huang raised to 300,000. Tang let it go.