Biao Ding

A new champion has emerged at the 2025 APT Taipei Series as Hong Kong's Biao Ding claimed victory in the prestigious TWD 800,000 buy-in APT Superstar Challenge. Ding earned TWD 10,358,375 (~$320,710) after a heads-up deal with Nicholas Go, as well as the coveted APT trophy. He navigated through a tough final table to take the lion's share of the TWD 34,090,875 prize pool and secure the win.

The heads-up battle between Ding and Go was a display of skill, with the two players striking an ICM chop before Ding sealed the deal. Ding walked away with his prize money, plus a TWD 350,000 APT Championship Main Event ticket, while Go took home a career-best TWD 9,244,000 (~$286,210) for his second-place finish.

This marks Ding's first APT title, adding to his impressive career of over $15 million in live tournament earnings. Previously, Ding's best APT finish came at this very tournament in 2024, where he placed fourth. With this victory, Ding has cemented his place in APT history, and his thrilling performance will surely be a moment he will never forget.

APT Superstar Challenge Final Table

*Includes a TWD 350,000 APT Championship Main Event ticket

Just 11 players from 45 entires (34 unique) returned to the felt today, with only six spots available in the money. After around two hours of poker, Chi Jen Chu and Wai Kiat Lee were eliminated, and the final table was set, with James Mendoza still leading the field.

Runner-up Go came in as the short stack, while Ding sat comfortably in second place. However, two of the Thai professionals exited the final table next, as Kannapong Thanarattrakul and Punnat Punsri both got short-stacked and were unable to win when all-in and at risk.

Murly Manokharan

With the huge min-cash of TWD 2,386,500 (~$73,660) being worth virtually three buy-ins to this event, everyone expected a long, excruciating bubble. However, immediately after Punsri’s departure, Murly Manokharan seemed unfazed by the bubble, as he snap-called his stack off with pocket nines after Ding ripped it in from the big blind with ace-seven. An ace on the flop sealed Manokharan’s fate, and the remaining six were all in the money.

The chip lead was shared among the remaining six, with Go managing to come back from the brink of elimination twice. This was Calvin Lee’s second final table of the series, having finished third in the APT Super High Roller just a few days ago. Lee had to settle at a sixth-place finish for at this final table after he was unable to win a flip against Germany's Martin Finger.

Calvin Lee

Alexander Wice had Go at risk again, as the two got involved in a massive chip lead pot. Go had two pair against Wice straight draw. Go ended up improving to a rivered boat and became the new one at the top, while Wice was left with just a few big blinds and was likely to be the next out.

However, Wice—who also final-tabled the APT Super High Roller—was an expert in survival. He spun up his short stack and worked his way into the middle of the pack. Mendoza busted next, shoving ace-ten into Ding’s pocket rockets, meaning the Filipino player walked to the cashier’s desk in fifth place to collect his TWD 3,068,000 (~$94,690) prize.

James Mendoza

The remaining four players had all locked up six-figure paydays, but now everyone was gunning for the title. They jockeyed for the chip lead once again. Eventually, a big confrontation occurred between Finger and Wice. Finger opened with ace-queen suited and then called off the remainder of his stack when Wice jammed on him. Wice had two fives, which was enough to send Finger home with TWD 3,920,500 (~$121,000).

Wice now held a commanding chip lead and extended it after hitting a flush against Go. However, over the course of the next four hands, Wice bluffed away all his chips to Go and Ding. It all culminated in him four-bet ripping it in with ace-eight and getting snapped off by Ding’s pocket kings. No luck for Wice, and he was out in third for TWD 5,113,500 (~$157,825).

Alexander Wice

Going into heads-up, Ding held the advantage both in chip stack and experience. After a deal was made, cards got back in the air with an APTC ticket worth TWD 350,000, TWD 8,000 cash, and the coveted Lion trophy still left to play for.

Ding slowly wore Go down, winning almost every pot. Eventually, Go made a stand with top pair, but was up against Ding’s huge combo draw. Somehow, Go survived again and was back in the mix. Not long after, Go got into a race with pocket sixes against Ding’s ace-queen. A clean runout for Go meant he survived another all-in and was now the slight chip leader.

Nicholas Go and Biao Ding

Nothing changed for Ding’s strategy, though, as he kept on winning the small pots, and slowly, Go’s stack bled away. In the final hand of the tournament, Go limped the button before Ding raised. Go picked up calling chips, thought for a while, and then limp-shoved for almost 20 big blinds with ten-seven off. Ding called with Big Slick and had another chance to clinch the title. Go flopped a lot of outs, but this time he was unable to survive, and he was out in second place for TWD 9,244,000 (~$286,210).

Just like that, Ding had masterfully navigated his way through a tough-stacked final table to become the champion of the 2025 APT Taipei Superstar Challenge at the Red Space venue in Taipei, Taiwan.

Biao Ding

Nicholas Go

Hand 104 Go called from the button and Biao Ding raised to 850,000 from the big blind. Go pondered for a while, and then limp-shoved for 4,900,000. Ding snap called.

Nicholas Go: T 7

Biao Ding: A K

Go had made a move at the wrong time and ran into the Big Slick of Ding. All Ding needed to do was get a safe runout and he would be crowned the champion.

The flop came out 4 6 8 to give Go even more outs to win. The 2 turn wasn't one of them and yet again, Go was just one card away from elimiantion.

The Q appeared on the river and that was it.

Go was out in second place for TWD 9,244,000 (~$286,400), while Ding was the winner of the APT Superstar Challenge.

Hand 98 Nicholas Go jammed 4,400,000 from the button with Q T and Biao Ding folded.

Hand 99 Ding shoved 2 2 from the button and won the pot.

Hand 100 Go raised to 600,000 with K K and Ding folded.

Hand 101 Ding called from the button and Go checked back.

Both players checked a runout of 7 J 8 3 9 all the way to the river before Go led out for 550,000. Ding called, and Go showed queen-high with Q 4 . Ding had that beat with K 7 for a pair of sevens.

Hand 102 Go shoved K 2 on the button and won the pot.

Hand 103 Nicholas Go got a walk.

Biao Ding

Hand 93 Nicholas Go called from the button with 6 3 and Biao Ding checked behind with Q 4 .

Two checks followed the 2 9 5 flop to see the 9 hit the turn, which checked through again. Ding bet 500,000 on the Q river and Go folded.

Hand 94 Ding called from the button with Q 7 and Go shoved A 3 from the big blind. Ding folded.

Hand 95 With J 7 , Go called on the button and Ding checked his option with Q T in the big blind.

Both players checked the T Q A flop and the 9 landed on the turn. Ding bet 800,000, which Go called.

The 5 dropped on the river. Ding led out for 1,800,000. Go thought it over for a few moments before folding.

Hand 96 Ding limped in with 5 2 and Go checked back Q 2 .

The 9 7 4 flop checked through and the A landed on the turn. Ding led out for 750,000 and won the pot.

Nicholas Go

Hand 90 Biao Ding raised to 350,000 on the button, and Nicholas Go shoved for 2,600,000. Ding snap-called.

Nicholas Go: 6 6

Biao Ding: A Q

Ding had another chance to win the Superstar Challenge, if he hit the runout. The flop fell K 9 3 keeping the two sixes ahead. The J turn gave Ding a few extra outs, but the 8 river wasn't one of them and Go survived yet another all-in.

Hand 91 Go called on the button with 8 2 and Ding checked Q 7 .

Both players checked the 8 6 K flop for the 4 to roll off on the turn. Ding checked, and Go bet 250,000. Ding called to see a river.

The K hit the river and after two checks, Go took down the pot with his pair of eights.

Hand 92 Ding called from the button with T 7 and Go shoved the big blind holding A 5 . Ding folded.

Biao Ding

Hand 86 Biao Ding shoved from the button with A 6 and won the pot.

Hand 87 Nicholas Go called from the button with 8 7 before Ding raised to 660,000 holding A J . Go folded.

Hand 88 Ding limped in with T 8 and Go checked back 9 8 . They saw the flop fall 3 3 K and Go checked. Ding bet 160,000, and was met by a check-raise to 400,000 from Go. Ding let go of his hand.

Hand 89 Go called from the button and Ding cheked his option.

The 8 7 J flop appeard and Ding checked. Go fired out 250,000, which DIng called. When the 3 hit the turn, both players checked and the 6 landed on the river. Ding led out for 1,000,000 and Go slammed in the call.

Ding showed a rivered straight with 9 5 , and won the pot against Go's Q Q for an overpair.

Nicholas Go

Hand 82 Biao Ding limped in from the button and Nicholas Go checked from the big blind.

Go knuckled the table on the T 9 Q flop, and Ding fired 200,000. Go check-raised to 500,000, and after a bit of thought, Ding shoved to put Go all in. Go called for his last 1,650,000 and the cards were flipped over with Ding having a chance to win the tournament.

Nicholas Go: Q 4

Biao Ding: 8 7

Go had top pair but Ding had flush and straight possibilities working for him. The turn was a blank 3 , and so was the 7 river. Go doubled up, but Ding was still in the lead.

Hand 83 Go shovedthe button with A 8 and won the pot.

Hand 84 Ding raised button to 350,000 with T 7 and Go defended holding J 8 .

The flop fell 2 7 3 and Go check-folded to Ding's 450,000 bet.

Hand 85 Go called from the button with T 5 and Ding checked back 6 3

Both palyers checked the A 9 9 flop to see the 7 land on the turn. Ding bet 600,000 and won the pot.

Biao Ding

Hand 79 Nicholas Go made it 400,000 on the button with A 4 , and Biao Ding shoved A 8 from the big blind to put Go all in. Go folded.

Hand 80. Ding called from the button with 9 7 and Go checked his optino with K 6 Go checked the 2 4 Q flop, and Ding bet 120,000. Go folded.

Hand 81 Go raised to 300,000 on the button with T 2 and Ding three-bet to 800,000 with K J . Go snap-called to see a flop.

Ding continued with a bet of 600,000 on the T 9 K flop and Go called to see the Q land on the turn. Both players checked and the 9 rolled off on the river. Ding shoved for Go's 2,390,000, and Go let go of his hand.

Hand 75 Nicholas Go raised to 400,000 on the button with K 2 , and Biao Ding called from the big blind.

Ding checked the 9 K 9 flop, and Go bet 600,000. Ding folded and Go won the first pot.

Hand 76 Ding made it 260,000 on the button with T 2 and Go called holding T 2 .

When the A 4 9 flop came down, Go check-folded to a bet of 160,000 from Ding.

Hand 77 Go raised to 400,000 on the button with K 7 and won the pot.

Hand 78 Ding called with 9 3 and Go checked behind with 9 3 . The flop came T 8 6 and both players checked to see the 8 hit the turn. After two more checked the 4 came on the river and Go check-folded to Ding's bet.

After an ICM deal, Biao Ding will take home TWD 10,000,000 (~$309,900), and Nicholas Go has locked up TWD 9,244,000 (~$286,400).

They are still playing for a APTC Ticket worth TWD 350,000 and TWD 8,000 in cash, plus the trophy.