James Mendoza

The APT Taipei 2025 Superstar Challenge holds the distinction of being the tournament with the most expensive tournament showcased at the APT 2025 Taipei Series here in Taiwan. With a buy-in at TWD 800,000 (~USD 25,000), this prestigious tournament always attracts some of the best players from across the world. Players are also just allowed a single re-entry so it puts skill over money muscle unlike some tournaments where the deeper pockets can spend on multiple bullets and more opportunities.

A total of 45 entries (34 unique) took to the felt and built an astounding prize pool of TWD 34,090,875 (~USD 1.051,000). After fourteen 40-minute levels, the field thinned down to the top 11 survivors who will be returning to play down to a winner tomorrow.

Filipino poker pro James Mendoza leads the field as the chip leader with 1,746,000 chips. The 2023 GPI National Player of the Year has over USD 1 million in total live earnings, but has yet to bag gold at an APT event. Perhaps this is the time Mendoza will finally shine.

End of Day 1 Chip Counts

Not that far behind is Thailand's Punnat Punsri who bagged the second largest stack of 1,652,000. Punsri grabbed a huge chunk of chips in the final hand of Day 1 when he eliminated Stanley Weng and took his large stack. Punsri's big slick won the flip against Weng's pocket tens in a showdown no one expected since everyone was about ready to bag their chips for the next day.

Punsri has over USD 23 million in total live earnings and has an impressive collection of trophies including an APT Main Event championship back in 2023 won here in Taipei. Rounding up the top three in chip stacks is Hong Kong's poker phenom Biao Ding, who has over USD 15 million in career live cashes. Ding has yet to win an APT event.

Punnat Punsri

The champion tomorrow will walk away with a staggering TWD 11,590,875 (~USD 357,740) along with the trophy. When play resumes tomorrowinside the Red Space venue, virtually half of the field will walk away with nothing as only six spots are in the money.

Payouts

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

Tomorrow's Day 2 final will resume at 11:15am Taiwan local time and will be available for live stream at the **APT Official YouTube Channel**

The seat draw is available HERE.

The official payouts can be viewed HERE.

The APT Taipei 2025 Superstar Challenge Day1 is officially done. There were 45 entries throughout the day with 11 remaining to continue for tomorrow's Day 2 final.

Stay tuned for a full recap - including chip counts and payouts.

Punnat Punsri

With just 5 hands to go, you wouldn't think there would be much action. However...

Alexander Wice opened to 32,000 and Stanley Weng three-bet to 100,000. Small blind Punnat Punsri four-bet to 220,000. Wice stepped out of the way and Weng used a time bank before finally shoving his quite-a-big stack all-in.

Punsri snapped called and flipped over A K against the T T of Weng.

The flop came 3 2 A giving Punsri the lead.

The runout of Q 4 did nothing to help Weng and he exited the tournament right at the brink of bagging chips, making Punsri the possible new chip leader.

The last five hands have been announced and soon the players will bag up their chips for Final Day.

Murly Manokharan open-shoved from under the gun for 246,000 and Calvin Lee called in the cutoff to put his opponent at risk.

Murly Manokharan: A 5

Calvin Lee: J J

Lee dominated the hand on the flop of 7 2 7 , while Manokharan picked up backdoor straight and flush draw.

The turn showed a 4 and kept Manokharan’s straight draw hope alive.

The river brought the good news to him as it revealed the 3 , completing his straight and securing him a much-needed double-up.

Chih Wei Fan open-shoved from the button for 88,000 and was put at risk by a call from Biao Ding in the big blind.

Chih Wei Fan: A 9

Biao Ding: J J

Fan was looking to find an ace to stay alive, however, the board didn’t come in his favors as it delt 8 Q 8 8 6 , improving Ding to an invincible full house and sending him out of the field at the second-to-last level today.

Wai Lee

Action folded to the blinds. Lynskey limped the small blind and called the 30,000 raise of Wai Lee on the big blind.

The flop arrived 8 2 4 , which Lynskey checked before Lee bet out 25,000.

Lynseky then raised to 55,000. Lee shoved enough to put Lynskey all-in and Lynseky called.

Alexander Lysnkey: Q 8

Wai Lee: J J

Lynseky had flopped top pair, but Lee's pocket jacks were ahead.

The board completed 9 3 and Lynskey's run ended.

Nicholas Go generously shared with the reporter a hand he had just played at Table #18 against Alexander Lynskey.

Go limped in from under the gun and Lynskey raised to 48,000. Go didn’t step down here, instead, he cranked it up to 400,000 only to be jammed on by Lynskey, and Go called for his remaining chips.

Nicholas Go: A K

Alexander Lynskey: Q Q

It was a classic flip. As Go wished for the board came K 5 2 3 7 , improving him to superior pair of kings to scoop in a sizable double-up.

Alexander Lynskey

Alexander Lysnkey opened for 20,000 and Murly Manokharan defended his big blind.

Both players were given a flop of A 3 K Manokharan check-called the 20,000 bet of Lynskey to open a 7 on the turn.

Manokharan checked and Lynskey fired 85,000. Manokharan tanked, used a time bank, wondered if unicorns really once roamed the world and then folded.

Calvin Lee opened from under the gun for 21,000 and Kannapong Thanarattrakul defended his big blind.

The flop arrived A 5 3 and both checked to see a Q on the turn. Thanarattrakul checked and Lee took advantage to make a bet of 30,000.

Thanarattrakul folded and awarded the pot to Lee.