• Biao Ding Cements Superstar Status With TWD 10M (~USD 309K) Superstar Challenge Win

APT TAIPEI 2025 SCHEDULE | OFFICIAL RESULTS | PLAYER LISTS | IMAGES | WINNERS

TAIPEI, TAIWAN, April 29, 2025 – In what proved to be the busiest day of the series so far, the APT Taipei 2025 Main Event has entered the history books as the largest and richest poker tournament ever to play out in Taiwan.

In addition to setting a new Taiwanese poker record for field size and prize pool, the tournament also became the largest event in the APT’s 19-year history – and registration still remains open until the start of Day 2.

Playing out at the tournament tables of the brand-new Red Space 多元商務空間 and run in partnership with the Chinese Texas Hold’em Poker Club (CTP), the venue was packed to the rafters with 18 tournaments playing out over the course of the day and all 123 tournament tables in operation.

In addition to the final two flights of the Main Event entering the record books, highlights of the day included the star-studded Superstar Challenge, the record-breaking High Roller – Ultra Stack and the inaugural Women’s Main Event all playing down to thrilling conclusions.

You can read all about the last two in the side event press release.

Main Event Flight C

China’s Kexuan Lin bagged biggest on Flight C

The action started out with the penultimate flight of the Main Event drawing 486 entries (392 unique) bringing the number of entries up to 2,063 and breaking the record for largest Taiwanese poker tournament of all-time with registration still remaining open.

The Flight C contenders duked it out over ten levels comprising six 30-minute levels and four 45-minute levels in an attempt to fight their way through to Day 2, with 230 of them successful in their endeavors.

It was China’s Kexuan Lin who topped the Flight C chip counts, concluding the action with a stack of 293,900.

The Philippines Leonell Losentes also enjoyed the rub of the green, bagging the second-largest stack of 279,100, with South Korea’s Donghyun Lim (278,600) rounding out the top three, with the top ten stacks as follows:

FLIGHT C TOP TEN STACKS

Other notables to make it through included New Zealand’s Tae Hoon Han (136,100), APT Manila Classic High Roller champion Daniel Neilson (136,000), APT Phu Quoc High Roller champion Jason Lau (129,400), former APT Incheon Main Event champion Farhad Aghayev (111,000), the USA’s Christian Harder (96,000), Japan’s John Matsuda (89,600), Sweden’s Mikael Andersson (82,500), and Australia’s Alexander Lynskey (81,700).

For Main Event Flight C Player List please CLICK HERE

For Main Event Flight C Survivors please CLICK HERE.

All tournament information can be found on the Main Event Flight C tournament page

You can follow all the Flight C action as it played out via the APT Blog.

Main Event Flight D

Taiwan’s Yu Jay Shih summited Flight D

While Flight C pushed the Main Event into record-breaking territory, it was the fourth and final Flight D that raised the bar to new heights, attracting a further 344 entries (278 unique) to bring the field up to 2,407 and set a new all-time APT record as the largest tournament in tour history.

Flight D followed the same format as C, with players competing over ten levels comprising six 30-minute levels and four 45-minute levels.

A total of 176 players made the cut, with Taiwan’s Yu Jay Shih leading the pack and bagging up a stack of 279,200.

Shih concluded the action with the largest stack by some margin with Japan’s Mikiya Kudo the next closest challenger, finishing the flight with 220,200 in chips.

Thailand’s Rawinruchiroch Deesit (212,900) rounded out the top three stacks and was the only other Flight D player to crack the 200K milestone, with APT Taipei 2024 High Roller champion Stanley Weng (182,200) also managing to bag a top ten stack:

FLIGHT D TOP TEN STACKS

Other familiar faces to lock up a Day 2 spot included APT Summer Series Hanoi 2023 Super High Roller champion Shung Er Sua (153,000), David “Spade” Erquiaga (130,100), newly minted Super High Roller champion Nguyen Quang Minh (122,200), two-time Superstar Challenge champion Joseph Cheong (119,000), APT Summer Series Da Nang 2023 Main Event champion Shixiang Khoo (115,000), UK-based poker wizard Dominik Nitsche (84,400), Superstar Challenge finalists James Mendoza (60,300), and Martin Finger (42,300), and Germany’s Manig Loeser (21,200).

For Main Event Flight D Player List please CLICK HERE

For Main Event Flight D Survivors please CLICK HERE.

All tournament information can be found on the Main Event Flight D tournament page

You can follow all the Flight D action as it played out via the APT Blog.

Two players qualified for Day 2 twice, Australia’s Alan Pham, and Flight C frontrunner Kexuan Lin, meaning their smaller stacks will be removed from play.

The 830 survivors of all four starting flights will combine for the first time for Day 2, with the tournament getting underway at 11:15am local time (GMT+8) on Wednesday, April 30 with the action scheduled to play out over eight 60-minute levels.

For Main Event Day 2 Draw please CLICK HERE.

Full coverage will be available on the APT Blog, and you can also watch the action as it plays out via the Main Event Day 2 live stream on the official APT YouTube channel.

Biao Ding Cements Superstar Status With TWD 10M (~USD 309K) Superstar Challenge Win

Biao Ding added an APT title to his list of tournament accolades

Just 11 players out of a field of 45 Day 1 entries returned to action to compete for the hefty TWD 34,090,875 (~USD 1,052,188) prize pool in the star-studded Superstar Challenge.

With only six of the remaining players making the money, and an eight figure (six in USD) top prize on the line, in addition to the exclusive Black Lion Superstar Challenge trophy and an Asian Poker Tour Championship (APTC) Main Event seat worth TWD 350,000 (~USD 10,700) for the eventual champion there was plenty to play for.

It was the Philippines James Mendoza who returned in the tournament top spot after bagging the overnight chip lead, with Natural8 Ambassador Punnat Punsri returning second in the counts.

While both Mendoza and Punsri were able to pilot their sizable stacks to final table appearances, only the former was able to claim a place in the paying positions.

Punsri was not so fortunate, hitting the rail one spot before the money bubble after his flopped bottom pair was rivered by the USA’s Calvin Lee, who did Barry Greenstein proud by pairing his ace on the last card of the run out.

The departure of Malaysia’s Murly Manokharan at the hands of eventual champion Biao Ding on the hand following Punsri’s exit guaranteed the remaining players a TWD 2,386,500 (~USD 73,660) pay day, and the tussle for the title began in earnest.

While Ding brought the chip lead into the final six, it was no easy ride with Germany’s Martin Finger, Hong Kong’s Nicholas Go, and Thailand’s Alexander Wice all taking their turn as tournament top dog.

However, Ding displayed the skills that have propelled him to the #2 spot on the China All-Time Money List to battle back from the brink of elimination to take play heads-up against Go for the title.

With so much cold, hard cash on the line the duo elected to cut an ICM deal that saw Ding lock up TWD 10,000,000 and Go guaranteed TWD 9,244,000, with the two then duking it out for the trophy, title, APTC seat and a further TWD 8,000 in cash.

After a 29-hand battle that saw Go briefly edge into the lead, Ding dug deep and closed out the victory to claim his maiden APT tournament title and pad out his over USD 15 million in live tournament winnings with a further TWD 10,008,375 (~USD 308,900), in addition to claiming his place in November’s APTC Main Event.

“I like the trophy – it looks pretty nice,” Ding said via the aid of a translator in his post-match interview immediately after claiming his maiden APT title.

“I’m aiming for one of the big lion trophies next, that will look good in my collection,” Ding stated, before heading off to bask in the glow of victory.

Biao Ding claims his place in the end of year APTC Main Event

SUPERSTAR CHALLENGE RESULTS

*Plus an APTC Main Event seat worth TWD 350,000

For Superstar Challenge Results please CLICK HERE.

All tournament information can be found on the Superstar Challenge Final Day tournament page.

You can follow all the tournament thrills and spills on the APT Blog or watch the action as it played out via the Superstar Challenge live stream.