• The Philippines James Mendoza Leads Star-studded Superstar Challenge With TWD 34M (~USD 1M) in the Prize Pool

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

TAIPEI, TAIWAN, April 28, 2025 – Running 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 APT Taipei 2025 festival entered its fourth day with 14 events on the schedule, which attracted over 2,100 total entries (not including satellites).

While it was Flight B of the Main Event which garnered the most entries, it was the TWD 800,000 (~USD 24,700) Superstar Challenge that captivated the attention of the watching railbirds with the tournament attracting an eclectic mix of European, US, and the Asia-Pacific’s top tournament players.

Other highlights included the TWD 35,000 (~USD 1,080) Event #40: Big “O” Masters – PL Omaha Hi-Lo – 5 Card and Day 1 of the two-day TWD 75,000 (~USD 2,315) Event #42: High Roller Ultra Stack, which you will be able to read about in more detail in the side event press release.

The Player of the Series (POTS) promotion also saw 13 players make the first of the three cashes needed to cement their eligibility for the Asian Poker Tour Championship (APTC) Main Event ticket on offer. You can view the POTS rankings and T&Cs HERE

Main Event Flight B

The second of the four scheduled TWD 55,000 (~USD 1,700) Main Event flights drew 506 entries (404 unique) with players competing over ten levels in total – six 45-minute levels, and a further four 60-minute levels.

Combined with the 541 Flight A entries and the 530 OnLive Natural8 entries that brings the total field up to 1,577 entries in total, with two flights remaining.

While none of the players came close to matching Flight A frontrunner Wu Chun Yu’s 469,200 stack, more players survived the tournament maelstrom than the previous flight with 222 locking up a seat for Day 2.

It was Ka Chun Yuan the man topping the Flight B counts, and the Hong Kong native is no stranger to success on the APT tournament circuit, having previously won the tour’s record-breaking APT National Cup back at APT Taipei 2024.

Yuan bagged a flight leading 260,000 in chips, with Malaysia’s Boon Leong Tan (254,600), and Taiwan’s Hung Han Chen (241,200) rounding out the top three, with the top ten Flight B stacks as follows:

FLIGHT B TOP TEN STACKS

Other notables to find a chip bag waiting for them at the end of the evenings play included Taiwan’s Chen An Lin (203,600), Mystery Bounty Hunter – Sponsored by Natural8 champion Jung Sangjun (188,100), South Korea’s Gab Yong Kim (127,900), the USA’s Christopher Park (125,600), multiple bracelet winner Yan Shing “Anson” Tsang (97,200), and India’s Sumit Sapra (91,400).

For Main Event Flight B Player List please CLICK HERE.

For Main Event Flight B Survivors please CLICK HERE.

With two more starting flights left to play out and late entry available until the start of Day 2 which kicks off at 11:15am on Wednesday, April 30, there are still opportunities for those unsuccessful in their endeavors to win their way through.

The final two starting Flights C & D—both boasting six 30-minute levels and four 45-minute levels each—get underway on Tuesday, April 29, at 11am and 6pm respectively local time.

You can follow all the action via the APT Blog.

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

The Philippines James Mendoza Leads Star-studded Superstar Challenge With TWD 34M (~USD 1M) in the Prize Pool

Boasting the largest buy-in of the festival, the TWD 800,000 (~USD 24,700) Superstar Challenge is not for the faint of heart.

The tournament regularly attracts the cream of the international poker scene, with former champions including poker superstar Bertrand “ElkY” Grospelllier and the USA’s Joseph Cheong, with the latter the only player to have claimed the exclusive Black Lion Superstar Challenge trophy twice.

The tournament drew a star-studded field of 45 entries (34 unique), generating a sizable TWD 34,090,875 (~USD 1,052,188) prize pool, making it the second richest in the event’s history, just behind the Taipei 2024 edition which Grospellier won.

For Superstar Challenge Prize Pool & Payouts (inc USD) please CLICK HERE

The action played out over fourteen 40-minute levels, and while Grospellier did not compete this festival, Cheong was in the thick of the action looking to win a record third Superstar Challenge title.

However, the US poker phenom was unable to make the Final Day, departing at the close of the tenth level played.

Other notables in the running unable to go the distance included APT Taipei 2024 High Roller champion Stanley Weng, Australia’s Alexander Lynskey, computational wizard Dominik Nitsche, APT Taipei Poker Classic 2024 Superstar Challenge champion and local legend Chih Wei Fan, APT Manila 2024 High Roller champion Daniel Neilson, two time Main Event champion Lester Edoc, and Natural8 Ambassador Eric “Six Poker” Tsai to name but a few.

Just 11 players out of the initial 45 entries were able to fight their way through to the Final Day, although only six of them will be getting paid, with the eventual champion walking away with a TWD 11,590,875 (~USD 357,740) top prize.

It is the Philippines' James Mendoza leading the pack after bagging up 1,746,000 in chips – valued at 87 big blinds when play resumes.

Natural8 Ambassador Punnat Punsri is hot on Mendoza’s heels with a stack of 1,652,000 (82 big blinds); as the APT New Era’s most successful player the former Taipei 2023 Main Event champion cannot be overlooked and will be looking to add yet another tour title to his already stacked poker resumé.

Punnat Punsri

Hong Kong’s Biao Ding rounds out the top three and will be returning for the Final Day with a stack of 1,545,000 (77 big blinds).

Other notables in with a shout include APT Super High Roller finalist Alexander Wice, Germany’s Martin Finger, and Natural8 Ambassador Kannapong “Tent” Thanarattrakul, with the remaining stacks as follows:

SUPERSTAR CHALLENGE DAY 1 TOP TEN STACKS

For Superstar Challenge Day 1 Player List please CLICK HERE.

For Superstar Challenge Final Day Draw please CLICK HERE.

All tournament information can be found on the Superstar Challenge Day 1 tournament page and you can follow all the action via the APT Blog.

The Final Day gets underway at 11:15am local time (GMT+8) with the tournament playing down to a champion.

Full coverage will be available on the APT Blog, or you can watch the action as it plays out via the live stream on the official APT YouTube channel.