Day 1 Super High Roller Chip Leader Ethan ‘Rampage’ Yau

Day 1 of the record-breaking 2026 APT Taipei Super High Roller is in the bag.

The 2026 APT Taipei Super High Roller is officially the richest APT Super High Roller tournament ever, with a massive 136 (90 unique) entries generating a whopping prize pool of TWD 41,290,260 (~USD 1,323,430). The event also fell just one short of a Taiwan country record for the largest-ever Taiwanese Super High Roller. Only 29 have survived and bagged up chips to take through to Day 2.

20 players will make the money tomorrow with a minimum cash payout of TWD 544,900 (~USD 17,465) being awarded, but all remaining players will be eyeing up the mouthwatering top prize of TWD 9,760,160 (~USD 312,825), which comes along with a seat into the APT Championship Main Event worth USD 10,000.

It was the USA’s Ethan ‘Rampage’ Yau who finished Day 1 with a massive 2,625,000 chips. Close behind Yau is China’s Ren Lin with 2,420,000, and hot on Lin’s heels is Lithuania’s Gytis Lazauninkas, rounding out the podium in third spot with 1,905,000.

Yau is hoping to claim his first APT title to go along with the plethora of other titles he holds, including WSOP Circuit rings and WPT titles.

Day 2 Top Ten Chip Counts

Ren Lin Looking to go back-to-back

Lin is looking to go back-to-back in Super High Roller titles after he took down the 2026 APT Jeju Classic event back in February, along with the Superstar Challenge title.

Lazauninkas is a relative newcomer to the Asian Poker Tour and is looking to take down his first major recorded title.

Also sitting in the top ten and not too far behind the leaders is Thailand's All-Time Money List leader Punnat Punsri, with over USD 35,000,000 in lifetime earnings, and sits in sixth spot with 1,530,000 in chips, along with his compatriot Alexander Wice in eighth place with 1,495,000 chips.

Thailand's All-Time Money List leader Punnat Punsri

Sneaking into the top ten in ninth spot with 1,375,000 chips is the last woman standing, Meng Ling Lin, who is looking to take down her second APT title and add to her nearly USD 2,000,000 in lifetime earnings.

Last Woman Standing Meng Ling Lin

Rounding out the top ten is The Philippines’ John Costiniano with 1,370,000 chips, who is looking for the treble in APT titles and can cross the USD 1,500,000 mark in lifetime earnings with a top two finish. Costiniano was the runner-up in the APT Championship 2025 Main Event last November.

As expected in the series’ opening flagship event, the big-name players have come out in force, and a plethora have made it through to Day 2 and are in with a shot at getting their hands on the coveted APT Pewter Lion Trophy.

Danny Tang

Hong Kong’s All-Time Money List leader, Danny Tang, sits just outside the top ten in 11th with 1,330,000 chips and will be looking to add to his multitude of titles and close in on USD 40,000,000 in lifetime earnings.

APT High Roller stalwart Aussie Dylan Foster is sitting in 14th with 1,190,000 chips and looking for his second APT title and to cross the USD 1,500,000 in lifetime earnings mark.

Dylan Foster

Germany’s Martin Sedlak is in 17th with 945,000 chips and is another looking for the treble in APT titles, and like Foster, is trying to crack the USD 1,500,000 in lifetime earnings threshold.

The Philippines’ Lester Edoc, sitting in 24th spot with 685,000 chips, has work to do if he is going to add to the list longer than your arm of his APT titles, but he sure has the experience to navigate the field and work the short stack.

Day 2 kicks off on Sunday, May 26, at 11.15 AM local time. Stay tuned for live updates straight from the floor.

To view the full seat draw for Day 2, click HERE.

For a full list of Day 1 survivors click, HERE.

Play concludes with 29 players bagging up chips in the APT Super High Roller. Stay tuned for chip counts and a full recap of the day's action.

Fendy Kosasih made it 50,000 to play from early position and action folded to Jun Hao Wu who three-bet all in from late position for 285,000. Action came back around to Kosasih who double checked the count and made the call.

Jun Hao Wu: 8 8

Fendy Kosasih: Q J

A safe flop for Wu came of 5 3 T but when the J peeled off on the turn he needed help to stay alive. Nothing came on the K and Wu was sent to the rail.

The tournament director has just announced that seven hands will be remaining before Day 1 is finally over.

Anton Lu

The last level for Day 1 of the APT Super High Roller is about to wrap. There are still 31 players with their seats.

Among those who have been eliminated were Hugues Girard, Sihyun Kim, Joshua Figuerres, Yita Choong, Xiaoyao Ma, Yang Siang Ang, Anton Lu and Chung Tang Lin.

Lin had a monster stack after the dinner break, but when he was asked what happened, he explained that he had two hands losing to pairs. His ace-queen and big slick failed to connect, eventually knocking him out.

Ethan Yau

Action folded to Anton Lu on the button, who opened for 75,000. Ethan Yau was on the small blind and three-bet to 300,000.

When action came back to Lu, he moved all in, covering the sizable stack of Yau.

Yau spent a lot of time bank tokens, pondered deep and finally decided to make the call by throwing a chip in.

Ethan Yau: J J

Anton Lu: A K

The board ran of 8 Q 5 2 2 was clean for Yau's pocket jacks, as he maintained the lead until the river, earning a massive double up that propelled him to the top of the chip leader board, while leaving Lu with crumbs.

Meng Ling Lin

Phachara Wongwichit moved all in for 160,000 from late position, and action folded to Meng Ling Lin on the button, who made the call and had Wongwichit covered.

Phachara Wongwichit: J 8

Meng Ling Lin: 7 7

No help for Wongwichit on the 4 3 5 2 7 run out and he was sent to the exit door.

Kenneth Hirose

Kenneth Hirose was on the big blind and was up against Ren Lin on the button.

Both players had built a pot of around 250,000 beside a board that showed 8 2 K 9

Hirose checked his option, then called the 150,000 bet of Lin to open a 5 on the river.

Hirose checked again, allowing Lin to fire a bet of 285,000.

Hirose tanked, wondered if giants really roamed the world at one point in history, then mucked his hand.

Lin, meanwhile, continued to extend his chip lead.

Daniel Smilijkovic

Punnat Punsri raised to 40,000 from middle position only to face a three-bet from Daniel Smilijkovic in the hijack to 110,000.

Punsri made the call and the dealer fanned out the flop of Q 5 Q . Punsri checked to Smilijkovic who continued for 140,000 only to face a check-raise from Punsri to 280,000. Smilijkovic flat called.

The 4 peeled off on the turn and Punsri checked again to Smilijkovic who bet out for 100,000. Punsri check-raised once more and moved all in and he had Smilijkovic covered. Smilijkovic snap called.

Daniel Smilijkovic: K K

Punnat Punsri: Q T

No miracle for Smilijkovic when the river bricked out with the 5 and he was sent to the rail.

John Costiniano

Action folded over to the blinds with John Costiniano of the Philippines on the small blind against fellow Filipino Flo Campomanes on the big blind.

Costiniano limped in and Campomanes checked his option for both players to see a flop of A 3 5 .

Costiniano led out for 30,000 and Campomanes matched to open a 7 on the turn.

Both players slowed down with a check to see a 4 on the river.

Costiniano pushed in a bet of 50,000 and Campomanes tanked before finally tapping the table "nice bet" and sent his cards back to the dealer.