Mike Takayama

The richest-ever APT Super High Roller has come to an end inside the Red Space Arena, with Mike Takayama ending on top of the podium and taking home a career-best score of TWD 9,760,160 (~USD 312,825) from the record-breaking TWD 41,290,960 (~USD 1,323,430) prize pool.

With 136 entries (90 unique), the APT Taipei 2026 edition of this event was the second-largest field ever tallied in Taiwan and featured a who’s who of poker at the final table. Takayama dismantled his countryman John Costiniano heads-up to take home the cash, the the trophy, and boost his earnings enough to move him on the brink of being number one on the Philippines’ all-time money list.

Takayama has been a regular on the APT circuit for over a decade, racking up 17 titles along the way, including two Main Event victories in the Philippines, and is now the first Filipino to win an APT Mega Lion. He has also built up countless APT final table appearances, and in 2018, he was the first Filipino player to win a WSOP bracelet after taking down a $1,000 bounty event for almost $200,000.

APT Super High Roller Final Table Results

*includes APTC Main Event seat worth TWD 312,000 (~USD10,000)

Winner’s Reaction

Speaking with the host moments after his victory, and with his words translated from Tagalog, Takayama was still taking it all in after turning a short stack into the biggest score of his career.

“Of course, I’m so happy,” said Takayama. “Yesterday, I was very short-stacked, so I just tried to be patient and make it to Day 2.”

That patience was tested again on the final day, with Takayama revealing he was down to just three big blinds when there were still around 24 players remaining.

“Around the bubble, I shoved with ace-queen,” he said. “I didn’t want to think about just making the money. I just wanted to grow my stack.”

Mike Takayama

Takayama also spoke about what it meant to be among the very top earners in Philippine poker, although he was quick to say that personal rankings were not his main focus.

“Personally, I just want to focus on what I’m doing. I don’t really care about being number one,” he said. “What’s more important is being together with my friends, hard-working Filipinos, and new poker players.”

Once he reached the final table, Takayama knew there would be no easy route to the trophy.

“The moment I got to the final table, I told myself I had to be brave,” he said. “I had to be, because all my opponents were very good players.”

Mike Takayama

The win also comes with a seat to the APTC Main Event later this year, an event Takayama believes could be huge for Filipino poker.

“Of course, us Filipinos have to prepare for such a big event,” he said. “Just one win there would be life-changing.”

Before leaving the stage, Takayama made sure to thank those closest to him.

“I’d like to thank my friends and supporters. I’d like to thank my grandma. I really wished that I would win,” he said. “And also my wife and family. Even though I’m very stubborn, they still support me.”

Day 2 Action

Only 29 players returned to the baize to battle it out, with all of them still outside the money as only 20 spots would lock up a cash. Chase Cokaliong, Brian Pham, Seungmook Jung, and Candy Lin, the only female player in the field, were among the early casualties. However, it was Filipino high roller Lester Edoc who earned the unwanted title of bubble boy.

Lester Edoc

Edoc got his above-average stack into the middle with big slick against the short-stacked Flo Campomanes, who held ace-jack. However, Joshua Gebissa also had a small pocket pair and the chance to bust them both. Campomanes flopped trip jacks to triple up, while Edoc remained unimproved and became the last player to leave empty-handed.

After the bubble burst, the short stacks were quick to bust. Martin Sedlak, Justin Chu, and Punnat Punsri were the next to hit the rail, with a brutal river card putting an end to Punsri’s Super High Roller. Anson Tsang and Hon Cheong Lee followed soon after, before Gebissa was eliminated when Danny Tang held in a huge pot with ace-queen against Gebissa’s king-jack.

Dylan Foster

The final table bubble did not take long to burst, with two all-ins taking place simultaneously across the two tables. Dylan Foster ended second best with ace-jack against the big slick of Costiniano, who improved to a higher two pair on the river. Ethan ‘Rampage’ Yau then won a huge flip with ace-jack against the pocket tens of Tang, sending him into the final table as the chip leader.

Final Table

As expected, the final table was stacked, and the chances of a chop looked slim with several finalists already holding millions in live tournament earnings. Within just a few orbits, the field was down to five.

Fendy Kosasih hit the showers on the first hand, calling off with ace-high on the turn before bricking the river against Konstantin Held’s top pair.

Ren Lin was next to collect his payout in eighth, with Held claiming another knockout. Lin had big slick and was unable to improve against Held’s two jacks. Harry Halim was gone shortly after when he lost a flip with king-jack against the snowmen of Takayama.

Ren Lin

Chih Wei Fan was next to fall, despite getting it in good with trips. Takayama had a flush and straight draw with one card to come, and he hit his backdoor flush to send Fan to the rail and propel himself into the chip lead.

Play slowed with five left, although Costiniano began to gain some traction with well-timed steals and three-bets, before being rewarded with a turned set against Held. Takayama had Tang at risk soon after, but Tang hit running cards to survive and prevent Takayama from taking a huge chip lead.

Costiniano then slowplayed pocket aces perfectly preflop to trap Held, who was unable to get away from top pair on the flop. Costiniano faded Held’s outs, leaving Held with less than a big blind. With a rowdy crowd lifting his spirits, Held began the comeback of comebacks. First, he tripled after going all in blind, then won two flips in a row to get back to twenty big blinds and into the middle of the pack.

Konstantin Held

Just as it looked Held was going to pull off a miracle, he lost a crucial 60/40 with ace-eight against Tang's king-ten, and he plummeted back down to the bottom of the leader board. Takayama finished him off by getting there with two pair on the river, and now Takayama was the chip leader still with four remaining.

Then, the two big stacks collided. Costiniano flopped trips with queen-ten, while Takayama had a straight draw, which he spiked on the turn. Costiniano continued to fire big bets and filled up to a boat on the river. His big bet got paid, and just like that, Takayama went from first to last.

Danny Tang

Tang’s game of survival ended when he three-bet jammed king-ten suited into the ace-ten of Takayama. An ace-high flop sealed it, and Tang was gone in fourth place. With an APTC Main Event ticket worth TWD 312,000 (~USD 10,000) up for grabs for the top two finishers, this became a small bubble in its own right. With three left, Costiniano was able to apply pressure to Takayama and Yau, who held similar stacks.

Yau was the one struggling, as his bluffs were being picked off and his raises were constantly under attack. He managed to double up with a flopped boat, but in the end, he finished second best in a massive flip for over half the chips in play when his ace-king could not beat the pocket nines of Takayama. That set up a Filipino heads-up affair, with the more experienced Takayama holding close to a 2:1 chip lead.

Ethan Yau

The Heads-Up Battle

With the massive trophy sitting between the players, it was Costiniano who started off strong, winning a few small pots to even the stacks. But that changed when Takayama flopped the nuts, and Costiniano chose the wrong time to go for a flop three-bet bluff. Takayama won the pot and moved into a huge chip lead.

John Costiniano

Costiniano’s stack continued to dwindle as Takayama slowly cut away at him, winning plenty of limped pots. Costiniano was able to double up with ace-deuce against the king-jack suited of Takayama and might have thought that was his chance to build on the momentum. The deck had other ideas.

IIn the final hand of the tournament, Costiniano looked down at ace-queen and came in for a raise. Takayama peeked at pocket aces and three-bet. A few more clicks back-and-forth saw all of Costiniano’s stack go into the middle, and he could only smile and laugh after seeing he was crushed. Takayama’s aces held up, and the two countrymen embraced as Takayama was crowned the APT Super High Roller Champion.

Mike Takayama And Friends

That concludes coverage of the richest-ever APT Super High Roller here in Taipei, but be sure to turn into the APT blog for continued coverage throughout the series.

Mike Takayama

Mike Takayama has won the richest-ever APT Super High Roller for For TWD 9,760,160 (~USD 312,825), making him highest earning filipino tournament poker player ever.

Stay tuned for a full recap of the day's action.

John Costiniano

Hand #120: John Costiniano raised to 1,400,000 from the small blind and Mike Takayama three-bet to 3,000,000 from the big blind. Costiniano four-bet to 4,600,000, and after giving it some thought, Takayama five-bet jammed with the covering stack. Costiniano quickly called for his stack of 13,000,000 and Takayama had his second chance to win the tournament.

John Costiniano: A Q

Mike Takayama: A A

it was a brutal cooler heads-up with Costiniano needing a miracle to crack the aces of Takayama.

The flop came down 8 7 J , which meant Costiniano needed running cards to survive.

Costiniano picked up a gutshot straight draw on the 9 turn.

The dealer dropped the 8 on the river to complete the board, and Costiniano was the runner-up of the tournament for TWD 6,628,700 (~$212,460).

Heads-Up Embrace

John Costiniano

Hand #116: John Costiniano jammed the button for 5,300,000 and Mike Takayama kissed his cards before making the call.

John Costiniano: A 2

Mike Takayama: K J

Costiniano was slightly ahead with ace-high, and Takayama needed to connect with the board in some way to win the tournament.

The flop of 5 5 6 was no help for Takayama and neither was the 2 turn. An A completed the board, and Costiniano earned the much-needed double-up, keeping the tournament heads-up.

Hand #117: Takayama completed with 6 5 and Costiniano made it 1,500,000 to go with J J in the big blind.

A flop of 5 A 9 came down and Costiniano tossed out a bet of 1,100,000. Takayama called.

The Q dropped on the turn and Costiniano led out for 2,000,000. Takayama chose to return his cards to the dealer and give up the pot to Costiniano.

Hand #118: Costiniano called from the button n Takayama checked in the big blind.

Check, check followed the 8 8 9 flop and the 9 hit the turn.

Two more checks came and the 3 completed the board. Takayama bet 500,000 and Costiniano called. Takayama showed two pair with a queen-kicker holding Q 7 , which won him the pot as Costiniano was playing the board with T 3 .

Hand #119: Mike Takayama completed with 6 2 on the button and John Costiniano raised K T to 1,800,000 from the big blind. Takayama folded.

Hand #113: With 8 6 , Mike Takayama completed from the button and John checked out of the big blind holding 4 3

Costiniano checked on the 5 3 8 flop and Takayama bet 600,000. Costiniano called.

A K hit the turn and Costiniano checked again. Takayama continued to fire, placing out a bet of 900,000. Costiniano folded.

Hand #114: Takayama got a walk.

Hand #115: Takayama called from the button with J 8 before Costiniano shoved for 4,800,000 from the big blind holding 4 3 . Takayama folded.

John Costiniano

Hand #110: John Costiniano completed with 7 4 on the button and Mike Takayama checked his option holding T 6

Two cehcks came after the 7 8 7 flop and the Q hit the turn. Another check came from Takayama and Costiniano bet 700,000. Takayama folded.

Hand #111: Takayama called on the button with J 2 and Costiniano checked his option holding 6 3 .

Costiniano check-folded on the K Q 9 flop after Takayama bet 600,000.

Hand #112: Costiniano completed the button with 5 3 and Takayama checked 8 3 in the big blind.

The dealer spread out the A 9 T flop and Takayama check-called a min-bet of 500,000 from Costiniano.

A flush-completing Q came on the turn and Takayama checked again. Costiniano fired a second barrel of 1,600,000, and after looking back at his cards, Takayama jammed for Costiniano's remaining 6,600,000. Costiniano quickly folded.

Mike Takayama

Hand #108: John Costiniano raised to 1,000,000 on the button with 5 3 and Mike Takayama defended his big blind holding Q T .

Takayama knuckled it over to Costiniano on the 8 9 J flop, and Costiniano fired for 1,200,000. Takayama check-raised to 3,000,000, causing Costiniano to tank for a while before three-betting to 5,500,000. Takayama continued with a call.

A board-pairing 8 landed on the turn and Takayama jammed for 10,000,000. Costiniano immediately folded.

Hand #109: Takayama called from the button with 7 6 and Costiniano checked 4 3 in the big blind.

Costiniano check-folded versus the 500,000 bet from Takayama on the 5 5 9 flop.

Hand #104: John Costiniano called with J 5 on the button, and Mike Takayama raised Q 8 to 1,000,000 in the big blind.

On the A T 4 flop, Takayama led out for for 1,400,000, which Costiniano called.

A board-pairing 4 on the turn, caused Takayama to check-folded against the 2,200,000 bet from Costiniano.

Hand #105: Takayama called from the small blind with T 6 and Costiniano checked his option in the big blind with 8 7

Two checks came after the 2 7 9 flop to see the 5 on the turn. Costiniano led out for 900,000, causing Takayama to fold.

Hand #106: Costiniano raised to 900,000 on won the pot.

Hand #107: Takayama called with Q 6 from the button and Costiniano checked in the big blind holding A 6

Costiniano check-called a bet of 600,000 from Takayama on the 6 T J flop.

The 9 turn checked through to see the Q on the river. Costiniano checked for the last time, and Takayama bet 1,300,000. Costiniano folded.

Heads-Up

Ethan Yau

Hand #103: Mike Takayama raised to 900,000 on the button and Ethan Yau three-bet to 2,800,000 from the big blind. Takayama jammed, and Yau called for his stack of 8,500,000.

Ethan Yau: A K

Mike Takayama: 9 9

Yau and Takayama had almost identical stacks so the flip was pivotal for both players' future in the event.

The flop fell 5 2 3 to give Yau a straight draw, while Takayamas' pair was still out in front.

The 2 on the turn meant Yau had to improve on the river to survive.

A T on the river was a blank, and Yau was out in third place for TWD 4,371,700 (~$140,120), while Takayama went into heads-up with the chip lead.