A New Era for Poker in Thailand
The legalization of poker in Thailand opens doors to new opportunities and promises to make the country one of Asia's premier poker hubs. Until now, the biggest draws for players in the region have been festivals like APPT Manila in the Philippines, WPT Cambodia, and tournaments in Taiwan. Now, there's a new contender on the map, right in Bangkok. The high turnout at the inaugural WPT Prime event is a clear sign that poker fever in Thailand is just beginning, with expectations for even larger and more prestigious events in the future.
Tournaments in Thailand have exciting potential due to the country’s regulations. Under current rules allowing only six hours of play during weekdays, organizers have adjusted level structures to 20 minutes. For players, this means quicker decisions and constant adaptation to changing stack sizes. For spectators, it's great news, as the tournament is fast-paced and full of action. There’s no long wait for dramatic moments, as short levels lead to more frequent all-ins and eliminations, making for more thrilling and entertaining viewing.
Regarding the mentioned Main Event of the WPT Prime Thailand Exhibition, it drew massive crowds and created an unforgettable atmosphere. The main tournament, with a buy-in of 37,000 Thai Baht (about $1,143), garnered 2,337 entries, generating a prize pool of 75,488,000 THB (approximately $2,325,052).
Dramatic Final Table
Due to regulations in the Thai market, the length of the levels on this day was also shortened to 20 minutes. The average stack at the start of the final day was just 11 big blinds, leading to quick action. Most early eliminations were dispatched by Hong Cai, who entered the final table as the chipleader. However, luck soon favored others, with Sun applying relentless pressure, increasing his stack, and taking the lead after eliminating Allen Nielsen. Luck smiled on Zukernik, who doubled his stack with A h 5 d against A d K d on Alex Lee, whom he knocked out in the following hand.
The heads-up came down to Haoran Sun and dual passport holder Philipp Zukernik of Canada and the Czech Republic. The excitement at the televised table lasted just two hands, with Zukernik going all-in with T d 7 d and Sun calling with K c 7 c. The board favored neither, so Sun's high card sealed his historic victory. Notably, even Zukernik, with live tournament earnings exceeding a million dollars, recorded his best result here in Bangkok.
From Amateur to Main Event Champion
Thirty-three-year-old engineer Haoran Sun recently quit his job to pursue poker full-time. His passion for the game started with small cash games with friends, and this tournament was his first international outing. His confidence and dominant playstyle showed he has the potential to rise among the best. Throughout all the days, he stayed near the top, entering the finale with one of the largest stacks.
His aggressive gameplay paid off, and the final showdown was a perfect demonstration of his skills. For his victory, he took home a check for 11,477,000 THB ($353,497 USD) and a $10,400 entry to the WPT World Championships 2025 at Wynn Las Vegas. Even in a subsequent interview, it was clear that this was an incredible moment for Sun: “I am incredibly excited, it feels like I'm living a dream. This is my first Main Event title and it has boosted my confidence. If I manage to get a visa, I'm certainly going to the WPT in Vegas.”
|
Place |
Player |
Country |
Winnings (USD) |
|
1. |
Haoran Sun |
China |
~ 352,480$ |
|
2. |
Philipp Zukernik |
Canada/Czech Republic |
~ 234,025$ |
|
3. |
Duhan Lee |
South Korea |
~ 173,765$ |
|
4. |
Hong Cai |
China |
~ 129,940$ |
|
5. |
Alex Lee |
Singapore |
~ 98,310$ |
|
6. |
Atsunobu Konishi |
Japan |
~ 75,000$ |
|
7. |
Allen Nielsen |
Denmark |
~ 57,705$ |
|
8. |
Amit Ashkenazi |
Israel |
~ 44,780$ |
|
9. |
Nikhil Kedia |
India |
~ 35,075$ |
WPT Prime Thailand 2025 Makes History
The inaugural WPT Prime Thailand Exhibition was held from July 30 to August 5, 2025, at 5F Emsphere, UOB LIVE in Bangkok. A total of 25 tournaments took place, making WPT the first official live poker organization to host an event in Thailand. Although WPT Prime Thailand wasn't considered an official World Poker Tour event and players didn't earn points for the WPT Player-of-the-Year rankings, it was a fantastic start to the poker boom in Thailand. This is evidenced by the unique footage provided by our partner SoMuchPoker.
Source: WPT, SoMuchPoker, PokerNews, Flickr
