Record-breaking APT Main Event
The APT Championship Taipei 2025 Main Event has already made history. With 671 entries, the prize pool soared to an astonishing TWD 194,080,973 (~$6.2 million), making it the largest APT tournament ever. The winner will take home a staggering TWD 37,030,773 (~$1.19 million), the highest prize in series history.
After Day 2, South Korean Dohang Na took the lead, finishing the night with a massive stack of 924,500, thanks to a flopped ace that bested Yuanxi Chen's kings in the penultimate hand. Indian player Aditya Agarwal follows in second with 766,000, and Malaysia's Ben Loo rounds out the top three with 738,500.
Big names like Dominik Nitsche, Eric Seidel, and Steve O'Dwyer also remain in contention for the title and the million-dollar prize. Czech Super High Roller champion Roman Hrabec had a successful day, carrying 302,500 in chips into Day 3.
133 players advanced to the next day, with the ITM zone waiting for the top 95 finishers, and Day 3 promises the exciting bubble burst moment. You can follow the live action on YouTube livestream:
Leaderboard After Day 2: Top 10 Stacks
|
Position |
Player |
Country |
Stack |
|
1. |
Dohang Na |
South Korea |
924,500 |
|
2. |
Aditya Agarwal |
India |
766,000 |
|
3. |
Ben Soon Yung Loo |
Malaysia |
738,500 |
|
4. |
Hao Shan Huang |
Taiwan |
712,000 |
|
5. |
Alexandru Papazian |
Romania |
712,000 |
|
6. |
Dominik Nitsche |
Germany |
701,500 |
|
7. |
Chung Ching Cheung |
China |
655,000 |
|
8. |
Hao Chuang |
Taiwan |
614,500 |
|
9. |
Ta Wei Tou |
Taiwan |
570,000 |
|
10. |
Maxwell Rosete |
Philippines |
558,000 |
Calvin Lee Triumphs in Superstar Championship and Holds APT Record for a Few Days
Just days before the Main Event, American pro Calvin Lee was rewriting APT history, claiming one of the festival's most prestigious victories. In the Superstar Championship event (buy-in TWD 1.5M / ~$50,000), Lee dominated a small but tough field of 39 entries, earning the pink-and-gold APT Championship trophy.
A massive prize pool of TWD 57,842,503 (~$1,853,925) promised a dramatic battle over historic stakes. Lee successfully navigated the final stages, taking out elite opponents along the way. He knocked out Punnat Punsri, later eliminated Steve O'Dwyer, and eventually took down Vincent Huang. In a heads-up duel, he defeated Australia's Daniel Neilson to win TWD 18,726,503 (~$600,210), the largest prize ever awarded by APT. However, this record will stand only for a few days until the current Main Event concludes.
Lee, who now holds his third APT title, highlighted a special token of good luck: “I want to dedicate this victory to my mother, who traveled here from Seoul. The last time she watched me before COVID, I finished second. Now I’m first, and she’s here with me. It’s a beautiful moment for me.”
|
Position |
Player |
Country |
Winnings |
|
1 |
Calvin Lee |
USA |
$600,210 |
|
2 |
Daniel Neilson |
Australia |
$417,660 |
|
3 |
Dylan Linde |
USA |
$276,590 |
|
4 |
Vincent Huang |
New Zealand |
$207,445 |
|
5 |
Chin Wei Lim |
Malaysia |
$145,670 |
|
6 |
Stephen O'Dwyer |
Ireland |
$108,795 |
|
7 |
Alexander Wice |
Thailand |
$87,585 |
For a complete live report from the APT Championship Taipei 2025 festival, visit our partner SoMuchPoker for more detailed coverage, including a rich photo gallery and player interviews.
Sources: SoMuchPoker, Asian Poker Tour, YouTube
