The APT Championship 2025 in Taipei has emphatically broken the tour’s record for the largest non-Main Event prize pool, cementing the series’ status as a premier stop on the international circuit. After a frenetic Day 2, the TWD 466,000 High Roller Championship now boasts a gargantuan TWD 75,782,176 (~USD 2.4 million) prize pool.
Only 12 elite players remain in contention for the coveted Rose Gold Lion trophy and a massive TWD 17,618,976 (~USD 564,710) first-place payout. Leading the charge into the final day is Japan’s Jun Obara, who bagged a dominating chip lead late on Friday night.
The Field and The Record
The final registration numbers confirm the event’s historic success. Starting with 108 initial entries, the Day 2 window saw an additional 65 re-entries and new sign-ups, bringing the final tally to 173 total entries (119 unique).
This high-profile tournament attracted a star-studded cast, including ten-time bracelet winner Erik Seidel and high roller regular Steve O’Dwyer. However, the record-breaking field proved unforgiving, with many big names, including the two Americans, hitting the rail before the money was distributed to the top 23 finishers.
The intense bubble period climaxed in Level 19 when Austria’s Gerald Karlic eliminated Denmark’s Johan Schultz-Pedersen, locking up a minimum payday of TWD 879,100 for the remaining contenders.
Jun Obara Takes Commanding Lead
By the time play concluded after ten grueling 60-minute levels, only 12 players held chips. Japan’s Jun Obara secured the pole position, accumulating 2,950,000 chips, which translates to 74 big blinds when play resumes.
Ireland’s Toby Joyce follows in second place with 2,645,000, while bubble-burster Gerald Karlic rounds out the top three stacks with 2,345,000. Other world-class players still vying for the title include Super High Roller Championship runner-up Alex Wice and former Main Event champion Punnat Punsri.
Action for the final day begins at 11:15 AM on Saturday, November 29.
High Roller Championship Final Day Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jun Obara | Japan | 2,950,000 | 74 |
| 2 | Toby Joyce | Ireland | 2,645,000 | 66 |
| 3 | Gerald Karlic | Austria | 2,345,000 | 59 |
| 4 | Chase Cokaliong | Philippines | 2,015,000 | 50 |
| 5 | Samuel Mullur | Austria | 1,910,000 | 48 |
| 6 | Alexander Wice | Thailand | 1,045,000 | 26 |
| 7 | Nguyen Thanh Tung | Vietnam | 895,000 | 22 |
| 8 | Punnat Punsri | Thailand | 855,000 | 21 |
| 9 | Nguyen Huu Dung | Vietnam | 775,000 | 19 |
| 10 | Steven Chew | Australia | 660,000 | 17 |
| 11 | Nguyen Khoi Nguyen Le | Vietnam | 630,000 | 16 |
| 12 | Matthias Lipp | Austria | 580,000 | 15 |
Zhou and Thoo Claim Teams Championship Trophy
In earlier action, Singapore’s Eugene Zhou and Malaysia’s Ken Thoo proved to be the strongest pairing in the TWD 30,000 Teams Championship, capturing the inaugural title and dual Pewter Lion trophies.
The popular event drew 62 teams (124 total entries), generating a total prize pool of TWD 3,214,080 (~USD 103,015). The winning duo overcame Hong Kong’s Dicky Tsang and Sparrow Cheung in a hard-fought heads-up match. Zhou and Thoo each banked TWD 374,782 (~USD 12,010).
In a brilliant display of teamwork, Taiwan’s Chao Chiuan Lin and Yung Chun Wang secured the Last Team Standing bonus of TWD 321,408 each. They also both made the final table, collecting additional payouts for their 7th and 9th place finishes, making them the biggest cash winners from the event.
Teams Championship Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Last Team Standing | Chao Chiuan Lin | Taiwan | 321,408 | 10,300 |
| Last Team Standing | Yung Chun Wang | Taiwan | 321,408 | 10,300 |
| 1st | Yujian Eugene Zhou | Singapore | 374,782 | 12,010 |
| 58 | Ming Ken Thoo | Malaysia | 374,782 | 12,010 |
| 2nd | Dicky Siu Hang Tsang | Hong Kong | 270,000 | 8,655 |
| 54 | Sparrow Cheung | Hong Kong | 270,000 | 8,655 |
| 3rd | Kitty Kuo | Taiwan | 175,500 | 5,625 |
| 28 | Frankie Cucchiara | United States | 175,500 | 5,625 |
| 4th | Ian Kit Ung | Macau | 132,400 | 4,245 |
| 31 | Man Lok Chan | Macau | 132,400 | 4,245 |
| 5th | Taro Iizuka | Japan | 102,850 | 3,295 |
| 12 | Mitsuuchi So | Japan | 102,850 | 3,295 |
| 6th | Kai Cheng Hsu | Taiwan | 79,700 | 2,555 |
| 63 | Sin Lan Chen | Taiwan | 79,700 | 2,555 |
| 7th | Chao Chiuan Lin | Taiwan | 63,000 | 2,020 |
| 9 | Yung Chun Wang | Taiwan | 63,000 | 2,020 |
| 8th | Sukhrat Massimov | Kazakhstan | 48,850 | 1,565 |
| 99 | Chudapal Siarhei | Belarus | 48,850 | 1,565 |
| 9th | Yung Chun Wang | Taiwan | 38,550 | 1,235 |
| 7 | Chao Chiuan Lin | Taiwan | 38,550 | 1,235 |
