Nishant Sharma Conquers APT Taipei Championship for Record $1.2 Million Payday

Indian pro tops massive field of 671 entries to claim the Golden Lion Trophy and defeat a final table stacked with world-class talent.

History was made at the Red Space arena in Taipei this week. India’s Nishant Sharma outlasted a record-breaking field in the 2025 Asian Poker Tour (APT) Championship Main Event to secure the largest score of his career. Sharma took home a staggering $1,184,985 top prize along with the prestigious 24K Gold Lion Trophy.

The $10,000 buy-in tournament was a massive success. It attracted 671 total entries and completely crushed the initial $5 million guarantee. By the time registration closed, the prize pool had swelled to over $6.2 million, making it one of the most significant prize pools in Asian poker history.

A Final Table of Killers

Sharma entered the final day with the chip lead, but his path to the title was blocked by some of the most dangerous players in the game. The final nine included four-time bracelet winner Dominik Nitsche, EPT champion Martin Finger, and WPT champion Matas Cimbolas.

The action started fast. Martin Finger was the first major name to hit the rail. The German standout found Ace-King but ran into the pocket Aces of Matas Cimbolas. The board brought no help, and Finger was out in ninth place for $97,507.

Despite that early win, Cimbolas could not hold onto his chips. His tournament ended in eighth place when his pocket Queens were cracked by local player Hao Shan Huang. Huang held Ace-Queen and found an Ace on the board to eliminate the Lithuanian pro.

The River Card That Changed Everything

Every tournament champion needs one defining moment of luck, and Sharma found his during six-handed play.

Sharma was at risk in a massive pot holding Pocket Deuces (2♥2♣) against the Ace-King (A♥K♠) of Hao Shan Huang. The flop and turn were safe for Huang, who paired his King to take a dominating lead. Sharma was down to his last card and looked ready to exit.

The river brought a miraculous Deuce.

That two-outer gave Sharma a set and sent a shocked Huang to the payout desk in sixth place ($247,181). The hand catapulted Sharma into a massive chip lead that he used to dominate the rest of the table.

European heavyweights continued to fall. Dominik Nitsche saw his deep run end in fourth place ($400,582) when his pocket Fives could not beat the Kings of Alexandru Papazian. Papazian, a Romanian pro with nearly $5 million in lifetime earnings, eventually fell in third place ($522,931). This set the stage for the heads-up battle between Sharma and John Costiniano.

The Final Hand Cooler

Sharma entered heads-up play with a commanding 5-to-1 chip lead over Costiniano. The tournament ended on a dramatic hand where both players hit monster holdings.

With the blinds high, Sharma limped from the button with Kings (K♠K♥). Costiniano checked from the big blind with J♠3♣.

The flop came 6♥3♠3♥, giving Costiniano huge trips. He checked, Sharma bet, and Costiniano called. The turn was the Q♥. Costiniano led out for 500,000, and Sharma raised to 1.2 million. Costiniano moved all-in for 4.1 million, and Sharma made the call.

It was a brutal setup. Costiniano was ahead with three-of-a-kind, but Sharma held the overpair and the nut flush draw.

The river was the A♥.

The Ace completed Sharma’s flush to crack Costiniano’s trips. The hand secured the title for Sharma instantly. Costiniano earned a life-changing $731,606 for his runner-up finish.

Validating a Legacy

This victory is the crowning achievement of Sharma’s career. He first made headlines in 2018 with a 34th-place finish in the WSOP Main Event, which was the deepest run by an Indian player at the time. With this APT Championship win, his career live earnings have jumped to nearly $2 million. The win also moves him into the top 200 of the Global Player of the Year standings.

2025 APT Championship Final Table Results