Main Event Opening Flight Draws 285 Entries; China's Chao Xi Tops the Counts

Superstar Challenge Sets New South Korea APT Prize Pool Record; China's Tianyuan Tang Leads Final Table, UK's Asa Smith Shoots to Kill in Single Day High Roller - Mystery Bounty

Ben Wilson / 29 Apr 2024

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Main Event Opening Flight Draws 285 Entries; China's Chao Xi Tops the Counts

APT JEJU 2024 SCHEDULE | OFFICIAL RESULTS | IMAGES | WINNERS | PLAYER LISTS

JEJU, SOUTH KOREA, April 29, 2024 – The APT Jeju 2024 KRW 2.5M Main Event has arrived, with the first of the four opening flights playing out at the tournament tables of the world-class Landing Hotel & Casino, located in the luxurious Jeju Shinhwa Resort.

With the tournament boasting a KRW 2 billion (~USD 1.5M) prize pool guarantee players flocked from far and wide, all looking to take their shot at taming the award-winning 24K Gold Lion Main Event Trophy.

The action played out over ten 60-minute levels, with Flight A attracting a field of 285 entries (229 unique).

By the time the tournament clock ticked into the red just 95 players survived to bag up their chips.

It was Chao Xi the man to top the counts, concluding play with a stack of 389,200. The USA's Tian Ke (333,500), and China's Tian Ke (326,100) rounded out the top three, with the trio the only players to bag over 300K in chips, with the top ten stacks as follows:

FLIGHT A TOP TEN STACKS

PositionNameCountryChips
1Chao XiChina389,200
2Nan ChenUnited States333,500
3Tian KeChina326,100
4Sergei KimRussia296,200
5Jian HanChina272,800
6Xixiang LuoChina272,500
7Tae Hoon HanNew Zealand261,100
8Wei Cheng YinTaiwan238,500
9Hon Cheong LeeHong Kong228,400
10Hiroshi YamamuraJapan217,300

Other notables to fight their way though included Natural8 Ambassadors Hua-Wei Lin (190,000), and Punnat Punsri (135,100), the latter of whom will be looking to repeat his APT Taipei 2023 Main Event victory.

Reigning APT Taipei 2024 Zodiac Classic champion Jun Li (153,000) will be hoping to improve on his previous performance on a bigger stage, and three-time bracelet winner Anson Tsang (95,000) is also on the hunt for his maiden APT Main Event title.

For Main Event Flight A Player List please CLICK HERE

For Main Event Flight A Survivors please CLICK HERE.

With three more starting flights left to play out, there are still opportunities for those unsuccessful in their endeavors to win their way through.

Flight B gets underway at 11am on Tuesday, April 30, with players competing over ten 45-minute levels.

The final two starting Flights C & D – both boasting six 30-minute levels and four 40-minute levels each – get underway on Wednesday, May 1 at 11am and 6pm respectively.

You can follow all the APT Main Event Flight A action as it played out via the APT Blog.

All tournament information can be found on the APT Main Event - Flight A tournament page.

Superstar Challenge Sets New South Korea APT Prize Pool Record; China's Tianyuan Tang Leads Final Table

1Chip Leader Tianyuan Terry Tang.jpg China's Tianyuan Tang is gunning for his maiden APT title in the tour's richest-ever South Korean

Boasting the biggest buy-in on the schedule, the KRW 30M Event #27: Superstar Challenge attracts some of the international poker circuit's top players and APT Jeju was no exception.

The tournament drew 36 entries (28 unique), generating the APT's richest-ever South Korean Superstar Challenge prize pool with a sizable KRW 1,012,680,000 (~USD 735,655) in the purse.

Notables in the running, gunning for the KRW 374,700,000 (~USD 272,160) top prize included Natural8 Ambassadors Danny Tang, and Punnat Punsri, defending champion Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier, Austria's Daniel Smiljkovic, APT Taipei 2024 Main Event champion Daisuke Ogita, and APT High Roller champion Thanisorn Saelor to list but a few.

For Superstar Challenge Prize Pool & Payouts please CLICK HERE

Of these, only Tang and Ogita were able to fight their way though to the final day. Just seven players remain in contention for the exclusive Black Lion Superstar Challenge trophy after the sixteen 40-minute levels played out.

It is Tianyuan "Terry" Tang who will be returning as chip leader, with the Chinese player bagging a stack of 2,580,000 in chips (64 big blinds) with which to make a play for his maiden APT title.

New Zealand's Thomas Ward rode the poker rollercoaster into the #2 spot after a volatile day at the felt, concluding play with 1,805,000 in chips – valued at 45 big blinds.

The USA's Joseph Cheong also enjoyed the rub of the green, ending the day third in the pecking order with a stack of 1,540,000 (38 big blinds).

Ogita also made the cut and will be returning fourth in the counts with a stack of 1,505,000.

The three remaining competitors are no pushover either, with Taiwan's Chi Jen "Justin" Chu, and Pete Chen returning fifth and sixth in the counts respectively, with Danny Tang bringing in the short stack.

SUPERSTAR CHALLENGE FINAL TABLE

PositionNameCountryChips
1Tianyuan TangChina2,580,000
2Thomas WardNew Zealand1,805,000
3Joseph CheongUnited States1,540,000
4Daisuke OgitaJapan1,505,000
5Chi Jen ChuTaiwan750,000
6Pete ChenTaiwan495,000
7Daniel TangUnited Kingdom325,000

For Superstar Challenge Player List please CLICK HERE

For Superstar Challenge Day 1 Survivors please CLICK HERE

For Superstar Challenge Day 2 Draw please CLICK HERE

Read about how all the Superstar Challenge Day 1 action played out via the APT Blog.

All tournament information can be found on the Superstar Challenge Day 1 tournament page.

The Superstar Challenge Final Day will get underway at 12pm local time on Tuesday, April 30, with a live stream available via the official APT YouTube Channel and Facebook page.

SIDE EVENT ACTION

UK's Asa Smith Shoots to Kill in Event #29: Single Day High Roller - Mystery Bounty - (KRW 2M Bounty)

Event #29_ Single Day High Roller - Mystery Bounty champion Asa Smith3.jpg Asa Smith claimed his maiden live tournament title in Event #29: SDHR Mystery Bounty

The KRW 4.5M Event #29: Single Day High Roller - Mystery Bounty - (KRW 2M Bounty) drew 21 entries (15 unique), generating a KRW 40,498,500 (~USD 29,410) prize pool.

With the tournament allocating KRW 2 million of each buy-in to the mystery bounty pool, there was a further KRW 42,000,000 (~USD 30,470) in bounties up for grabs, kicking in once the field was reduced to double the number of paying positions.

With four players making the money, the eight allocated bounties came into play with eight players remaining, with the top bounty coming in at KRW 11,000,000 (~USD 7,980).

Notables in the running included Natural8 Ambassador Phachara Wongwichit, Hong Kong's Edward Yam, and former APT Incheon Main Event champion Dicky Tsang.

However, it was the UK's Asa Smith who came loaded for big game, taking no prisoners and shooting to kill.

The Brit bested China's Jieming Xu heads-up to claim the KRW 17,008,500 (12,350) top prize, gunning down 75 percent of the remaining field once the bounties kicked in.

Smith claimed six out of the eight on offer on his journey to the title, banking KRW 34 million in scalps and riding off into the sunset with his newly minted gold lion silhoutte trophy and a total haul of KRW 51,008,500 (~USD 37,040).

Xu was the only other player to collect from the bounty pool, earning two scalps worth KRW 4 million apeice. Combined with the KRW 11,340,000 (~USD 8,235) on offer for second place the Chinese player banked KRW 19,340,000 (~USD 14,040) in total.

Hong Kong's Edward Yam (3rd for KRW 7,290,000) and Taiwan's Chen Yu Hung (4th for KRW 4,860,000) were the only two other players to cash, with the tournament paying out as follows:

SDHR MYSTERY BOUNTY RESULTS

PlaceNameCountryPrize
1Asa SmithUnited KingdomKRW 17,008,500
2Jieming XuChinaKRW 11,340,000
3Edward YamHong KongKRW 7,290,000
4Chen Yu HungTaiwanKRW 4,860,000

Single Day High Roller Mystery Bounty Results can be viewed on the OFFICIAL RESULTS SPREADSHEET.

For Single Day High Roller Mystery Bounty Awards please CLICK HERE

For SDHR - Mystery Bounty Player List please CLICK HERE

All tournament information can be found on the SDHR - Mystery Bounty tournament page

China's Zhongxian Li Showcases Omaha Expertise in Event #28: Omaha Masters - PL Omaha High

Event #28_ Omaha Masters champion Zhongxian Li.jpg China's Zhongxian Li claimed his maiden APT tile in Event #28 Omaha Masters

A brand new addition to the APT schedule, the KRW 1.5M Event #28: Omaha Masters - PL Omaha High attracted 71 entries (46 unique) on its tour debut.

Players duked it out over twenty-three 30-minute levels for a share of the KRW 92,974,500 (~USD 67,520) prize pool, with the top nine places paid.

It was China's Zhongxian Li the man to put on the masterclass in pot limit Omaha play, triumphing over Taiwan's Shao Me Yang to claim the KRW 27,104,500 (~USD 19,725) top prize and his maiden live tournament title.

Yang received KRW 19,520,000 (~USD 14,200) for his runner-up finish, with Taiwan's Hung Hsiang Wu completing the winner's triumvirate, taking KRW 12,690,000 (~USD 9,230) for third.

China's Fei Wang made a third festival final table appearance, which was good for fourth place and a payday of KRW 9,580,000 (~USD 6,970), with the tournament paying out as follows:

OMAHA MASTERS RESULTS

PlaceNameCountryPrize
1Zhongxian LiChinaKRW 27,104,500
2Shao Me YangTaiwanKRW 19,520,000
3Hung Hsiang WuTaiwanKRW 12,690,000
4Fei WangChinaKRW 9,580,000
5Keita KitamuraJapanKRW 7,440,000
6Tao Wei ChangTaiwanKRW 5,760,000
7Kaoru KishimotoJapanKRW 4,560,000
8Andrew LundeCanadaKRW 3,530,000
9Hyo Joon KoCanadaKRW 2,790,000

For Omaha Masters Player List please CLICK HERE

For Omaha Masters Results please CLICK HERE

All tournament information can be found on the Event #28: Omaha Masters - PL Omaha High tournament page

Taiwan's Teng Kuei Hsu Defends Event #30: NL Hold'em - Freezeout Title to Claim Second Series Win

Event #30_ NL Hold'em - Freezeout champion Teng Kuei Hsu.jpg Teng Kuei Hsu claimed his fifth APT title in Event #30 NLHE Freezeout

Outside of the Main Event, one of the more popular draws of the day was the KRW 1M Event #30: NL Hold'em - Freezeout which attracted a 119-strong field.

Players duked it out over twenty-six 25-minute levels for a share of the KRW 103,887,000 (~USD 75,450) prize pool, with 17 successful in their endeavors.

It was Teng Kuei Hsu the man to freeze out the competition, following up his win in Sunday's Event #21 NL Hold'em - Teams Event with a second series title, becoming the third player of the festival to achieve this feat.

What makes Hsu's win all the more impressive is the fact he has scored back-to-back victories at two APT festivals in a row; Hsu did the same thing two months ago during APT Taipei 2024, following up his Mystery Bounty win by taking down this very event the next day.

Hsu bested China's Zifan Wu heads-up to earn a KRW 26,137,000 (~USD 19,020) top prize, an impressive fifth career APT title, and his sixth cash of the series.

Wu walked away with a KRW 17,660,000 (~USD 12,850) runner-up prize, with Japan's Ryosuke Watanabe rounding out the last of the podium positions and taking KRW 11,480,000 (~USD 8,350) for third place, with the final table paying out as follows:

NLHE FREEZEOUT FINAL TABLE RESULTS

PlaceNameCountryPrize
1Teng Kuei HsuTaiwanKRW 26,137,000
2Zifan WuChinaKRW 17,660,000
3Ryosuke WatanabeJapanKRW 11,480,000
4Haoyu WangChinaKRW 9,510,000
5Shinya ArigaiJapanKRW 7,670,000
6Li MaChinaKRW 6,050,000
7Manato GotoJapanKRW 4,620,000
8Jin ZhouChinaKRW 3,480,000
9Yusuke ShindoJapanKRW 2,600,000

For Event #30: NL Hold'em - Freezeout Player List please CLICK HERE

For Event #30: NL Hold'em - Freezeout Results please CLICK HERE

All tournament information can be found on the Event #30: NL Hold'em - Freezeout tournament page.

All the remaining side event action from Day 4 of the festival will be posted to the APT Jeju 2024 News Section on Tuesday, April 30, although all results are available by clicking on the respective tournament in the APT Jeju 2024 Schedule.

You can catch up on the Side Event Action from Day 3 of the Series (Sunday, April 28) HERE

For further information, please contact Press@APT.Poker or visit www.APT.Poker.

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