• Hong Kong’s Edmond Chim Tames Rose Gold Lion in Tours' Largest Korean APT High Roller

APT INCHEON 2025 SCHEDULE | OFFICIAL RESULTS | PLAYER LISTS | IMAGES | WINNERS

INCHEON, SOUTH KOREA, August 10, 2025 – The numbers are in for the APT Incheon 2025, with the Asian Poker Tour ripping up the record books once again, setting a new tour country record for the third festival in a row.

All of the APT’s 2025 festivals have been record breakers, and the APT Incheon 2025 is officially the tours' largest and richest Korean poker festival of all time, eclipsing the prize pools and player numbers of the APT Jeju 2024, making it the most successful series the APT has ever run in the country.

Run in partnership with Paradise Group and playing out at the tournament tables of the palatial Paradise City resort, the ten-day festival saw 2,323 unique players from 42 combined countries and regions generate 12,380 total entries over 87 trophy events and 3 satellites, with players competing for a massive KRW 15,296,871,770 (~USD 11,060,645) in prize money.

In addition to making tour history, the festival saw two tournaments draw four-figure fields, with the APT Incheon 2025 Main Event the largest of these, generating a seven-figure USD prize pool, with a further 15 tournaments generating six figure USD prize pools.

APT Incheon 2025 by the Numbers

The APT Incheon 2025 festival saw a sizable 77 percent (77.6%) increase in total festival entries, and a massive 78 percent (78.5%) increase in prize money over the APT Incheon 2023 festival, with twenty more trophy events on the schedule.

An impressive 14 tour country records were broken during the series with the largest of these being the KRW 2.5M (~USD 1,800) Main Event which beat the previous country record of 1,089 entries set during APT Jeju 2024, with a 16 percent larger prize pool.

This was a 37 percent increase in entries and a 48 percent increase in the prize money over the APT Incheon 2023 iteration of the tournament, and the KRW 2,766,940,000 (~USD 2,000,680) prize pool accounted for eighteen percent (18%) of the total series prize money.

APT Incheon Festival Prize Pool Growth View a graphic of APT Incheon Festival Prize Pool Growth HERE

For a breakdown of prize money, player numbers, and records set during the festival you can view the APT Incheon 2025 Festival Breakdown by Prize Pool, Player Numbers & Records HERE.

The KRW 900,000 (~USD 650) Mini Main Event was the other tournament to draw a four-figure field, with the 1,029 entries setting a new country record for the event, beating the previous high of 377 set during APT Incheon 2023.

This was a gigantic 173 percent (172.9%) increase in entries with a whopping 237 percent (237.6%) more prize money played for — also a new tour country record for the event — with the KRW 777,924,000 (~USD 562,490) prize pool the sixth richest of the festival.

The KRW 900,000 (~USD 650) Mystery Bounty Hunter – Sponsored by Natural8 drew the third largest field of the festival, the 889 entries setting a new tour country record, with the KRW 672,084,000 (~USD 482,472) prize pool — the eighth largest of the festival — also setting a new country record for the event.

The KRW 700,000 (~USD 500) Korea National Cup drew the fourth largest field of the festival, the 707 entries setting a new tour country record, and while the KRW 408,304,378 (~USD 293,112) prize pool set a new Korea record for this tournament, it was only the 11th largest of the festival.

It was the KRW 700,000 (~USD 500) Double Stack rounding out the top five tournaments in terms of entries, with the 693-strong field also setting a new country record for the tournament as did the KRW 400,219,142 (~USD 289,385) prize pool – the 12th richest of the festival.

Outside of the Main Event, it was the tour’s other two signature tournaments — the KRW 15M (~USD 10,850) APT Super High Roller (8%) and the KRW 5M (~USD 3,615) APT High Roller (7%) — that were the richest of the festival. Both set new country records for entries, although only the Super High Roller set a new country record for prize pool size.

APT Incheon 2025 Event Prize Pool Contribution View a graphic of Festival Prize Pool Percentage by Event HERE

The two tournaments awarded the third and fourth largest top prizes of the series respectively, with Australia’s Michael Foo taming the Pewter Lion Super High Roller trophy and banking a KRW 319 million (~USD 229K) top prize, and Hong Kong’s Edmond Chim taming the Bronze Lion High Roller trophy and claiming a KRW 221 million (~USD 159K) top prize.

The KRW 3M (~USD 2,170) Zodiac Classic – Sponsored by Natural8 was the sixth largest event in terms of entries, the 400-strong field setting a new country record for the event.

However, it was the fourth richest in terms of prize pool with the KRW 1,036,800,000 (~USD 749,675) purse a new country record for the tournament, and the career-best KRW 198,470,000 (~USD 143,510) top prize claimed by Japan’s Shigeji Kusakabe was the fifth richest of the series.

The KRW 35M (~25,300) Superstar Challenge generated the fifth richest prize pool, with the USA’s Calvin Lee claiming a career-best KRW 328 million (~USD 235K) top prize – the second largest of the festival.

APT Incheon 2025 Event Breakdown by Prize Pool, GTD & First Place Prize View a graphic of Event Breakdown by Prize Pool, GTD & First Prize HERE

Hong Kong’s Edmond Chim Tames Rose Gold Lion in Tours' Largest Korean APT High Roller

Just 59 players out of an initial field of 245 entries returned for the Final Day of the tour’s largest-ever Korean iteration of the KRW 5M (~USD 3,615) APT High Roller all looking to tame the award-winning Bronze Lion and claim their slice of the KRW 1,058,400,000 (USD 765,293) prize pool – the third richest of the series.

With only the top 31 places paid, and the fourth richest top prize of the festival on the line for the eventual champion, in addition to a KRW 13,830,000 (USD 10,000) APT Championship (APTC) Main Event ticket for the tour’s largest-ever guaranteed tournament series, there was all to play for.

While it was Nataz Butsrita returning with the overnight chip lead, the Thai player endured a torrid time at the tables and exited on the money bubble at the hands of Japan’s Jun Obara on the fourth 40-minute level played.

Butsrita’s departure guaranteed the remaining field a KRW 9,190,000 (~USD 6,645) pay out, but it was the KRW 220,910,000 (~USD 159,730) top prize, trophy, title, and APT Championship Main Event seat that was the ultimate goal for the 31 players still in contention.

It took a further four levels to set up the nine-handed final table, with the UK’s Jun Li bringing in the chip lead. While the Brit battled valiantly for the title and came within touching distance of claiming it, Li had to settle for second best.

It was Hong Kong’s Edmond Chim the man to slay the beast, besting Li after an eleven-hand heads-up battle he came into with a four-to-one chip lead he did not relinquish.

Chim quadrupled his live tournament winnings with this epic victory, making over 30 times more than his previous career-best score for his maiden APT title win, and becomes the first Hong Kong player to lay claim to one of the APT’s signature lion trophies.

“This is a tournament that every Hong Kong poker player pays attention to,” Chim stated in his post-match interview, “In Asia, this is probably the tournament I most wanted to play in. And that big lion trophy is something I really wanted.”

“Every time I play, I feel like I have a shot, but this time was different — before I even started, a lot of friends told me they had a feeling I was going to win. Even before today’s event began, they were saying that I must thank them. They had so much confidence in me,” an elated Chim stated.

“Originally, I wasn’t even planning to play the last High Roller. I thought I’d just leave after the Main Event, but a friend told me to play it, so I joined in.”

“I wasn’t planning to go to APTC either, but now I guess I will. Hopefully I’ll run good when the time comes. I think everyone will be more focused and won’t play recklessly because it’s a freezeout, so people will take it seriously. The atmosphere will be even more intense!”

Jun Li and Edmond Chim prepare to battle heads-up

While Li will have been disappointed to have been unable to convert his initial final table chip lead into the win, the KRW 148,750,000 (~USD 107,555) runner-up finish granted the UK player the second largest result of his playing career, just behind his APT Taipei 2024 Zodiac Classic win.

Third place finisher Cheng Cheng of China will also be happy with the results, the KRW 104,870,000 (~USD 75,830) on offer for his podium finish representing a career-best result.

Former APT Incheon 2019 Main Event champion Dicky Tsang continues to enjoy success at this particular tour stop and can now add yet another major tour final table showing to his poker resume having locked up an eighth-place finish, which was good for KRW 27,260,000 (~USD 19,710).

APT HIGH ROLLER FINAL TABLE RESULTS

Other notables to cash but come up short of a place in the final nine included China’s Renji Mao (18th), Hong Kong’s Alan Lau (21st), former APT Incheon High Roller champion Thanisorn Saelor (22nd), Japan’s Jun Obara (23rd), former APT Taipei 2023 Main Event champion Punnat Punsri (30th) and Superstar Challenge champion Calvin Lee (31st).

For APT High Roller Final Day Player List please CLICK HERE.

For APT High Roller Results please CLICK HERE.

You can read about all high rolling action via the APT Blog or follow all the action as it played out via the APT High Roller Final Day live stream.

All tournament information can be found on the APT High Roller - Final Day tournament page.