Min Ho Cho Wins APT Micro Main Event Championship

After two swift days of intense poker action at the Asian Poker Tour Championship (APTC) inside the Red Space, Taipei venue, Min Ho Cho can now call himself an APT Main Event Champion...

At least of the "Micro" variety!

An impressive feat regardless, Cho overcame a 750-entry field (465 unique) to capture his first APT title in the Micro Main Event Championship. For his victory, Cho will receive TWD 1,149,680 (~USD 35,816)—the biggest slice of the TWD 6,000,480 (~USD 1,869,308) prize pool—and a Pewter Lion APT Championship Trophy.

Cho’s path to the title involved a whirlwind of swings, and a bit of luck, as he doubled no fewer than five times before claiming every chip in play. Hailing from South Korea, Cho mostly plays tournaments in Asia and is relatively new to the poker scene with tournament cashes dating back to 2023. Today's win marks Cho's first five-figure score and gives a significant boost to his poker resume, as he is now forever a part of APT history.

Micro Main Event Championship Final Table Results

Winner's Reaction

"I feel great!" the gregarious Cho said shortly after his victory. "I was very short stacked and then I made a comeback to win."

Cho explained he took a relatively straightforward approach in his strategy that ended up working wonders.

"I just waited for good hands and they played really loose!" Cho said with a laugh. "I was never big-stacked, but I doubled up many times."

In a fortunate last-minute decision, Cho decided to enter the event on a whim as "there was nothing else" to play yesterday.

"Usually I play Omaha events," Cho explained. "I hopped into Flight B late last night and was lucky enough to get into Day 2."

Surely a decision Cho will never regret.

Final Day Action

Day 2 got off at a breakneck pace, with over half of the 105 returning players being eliminated by the first break of the day.

With the chip average never getting much above 20 big blinds, most players were happy to gamble it up preflop and let the cards fall where they may. Among those who took their shot at doubling up and fell include Chun Yiu Lee, Chung Fai Chan, Jaegeol Cho, Nawat Chaikuna, and Hang Chi — whose run ended in particularly brutal fashion after getting all in preflop against William Ysmael with pocket jacks and losing after Ysmael spiked a set on the river.

William Ysmael

Faring particularly well amid the chaos was Shixiang Khoo, who scored back-to-back double-ups — first by calling an opponent’s shove with pocket aces and holding, then shortly after picking up pocket queens and shoving over a raise from Cheng Tsai, who called with pocket eights and couldn’t catch up. Those two key collisions vaulted Khoo into the chip lead with only a few tables remaining.

While most of Cho's double ups came from preflop showdowns, Cho showed his poker skill in a hand against Jun Beum Chun with two tables remaining after making a tough call with second pair against Chun, who had put Cho all in on the river. Chun was left short after the hand and was eliminated shortly after.

Jun Beum Chun

It didn't take long to reach the final table bubble, which burst after Rogerio Wong shoved with ace-ten on the button and ran into Khoo's ace-queen. Despite rooting hard for a ten, the board bricked out and Khoo added more to his stack.

Final Table Action

The final table started off with a bang as Yuto Yamaoka was eliminated on one of the first hands after shoving with pocket sixes over Jung Tu Huang's pocket fours. Yamaoka had Huang on the ropes, but Huang drilled a four on the turn to end Yamaoka's run in ninth place.

Following the knockout, several pots ended with either open shoves, or with a raise, three-bet, then fold sequence until the chips started really started flying. Cho, Peng Lim Ly, and Chi Wing Chen all managed to get their chips in and double up before Huang claimed the next elimination by sending Zhong Yan out in eighth place with seven deuce.

Zhong Yan

Man Hei Leung followed Yan out the door in seventh after shoving with ace-five and getting a liberal call from Huang with queen-ten on the button. Huang flopped a queen and was the first player to sit with an eight-figure stack as a result of the elimination.

With hardly a break in the action, Khoo scored a double up through Chen after flopping an ace against Chen’s nines. Following the clash, Chen had just two big blinds and called all in blind after Khoo shoved on the button. Chen turned out to be absolutely crushed with king-six against Khoo’s pocket kings and he had to settle for a sixth-place finish.

Chi Wing Chen

Khoo’s momentum wouldn’t last, however, as he took a couple blows to his stack and then called all in with what turned out to be a dominated king after Masatoshi Minowa shoved into him. The board ran out clean for Minowa and Khoo was sent out in fifth.

It was about this time when Cho started his drastic ascent. Once the short stack, Cho managed to double up a couple of times as the ever-increasing blinds drove the action. Cho then caught a lucky break to eliminate Minowa in fourth place after calling Minowa's shove with queen-ten and ending with a flush to eliminate Minowa in fourth place.

Masatoshi Minowa

Ly, like Cho, was a resilient presence at the final table and enjoyed multiple double ups, but his run eventually came to an end in third place after he shoved over Cho's raise with king-queen and was called by Cho holding ace-deuce. Cho needlessly improved to two pair and was sent the rest of Ly's chips.

After a brief break, the heads-up battle between Huang and Cho was over nearly as soon as it began. Cho entered with a nearly 3:1 chip advantage over Huang and, on just the third hand of their duel, Huang moved all in with five-four and found himself drawing slim after Cho called with pocket eights. The runout came drama-free and just like that, Cho had become the champion.

Jung Tu Huang and Min Ho Cho

That concludes the coverage of the Micro Main Event Championship, but be sure to check the APT blog for coverage of the remaining championship events.

Min Ho Cho

Min Ho Cho has become the latest APT Champion after overcoming a 750-entry field and defeating Jung Tu Huang in a three-hand heads-up duel to win the Micro Main Event for TWD 1,149,680 (~USD 35,816) and the Pewter Lion APT Championship Trophy.

The victory is Cho's largest cash by a wide margin, bringing his live-tournament earnings to nearly six figures.

Stay tuned for a recap of the event.

Jung Tu Huang Sent In The Runners Up Spot

In just the third hand of heads-up play, Jung Tu Huang moved all in from the button for 4,050,000 and Min Ho Cho snap-called from the big blind.

Jung Tu Huang: 5 4

Min Ho Cho: 8 8

Huang was in trouble and needed some kind of miracle cards to stay alive.

None came on the K 9 J flop nor the Q turn and when the river bricked out with the 3 Huang was sent home as our runner up in the APT Micro Main Event Championship.

Min Ho Cho and Jung Tu Huang taking a short break before going heads up for the Pewter Lion APT Championship Trophy and TWD 1,149,680 (~USD 36,850) first-place prize.

Min Ho Cho enters their duel with a nearly 3:1 chip advantage over Jung Tu Huang, holding 22,500,000 to Huang's 7,500,000.

Peng Lim Ly

Min Ho Cho made it 1,200,000 to play from the button only for Peng Lim Ly to three-bet all in for 4,250,000 from the small blind. Jung Tu Huang folded from the big blind, and Cho tanked for a short while before he made the call.

Peng Lim Ly: Q K

Min Ho Cho: A 2

Not the door card Ly was looking for on the A 4 7 flop and he needed help to stay alive. None came on the 2 turn nor the 3 river and Ly was sent to the rail in third place.

Masatoshi Minowa

Masatoshi Minowa shoved for a bit over 3,000,000 on the button and it was folded to Min Ho Cho, who asked for a count and then called having Minowa covered.

Masatoshi Minowa: K 9

Min Ho Cho: Q T

Minowa held a slight lead with his king, but the J Q 5 4 7 runout left Cho best with a flush and he collected the rest of Minowa's chips.

Masatoshi Minowa moved all in from the small blind and was snap-called by Jung Tu Huang in the big blind and it was Huang who was at risk.

Jung Tu Huang: 2 2

Masatoshi Minowa: K T

A clean run out for Huang on the Q 6 A 6 8 board and he was pushed the pot for a full double up.

Peng Lim Ly

After chipping down a bit, Peng Lim Ly opened to 1,000,000 on the button and Jung Tu Huang defended his big blind.

Huang checked to Ly, who shoved for around 3,000,000 on the Q 8 2 flop.

Huang asked for a count and then called to put Ly at risk.

Peng Lim Ly: Q J

Jung Tu Huang: K T

It was an ambitious call from Huang that didn't pan out after the A 8 runout left Ly best with his pair of queens for another double up.

Action folded around to the blinds, where Peng Lim Ly shoved for 3,000,000 from the small blind.

Masatoshi Minowa called in the big blind to put him at risk and a showdown was held.

Peng Lim Ly: K 8

Masatoshi Minowa: J 9

The board ran out 8 4 5 3 A to keep Ly best with a pair of eights for the double up.

Shixiang Khoo Sent To The Rail In Fifth Place

After a couple of blows to his stack, Shixiang Khoo had dropped to around the two million mark and moved all in from the button when the action was folded to him.

Masatoshi Minowa sat in the big blind, squeezed his cards, "Lets go" he exclaimed and tossed in the call.

Shixiang Khoo: K 3

Masatoshi Minowa: K T

Khoo was dominated and needed some kind of miracle to stay alive.

None was forthcoming on the 4 A 8 flop and when the 4 peeled off on the turn it was curtains. The 9 dropped on the river to seal the deal and Khoo was sent home in fifth spot.