Phachara Wongwichit

The TWD 800,000 (~USD 25,000) Superstar Challenge at APT Taipei 2026 concluded today inside the Red Space Arena. After entering the final day as the chip leader, Thailand’s Phachara Wongwichit put on a dominant performance to secure the trophy and the TWD 7,247,750 (~USD 232,300) top prize.

The event attracted 26 entries (21 unique), creating a total prize pool of TWD 19,696,950 (~USD 631,310). The victory represents a new career-high score for Wongwichit, who navigated a shark-infested final five before eventually defeating Malaysia’s Wai Kiat Lee in a swift heads-up match.

In addition to their cash prizes, both Wongwichit and Lee earned seats for the APT Championship (APTC) 2026 Main Event this November, ensuring their return to Taipei for the tour's season finale. Wongwichit adds another lucrative APT trophy to his collection having won a Mega Lion from the APT Taipei 2023 series.

Superstar Challenge Final Table Results

*Includes APTC 2026 Main Event ticket worth TWD 312,000 (~USD 10,000)

The Final Five

When cards got in the air, Lee hit a rough patch early when his cowboys were cracked by Chin Wei Lim's flopped trips, dropping Lee to the bottom of the counts. Daniel Neilson then managed to find some value against Wongwichit with the nut boat to close the gap on the leaders, just before Chih Wei Fan suffered a brutal beat.

Chih Wei Fan

Fan and Lim, sitting with nearly identical stacks in the blinds, ended up all-in preflop in a massive pot. Fan’s kings were well ahead of Lim’s nines, and a clean flop and turn meant Lim needed a two-outer to stay alive. Incredibly, the nine spiked, giving Lim the winner and leaving Fan with just a handful of big blinds.

Wongwichit finished Fan off the very next hand by rivering the nut straight with king-queen, sending the former champion home in fifth. Neilson followed him to the payout desk shortly after, when his ace-deuce couldn’t hold against Lee’s king-ten suited.

Daniel Neilson

It didn't take long for Wongwichit to take back control. He made a great call against Lim on two streets with second pair before Lim gave up on a river bluff. Soon after, the Thai pro hit a straight on the river to get some extra value out of Lee’s trip sevens.

Lee’s stack took another hit, falling to around ten big blinds after Lim rivered a full house against his flush. However, Lee managed to stay in it right after the break, winning a crucial flip with pocket fours against Lim’s ace-seven. Despite that, Wongwichit was still sitting on nearly half the chips in play.

Chin Wei Lim

After a string of lost pots, Lim was short-stacked and found a perfect spot with ace-king suited in the small blind after Wongwichit opened. Lim shoved and Lee cold-called from the big blind with pocket tens, but both were trailing Wongwichit's pocket rockets. Wongwichit four-bet, prompting a fold from Lee, and with Lim drawing dead by the turn, the tournament was now heads-up.

Heads-Up Match

At the start of heads-up, Wongwichit held over a 2-to-1 lead and looked unstoppable as he quickly widened the gap. In an early hand, Wongwichit bet the river with second pair and snap-called Lee’s bluff raise to move into a commanding 8-to-1 lead.

Phachara Wongwichit & Wai Kiat Lee

Lee managed to find a double-up a few hands later when his queen-eight held up against Wongwichit’s suited connector. He gained some momentum after getting Wongwichit to pay him off with king-high over two streets, leading some to wonder if the wheels were starting to fall off for the chip leader.

However, Wongwichit composed himself and immediately got back to his winning ways. After a flurry of small pots went his way, Lee was back down to under a million chips with the blinds beginning to catch up to him.

Wai Kiat Lee

In the final hand of the tournament, Wongwichit jammed from the button, something he had done regularly with marginal hands, but this time he held the goods with ace-queen. Lee happily called with queen-jack and could only laugh after seeing he was dominated.

The flop brought two aces, leaving Wongwichit all but certain to lift the trophy. There was no miracle runner-runner for Lee, as the tournament was over by the turn. The two players shared a hug before Wongwichit was officially awarded the trophy, the top prize, and an APTC 2026 Main Event ticket for his dominant performance in the Superstar Challenge.

Phachara Wongwichit

While the Superstar Challenge has its champion, the action in Taipei is far from over. The APT Taipei 2026 Main Event is now fully underway, and the APT blog team is on the tournament floor bringing you all the action.

Phachara Wongwichit

Thailand's Phachara Wongwichit has won the Superstar Challenge for TWD 7,247,750 (~$232,300) and an APT Championship 2026 Main Event Ticket.

Stay tuned for a full write up of the day's action.

Wai Kiat Lee

Hand #75: Phachara Wongwichit shoved the button, covering Wai Kiat Lee, and Lee called for his stack of 690,000 from the big blind.

Wai Kiat Lee: Q J

Phachara Wongwichit: A Q

Lee was dominated by Wongwichit's ace-queen and needed a lot of help from the dealer to keep it heads-up.

Wongwichit extended his lead on the A A 4 flop by improving to trips.

Lee needed running cards to survive, but he didn't find any help on the 8 turn. Lee was drawing dead as the 7 to complete the board was a mere formality.

The two players embraced as Lee had to settle for a runner-up finish worth TWD 4,815,900 (~$154,355), while Wongwichit was crowned the champion of the Super Star Challenge.

Phachara Wongwichit

Hand #70: Wai Kiat Lee called on the button with K J and Phachara Wongwichit checked Q 2 in the big blind.

On the 2 5 9 flop, Wongwichit decided to check-call a bet of 80,000 by Lee.

The 6 arrived on the turn and both checked to see a 8 complete the board. Wongwichit bet 250,000 and Lee folded.

Hand #71: Wongwichit called on the button with Q J and Lee checked back J 4 in the big blind.

Lee check-folded versus a bet of 80,000 from Wongwichit on the 9 T 2 flop.

Hand #72: Lee jammed the button and won the hand.

Hand #73: Wongwichit shoved the button and Lee folded.

Hand #74: Wia Kiat Lee completed with T 3 and Phachara Wongwichit checked 4 3h: in the big blind.

Check, check came after the K 9 6 flop and a 4 hit the turn. Two more checks allowed the K to land on the river. Wongwichit bet 80,000, and picked up the pot.

Hand #67: Phachara Wongwichit jammed the button and won the hand.

Hand #68: Wai Kiat Lee called on the button and Wongwichit checked from the big blind.

Wongwichit checked first on the A T J flop, and Lee bet 80,000. Wongwichit called to see the J on the turn.

Wongwichit checked again and then called the bet of 120,000 by Lee.

A 9 on the river checked through and Wongwichit turned over K 3 for king-high. Lee showed T 4 for a pair of tens, and he won the pot.

Hand #69: Wongwichit called on the button with J 7 and Lee checked 3 2 in the big blind.

A flop of 2 5 4 was fanned out, and Lee checked. Wongwichit bet 80,000, which Lee called.

Check, check came after the K turn and the J fell on the river. Lee checked for the last time and Wongwichit bet 325,000. Lee quickly folded.

Wai Kiat Lee

Hand #65: Phachara Wongwichit jammed the button and won the hand.

Hand #66: Wai Kiat Lee shoved the button for 565,000, and Wongwichit stuck in the call from the big blind.

Wai Kiat Lee: Q 8

Phachara Wongwichit: 6 5

Wongwichit had the chance to win the tournament if he was able to come from behind to beat the queen-eight of Lee.

Wongwichit took the lead on the 3 J 5 flop by improving to a pair.

The 7 came on the turn and Lee was one card away from busting.

A Q dropped on the river to give Lee the best hand with a pair of queens, and the Superstar challenge remained heads-up.

Phachara Wongwichit

Hand #62: Wai Kiat Lee called on the button with 9 5 and Phachara Wongwichit checked back Q 3 in the big blind.

Wongwichit checked on the A 9 3 flop and then called Lee's bet of 60,000.

A 7 landed on the turn and Wongwichit check-folded against the 180,000 double barrel of Lee.

Hand #63: Wongwichit raised the button to 125,000 with Q 8 and Lee defended Q 7 in the big blind.

Lee knuckled the action over to Wongwichit after seeing the 4 3 3 flop and Wongwichit fired for 120,000. Lee called.

A 2 rolled off on the turn and Lee checked for a second time. Wongwichit bet 320,000, resulting in a quick fold from Lee.

Hand #64: Lee called on the button and Wongwichit checked in the big blind.

Check, check came after the Q 6 4 flop and hte K landed on the turn. Wongwichit led out for 80,000, which Lee called.

A 2 dropped on the river and Wongwichit bet 135,000. After a few moments, Lee raised to 645,000. Wongwichit called, and Lee showed a bluff with 4 3 . Wongwichit turned over Q 9 for second pair, and he was extended his lead.

Phachara Wongwichit & Wai Kiat Lee

There will be a short break before the start of heads-up.

Chin Wei Lim

Hand #61: Phachara Wongwichit raised the button to 120,000 and Chin Wei Lim jammed from the small blind for 550,000. Wai Kiat Lee cold-called from the big blind before Wongwichit four-bet to 1,000,000. Lee quickly folded T T .

Chin Wei Lim: A K

Phachara Wongwichit: A A

A brutal cooler looked likely to end Lim's Superstar challenge, unless he found a very fortunate runout.

Lim found no help on the 9 T 5 8 4 board, and he was sent to the rail in third place with TWD 3,147,050 (~$100,865) to line his pockets.