From Record-Breaking 2025 to Milestone 2026: APT Wraps Best Year Ever & Gears Up for 20-Year Celebration

The Asian Poker Tour is gearing up to celebrate the start of its 20th year after a record-breaking 2025 that saw the tour mark multiple milestones and enjoy its most successful year to date.

Every one of the APT’s 2025 festival stops during the 2025 poker season were record-breakers; the Main Events at three of them set international poker records as largest-ever for the host nation, with one of them — the APT Taipei Main Event — setting the live all-time APT entry record.

The APT closed out the year in Taipei, cementing its position as the world’s fastest-growing poker tour at the inaugural APT Championship 2025 (APTC), with the 17-day series drawing an unprecedented 28,265 entries and awarding USD 34 million in prize money to officially establish itself as the largest Asian poker festival of all time.

If the APT Championship was the icing on the cake of the tours’ best year ever, then the cherry on top was the APTC Main Event Freezeout, which outdid all expectations, generating the richest tournament purse in Taiwanese poker history to set the APT all-time prize pool record.

The tours’ success was not just confined to the live arena; the Asian Poker Tour Online (APTO) festival — hosted by sponsor Natural8 — scaled new heights.

The APTO 2025 saw a 48 percent (48.4%) increase in entries from November 2024’s APTO with over 51 percent (51.8%) more prize money awarded, culminating in the APTO Main Event drawing the largest field in APT history.

APT 2025 – Best Year Ever

In addition to attracting record fields, the APT awarded the most money in tour history, paying out more than USD 83.4 million in prize money during the 2025 live poker season.

Players competed for almost double the amount of prize money awarded during the previous season, with 2025 awarding a gigantic ninety-two percent (92.4%) more than the previous tour high of USD 43.3 million paid out in 2024, and close to two and a half times more (132%) than the first New Era season of 2023.

APT 2023-25 Total Prize Pools

With over eighteen percent (18.3%) more tournaments, the 2025 season was the largest the tour has ever operated, beating the previous record-setting 2024 season with a sixteen percent (16.6%) increase in player participation over the 607 tournaments played.

The sizable 83,554 total tournament entries for the year marked a massive fifty-six percent (56.8%) increase from the previous year, and a whopping eighty-two percent (81.8%) increase over the 2023 season.

APT 2025 Unique Players & Entries

APT 2025 SEASON SUMMARY

APT 2025 Prize Pool & Entries Breakdown

All four regular APT stops during the 2025 poker season, Manila, Taipei, Incheon, and Jeju, saw the APT set new festival region records, with the tour setting international poker records for Main Event entries in Taiwan, and South Korea.

Philippines

The APT Manila Classic 2025 (February 7-16) started the season with the largest and richest APT series ever to play out in the Philippines, with the USD 6 million awarded accounting for seven percent (7.2%) of the total prize money paid out during 2025.

The 8,406 festival entries accounted for 10 percent (10%) of the total 2025 season entries, with the 1,202-entry Main Event setting a new tour record for the country.

Taiwan

The tour tripled down in Taiwan, with the APT Taipei 2025 (April 25 to May 4) close to three times larger and over three times richer than Manila, with the 2,547 entry Main Event setting the live all-time APT entry record. The tournament set a fourth consecutive Taiwanese poker record for largest and richest ever to run in the region.

Outside of the Asian Poker Tour Championship, the APT Taipei 2025 is the most successful APT festival in tour history accounting for twenty-three percent (22.8%) of the total 2025 prize money awarded and twenty-seven percent (27.4%) of the total 2025 season entries.

South Korea

While the two subsequent Korean tour stops did not top Taipei, both APT Incheon and APT Jeju saw the tour set new all-time festival highs for Korea.

The 1,281-entry Main Event in Incheon set a new Korean tour record before Jeju eclipsed it with the 1,693-entry Main Event setting an international poker record as largest ever for the country.

The APT Incheon 2025 (August 1-10) is the largest festival the tour has ever operated in the country, the 12,153 tournament entries accounting for close to fifteen percent (14.5%) of the total 2025 season entries, with the USD 11 million festival prize pool representing thirteen percent (13.2%) of the total 2025 season prize money awarded.

The APT Jeju 2025 (September 26 to October 5) is the richest festival the tour has ever operated in Korea, the USD 13.1 million in festival prize money accounting for sixteen percent (15.75%) of the total 2025 prize money awarded, with the 11,821 tournament entries accounting for fourteen percent (14.1%) of the total 2025 season entries.

The 2025 APT season was already the richest in tour history following the four regular stops, which awarded a combined USD 49.2 million in prize money – over thirteen percent (13.6%) more than 2024, over 101 less tournaments (19.7%) than the 513 played in 2024.

APT 2023-25 Prize Pools with the APTC separately

Asian Poker Tour Championship

However, it was the fifth tour stop ­­ — the inaugural APT Championship 2025 (APTC) — that saw the APT announce its presence on the global stage with the largest poker series ever to run in Asia.

Headlined by the USD 10K buy-in APT Championship Freezeout Main Event, which set an APT all-time prize pool record, the 195 APTC 2025 tournaments attracted 28,265 entries, accounting for a third (33.8%) of all 2025 tournament entries.

The USD 34.1 million awarded accounted for forty percent (40.9%) of all 2025 prize money, almost equalling the prize money awarded during the entirety of the first season of the New Era in 2023.

Top Ten 2025 APT Events by Prize Pool

APT 2025 Top 10 Events by Prize Pool

Of the 607 tournaments played over the 2025 season, eighteen generated seven-figure USD prize pools – three times more than the six seven-figure APT tournaments that played out over the 2024 poker season.

Five of the top ten prize pools generated over the APT 2025 poker season — the APTC Main Event (USD 6.2M), the APT Taipei 2025 Main Event (USD 3.7M), the APT Jeju 2025 Main Event (USD 2.7M), the APTC High Roller Championship (USD 2.4M), and the APT Incheon 2025 Main Event (USD 2M) — were five of the top ten richest APT tournaments of all time.

Six of the top ten richest 2025 tournaments played out at the APTC, with the APTC Main Event and its record-breaking TWD 37 million (USD 6.2 million) prize pool occupying the number one spot as the richest APT tournament of all-time.

The tournament paid out more prize money than the entire APT Manila Classic 2025 festival and accounted for seven percent (7.5%) of the total 2025 prize money awarded.

The second richest tournament of 2025 is also the largest APT tournament of all time, with the APT Taipei 2025 Main Event drawing a record 2,547 entries. The TWD 121 million (USD 3.7 million) prize pool — the second richest in tour history — accounted for over four percent (4.4%) of the total prize money awarded in 2025.

The two record-setting Korean-based Main Events APT Jeju, and APT Incheon, accounted for three percent (3.2%) and two percent (2.3%) respectively of the total 2025 prize money awarded.

Outside of the Main Events, the inaugural High Roller Championship generated the richest prize pool. The USD 2.4 million purse was the fourth richest of the season and accounted for close to three percent (2.9%) of the total 2025 prize money awarded, making it the seventh richest APT tournament of all time.

The Super High Roller Championship (USD 1.9M) also impressed on its debut and was the sixth richest APT event of 2025, accounting for two percent (2.3%) of the 2025 prize money awarded.

The Superstar Championship (USD 1.8M), the Mini Main Event Championship (USD 1.5M), and the Ultra Stack Championship (USD 1.3M) were the seventh, eighth, and tenth richest of the year, accounting for a combined six percent (5.6%) of the total 2025 prize money awarded.

The APT Taipei 2025 Zodiac Classic was the only non-Main Event, non-APTC tournament to make the top ten, drawing its largest-ever field of 626 entries. The TWD 43 million (USD 1.4 million) prize pool generated was the ninth richest of 2025, accounting for close to two percent (1.6%) of the total prize money awarded.

APT 2025 Milestones

With 2025 being such an epic year for the APT we’ve compiled a list of the highlights and notable achievements over the last 12 months.

APT Championship 2025 Main Event: On a Global Scale

The 24K Gold Lion APT Championship Main Event trophy

The APT Championship 2025 Main Event marked a defining moment for the Asian Poker Tour. With a TWD 311,000 (~USD 10,000) buy-in, the Championship Main Event drew an extraordinary 671 entries, generating a record-breaking TWD 194 million (USD 6.2 million) prize pool.

In doing so, it became the largest and richest USD 10K freezeout held outside Las Vegas in the past decade, firmly rewriting the benchmarks for tournament poker in Asia.

The scale of the Main Event was emblematic of a festival that would ultimately stand as the largest and richest in APT history.

Across nearly two weeks of elite competition, the Championship attracted an international field of seasoned professionals and emerging contenders, all drawn by the prestige of the Lion Trophy and the magnitude of the prize pool on offer.

Ten-time bracelet winner Erik Seidel

The impact of the event resonated well beyond the numbers. Widely praised by players and industry observers alike, the APT Championship Main Event was memorably dubbed “the Asian Main Event” by Erik Seidel, a description that encapsulated its stature, ambition, and international significance.

More than a record-setting tournament, the Championship represented a clear statement of intent, confirming APT’s ability to deliver world-class poker festivals at a scale once reserved only for the most established global series.

In the end, it was Nishant Sharma who made history at the APTC, claiming a TWD 37 million (~USD 1.1 million) top prize — the largest Main Event payout the tour has ever awarded — to become only the third Indian player to win over USD 1 million in a single tournament.

APTC Main Event champion Nishant Sharma

APT Taipei 2025 Sets the Stage for a Poker Golden Age in Asia

The APT Taipei 2025 Main Event delivered one of the defining highlights of the 2025 season, setting an international record as the largest poker tournament ever held in Taiwan while also becoming the largest Main Event in Asian Poker Tour history, outside of the APT Championship itself.

A staggering 2,547 entries combined to generate a monumental TWD 121 million (~USD 3.74 million) prize pool, the largest ever recorded in the region, further cementing Taipei’s status as one of Asia’s premier poker destinations.

APT Taipei 2025 Main Event champion Akira Takasugi

The tournament reached its crescendo with a commanding performance from Akira Takasugi, who dominated the final table to capture the Lion Trophy and the biggest payday of his career. Representing Japan, Takasugi bulldozed over a stacked final lineup, claiming TWD 19 million (~USD 586,710) for first place in emphatic fashion.

Beyond its figures, the APT Taipei 2025 Main Event symbolised the tour’s accelerating momentum across established Asian markets. The success of the Taipei Main Event reinforced the city’s importance within the APT ecosystem and demonstrated the tour’s capacity to break new ground in established markets, setting a benchmark that will shape future editions for years to come.

Korea Sets and Resets National Record: Incheon and Jeju 2025

The APT Incheon 2025 Main Event initially topped headlines by becoming the largest tournament ever staged in South Korea, establishing a new national benchmark for live poker participation. The achievement reflected APT’s growth in Korea and the strong appetite for high-quality tournament poker Together, these back-to-back milestones cemented the Korean leg of the tour as the most successful Korea-based season in APT history, both in terms of participation and prize pool generation.

Speaking of remarkable records, APT Jeju 2025 Main Event winner Abraham Ceesvin from Singapore himself has an astounding record specifically at APT Main Events, cashing every New Era Main Event (8 out of 13) he has participated in so far.within the market.

Remarkably, that record would stand for just six weeks. The APT Jeju 2025 Main Event went on to surpass it, setting a new international record for Korea and confirming the country as one of the tour’s most successful regions in 2025.

APT Jeju 2025 Main Event champion Abraham Ceesvin

The rapid succession of records spoke volumes about APT’s momentum and the scalability of its events, as well as the strength of its local partnerships and player engagement across the region.

National Cups: Record-Breaking Gateways to the Festival Experience

It wasn’t just the Main Events setting international poker records, with the tours’ opening National Cup event achieving some milestones over the 2025 poker season.

APT Taipei 2025 National Cup set the bar, drawing the second-largest opening event field in tour history with the 2,161 entries generating the richest National Cup prize pool in APT history, while also attracting the highest number of unique players ever recorded for the format at 1,265.

Taiwan’s Shi Rong Wang took it down and took home the TWD 3.4 million (~USD 106,610) top prize, along with a ticket to the APTC Main Event. Not bad for the young gun who made his career-best score as well.

APT Taipei 2025 National Cup champion Shi Rong Wang

The APT Incheon 2025 National Cup initially set a new Korean tour entry record of 707 for the tournament before the APT Jeju 2025 National Cup topped it, drawing 760 entries to set a new international record as the largest opening event ever held in South Korea, delivering an emphatic start to proceedings and signalling the scale of what was to follow.

Collectively, these results highlight the importance of the National Cup as both a competitive centrepiece and an opening event that fuels festival-wide participation.

High Rollers: Depth at the Top End

The APT Taipei 2025 High Roller set a new standard as the largest and richest APT High Roller tournament in tour history, drawing an elite field of 415 entries who competed for a massive TWD 39 million (USD 1.2 million) prize pool in one of the most competitive high-stakes events the tour has ever staged.

Vietnam’s Nguyen Trung Quan grabbed those headlines at the end of the festival, securing a TWD 7.5 million (~USD 247,930) top prize for his efforts.

APT Taipei 2025 High Roller champion Nguyen Trung Quan

This momentum carried through to Korea, where both the APT Incheon 2025 High Roller and the APT Jeju 2025 High Roller established new in-country records, with Incheon drawing 245 entries.

The Jeju edition went a step further, the 305 entries setting a new Korean record for the tournament in addition to setting a new in-country APT prize pool record of KRW 1.3 billion (~USD 941,000), reflecting the growing appetite for premium buy-in events across the region.

Mystery Bounty Reaches New Heights

One of APT’s most popular specialty formats reached new peaks in 2025. The APT Taipei 2025 Mystery Bounty became the largest and richest Mystery Bounty event in tour history.

The 1,724 entry field showcased the format’s mass appeal and entertainment value, with the tournament generating a sizable TWD 24 million (~USD 750,000) prize pool.

South Korea’s Jung Sangjun emerged victorious, claiming the richest first place prize the tournament has ever awarded – a massive TWD 2.7 million (USD 84,650).

APT Taipei 2025 Mystery Bounty champion Jung Sangjun

Meanwhile, the APT Jeju 2025 Mystery Bounty set a new APT in-country record of 1,111 entries, with the KRW 1 billion (~USD 748,880) prize pool narrowly missing out on overtaking Taipei to reinforce the format’s rapid growth across multiple markets.

Zodiac Classic Ascends as a Tour Mainstay

The Zodiac Classic enjoyed a landmark year in 2025, headlined by its largest and richest edition to date at APT Taipei 2025 Zodiac Classic, which drew a 626 entry field and generated a TWD 43 million (~USD 1.3 million) prize pool.

Hong Kong’s Kwan Chun Kit bagged TWD 8.2 million (~USD 253,785) for his victory – the richest top prize this tournament has ever awarded.

APT Taipei 2025 Zodiac Classic champion Kwan Chun Kit

In addition, both the APT Manila 2025 Zodiac Classic (288 entries) and the APT Jeju 2025 Zodiac Classic (449 entries) established new APT in-country records for entries and prize pool, highlighting the format’s broad appeal across multiple markets. Collectively, these achievements reinforced the Zodiac Classic’s position as a core pillar of the APT calendar.

Mini Main Event: Record-Breaking Scale Across Stops

The Mini Main Event also delivered a standout year in 2025, led by its largest and richest edition ever at the APT Taipei 2025.

The Taipei stop marked a new high point for the event with the tournament drawing an impressive 1,760 entries and generating a TWD 38 million (~USD 1.1 million) prize pool. Taiwan’s Hung Te Lee emerged victorious for a career-best TWD 6.5 million (~USD 201,080) – the richest top prize this tournament has ever awarded.

APT Taipei 2025 Mini Main Event champion Hung Te Lee

Building on that momentum, the APT Manila Classic 2025 Mini Main Event (608 entries) and the APT Incheon 2025 Mini Main Event (1,029 entries) both went on to establish new APT in-country records, further reinforcing the format’s appeal for the mid-stakes crowd.

Super High Roller Sets New Benchmarks for the High Stakes Elite

The APT Super High Roller reaffirmed its status as the tour’s ultimate proving ground in 2025, delivering record-breaking performances at the very top end of the buy-in spectrum.

The tournament set new APT in-country records in the Philippines for both entries and prize pool during the APT Manila Classic 2025, the 81 entries and PHP 44 million (~USD 769,500) prize pool reflecting a growing appetite among elite players for high-stakes competition on the APT stage.

That momentum continued in Korea, where the APT Jeju 2025 Super High Roller pushed the bar even higher, establishing fresh in-country records for entries and total prize pool, drawing 97 entries and generating a KRW 1.3 billion (~USD 950,910) prize pool. China’s Mingcong Chen earned a career-best score for his victory, taking home KRW 348 million (~USD 246,990).

APT Jeju 2025 Super High Roller champion Mingcong Chen

A Historic First: Julian Warhurst and the Mega Lion Trophy Double

Crowning the year’s individual achievements, Julian Warhurst etched his name into APT history by becoming the first player ever to win both an APT Signature Lion Trophy and an APT Championship Lion Trophy.

APT Freezeout Championship winner Julian Warhurst

Warhurst managed the feat by winning the Freezeout Championship at the APT Championship 2025. His first Mega Lion Trophy was won at the APT Super High Roller at APT Summer Series Da Nang, Vietnam 2023.

The unprecedented double symbolised excellence across the tour’s most demanding stages and provided a fitting individual milestone in a year defined by records and firsts.

20 Years of APT

With all the record-breaking 2025 action wrapped up with the conclusion of the APT Championship, the APT marks a milestone year in 2026.

It has been almost 20 years since Antanas “Tony G” Guoga won the inaugural Asian Poker Tour Main Event in Singapore, and with the APT turning 20 the tour is marking its coming-of-age with an action-packed festival schedule comprising five exciting stops in three amazing Asian destinations.

The tour kicks off the new poker season with the APT Jeju Classic 2026, returning to the picturesque volcanic island for the seventh visit in tour history for what will be a landmark 125th APT festival running January 30 to February 8 in partnership with LES A Casino at the luxurious Jeju Shinhwa World resort.

Headlined by a KRW 2.3 million (~USD 1,600) buy-in Main Event which carries an impressive KRW 2.2 billion (~USD 1.5 million) guarantee, the tournament awards the top three finishers with an APT Championship 2026 Main Event seat valued at USD 10,000.

There are seven APTC Main Event seats up for grabs at the festival, which packs 99 events into the ten-day schedule and boasts over KRW 4.9 billion (USD 3.4 million) in prize pool guarantees.

Following Jeju, the tour then heads over to Taiwan for what has historically been the busiest stop on the APT calendar for the APT Taipei 2026, running from April 22 to May 3 in partnership with the Chinese Texas Hold’em Poker Club (CTP) at the Red Point Center’s cavernous Red Space 多元商務空間 venue located in central Taipei.

Following a short summer hiatus, the tour travels to Incheon for the APT Incheon 2026, running from August 7-16 and hosted at the prestigious Paradise City resort in partnership with Paradise Group.

APT then returns to Korea’s largest island and Jeju Shinhwa World for the APT Jeju 2026, running from September 25 to October 4.

The APT then closes out the season on a high and celebrates its official 20th birthday with the 17-day APT Championship 2026 running from November 13-29 at Red Space.

APT 2026 Schedule

Here are the key dates you should be penciling into your diary:

• APT Jeju Classic 2026: Jan 30-Feb 8 | Partner: Landing Entertainment Korea | Venue: Jeju Shinhwa World
• APT Taipei 2026: Apr 22-May 3 | Partner: CTP | Venue: Red Space 多元商務空間
• APT Incheon 2026: Aug 7-16 | Partner: Paradise Group | Venue: Paradise City
• APT Jeju 2026: Sep 25-Oct 4 | Partner: Landing Entertainment Korea | Venue: Jeju Shinhwa World
• APT Championship 2026: Nov 13-29 | Partner: CTP | Venue: Red Space 多元商務空間