The last APT Jeju festival proved to be the tour’s largest and richest South Korean poker series, and if the record-breaking trends of the APT Manila Classic 2025, and recent APT Taipei 2025 are anything to go by, then the upcoming APT Jeju 2025 festival could well make tour history once again.
Running Friday, September 26 to Sunday, October 5 at the luxurious Jeju Shinhwa World resort in partnership with Landing Entertainment Korea, the festival packs a hefty 103 tournaments (including satellites) into the ten-day schedule and boasts close to KRW 4.9 billion (~USD 3.4M*) in total guaranteed prize pools.
Just like in Manila and Taipei, there will be seats to the APT’s largest-ever guaranteed tournament series running at the end of the year – the Asian Poker Tour Championship (APTC).
There are seven seats in total up for grabs, with the top three places in the KRW 2.2 billion guaranteed [Main Event]9https://www.theasianpokertour.com/series/apt-jeju-south-korea-2025/events/cd3df836-44f3-4d18-8f7f-e7f52ebf50f6), as well as the champions of the APT Super High Roller, the APT High Roller, the Superstar Challenge, and the Zodiac Classic – Sponsored by Natural8 all receiving a ticket to the USD 5 million guaranteed APTC Main Event valued at USD 10,700.
With three of the seven tickets available in high roller events, there has never been a better time to dip your toes into the high-stakes waters and fight for fortune and glory.
Just over 20 percent of the 103 APT Jeju 2025 events are high roller tournaments with 21 to choose from with buy-ins ranging from KRW 1.5 million (~USD 1,075) for the Hyper Turbo and Turbo High Rollers all the way up to the KRW 35 million (~USD 25,000) Superstar Challenge, which comes with the biggest buy-in on the schedule.
*All USD figures are for reference only; exchange rate may vary.
High Rolling Highlights
Read on as we take a closer look at the APT Jeju 2025 High Roller schedule and examine the tournaments on offer in more detail:
Single Day High Roller Tournaments:
The Philippines’ #1 ranked tournament player Marc Rivera was just one of the many APT Jeju 2024 Single Day High Roller champions
Nine of the 21 high roller tournaments (not including turbo and hyper turbo tournaments which we will cover further down) are Single Day High Roller events designed to be played out in a day without sacrificing too much when it comes to the structure.
The average field size for the Single Day High Rollers comes in at 89, with an average prize pool in the region of USD 215,000 with the winner walking away with an average top prize of USD 55,000, although some winners have walked away with a six-figure payday – not bad for a tournament that wraps up in a day!
The Philippines’ #1 ranked tournament player Marc Rivera claimed the first of his two APT high roller titles at the last APT Jeju, with Rivera boasting five live APT titles in total; Rivera took down Event #18: Single Day High Roller for a KRW 84.3 million (USD 61,000) pay day.
Buy-ins range from KRW 3 million (~USD 2,150) all the way up to KRW 10 million (USD 7,170) for the No Limit Hold’em tournaments, which includes a Women's High Roller event, and there is also a PL Omaha High - High Roller and a 9 Game - High Roller which both come with a KRW 3 million buy-in.
The Event #12: PL Omaha High - High Roller comes with a 100,000-chip starting stack and 30-minute levels, and the Event #34: 9 Game - High Roller comes with a 50,000-chip starting stack and 30-minute levels.
All the rest come with 100,000-chip starting stacks. Event #4: Single Day High Roller, and Event #100: High Roller – Last Chance comes with 20-minute levels.
The Event 23: Single Day High Roller, the Event #46: Single Day High Roller, the Event #55: Women's High Roller and Event #80: Single Day High Roller - Mystery Bounty (KRW 2M Bounty) all come with 30-minute levels, and the Event #35: Baby Superstar comes with 40-minute levels.
A 30-second shot clock is in effect from the start of all Single Day High Roller tournaments. As per the APT tournament rules players receive two 30-second time banks and receive another time bank at every scheduled break.
[Event #35: Baby Superstar]9https://www.theasianpokertour.com/series/apt-jeju-south-korea-2025/events/ca68a58e-12f4-40a8-b8da-ba713e9ed4df)
APT Jeju 2024 Baby Superstar Challenge champion Marius Cirlea
DATE: Monday, September 29
BUY-IN: KRW 10M (USD 7,170)
The Baby Superstar Challenge made its debut at APT Taipei 2024 and has become a standout edition to the schedule.
This single day version of the two-day Superstar Challenge has seen seven players claim the coveted Baby Superstar Challenge gold lion silhouette trophy since its introduction, although there will be an eighth winner added to this exclusive list following the upcoming APT Incheon 2025 at the start of August.
With a KRW 10,000,000 (USD 7,170) buy-in, this event is the third most expensive tournament on the schedule and draws an average field of 68 entries, generating an average prize pool of over USD 344,000, with the winner walking away with an average top prize of USD 97,000.
Players start with 100,000 in chips and duke it out over 40-minute levels, with between 12 and 15 percent of the field making the money.
Romania’s Marius Cirlea is the defending Jeju champion having bested a field of 64 entries to claim a KRW 122.7 million (USD 89,500) top prize at last year’s APT Jeju 2024.
Event #80: Single Day High Roller - Mystery Bounty (KRW 2M Bounty)
APT Jeju 2024 Single Day High Roller – Mystery Bounty champion Asa Smith
DATE: Friday, October 3
BUY-IN: KRW 4.5M (~USD 3,150)
One of the more interesting single day events on the high roller schedule, the KRW 3,500,000 Single Day High Roller – Mystery Bounty sees KRW 2 million (~USD 1,400) of the initial buy-in set aside for the mystery bounty pool, which kicks in when double the number of players compared to the paying positions remain – so if the top ten places payout, then the bounties come into play with 20 players remaining.
Mystery Bounties are earned through the elimination of another player, which gives the winner the chance to draw a mystery envelope containing a cash payout ranging from the price of the initial buy-in all the way up to a USD five-figure sum.
Players start with 100,000 in chips and compete over eleven 30-minute levels before the close of registration, with level length then dropping to 25-minutes thereafter.
The tournament averages 109 entries and a combined prize pool (including bounties) of over USD 250,000, paying out an average top prize of over USD 36,000.
The UK’s Asa Smith is the defending Jeju champion, overcoming a field of 21 entries to claim a KRW 17 million (USD 12,500) top prize, plus a further KRW 34 million (~USD 25,000 ) in bounties after taking six scalps on his way to the APT Jeju 2024 title.
**Event #100: High Roller – Last Chance
APT Jeju 2024 High Roller – Last Chance champion Kun Wang
DATE: Sunday, October 5
BUY-IN: KRW 3M (USD 2,100)
The last of the festival’s scheduled non-turbo or hyper-turbo single day high roller tournaments offers the tour’s dedicated high rolling player base that last chance at fortune, glory, and a gold lion silhouette trophy.
Players start with 100,000 in chips and battle over 20-minute levels. The tournament averages 77 entries and generates an average prize pool of close to USD 140,000, with the champion claiming an average top prize of USD 38,500.
China’s Kun Wang is the defending Jeju champion, triumphing over a field of 85 entries to claim a KRW 66.6 million (USD 49,000) top prize at APT Jeju 2024.
Two-Day High Roller Tournaments:
In addition to the KRW 15M (~USD 10,500) APT Super High Roller (KRW 500M/~USD 350K GTD) and the KRW 7M (~USD 4.900) APT High Roller (KRW 650M/~USD 454K GTD) playing out on Saturday, September 27 to Sunday, September 28, and Saturday, October 4 to Sunday, October 5 respectively, there are a further two two-day high roller events on the schedule; Event #2: Superstar Challenge, and the brand-new two-day Event #57: High Roller.
**Event #2: Superstar Challenge
Defending APT Jeju Superstar Challenge champion Joseph Cheong
DATE: Friday, September 26 to Saturday, September 27
BUY-IN: KRW 35M (~USD 25,000)
The summit of the APT’s high roller tournaments, the KRW 35M Superstar Challenge comes with the priciest buy-in on the schedule and attracts the apex predators of the international poker circuit with both France’s Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier and the USA’s Joseph Cheong just two of events highly decorated former champions.
Cheong is the only player to have claimed the exclusive black lion Superstar Challenge trophy twice and is the current defending Jeju champion with the first of his two victories coming at last year’s APT Jeju 2024 where he defeated a field of 36 entries to claim a KRW 374.7 million (USD 272,000) top prize.
Players start with a 250,000-chip stack and battle over 40-minute levels with fourteen levels played on Day 1 and the survivors returning for the Final Day to play down to a champion with between 12 and 15 percent of the field making the paying positions.
This prestigious event averages 40 entries and generates an average prize pool of over USD 540,000, with the winner claiming an average top prize of over USD 196,000.
**Event #57: High Roller DATE: Wednesday, October 1 to Thursday, October 2
BUY-IN: KRW 4M (~USD 2,800)
A brand-new addition to the schedule, players start with 100,000 in chips and battle over fourteen 40-minute levels on Day 1, with the survivors returning to compete over 40-minute levels on the Final Day for the gold lion silhouette trophy, with between 12-15 percent of the field making the money.
The first 24 players registered that have put their stacks into play before the first hand of the tournament is dealt will receive 50 percent of the KRW 400,000 entry fee back.
Turbo and Hyper Turbo High Roller Tournaments:
There are a further eight Turbo and Hyper Turbo tournaments on the schedule, all coming with KRW 1.5M (~USD 1,075) buy-ins and 20,000-chip starting stacks with a 15-second shot clock in play from the start.
As per the APT tournament rules players receive two 15-second time banks at the start of the tournament and an additional time bank at every scheduled break.
The Turbo tournaments come with 15-minute levels and attract an average of 48 entries, generating an average prize pool of over USD 45,000, with the winner claiming an average top prize of USD 14,400.
The Hyper Turbo tournaments come with 10-minute levels and attract an average of 45 entries, generating an average prize pool of USD 27,500, with the winner walking away with an average first place prize of USD 9,000.
Turbo:
- Event #6: Turbo - High Roller – KRW 1.5M (~USD 1,075) buy-in, Friday, Sept 26
- Event #29: Turbo - High Roller – KRW 1.5M (~USD 1,075) buy-in, Sunday, Sept 29
- Event #51: Turbo - High Roller - Win the Button – KRW 1.5M (~USD 1,075) buy-in, Tuesday, Sept 30
- Event #67: Turbo - High Roller – KRW 1.5M (~USD 1,075) buy-in, Thursday, Oct 2
- Event 103: Turbo - High Roller – KRW 1.5M (~USD 1,075) buy-in, Sunday, Oct 5
Hyper Turbo:
- Event #18: Hyper Turbo - High Roller – KRW 1.5M (~USD 1,075)) buy-in, Saturday, Sept 27
- Event #63: Hyper Turbo - High Roller – KRW 1.5M (~USD 1,075) buy-in, Wednesday, Oct 1
- Event #87: Hyper Turbo - High Roller – KRW 1.5M (~USD 1,075) buy-in, Friday, Oct 3