_Rudy Edenata, Day 1 Chip Leader

Day 1 of the APT High Roller has just wrapped up at the Red Space Events Center in Taipei with a total of 329 entries, who bought in for TWD 120,000, pushing the total prize pool to TWD 34,110,720 (~USD 1,089,800), crushing the original TWD 20 million guarantee. There were 17 forty-minute levels played for the day with 62 players bagging their chips entering tomorrow's final day.

Indonesia's Rudy Edenata, who was the APT High Roller champion at the recent APT Jeju Classic 2026, has his name atop the chip leader board after amassing an astounding 1,950,000 in chips. Edenata built his stack with a crazy double KO that propelled him past the million mark early in the tournament.

Hoseong Ha

Coming in with the second largest stack is South Korea's Hoseong Ha with 1,585,000 chips. Ha held the chip lead earlier in the day when he served the first elimination in Level 1. From there, he steadily maintained his position among the top chip counts as the day progressed.

Mike Takayama

Rounding up the podium is Mike Takayama of the Philippines with 1,419,000 chips. Takayama just recently won the APT Super High Roller to take home one of three APT Mega Lion trophies. He also seems to have the momentum to bring home the APT Rose Gold Lion trophy if he can emerge victorious in this event.

APT HIGH ROLLER TOP TEN STACKS

Pussacha Nonsing

Nirunrut Rachburom of Thailand is the woman holding the highest chip stack. Other women who also advanced include Pussacha Nonsing (568,000) and Sananthachat Thanapatpisal (335,000). Both women are also from Thailand.

Joseph Cheong

Outside of the top ten, some notables who also progressed include the likes of past APT Main Event champions Abraham Ceesvin (767,000), Rene von Reden (376,000) and Lester Edoc (288,000), past APT High Roller champion Trung Quang Nguyen (408,000) and all-time APT money list leader Joseph Cheong (243,000).

Kristof Segers, who just placed fourth in the APT Main Event, jumped straight into the APT High Roller and also managed to bag 209,000. 9th placer Pakinai Lisawad also found a bag for 255,000.

APT Main Event runner-up Josh McCully and 8th placer Ren Lin took a seat, but weren't as fortunate. Some former APT HIgh Roller champions who also didn't make it to Day 2 included the likes of Daniel Neilson, Martin Sedlak and Jason Lau.

Other big names to fall short were Punnat Punsri, Dylan Foster, John Tech, Farhad Argayev, James Mendoza, Edmond Chim, Christopher Mateo, Candy Lin, Nishant Sharma, John Constiano, Wait Kiat Lee, Phachara Wongwichit, Tom Verbruggen and Ethan Yau.

APT High Roller Rose Gold Lion Trophy

The 62 players who return tomorrow will still have to compete for 47 ITM slots to earn at least TWD 190,900 (~USD 6,100). Up top, the champion gets to bank the lion's share of TWD 6,526,320 (~USD 208,510) and the coveted APT Rose Gold Lion trophy. The top two finishers will also be awarded a seat to the APT Championship Main Event Freezeout valued at USD 10,000, which will be played on November this year, also in Taipei.

The complete payouts can be viewed HERE.

Play resumes tomorrow at 11:15 AM local time at the Red Space Events Center.

There will also be a delayed livestream on the APT Official YouTube Channel.

Of course, all the live reports and updates will also be available here.

From a total of 329 entries, there are 62 players who have found a bag to bring on to tomorrow's Day 2.

Stay tuned for a recap of the day's events.

Yan Shing Tsang

Yi Cheng Lo of Taiwan had his last 201,000 in the middle against Yan Shing Tsang of Hong Kong.

Yi Cheng Lo: J J

Yan Shing Tsang: 6 6

Board ran 7 7 4 J K

Lo ended up with a full house, ensuring his double up in one of the final hands of Day 1.

The clock has now been paused and the floor has announced that seven hands will be dealt for the night.

The remaining players will then bag up their chips and return tomorrow, May 3 to play down until a champion is crowned.

John Matsuda

Peter Da of Norway opened for 25,000 from the hijack. Flo Campomanes matched from the cutoff as did John Matsuda on the small blind.

The three players were shown a flop of 3 9 9

Matsuda checked to Da, who made a continuation bet of 55,000. Campomanes stayed out of the way and Matsuda called.

The turn showed a 6

Matsuda led for 35,000 and Da matched.

The river gave a 3

Matsuda moved all in, covering the remaining stack of Da.

Da went into deep thought, looked at his cards, looked at the pitiful state of his remaining chips, considered his high roller dream, wondered what elements could make up fairy dust for flying, then folded his hand.

John Matsuda and Naohiro Matsuda

Naohiro Matsuda of Japan opened for 25,000. Action folded to John Matsuda of the Philippines (but with a Japanese passport) on the big blind and matched.

Both Matsudas - they are not related at all - were shown a flop of 3 7 5

Both checked and also checked the Q turn.

When the A river came out John checked to Naohiro, who bet the minimum 12,000.

John gave it up.

Aung Myo

Abraham Ceesvin made it 24,000 to play from under the gun, only for Gleb Ershov sat in the next seat to three-bet all in for 240,000. Action folded around to Aung Myo in the big blind, who flat-called. Ceesvin, smelling something fishy with the flat-call got out of the way sharpish.

Gleb Ershov: A Q

Aung Myo: K K

The flop of J 8 Q did give Ershov some help but no more was forthcoming on the 7 turn nor the 5 river and he was sent to the rail.

The players aren't hanging around here and from an opening show of 329 players we are now down to 81.

John Tech Sent to the Rail

Recent notable eliminations include APT Cebu 2015 Main Event winner John Tech hot off his fifth-place finish in yesterday's Zodiac Classic, Fabian Rolli, Jason Wong, Akshay Nasa, Harry Halim, Wai Kiat Lee and Meng 'Candy' Lin.

Meng 'Candy' Lin Didn't Make the Grade

With one more level of play before the day concludes, there are sure to be a lot more who bite the dust before the day is out.

Robert Nemeskeri-Kiss

A very handsome pot of around 200,000 chips were spread beside a board that showed A 9 K 4 Q

Robert Nemeskeri-Kiss was under the gun and fired a bet of 125,000.

Matthew Chan then jammed all in for 263,000, which just about covered the chips of Nemeskeri-Kiss.

Nemeskeri-Kiss couldn't call and just said "nice hand" while Chan scooped the chips.

Nemeskeri-Kiss would be left severely short-stacked to around 150,000 and would bow our a few moments later when the level changed.

Kok Yong Pang

The dealer announced "Seat Open" and Tse Yueh Tsai was on his way up from his seat.

Upon further inspection, there was an A 3 belonging to Kok Yong Pang of Malaysia with a board that showed K 6 Q 8 7

Pang had made a nutflush and all the chips of Tsai were being shipped Pang's way.