Kaihung Hu

The TWD 10,000 APT National Cup has been won by Taiwan’s Kaihung HU after he outlasted a huge field of 1680 entries to get his hands on the trophy and the top prize of TWD 2,519,000 (~USD 79,740). Ching Yi Wan from Hong Kong got second for TWD 1,409,000 (~USD 44,600). Chi Ho Yeung, also a Hong Kong citizen, completes the podium, winning TWD 987,000 (~USD 31,245).

The total prize pool for the tournament stood at TWD 14,353,920 (~USD 454,400), an astronomical number for the buy-in level and a testament to the support that APT has here in Taiwan.

A huge turnout across the three opening flights saw 235 players making it into the money and into Day 2. Taiwan’s Yu Cheng Lee held the overall chip lead after taking through 933,000 chips from Flight C.

The action was fast with the thirty-minute blind levels eating away at the player's stacks and forced action. It took fourteen levels for the final table to be reached with Taiwan's Ying Chuan Lin being the unlucky player to bubble the final table. Mao-Lun Yu took the chip lead into the final nine but with an average stack of just under twenty big blinds, anything could happen. It took some time before the first casualty was recorded as Ka Yue Colin Tsang hit the rail. The player from Hong Kong was a tad unfortunate after his King-Jack was undone on the river by the T2s of Ching Yi Wan. Tsang picked up TWD 186,000 (~USD 5,890) for ninth place.

Ka Yue Colin Tsang

After the first bustout at the final table things developed quickly. First, Yue Hin Lam got unfortunate after losing K K all-in preflop against Yi Ching Wan’s 3 3 . Wan flopped a set and ended Lam’s tournament run, who finished in eight place, scoring 243,000 (~USD 7,697).

Yue Hin Lam

Yi Ching Wan was running hot now during this phase of the tournament. Just a few hands after busting Lam, she delivered the next knockout, by sucking out against Ee How Ong’s Q Q with Q 6 on 5 5 8 7 J . For his seventh place Ee How Ong’s left him a payday of TWD 343,000 (~USD 10,865).

EE How Ong

And Wan wasn’t done yet. This time she jammed A A in the small-blind against Xian Jia Zhu in the big blind who called with K J . After the Taiwanese was not able to hit a straight on T 8 7 5 2 Xian Jia Zhu was eliminated in sixth place, taking home TWD 449,000 (~USD 14,210).

Xian Jia Zhu

The next one to fall victim to Wan was former final table chip leader Mao-Lun Yu. Wan opened in middle-position with pocket Jacks and got jammed on by Mao-Lun Yu’s A 5 . For a brief moment it looked like Wan’s hot run might have been over after the A appeared on the flop, but the river J delivered a dagger blow to Yu and gave Wan a commanding chip lead with only four players left. For his fifth place Yu was rewarded with 567,000 (~USD 18,000).

Mao-Lun Yu

Now it was Kaihung Hu’s turn to run hot and take over the final table. First, he knocked out Japanese player Jun Tsunezumi with A 9 against A 2 . For the Japanese it is the first ever live cash. He secured TWD 717,000 (~USD 22,700).

Jun Tsunezumi

Next up he busted Chi Ho Yeung, after he jammed A 4 in the big-blind against Yeung’s completion in the small-blind, who decided to call with J 8 . After Yeung turned one pair on 3 3 2 J , Hu hit the 5 giving him a straight.

For third place finisher Chi Ho Yeung from Hong Kong it was just his second live cash. He had his first last year at the APT in Taiwan when he cashed TWD 4,300 in a side event. This time he won more than 200x this amount, cashing for an impressive 987,000 (~USD 31,245).

Chi Ho Yeung

By taking out these two opponents Kaihung Hu went with a 3-to-2 chip advantage into the heads up against Yi Ching Wan. A deal between Hu and Wan had been discussed, but the players decided to battle it out instead. The heads up took a bit more than an hour, with Kaihung Hu being on the advance for most of it. Though, for a brief moment it looked like Ching Yi Wan might win the tournament, after she hit a straight with Q T against A 3 on A Jc: T 8 K in an all-in preflop situation.

Ching Yi Wan

But Kaihung Hu fought back and eventually took it down, with the last hand being Hu open jamming A J and Wan made the call with Q T . This time Wan was not able to come back from the Ah: Q 2 flop and was eliminated in second place for TWD 1,409,000 (~USD 44,600).

That leaves just one man standing - Kaihung Hu - who walks away with the top prize of TWD 2,519,000 (~USD 79,740) for his victory. Congratulations!

Congratulations to Kaihung Hu from Taiwan for winning the APT National Cup. In the final hand, Hu opened jammed A J and Wan called with Q T . The board ran out A Q 2 9 7 meaning Hu will take home the trophy and TWD 2,519,000 (~$79,740).

Also congratulations to Ching Yi Wan from Hong Kong. What a great run by her! Her poker bankroll just increased by TWD 1,409,000 (~$44,600).

Stay tuned, a full recap of the tournament will follow shortly!

Kaihung Hu opened jammed from the button for Wan's 16.5 big blinds. Wan did not take long to make her decision and called with Q T . She was up against Hu's A 3 . The flop came out A J T and Wan was in trouble. The turn brought the 8 giving Wan more outs. And indeed, she did hit her straight with the K on the river. For the first time she is ahead now in this heads up duel.

It is a tight battle here at the Asia Poker Arena. Hu is still ahead in chips, but this could turn any moment. Now the blinds go up, bringing us closer to the decision

The great finale is set. It is Taiwan vs Hong Kong, Kaihung Hu vs Ching Yi Wan. At the start of the heads-up, Hu is holding 1.5x chip advantage. Both players have TWD 1,4000,000 secured and the winner will take down more than TWD 2,5000,000.

An icm deal had been discussed, however, the players decided to play it out without making any deal. Good luck to both of them!

The button folded and Chi Ho Yeung completed the big blind. Kaihung Hu then put Yeung all in who decided to call with J 8 and was up against Hu’s A 4 . The flop came out 3 3 2 and Yeung desperately needed a J or 8 . And indeed the J appeared on the turn, just to get counterfeited with the 5 giving Hu a straight.

Kaihung Hu opened on the button and Jun Tsunezumi jammed from the small-blind for less than 8 big blinds with A 2 and got called by the opener with A 9 . The board ran out K K 4 3 6 eliminating the Japanese in 4th place.

Ching Yi Wan is on fire! She opened from middle/position and Mao-Lun Yu jammed his 20 big blinds from the small-blind with A 5 . Wan called with J J . The flop and turn came out great for Yu, A 2 2 7 , but the miracle J hit the river, busting out Yu and giving Wan a commanding chip lead with only four players left.

In a huge pot, Mao-Lun Yu was caught bluffing by bullying Kaihung Hu out of a hand.

With action folded to Hu at small blind, Hu just called the big blind. Yu decided to raise the pot to 1,000,000. Hu looked at Yu trying to see a tell. Hu decided to to make the call.

Flop of J K A gota check from Hu. Allowed to act, Yu shot another 1,000,000 into the pot.which Hu called. Both players checked the Q turn to see the 8 river. Hu check-called Yu's all-in. Yu hesitantly showed his cards of 3 2 but Hu waited then showed his two-pair with K Q

Xian Jia Zhu

It folded around to the Ching Yi Wan in the small-blind who put Zhu all in. Zhu snap-called with K J only to be shown the bad news of Wan’s A A . There was a glimmer of hope for Zhu on the flop, as he had a gutshot on T 8 7 . However, the board bricked out and Zhu busted in 6th place, taking home an impressive TWD 449,00 payout.