Wayne Lam

The TWD 233,000 buy-in Asian Poker Tour Mini High Roller Championship wrapped up on the final day of the record-breaking APTC 2025 series inside Red Space, Taipei, and it was Hong Kong’s Wayne Lam who walked away with the trophy.

Lam made his way through a tough field that included former APT champions and high roller regulars before defeating Malaysia’s Wai Kiat Lee, one of the most consistent high-stakes players in the world, in a quick heads-up match to secure the TWD 8,569,093 (~USD 274,650) top prize and his first APT trophy.

The event drew 184 entries (143 unique) and built a staggering TWD 38,687,693 (~USD 1,239,990) prize pool. The final table brought together players from nine different countries, with former APT Main Event champion Daisuke Ogita and well-known crushers Johan Schultz-Pedersen, Anthony Hu, and Paulius Plausinaitis all lining up for one of the last Championship events of the festival.

The win for Lam goes down as the biggest score of his poker career according to The Hendon Mob, more than doubling his lifetime earnings, and comes as his maiden APT title. Capping off the record-breaking series by claiming it on the final day of a series makes the achievement even more memorable.

APT Mini High Roller Championship Final Table Results

Winner's Reaction

After locking up the biggest score of his career, Lam was all smiles as he reflected on the moment. “I’m feeling lucky, I’m feeling very lucky,” he said, still laughing as the result began to settle in. “In the end it was just a flip and I came out on the better end.”

Lifting the Pewter Lion trophy carried extra meaning for Lam. “It is my first trophy, so I guess there is that,” he said still with a smile. “I haven’t thought about the money yet.” According to The Hendon Mob, the victory more than doubles his lifetime earnings and marks his maiden APT title.

Wayne Lam Shortly After Claiming Victory

Lam also made sure to acknowledge those supporting him both in the room and from home. “My girlfriend is just over there, so thank you for coming to watch me play,” he said. “And thank you to the Hong Kong viewers.” Still smiling, Lam picked up the 17-kilogram trophy and raised it as high as he could, celebrating his Mini High Roller Championship win on the final day of the series.

Final Table Action

Ogita entered the final day as one of the short stacks and it didn’t take long for him to commit his chips into the middle. On the sixth hand of play, Ogita shoved preflop with ace-seven suited but unfortunately for him, Lee woke up with Big Slick in the big blind to claim the first casualty of the final table.

A few hands later, Trong Hieu Ngo had to settle for an eighth-place finish after clashing with Schultz-Pedersen. In the hand, Ngo and Schultz-Pedersen both flopped a pair, and then Ngo decided to shove into Schultz-Pedersen after turning a double gut shot. Schultz-Pedersen, however, also had also improved by turning two pair and snap-called. The river left Schultz-Pedersen with a full house and he collected the rest of Ngo’s chips.

Trong Hieu Ngo

Hu was the other short stack entering the final day and seeking his second high-roller title of the festival. Hu managed to score an early double up after shoving with ace-queen after getting looked up by Michael Egan holding king-eight; however, his momentum came to a crashing halt thanks to a cooler that saw him run ace-king into Dumitru Pora’s aces to be sent out in seventh.

Lam’s surge up the counts began when he flopped a set against Pora’s top pair to scoop a hefty pot. Armed with a bigger stack, Lam immediately switched gears and turned up the pressure. Plausinaitis chose a bad time to fight back when he four-bet shoved ace-four right into Lam's ace-king. Plausinaitis couldn’t catch up and was eliminated in sixth place.

Paulius Plausinaitis

Lam hit a bit of a speed bump after doubling up Lee, but he never relinquished the lead. Instead, Lam’s stack reached new heights after putting a beat on Pora. In the hand, Pora shoved with pocket nines and was called by Lam holding pocket sixes. The flop came with a six and Pora was forced to settle for fifth in disappointing fashion.

Egan had become the short stack by the first break of the day and almost managed to make a comeback by scoring a double against Schultz-Pedersen on the first hand back from break. However, his tournament came to an end in fourth place after shoving preflop with ace-nine, only for the unstoppable Lam to snap him off with pocket jacks and hold.

Michael Egan

Lee showed a bit of life during three-handed play and managed to close the gap between him and Lam after flopping trips against him and getting a couple streets of value. Meanwhile, Schultz-Pedersen continued to slip and ended up shoving preflop with queen-six suited for about six big blinds. Lee looked him up with ace-six and Schultz-Pedersen couldn’t catch up to be sent out in third.

Lee was down, but certainly not out, with 7,000,000 to Lam’s 11,000,000 entering their heads-up battle. Even so, it appeared Lam was going to claim an easy victory after pulling out to a nearly 3:1 chip advantage on the very first hand.

That didn’t turn out to be chase, as Lee still had a lot of fight left in him. After jousting in a few small pots, Lee ended up on the right side of a bit of a cooler after both players made a full house. Lee didn't quite double up, but got value on every street to pull to nearly even.

Maintaining his composure, Lam proceeded to grind Lee down in a series of middling pots, including a hand wherein both players flopped a pair. Lam had the best of it with top pair against Lee's middle pair and extracted two streets of value to get back to a 2:1 chip lead.

In what turned out to be the final hand of the tournament, Lee limped on the button with pocket fours and jammed over a raise from Lam, who held ace-queen. Lam called to put Lee at risk and both players sweated what was essentially a coin flip. Lee was one card away from a double up after the flop and turn came safe for him, but an ace on the river put an end to Lee's run, awarding Lam his first APT title in dramatic fashion.

That's a wrap for this year's blog coverage of the APTC. Be sure to check back for all the action at APT Jeju, South Korea, running from January 30 to February 8, 2026.

Wayne Lam

After a relatively short heads up battle Wayne Lam has taken down the APT Mini High Roller Championship.

Stay tuned for a recap of today's action.

Wai Kiat Lee

Hand #82: Wai Kiat Lee completed from the button and Wayne Lam raised it up to 600,000 from the big blind. Lam peeked back at his cards, and jammed for 5,900,000. Lam snap-called and the players went to showdown.

Wai Kiat Lee: 4 4

Wayne Lam: A Q

Lee had the pocket fours against the two overs of Lam. If Lam managed to connect with the board he would be the winner of the tournament, whereas if Lee's Sailboats held up, he would take the chip lead.

A flop of 3 K 5 was great for Lee's pair, and so was the 6 turn. With one card to come, Lam was looknig for a queen or ace to claim the victory.

The dealer burned a card then produced the Barry Greenstein A on the river, giving Lam the best hand with top pair.

The players shared an embrace and Lee headed to the rail as the runner-up, collecting TWD 5,783,800 (~USD 185,380) for his efforts.

Wayne Lam & Wai Kiat Lee

Wayne Lam

Hand #80: Wai Kiat Lee limped from the button with 7 3 and Wayne Lam checked in the big blind with T 5 .

The flop came Q 9 J and both players checked to see the turn of the 8 . Lam bet out for 400,000 and Lee folded.

Hand #81: Lam called from the button and Lee checked in the big blind.

The flop came 7 T 7 , Lee check-called Lam's 200,000 bet, and the dealer peeled off the 4 as the turn.

Lee checked again, as did Lam, and the river came the 9 . Both players checked and Lam tabled A 4 which was way ahead of Lee's K 8 and he was pushed the pot.

Wayne Lam

Hand #76: Wai Kiat Lee limped the button with 8 2 and Wayne Lam raised to 600,000 with K K . Lee tossed his cards away.

Hand #77: Lam bumped it up to 400,000 with A 4 on the button and Lee three-bet K 6 to 1,400,000 from the big blind. Lam gave up the pot to Lee.

Hand #78: From the button, Lee limped with A 3 and Lam checked his option holding 6 4 .

Lam check-folded to a bet of 200,000 from Lee on the 8 K 3 flop.

Hand #79: Lam completed on the button and Lee checked from the big blind.

On the 7 2 J flop, Lee checked and then faced a bet of 400,000 from Lam. Lee continued in the form of a call.

A K rolled off on the turn, causing another check from Lee. Lam bet 1,200,000, which Lee decided to call.

The 2 completed the board and both players checked. Lee showed 9 7 for a two pair of sevens and twos, but came second best to the J 8 , jacks and twos of Lam.

Wai Kiat Lee Fighting Back

Hand #73: Wayne Lam made up from the button with 8 3 and Wai Kiat Lee checked his option in the big blind with A 2 .

The flop came A 5 6 . Lee checked, and Lam bet out for 160,000. Lee check-raised to 425,000 and Lee folded.

Hand #74: Lee limped from the button with 9 2 , and Lam, raised to 300,000 from the big blind with 7 4 . Lee folded and Lam took the pot.

Hand #75: Lam made up from the button and Lee checked in the big blind.

The flop came 6 5 T , Lee checked, and Lam bet out for 200,000. Lee called.

The dealer peeled off the T as the turn and Lee checked again. Lam fired again for 400,000, and Lee raised to 1,100,000. Lam made the call.

The 5 came on the river and Lee bet out for 1,900,000. Lam went into the tank and used one time bank, and made the call. Lam tabled 7 5 but Lee flipped over the T 7 for a better full house and was shipped the pot.

Wayne Lam

Hand #72: Wai Kiat Lee raised to 320,000 from the button with Q 2 and Wayne Lam defended 9 5 from the big blind.

Check-check came after the 6 T 9 flop to see the K hit the turn. Lam checked again and Lee fired out a bet 550,000. Lam opted to just call.

A 8 fell on the river producing a final check from Lam. Lee tossed out a bet of 1,300,000 causing Lam to go into the tank. After giving it some thought, Lam check-raised to 4,000,000, producing a snap-fold from Lee.

Wayne Lam & Wai Kiat Lee

There will be a short break before the start of heads-up play, here are the chip counts of the two players.

Johan Schultz-Pedersen

Hand 71: Johan Schultz-Pedersen moved all in from the button for 970,000 and Wai Kiat Lee called from the big blind.

Johan Schultz-Pedersen: Q 6

Wai Kiat Lee: A 6

Not the flop Schultz-Pedersen wantde to see of J A 6 and he needed some serious help. None came on the 8 turn nor the 2 river and Schultz-Pedersen was sent to the rail in third spot.

Johan Schultz-Pedersen Sent To The Rail In Third Place

Wayne Lam & Wai Kiat Lee

Hand #70: Wai Kiat Lee raised to 320,000 from the button and Wayne Lam defended from the big blind.

The flop came 6 7 2 and both players checked to see the 6 come on the turn. The action went check-check again and the dealer peeled off the 5 as the river.

Lam bet out for 350,000 and Lee called. Lam tabled 7 5 for two pair, and Lee mucked Q T for queen-high and Lam was sent the pot.