Chip Leader Tony Ren Lin

The KRW 35,000,000 (~USD 25,000) Superstar Challenge has wrapped up drawing a total of 49 entries (39 unique), a 22% increase from last year’s Jeju edition, and creating a total prize pool of KRW 1,609,950,000 (~USD 1,118,020).

From the first shuffle to the final bag, it was unyielding pressure and elite-level poker inside LES A Casino. Now, just 16 players remain, and standing tallest at the summit is none other than newly crowned APT Super High Roller champion Tony Ren Lin from China, who closed the day with a commanding 1,480,000.

He is within striking distance of poker’s most coveted prize on this stage: the APT Black Stealth Lion, along with the KRW 465,270,000 (~USD 323,100) top payout.

Superstar Challenge Day 1 Top Ten Chip Counts:

Lin arrives with momentum and a clear target on his back. Just one day earlier, he authored a remarkable comeback in the KRW 15,000,000 APT Super High Roller, clawing his way back from the brink with just two big blinds to claim the APT Pewter Lion.

Returning to battle once more, Lin entered late yet again and still emerged with the chip lead. The defining moment came in a pivotal coin flip against Japan's Jun Obara, when Lin’s pocket fours spiked a set, sending his stack surging toward the top.

Hot on his heels is a familiar force. American Joseph Cheong bagged 1,195,000, continuing his reign atop the APT All-Time Money List. A two-time winner of the Superstar Challenge and two-time Zodiac Classic champion, Cheong is once again deep, once again dangerous, and now positioned to chase history as he eyes a potential third title in this very event.

Joseph Cheong

Completing the top three is Lithuanian Paulinus Plausinaitis with 1,015,000, the final player to eclipse the one-million-chip mark. Ranked fourth on Lithuania’s All-Time Money List, Plausinaitis has lived on the brink of APT glory before. The lion has slipped from his grasp more than once but with chips in hand and opportunity knocking, this could finally be his moment.

Lester Edoc (900,000) from the Philippines has already captured multiple APT titles and sits comfortably fifth on the chip leaderboard. Despite entering the tournament late, Edoc steadily accumulated chips through grit and well-timed decisions to finish inside the top ten.

His stack received a crucial boost in the final six hands of the day, when his pocket jacks extracted maximum value in a key pot against Cheong. It would come as little surprise if Edoc continues to methodically climb the counts on the final day in pursuit of yet another APT title.

Natural8 Amabassador Eric Tsai

Taiwan’s Ting Yi Eric Tsai (735,000), also known as 6-Poker, is the last remaining Natural8 Ambassador in the field and sits ninth in chips. Tsai put together a consistently strong performance, building his stack incrementally by carefully choosing his spots and gradually wearing down his opponents.

Several notable names fell short of Day 2 as play drew to a close. Former APT champion Martin Sedlak from Germany was eliminated by Taiwan's Nevan Chang, who would also fail to advance to the final day.

Despite Sedlak holding the advantage with ace-jack against Chang’s ace-six, Chang connected on the turn and improved to two pair on the river, sending Sedlak to the rail less than an hour before the end of play.

Thailand's Punnat Punsri also fell short of the final day after the dinner break, when his pocket jacks were cracked by Vietnamese Khoa Anh Ngo’s pocket nines, which turned into a set on the river.

Meanwhile, Thai Nirunrut Rachburom, the lone woman remaining in the field, was eliminated during the final six hands of the day.

Final Table Payouts:

The final day begins at 11:15 a.m. (KST) at LES A Casino. Play resumes at Level 15 with 40-minute levels and will continue until a new champion is crowned.

Join us tomorrow for more high-level, riveting poker action as we continue to bring you live updates straight from the floor.

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The remaining 16 players are now bagging and tagging for the day.

Stay tuned for a recap of Day 1 of the Superstar Challenge.

Nirunrut Rachburom

With the last few hands before the day ends, Nirunrut Rachburom had all her chips worth 126,000 in the middle against Ting Tsai in an all-in showdown.

Nirunrut Rachburom: A 6

Ting Tsai: A 8

Rachburom was so anxious to be eliminated Tony Ren Lin went over her side and started cheering her on, calling the six to come down on the board. The board ran T K 9 4 J for a split pot.

Rachburom started cheering as Lin assured her there was nothing to worry about as long as he called the board. Unfortunately, Rachburom didn't make it and got eliminated a few hands later.

Lester Edoc

Lester Edoc opened to 32,000 from early position and was called by Joseph Cheong in the big blind.

Cheong checked to Edoc, who continued for 35,000 on the 5 4 9 flop. Cheong then raised to 90,000 and Edoc called.

Edoc then called a 75,000 bet from Cheong on the 5 turn and fired 170,000 into the middle after being checked to on the 4 river.

Cheong didn't take long to stick in a call and Edoc tabled J J . Cheong sent his hand into the muck upon seeing it and Edoc was sent the large pot as play winds down for the day.

Joseph Cheong

It was a battle of the early positions - Ryuta Nakai and Joseph Cheong - both of whom were trying to win the juicy pot of 210,000 chips beside the 8 6 7 5 board.

Nakai made a 60,000 bet but Cheong didn't want to give up that easily and made the call.

The river 2 fell and once again Nakai made a 170,000 bet. Not to be shaken off, Cheong called once again.

Nakai tabled A 3 for ace-high and Cheong, the victor, turned over A 8 for a pair.

The floor has announced that the players are on their last six hands before the day ends.

Ren Lin

Weiran Pu opened from the hijack and Artem Vezhenkov defended his big blind.

Vezhenkov checked on the 5 T 4 flop and Pu continued for 30,000. Vezhenkov then check-raised to 100,000, which got a quick call from Pu.

Vezhenkov went back to checking on the Q turn and Pu took back the initiative with a bet of 155,000. Vezhenkov wanted no part of it and laid his hand down.

At another table, Ren Lin and Jun Obara got into a massive preflop flip.

According to Lin, Obara held ace-king against Lin's pocket fours and Lin ended up hitting a set of fours to eliminate Obara.

Ryuta Nakai

Lester Edoc in the big blind and Ryuta Nakai in the cutoff were both looking at a 4 7 9 flop with around 70,000 chips beside it.

Edoc passed the action to Nakai, who bet 21,000. Edoc decided to hang on and see the next street.

Edoc once again check-called Nakai's 70,000 bet on the T turn, unfazed by the increasing pressure the latter was applying.

On the river K , Edoc took over the reins and fired 125,000 sending Nakai to the tank.

After burning a time bank, Nakai decided to take back control by raising to 285,000, this time forcing Edoc to mull things over. Edoc pushed his time bank forward, knowing that he would need time to consider what to do next.

He set the chips aside to call but continue to weigh things up. After getting the extra time he needed, he decided to call.

Nakai showed 6 8 for a straight, and despite knowing he was beat, Edoc turned over K 7 for a two pair on the river.

Action folded around to the blinds, where Jun Obara called from the small blind and Huu Dung Nguyen checked his option in the big blind.

Obara check-called a 15,000 bet from Nguyen on the 3 6 4 flop and then both players checked on the T turn.

Obara checked a final time on the Q river, prompting a 30,000 bet from Nguyen.

Obara thought a bit before deciding to look up Nguyen, who tabled 9 6 for a pair of sixes.

Obara nodded his head and rapped the table before sending his cards into the muck.

Nang Quang Nguyen

Ryuta Nakai raised to 24,000 on the button and big blind Nang Quang Nguyen decided to shove all-in for 83,000. Nakai snap-called putting Nguyens tournament life on the line.

Nang Quang Nguyen: K T

Ryuta Nakai: A 9

Nguyen was looking at a potential boost to his stack when the flop dropped 2 K 2 for a two-pair on the paired board.

The turn 6 maintained his lead but his hopes were dashed when the A fell on the river, giving Nakai the higher two-pair.

Nguyen left the table quietly, along with the other players that were quickly falling off nearing the end of the day.