Calvin Lee

The 2025 APT Incheon Superstar Challenge has reached its conclusion, with United States’ Calvin Lee taking home the title of Champion in this prestigious KRW 35M buy-in event.

Lee won KRW 328,300,000 (~USD 235,680) for his efforts over the last two days, outplaying a final table of six to claim the APT Black Stealth Lion Trophy and a ticket to the 2025 APT Championship in Taipei in November.

Heads-up play between Lee and Japan’s Jun Obara lasted around 20 minutes. Obara battled valiantly until the end, in a display of skill between the two players.

Obara started the day as the second-shortest stack, yet fought fiercely throughout the session and was rewarded for his efforts. The Japanese player took home KRW 218,870,000 (~USD 157,120) for his second-place finish – a top four career-best cash and his largest-ever result on Korean soil, taking his total live earnings to just over $5M.

This win pushes Lee’s live tournament winnings close to $4.5M, surpassing Phil ‘Unabomber’ Laak for the #269 spot on the United States' All-Time Money List. Over $2M of those winnings have been cashed this year, with the majority in South Korea.

Final Table Results

*in addition to a $10,000 APTC Ticket

Only six players out of 24 total entries (18 unique) made it back to the felt today, after 11 intense hours of poker yesterday. With only four places paying out, nobody wanted to be out early in the day. Unfortunately, someone had to.

The first player missing out on a cash was Germany’s Fabian Schmidt. Schmidt was one of the original starting eight on Day 1, not having re-bought and battling all the way through the day.

The chip leader for a good portion of Day 1, Schmidt ran into bad luck and was outplayed by Japan’s Katsuki Yamashita late in the day, starting the final day as the table’s short stack. Schmidt fought through the start of the day but was dispatched by Thailand’s Thanisorn Saelor, exiting in sixth.

Fabian Schmidt

Next out in fifth, and bursting the bubble, was the United States’ Stanley Weng. The former APT High Roller champion started the day as the second-highest stack, just a couple hundred thousand behind Lee, but had his stack severely dented by Saelor after all-in confrontation during Level 16. Not long after, Weng went all in with ace-queen offsuit but ran into Lee’s pocket queens.

The remaining four players battled for another two hours, with Obara at the bottom of the stacks and Lee sitting comfortably at the top. Saelor was fourth in chips going into the day, and although he was briefly closing in on Lee for the chip lead earlier in the day, he was slowly worn down until he was left with about 800,000.

Shortly after the first break, Saelor got it all in preflop against Lee holding pocket threes but was up against Lee’s kings and couldn’t improve on the runout, exiting in fourth.

Thanisorn Saelor

Sweden’s Mikael Andersson started the day third in chips and placed third in the event, as he was unable to gain any real traction and move up the counts.

Andersson had a small chunk taken from his stack in a preflop shove hand against Obara, and was eventually knocked out by Lee, who paired a two on the flop holding king two to eliminate Andersson after the latter defended his big blind with ace three.

Still, this finish is Andersson’s best live cash and takes his total live earnings to almost $500,000. Andersson placed sixth in the Single Day High Roller event earlier in the series and cashed for around $6,000, so he’ll no doubt be pleased with today’s result.

Mikael Andersson

Heads-Up Chip Counts

Calvin was a clear favourite going into heads-up play, holding a 5:1 chip advantage over Obara. Despite a small dip in his stack earlier in the day, Lee remained the chip leader throughout the tournament, never taking a backwards step.

Obara did extremely well to build his stack despite being disadvantaged going into the day; securing a crucial double-up through Andersson to keep him in the game, which eventually resulted in Andersson's downfall.

The Final Two

Heads-up lasted around 20 minutes, with Obara bombing the river in one of the first couple of hands, pushing his stack well above 1,000,000.

Following that, it was a series of preflop raises and folds, until Lee moved all in on the river after a 150,000-chip bet from Obara, forcing him to make the ultimate decision.

With his rail and onlookers nervously watching, Obara threw in the calling chip and saw the bad news. Lee’s ten-eight had made a straight on the river, besting Obara’s rivered two pair, and he was out in second place.

Just like that, Lee was crowned the 2025 APT Incheon Superstar Challenge Champion at Paradise City Casino. Reflecting on the event and poker in general, Lee said he had “been running hot, just look at all my cashes, all of them in Korea (chuckle).”

Calvin Lee

After around 20 minutes of heads-up play, Calvin Lee has been named the victor of APT Incheon's Superstar Challenge, taking home over $235,000, the prestigious APT trophy and a ticket to the APT Championship in November.

Stay tuned for a full recap of the day & what Lee had to say about his win.

Jun Obara

Jun Obara called from the button and Calvin Lee checked in the big.

On the 6 5 J flop, Lee led for 50,000 and Obara made the call.

Action slowed on the 9 turn. Once the dealer flipped over the Q on the river, Obara counted out a 150,000 bet, and Lee moved all in.

Obara plucked off his time banks, and sat while his rail and other onlookers watched in suspense.

He eventually flipped his cards as he threw in a single chip to make the call:

Jun Obara: Q 5

Calvin Lee: T 8

Obara saw the bad news as Lee had rivered a straight, besting his two-pair.

Obara was understandably disappointed but congratulatory towards Lee, as he gave him respect and went to collect over $157,000, his best Korean career-cash to date.

Jun Obara called from the button and Calvin Lee checked the big blind.

On the 3 5 A flop, Lee check-called Obara's 50,000 bet.

On the T turn, Lee checked, Obara bet 125,000 and Lee called.

Th dealer flipped the 2 for the river card, Lee checked, and Obara counted out 360,000.

Lee let the hand go.

Calvin Lee and Jun Obara are the remaining two players in the 2025 APT Incheon Superstar Challenge. They've outlasted a field of 24 entries over two intense days of poker.

Stay tuned to find out who will be named the champion!

Mikael Andersson

Calvin Lee moved all in from the small blind, and Mikael Andersson called from the big to put himself at risk.

Mikael Andersson: A 3

Calvin Lee: K 2

Lee paired his duece on the 2 7 5 flop, and Andersson found no salvation on the remainder of the 8 J runout, eliminating him in third place.

Jun Obara and Calvin Lee will now be going heads-up until the Champion is decided.

Thanisorn Saelor

Thanisorn Saelor got the remainder of his 800,000 chip stack in preflop, against Calvin Lee, and the two players put cards on their backs:

Thanisorn Saelor: 3 3

Calvin Lee: K K

The: 5 6 8 4 T runout ensured Lee's pocket kings stayed ahead and Saelor was eliminated in fourth. Still, he takes away almost $70,000 for his efforts.

Calvin Lee called from under the gun and Thanisorn Saelor checked in the big blind.

On the J K 3 flop, Saelor check-called a 60,000 bet from Lee.

Lee slid 125,000 into the middle following Saelor's check on the A turn, prompting Saelor to slide his cards into the muck.

The final four players are on their first scheduled break of the day.