The first two APT festivals of the 2025 poker season, the APT Manila Classic 2025 and the APT Taipei 2025, have both broken tour records for player numbers and prize money, with the APT Taipei 2025 Main Event setting a new Taiwanese poker record as the largest and richest tournament ever to play out in the region.

Good things come in threes, and the upcoming APT Incheon 2025 looks set to continue the tour’s record-breaking trend.

Running Friday, August 1 to Sunday, August 10 in partnership with Paradise Group at the palatial Paradise City art-tainment resort, the ten-day festival features 96 tournaments (including satellites) and boasts over KRW 3.4 billion (~USD 2.3 million) in prize pool guarantees.

Just like in Manila and Taipei, there will be seats up for grabs to the APT’s largest-ever guaranteed tournament series running at the end of the year – the Asian Poker Tour Championship (APTC).

The winners of the tour’s three signature tournaments—the APT Main Event, the APT High Roller, and the APT Super High Roller—will receive a ticket to the ~USD 5 million guaranteed APTC Main Event valued at ~USD 10,700, as will the winner of the Superstar Challenge, the Zodiac Classic, and second and third place in the Main Event.

You can read in more detail about the tour’s three signature tournaments and other scheduled key events in APT Incheon 2025: The Preview.

With three APTC tickets available in high roller events, there has never been a better time to dip your toes into the high-stakes waters and fight for fortune and glory.

Close to 20 percent of the 96 APT Incheon 2025 events are high roller tournaments with 17 to choose from with buy-ins ranging from KRW 1.5 million (~USD 1,075) for the Hyper Turbo and Turbo High Rollers all the way up to the KRW 35 million (~USD 25,000) Superstar Challenge, which comes with the biggest buy-in on the schedule.

High Rolling Highlights

Read on as we look under the hood of the APT Taipei 2025 High Roller schedule and examine the tournaments on offer in more detail:

Single Day High Roller Tournaments:

John Juanda claimed his second APT high roller title in the tour’s richest Single Day High Roller

Eight of the 17 high roller tournaments (not including Turbo and Hyper Turbo tournaments which we will cover further down) are Single Day High Roller events designed to be played out in a day without sacrificing too much when it comes to the structure.

The average field size for the Single Day High Rollers comes in at 89, with an average prize pool in the region of USD 215,000 with the winner walking away with an average top prize of USD 55,000, although some winners have walked away with a six-figure payday – not bad for a tournament that wraps up in a day!

Poker legend John Juanda bested the tour’s largest-ever Single Day High Roller tournament at the recent APT Taipei 2025, defeating a record field of 230 entries to claim the lion’s share of the APT’s richest-ever SDHR prize pool – a chunky TWD 16.8 million (USD 521,330). Juanda claimed a TWD 3.5 million (USD 110, 240) top prize, earning his second APT high roller title in the process.

Buy-ins range from KRW 3 million (~USD 2,150) all the way up to KRW 10 million (~USD 7,170) for the No Limit Hold’em tournaments, and there is also a PL Omaha High - High Roller and a 9 Game - High Roller which both come with a KRW 3 million buy-in.

The Event #11: PL Omaha High - High Roller comes with a 100,000-chip starting stack and 30-minute levels, and the Event #73: 9 Game - High Roller comes with a 50,000-chip starting stack and 30-minute levels.

All the rest come with 100,000-chip starting stacks. Event #3: Single Day High Roller and Event #93: High Roller – Last Chance come with 20-minute levels, as does Single Day High Roller – Mystery Bounty KRW 1.5M Bounty. Event #21: Single Day High Roller and Event #74: Baby Superstar Challenge, sport 30-minute levels, and Event #53: High Roller comes with 40-minute blind levels.

A 30-second shot clock is in effect from the start of all tournaments. As per the APT tournament rules players receive two 30-second time banks and receive another time bank at every scheduled break.

Event #45: Single Day High Roller - Mystery Bounty KRW 1.5M Bounty Reigning APT Incheon Single Day High Roller – Mystery Bounty champion Katsuki Yamashita

DATE: Tuesday, August 5

BUY-IN: KRW 3.5M (~USD 2,500)

One of the more exciting single day events on the high roller schedule, the Single Day High Roller – Mystery Bounty sees KRW 1.5 million (~USD 1,075) of the initial buy-in set aside for the mystery bounty pool, which kicks in when double the number of players compared to the paying positions remain – so if the top ten places payout, then the bounties come into play with 20 players remaining.

Mystery Bounties are earned through the elimination of another player, which gives the winner the chance to draw a mystery envelope containing a cash payout ranging from the price of the initial buy-in all the way up to a USD five-figure sum.

Japan’s Katsuki Yamashita is the defending APT Incheon Single Day High Roller – Mystery Bounty champion, overcoming a field of 77 entries back during the APT Incheon 2023 to scoop a KRW 36.9 million (USD 27,700) top prize, plus a further KRW 12 million (USD 9,000) in bounties.

The tournament averages 109 entries and a combined prize pool (including bounties) of over USD 250,000, paying out an average top prize of over USD 36,000.

Event #74: Baby Superstar Challenge Taiwan’s Chi Wei Fan won the tour’s largest ever Baby Superstar Challenge at APT Taipei 2025

DATE: Friday, August 8

BUY-IN: KRW 10M (~USD 7,170)

The Baby Superstar Challenge made its debut at APT Taipei 2024 and has become a standout edition to the schedule. This single day version of the two-day Superstar Challenge has seen seven players claim the coveted Baby Superstar Challenge gold lion silhouette trophy since its introduction.

With a KRW 10 million (USD 7,170) buy-in, this is the third priciest tournament on the schedule and draws an average field of 68 entries, generating an average prize pool of over USD 344,000, with the winner walking away with an average top prize of USD 97,000.

Taiwan’s Chi Wei Fan currently holds the record for the tour’s largest-ever Baby Superstar Challenge win, defeating a record field of 151 entries at the recent APT Taipei 2025 to claim a TWD 5.3 million (USD 165,000) top prize – the richest the tournament has ever awarded.

Event #93: High Roller - Last Chance Natural8 Ambassador Yu Chung “Nevan” Chang is the only player to have won the High Roller – Last Chance tournament twice

DATE: Sunday, August 10

BUY-IN: KRW 3M (~USD 2,150)

The last of the festival’s scheduled single day high roller tournaments offers the tour’s dedicated high rolling contingent that last chance at fortune and glory.

Switzerland’s Dinesh Alt holds the record for the tour’s richest-ever High Roller – Last Chance victory, defeating a record field of 200 entries at APT Taipei 2025 to claim the largest first-place prize the event has ever awarded – a sizable TWD 2.4 million (USD 81,000).

However, it is Natural8 Ambassador Yu Chung “Nevan” Chang who is the defending APT Incheon champion, overcoming an 85-strong field to take a KRW 61.9 million (USD 46,450) top prize at APT Incheon 2023.

Chang is also the only player in tour history to have claimed two High Roller – Last Chance titles, winning his first back during the APT Summer Series Da Nang 2023.

The tournament averages 77 entries and generates an average prize pool of close to USD 140,000, with the champion claiming an average top prize of USD 38,500.

Two-Day High Roller Tournaments:

In addition to the KRW 15M APT Super High Roller (KRW 500M) GTD) and the KRW 5M APT High Roller (KRW 400M GTD), playing out on Sunday, August 2 to Monday, August 3, and Saturday, August 9 to Sunday, August 10 respectively, there are a further two two-day high roller events on the schedule; Event #29: Superstar Challenge, and Event #31: High Roller - Ultra Stack.

Event #29: Superstar Challenge Reigning APT Incheon Superstar Challenge champion Jun Hao Wu

DATE: Monday, August 4

BUY-IN: KRW 35M (~USD 25,000)

The pinnacle of the tour’s high roller tournaments, the KRW 35M Superstar Challenge boasts the biggest buy-in on the schedule and attracts some of the game’s greats.

Both France’s Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier and the USA’s Joseph Cheong just two of the big names to have tamed the exclusive black lion Superstar Challenge trophy, with the latter having made tour history and claimed the title twice.

However, it is Singapore’s Jun Hao Wu who is the reigning APT Incheon Superstar Challenge champion, having bested a 57-strong field at APT Incheon 2023 to claim a KRW 177 million (USD 134,000) top prize.

Players start with a 250,000-chip stack and battle over 40-minute levels with a 30-second shot clock in play from the start.

This prestigious event averages 40 entries and generates an average prize pool of over USD 540,000, with the winner claiming an average top prize of over USD 196,000.

Event #31: High Roller - Ultra Stack South Korea’s Chang Hwan Lee won the tour’s largest-ever Ultra Stack at APT Taipei 2025

DATE: Monday, August 4

BUY-IN: KRW 4.5M (~USD 3,225)

First making its tour debut back during the APT Taipei Poker Classic 2024 where it was called the High Roller – Double Stack, the tournament was tweaked and rebranded as the Ultra Stack for the start of the 2025 poker season at the APT Manila 2025.

The recent High Roller – Ultra Stack at APT Taipei 2025 proved to be the biggest yet, drawing a record field of 354 entries and generating a massive TWD 22.9 million (USD 708,000) prize pool, with South Korea’s Chang Hwan Lee claiming the richest first place prize the tournament has ever awarded – a hefty TWD 4.4 million (USD 137,800).

Players start with a 200,000-chip stack and duke it out over 50-minute levels with a 30-second shot clock in play from the start.

The tournament averages 157 entries and generates an average prize pool of close to USD 300,000, with the winner taking an average top prize of USD 66,000.

Turbo and Hyper Turbo High Roller Tournaments:

There are a further five Turbo and Hyper Turbo high roller tournaments on the schedule, all coming with KRW 1.5M (~USD 1,075) buy-ins and 20,000-chip starting stacks with a 15-second shot clock in play from the start.

As per the APT tournament rules players receive two 15-second time banks at the start of the tournament and an additional time bank at every scheduled break.

The Turbo tournaments come with 15-minute levels and attract an average of 48 entries, generating an average prize pool of over USD 45,000, with the winner claiming an average top prize of USD 14,400.

The Hyper Turbo tournaments come with 10-minute levels and attract an average of 45 entries, generating an average prize pool of USD 27,500, with the winner walking away with an average first place prize of USD 9,000.

• Event #5: Turbo - High Roller – KRW 1.5M (~USD 1,075) buy-in, Friday, August 1
• Event #26: Turbo - High Roller – KRW 1.5M (~USD 1,075) buy-in, Sunday, August 3
• Event #58: Hyper Turbo - High Roller – KRW 1.5M (~USD 1,075) buy-in, Wednesday, August 6
• Event #62: Turbo - High Roller – KRW 1.5M (~USD 1,075) buy-in, Thursday, August 7
• Event #96: Turbo - High Roller – KRW 1.5M (~USD 1,075) buy-in, Sunday, August 10