Julian Warhurst

Australia's Julian Warhurst emerged victorious in the APTC Taipei 2025 Freezeout Championship Event, securing TWD 2,624,300 (~USD 81,754) to become the first player in the APT New Era to win a Championship title and one of the APT's Big Three signature marquee events and collect two of the tour's mega lion trophies.

The Freezeout Championship kicked off yesterday with an impressive turnout of 303 entries, building a total prize pool of TWD 13,089,600 (~USD 407,776). After a full day of play, 93 survivors advanced to take their seats this morning.

The final day saw many hit the rail—ending several players’ last chance at APT glory in 2025 with this being one of the final events on the schedule. Fabian Rolli, Daisuke Ogita, and Romain Dours were among the early casualties.

Bubble

Jinlong Hu

The bubble loomed and after a short hand-for-hand phase, China's Jinlong Hu was the unlucky 40th-place finisher, just missing the cash after getting pocket fours in against pocket jacks.

Just 39 made the money, and Russia's Dmitrii Belikov was the first to lock up the minimum cash of TWD 90,300 (~USD 2,813).

Ngamsiri Asiralertsiri

Ngamsiri Asiralertsiri, Jihwan Oh, and Philemon Ip were among those who secured a cash but fell short of reaching the final table.

Singapore's Kim Wah Chiu narrowly missed the final table, finishing 10th for TWD 229,100 (~USD 7,340) after running into ace-king.

Final Table Action

Akira Takasugi of Japan dominated for most of the event, entering the final table as the chip leader. He also led going into the final two tables.

Nevan Chang

Natural8 Ambassador and Taiwaneese local Nevan Chang entered the final table in fourth position, but was first to bust after losing a key pot and then his tournament life to the Philippines’ Jason Magbanua. Chang got ace-king offsuit in against Magbanua’s pocket kings and found no help, sending him home in 9th place.

Despite getting a chip up, Magbanua was next out in 8th after his ace-king suited fell to Takasugi’s jack-nine offsuit when a jack landed on the flop—following a rare mis-click by Takasugi, who hadn’t seen the original open.

Swiss’s Dinesh Alt followed shortly after in 7th. Alt was ahead when Kuan Yu Chen called off his stack pre-flop, but both players bricked the board, and Alt exited.

Andre Plaza Marcano

Venezuela’s Andre Plaza Marcano ran into Julian Warhurst’s kings and couldn’t catch a flush draw, ending his run in 6th place.

Hugues Girard of France placed 5th after battling hard but finding no help against Takasugi’s ace-ten suited.

A big battle ensued for the podium positions, with Australia’s Justin Tsui appearing in almost every pot. Warhurst then secured a key double-up.

Kuan Yu Chen

Taiwan's Kuan Yu Chen had been very quiet as one of the short stacks. Down to around five big blinds, he moved in with king-eight suited, but was eliminated in 4th place when Takasugi found a jack on the turn.

Three-Handed

Three-handed play lasted over an hour, with all three players exchanging pots. Warhurst mounted a comeback from the short stack, climbing from 1 million to just under 3 million over a couple of levels.

Warhurst doubled again, leaving Japan's Akira Takasugi short, which led to his elimination in 3rd place. Tsui sealed the knockout holding seven-three offsuit against Takasugi’s king-eight suited.

Heads Up

Justin Tsui (left) and Julian Warhurst (right)

Tsui entered heads-up play as the favourite. The pair knew each other well as cash-game regulars on the Melbourne circuit, and the duel was friendly and entertaining.

Their back-and-forth lasted nearly two hours. Early on, Warhurst’s momentum shifted and one double-up closed the gap.

Shortly after, another double-up put Warhurst far ahead when he flopped a flush draw and completed it on the turn.

Warhurst ran away with the lead, and despite a few small setbacks, he secured the crown, with Justin Tsui finishing runner-up after gettting the last of his chips in with deuces against sevens.

Warhurst had earlier missed out on a lion in one of the first events of the Natural8 Cup Championships, placing 9th, making this win even more special.

Winner Reaction

Warhurst started the day late after sleeping through his alarm. “Maybe it was destiny,” he joked. He kept a steady pace throughout, staying near the top of the counts.

On the decision not to deal heads-up, he shared: “The two of us are good friends and a lot of our friends were here to watch us. We wanted to make it more exciting for them by quickening up the action and making it more luck-based. Me and Justin are very level players.”

The pair originally met in the Melbourne cash-game scene. “It was quite funny to be playing heads up with him in a tournament now, which is a different format,” Warhurst said.

Julian Warhurst APT Summer Series in Da Nang in 2023

Warhurst becomes the first player to win both a Championship Event and one of the tour's Big Three signature Lion Trophies, having previously claimed the Pewter Lion APT Super High Roller trophy at the APT Summer Series in Da Nang in 2023, defeating a 22-player field in the Super High Roller 8 Max event. Comparing the two wins, he explained: “I enjoy freezeouts. The first one was a 21-man field, so this one feels a lot more special as it was 303 runners—much more difficult.”

He also ran deep in the Natural8 Cup Championship earlier this series: “The other freezeout didn’t go so well, as I don’t think I won a hand, so this was a nice change of pace.”

Warhurst now takes home one of the final trophies of the APT Championship 2025.

The final day of coverage begins tomorrow at 11:15 a.m., when the Mini High Roller and Trip Saver Championships conclude the APT Championship 2025 festivities. Stay with APT Live Coverage as we follow the action right down to the last card.

Justin Tsui

Justin Tsui threw everything he had at Julian Warhurst, but the damage from several costly double ups proved too much to overcome. After being whittled down to just four big blinds, Tsui found a lifeline, doubling with A T against Warhurst’s T 2 .

But the comeback was short-lived. In the next all-in showdown, Warhurst had him dominated from the start and sealed the deal, ending Tsui’s run in 2nd place.

Justin Tsui: 2 2

Julian Warhurst: 8 8

The board was 7 5 K Q 5 .

Justin Tsui

The duo, who are good friends, are currently sharing a rail.

For the majority of the final table, they were stood behind Julian Warhurst, as the short stack.

After Warhurst secured two double ups, to take the lead, the rail moved behind Justin Tsui on the other side of the table and one friend said, "We need to balance this out".

One continued with, "Every time he (Warhurst) has been all in, he's won with us behind him."

Play continued with Tsui loosing a few small pots after a number of limp-check pots were checked to showdown.

Shortly after securing one double up, Justin Tsui limped for 160,000 and Julian Warhurst raised to 600,000. Tsui moved all in and covered Warhurst's remaining 4,260,000 stack.

Warhurst checked his hand, and called.

Julian Warhurst: Q T

Justin Tsui: A 5

The 3 K K flop bought a flush draw for Warhurst but Tsui was still just ahead.

A 8 turn gave Warhurst the flush, but he needed to dodge another heart on the river.

The river was the Q and Warhurst raked in the pot.

Julian Warhurst is on a roll with two double ups to cut the gap significantly between him Justin Tsui.

The first double up opened with a limp from Warhurst on the button and Tsui checked. Both locked horns on the flop 5 A 6 with a 120,000 bet from Warhurst, check-raised by Tsui to 275,000. Warhurst answered with a shove and Tsui snap-called.

Julian Warhurst: 7 8

Justin Tsui: 3 4

Both players were hunting for the straight and both missed on the Q turn and T river. Warhurst's eight played for the first double up.

A few hands after, Tsui shoved on the button and Warhurst snap-called.

Julian Warhurst: K K

Justin Tsui: K 8

When their hole cards were tabled, Tsui was shocked to see Warhurst's cowboys which held throughout the uneventful board 5 Q A 3 Q for another double up.

Julian Warhurst

Justin Tsui limped and Julian Warhurst raised to 240,000. Tsui called, taking the players to the flop.

A 8 T 5 board saw both check to the 6 turn.

Warhurst checked, Tsui bet 350,000 and Warhurst called.

A J river was checked to showdown, with Justin Tsui showing Q 8 and taking the pot with a pair of eights.

Julian Warhurst had A 9 and passed a pot to Tsui.

In the next hand, Warhurst limped and Tsui checked.

The 3 A 5 flop was checked by Tsui and Warhurst bet 120,000. Tsui called.

A 5 was turned and Tsui check-called a 400,000 bet by Warhurst.

The K river was checked down and Tsui showed K 2 , having just got there on the river, and Warhurst flicked his hand into the muck.

After a losing session, Julian Warhurst charged back, picking up multiple pots in succession to drive his stack over 3,600,000.

Justin Tsui finally put a stop to the rush, barrelling on a board of K T J 3 to force Warhurst to fold.

The players decided to check the numbers again and for the second time, no deal was struck. Instead, play will continue with the blinds increasing at half pace.

Justin Tsui

Julian Warhurst limped the small blind and Justin Tsui checked the big blind.

The T 9 T flop saw both check to the 5 turn.

Tsui bet out 300,000 and Warhurst mucked.

In the next hand, Tsui limped and Warhurst checked.

The T K Q flop was checked to the 3 turn.

Warhurst checked, Tsui bet 240,000 and Warhurst called.

A 9 river saw the players check it down with Tsui showing Q 2 which was enough to take the pot.

Justin Tsui limped from the small blind and Julian Warhurst checked the big blind.

The A 9 6 flop saw Tsui bet 125,000 and Warhurst call.

A T was turned and Tsui bet 200,000 Warhurst made it 475,000 and Tsui mucked.

Justin Tsui (left) and Julian Warhurst (right)

Justin Tsui and Julian Warhurst are the final two players remaining in the Freezeout tournament.

Tsui was the clear leader going into play, holding over 10 million of the total 12 million chips in play.