Abhinav Iyer

India’s Abhinav Iyer, the 2019 APT Ho Chi Minh Main Event champion, is back in APT territory this week and is currently battling through Flight D of the Ultra Stack Championship. Iyer's victory in Ho Chi Minh earned him VND 2,269,092,000, roughly USD 98,055 at the time, and he followed it up later that year with a WSOP bracelet in the Closer for USD 565,346. With a strong history across Asia and a growing passion for the region’s biggest festivals, Iyer arrived in Taipei ready for another full series.

This is his third visit to Taiwan, a destination he has grown fond of. “It’s my third time in Taiwan, it’s a great place,” he said. “I love the city, it’s very developed. Great food options, great location, venue, everything is great.”

Although familiar with the city, this is Iyer’s first experience playing inside Red Space. The venue reminded him of a past series in Las Vegas. “In one of the summers in Vegas, Venetian had a tournament series in one of their basements. It has a similar vibe,” he said. “But yeah, it’s nice, it’s spacious. It’s not like other venues where there are a hundred tables and it’s cramped. Here, there’s a lot of room to walk around. It’s nice, and it’s located in the middle of the city. So yeah, it’s amazing.”

Abhinav Iyer won the 2019 APT Ho Chi Minh Main Event

Reflecting on his 2019 Main Event win, he has seen significant growth across APT. “It’s been a while since I won! I’ve always been a fan of APT. That was my first 'big win', as people like to call it,” he said. “Since the new era started, there have been major improvements in the structure and the way tournaments are run. It’s not happening every month where people get overloaded. It happens five or six times a year, which is great because you can plan a proper schedule.”

He praised the overall direction of the tour as well. “The new era has taken over, and now as you can see, the numbers have become bigger. They’re growing the game in the right way,” he said. “They’ve also started doing a lot of mixed games, which is great. I think the new era has really changed the game for Asia and Asian poker.”

Iyer intends to play a full slate of tournaments throughout the festival. “I would play all the championship events, the Main Event, probably the high roller at the end, the $7.5k [Mini High Roller Championship], but not entirely sure about that yet,” he said. “Mainly all the championship events and some of the side events here and there.”

He also offered his prediction for the Main Event field size. “Oh, that’s a tough one. I would guess 787.”

APT’s recently announced 2026 schedule is already on his radar. “I plan on going to most of them,” he said. “Right now my plan is to go for at least three stops. The first one in Jeju, the Taiwan one in April, and the Taiwan one in November, depending on how the dates line up and if the wife allows,” he added with a laugh.

Iyer is now focused on navigating Flight D of the Ultra Stack Championship, building toward another deep run on one of his favourite tours.