APT Championship Day 3; Daily Recap and Highlights

APT CHAMPIONSHIP 2025 SCHEDULE| OFFICIAL RESULTS | PLAYER LISTS | IMAGES | WINNERS

TAIPEI, TAIWAN, November 16, 2025– Salutations poker fans! We have arrived at Day 3 of the APT Championship 2025 (APTC 2025), and the action continued with the Mystery Bounty Championship beginning its Day 1 flights.

APT also crowned the first winner of the National Cup Championship event of the APTC. Find out who won and read about the day’s happenings here on our live reporting blog.

More familiar faces joined the Championship action. Read on below to see who has started their APTC journeys in earnest on Day 3.

A Queen Crowned; Kings Enter the Fray

The final day of the National Cup Championship played out today (Sunday, Nov 16), and Ruiko Mamiya from Japan stood above all to claim first. Alongside her undoubtedly hefty first place prize, Mamiya will also be in the mix for the [APTC Main Event]https://www.theasianpokertour.com/series/apt-championship-taiwan-2025/events/017f41b4-4ecb-46c9-a42d-4514668b65ca) having claimed a Main Event ticket for her finish. Catch the live reports for the event here.

Ruiko Mamiya becomes the first woman to win an APT National Cup

Subsequently, the much anticipated Mystery Bounty Championship also kicked off on Sunday, with two flights amassing 667 entries building a prize pool of TWD 11,855,300 (~USD 391,265). Catch the coverage of both flights here (A) and here (B).

Spotted amongst the high rollers playing his first tournament in the Single Day High Roller is Joseph “subiime” Cheong, presently APT’s most winningest player in terms of prize money won. In Jeju, Cheong declared that he has set his eyes on APTC Main Event to make sure his APT record stays untouched, having already punched his ticket after winning the Zodiac Classic. It's definitely worth keeping an eye on his exploits here at the Championship

Joseph Cheong is locked in for the APT Championship 2025

Meanwhile, fellow American and member of the Poker Hall of Fame Erik Seidel also quietly joined the fray today along with Cheong. Seidel is a legend even amongst poker legends, with nearly USD 50 million in live earnings. It is rare to see him on Asian soil playing tournaments, and it will be worth following his progress as he begins his APTC journey.

Erik Seidel gets his Championship run rolling

Closer to home, Wai Kiat Lee also got his feet wet at the APTC tables. The Malaysian poker globetrotter’s exploits at high stakes tournaments qre well known, but Lee has yet to claim his first APT title. Will we see him lift his first one at the Championship?

Wai Kiat Lee wlll be looking to make a splash at APT's biggest festival of the year

At the side tables, Ray Chiu, former APT Floor Manager made not one, but two final tables in the same day, this time cashing in both finishing fifth in Event #25: PL Omaha Hi-Lo - 5 Card (Big O) and Event #32: Hyper Turbo - NL - R-O-E-D-S. Perhaps we will see him winning his first APT event soon?

Ray Chiu makes three final tables in three days. Trophy soon?

Punjarojanakul Takes Down First APT TItle in Star-studded Final Table

Punjarojanakul all smiles as he brings home his first APT title

Thai pro Tanupat Punjarojanakul, based in the United States, captured his first APT title in Event #26: Single Day High Roller, topping a 74-entry field for TWD 3,007,660 (USD 97,300). With over USD 1.2 million in live earnings, Punjarojanakul added an APT victory to his poker career after navigating a notoriously tough final table filled with established poker pros.

Japan’s Hikaru Hishinuma secured the runner-up finish for TWD 2,139,000 (USD 69,200), while the Netherlands’ Michel Molenaar completed the podium in third place, earning TWD 1,400,500 (USD 45,300).

The star-studded final table also featured several notables. Thai super-pro and former APT Main Event champion Punnat Punsri finished just outside the podium in fourth for TWD 1,077,500 (USD 34,800), while long-time APT regular Joseph Cheong marked his first day of play with a sixth-place result worth TWD 667,500 (USD 21,600).

Final Table Results:

For all Event #26: Single Day Roller Results please CLICK HERE