Isaac Haxton

Isaac Haxton proved once again why he is one of the world's best poker players after taking down the TWD 300,000 APT Super High Roller for TWD 9,089,650 (\~$287,885) and getting his hands on the flagship pewter lion trophy. Haxton came out on top of the 137-player (93 unique) field after defeating Tony Lin in a gripping heads-up contest that saw the runner-up add TWD 6,173,000 (\~$195,500) to his bankroll.

The event saw its richest-ever prize pool of TWD 37,873,650 (~$1,200,000) and its second-biggest field size on record despite the buy-in being double what it usually is.

APT host Gregory "Greg Goes All In" Liow got a chance to talk to Haxton after the American player lifted his maiden APT title.

"This is awesome. A great start. I am definitely enjoying my entry into APT" replied Haxton when Liow remarked this was his first APT series, and first APT trophy.

"It was a wild heads-up match. Big pots every hand and a lot of back and forth."

Haxton added a few comments about the award-winning APT lion trophy.

"This is no joke of a trophy. I hope you're going to help me ship this because it's not fitting in my luggage" joked Haxton.

"Thanks to everyone who is watching and supporting me. This has been a lot of fun for me, and I hope you have enjoyed it"

Of the 27 players that made it into Day 2, it was Philippines' Mike Takayama who led the way in the counts with global superstars such as Hong Kong's Wayne Heung, the Netherland's Jans "Graftekkel" Arends, Natural8 Ambassador Punnat Punsri and Lithuania's Vladas Tamasauskas all in pursuit of glory.

With just twenty spots being paid, the first few levels were extremely tight with nobody wanting to bubble. In fact, there was so much tanking and stalling that the VP of Live Poker Operations for the APT, Lloyd Fontillas, opted to play hand-for-hand two spots away from the money instead of the usual one.

Canada's Aidan Tam would be the last player to go home empty-handed after he shoved all in from the small blind with ace-four and Andrija Robovic snap-called with pocket aces. The board brought no help to Tam and once the stacks were counted down it was realized that Robovic covered his opponent by just a single chip.

Vincent Huang

Level twenty-two was quite the spectacle after five players were eliminated to burst the final table bubble. Heung, Greece's Alexandros Theologis, Singapore's Jun Hao Wu, Hong Kong's Wing Po Liu, and New Zealand's Vincent Huang all hit the rail with the latter tangling in a huge pot with Haxton to finish in tenth. Haxton had five-bet shoved with pocket aces and Huang made the call with pocket queens which created a pot worth around a third of the total chips in play. No help would arrive for the Kiwi player and his run came to an end one spot shy of the final table.

In the first hand dealt of the final table, Robovic ran his ace-jack into the pocket jacks of Hong Kong's Edward Yam after he made a pot-committing raise preflop and then called off the shove. No help would arrive for Robovic and he picked up TWD 909,000 (~$28,790) for ninth.

The very next hand saw another elimination as short-stacked bracelet-winner Sung Joo Hyun got his three big blinds into the middle with queen-nine but stood no chance against the pocket queens of Haxton. Hyun came into the final table as a clear short stack but the ladder up to eighth earned him a payday of TWD 1,174,000 (~$37,185).

Sung Joo Hyun

The trend of eliminating a player for every hand that was played continued on hand number three as Tien Loon Ling shoved all in for eight big blinds with ace-four and was called by three-time bracelet-winner Yan Shing "Anson" Tsang, who held pocket kings. No help arrived for Ling meaning he exited in seventh and banked TWD 1,587,000 (~$50,265) for his run.

Quite unbelievably, the fourth hand of the final table produced yet another knockout as Punsri hit the rail at the hands of Lin. Punsri had three-bet with ace-jack and called the shove of Lin, who held pocket kings. Despite a jack-high flop, the reigning APT Taipei Main Event champion couldn't catch up to the Cowboys of Lin and he was eliminated in sixth for TWD 2,117,000 (~$67,050).

After such a violent start to the final table, it would be fair to assume that play would slow up and the dust would settle, but the players had other ideas. Just five hands after Punsri's departure, Takayama's seat would be vacant after a topsy-turvy hand led to his demise. Yam had called the cold four-bet shove of Takayama with ace-king, with the Filipino player holding ace-queen. A queen-high flop gave Takayama the lead but Yam rivered Broadway to send the Philippines' #2 ranked player out in fifth for TWD 2,700,000 (~$85,515).

Yan Shing "Anson" Tsang

Tsang then lost a series of hands which decimated his chip stack and forced him to shove all in with ace-three, only for Haxton to make the call after the eventual champion looked down at ace-ten. A ten-high flop seemed to seal it but Tsang turned both flush and straight draws to give him a glimpse of survival. Unfortunately for Tsang, the river bricked out meaning he was eliminated in fourth and picked up TWD 3,363,000 (~$106,510) for his run.

The very next hand would see the field reduced from three to two as Yam took the first of the podium places. Yam had shoved over Haxton's open with ace-seven and Lin made the call behind with pocket eights. After Haxton had got out of the way, Lin's snowmen held up to melt away any chance Yam had of lifting the trophy. However, a career-best score of TWD 4,071,000 (~$128,935) will certainly help make the journey home easier.

When heads-up play kicked off, it was Haxton who held the slenderest of chip leads with seventy-two big blinds vs the sixty-four of Lin. Going heads-up against one of the greatest players of all time can be daunting for anybody but Lin landed the first blows to gain an almost four-to-one chip advantage over Haxton in the early goings.

Tony Lin

Just as Lin looked to be on the verge of victory, the pendulum swung back in Haxton's favor after a rollercoaster runout. In a three-bet pot, both players got all the chips in on a five-seven-eight flop with Lin holding five-six for a pair and an open-ended straight draw and Haxton holding pocket tens for an overpair.

"A six would be fair" said Haxton.

The dealer obliged by slamming a six on the turn to improve Lin to two pair and leave him one card away from the title. With the trophy in touching distance, another ten landed on the river to improve Haxton to a set and leave Lin at a seven-to-one chip deficit.

When the next hand was dealt, the chips would once again find themselves in the middle of the table as Lin's pocket queens went head-on with Haxton's pocket kings. This time the board brought no surprises as the clean runout saw Haxton clinch the title meaning Lin had to settle for the TWD 6,173,000 (~$195,500) runner-up prize.

Congratulations to Haxton on his first APT title!

Isaac Haxton wins the APT Super High Roller for TWD 9,089,650 (~$287,885).

A full write-up of the day's action will follow shortly.

Tony Lin

Tony Lin has been eliminated in 2nd place for TWD 6,173,000 (~$195,500).

Hand 53 Lin shoved all in around 4,000,000 and Isaac Haxton made the call.

Lin Q Q

Haxton K K

A brutal run of hands for Lin who needed to find Lady Luck to remain in contention.

The dealer ran a board of T A 7 6 6 which meant Lin was eliminated in second place.

Isaac Haxton

Hand 52 Haxton raised to 600,000 and Lin made the call. The flop fell 7 8 5 and Lin led for 750,000. Haxton then raised to 2,300,000 and Lin shoved. Haxton snap called.

Lin 5 6

Haxton T T

A sick flop saw all the chips go in with Lin having a chance of becoming the APT Super High Roller champion.

"A six would be fair" said Haxton.

Just as he ordered, the dealer slammed a 6 onto the turn which improved Lin to two pair and left him on the brink of winning the title.

Lin would be denied as the T hit the river to give Haxton top set and give the player who sits eighth on the All-Time Money List a huge chip lead.

Hand 49 Tony Lin made it 750,000 and Isaac Haxton called. The flop came 6 9 7 and they both checked to see a 7 . Haxton bet 2,200,000 and Lin folded.

Hand 50 Haxton limped in and Lin checked. The flop fell Q 8 6 and Lin led for 300,000 and Haxton called. An A came on the turn and both players checked. The K completed the runout and Haxton fired 1,200,000. Lin folded.

Hand 51 Lin raised to 750,000 and Haxton called. A 3 3 J flop went check-check and a T peeled off on the turn. Haxton fired for 1,200,000 and Lin called. The river came a 2 and both players checked. Haxton won with T 5 .

Hand 46 Isaac Haxton limped in and Tony Lin checked. The flop of K 8 Q and Lin led out for 300,000, Haxton called. A turn Q and Lin fired a second barrel of 1,000,000, which Haxton called. The K river double paired the board and Lin unloaded the clip with a bet of 1,900,000. Haxton called and won with A 8 for ace-high.

Hand 47 Lin raised to 750,000 and Haxton made the called. A monotone flop of T K 3 saw Lin fire 1,000,000 into the pot and Haxton called. The 3 paired the board and Lin bet 2,800,000, Haxton called. The T completed the board and Lin made a huge bet of 5,750,000 and Haxton eventually folded.

Hand 48 Haxton limped in and Lin made it 1,100,000. Haxton then shipped all in for around 10,000,000. Lin folded.

Hand 41 Tony Lin raised to 750,000 and Isaac Haxton called. The flop came A 8 4 and Lin won the pot with a bet.

Hand 42 Haxton limped in and Lin checked. The flop fell A 7 A and Lin folded to Haxton's bet.

Hand 43 Lin opened the action and took down the pot.

Hand 44 Haxton limped in and Lin made it 1,100,000. Haxton folded.

Hand 45 Lin raised to 750,000 and Haxton shoved all in for 9,975,000. Lin folded.

Tony Lin

Hand 38 Isaac Haxton limped in and Tony Lin checked. The flop came 2 2 T Haxton fired 300,000 and Lin quickly called. A 3 dropped on the turn and both players checked. Lin fired 1,000,000 on the Q river and Haxton folded.

Hand 39 Lin opened to 750,000 and won the pot.

Hand 40 Haxton limped in and Lin raised to 1,000,000. Haxton called. The flop fell T T J and Lin fired 750,000, Haxton called again. A K on the turn saw both players check to see a Q river. Lin fired 2,300,000 and Haxton called with A 7 to win the pot with a straight.

Hand 36 Isaac Haxton raised to 650,000 and Tony Lin called. A low flop of 6 3 5 saw Haxton fire 1,150,000 and Lin raise to 3,250,000. Haxton called. A 6 came on the turn and Lin fired 3,000,000. Haxton folded.

Hand 37 Lin raised to 600,000 and Haxton called. The flop fell 4 3 6 and Haxton check-called a bet of 750,000 from Lin. A 2 came on the turn and both players checked. The river was a 3 and Haxton checked, Lin fired a pot-sized bet of 3,000,000, and Haxton called. Lin tabled K 6 to win the pot.