It has been a blockbuster week for live poker in Asia. Taiwan’s very own Kung Yu-Chien dominated the Players Series Taiwan Championship, securing his first major title and NT$ 3,601,000 ($109,940). Meanwhile, Japanese university student Mitsuki Sakimoto turned his poker hobby into a life-changing victory, clinching the APL Manila Main Event for a massive ₱9,650,000 ($166,695). Here is a quick recap of their victories and other notable performances.
Kung Yu-Chien Dominates Players Series Taiwan Championship ($109,450)
Following its smashing debut last December, the second edition of the Players Series (PS) received an overwhelming response, drawing both locals and overseas poker players during its run February 19 to March 3, 2025. While the PS Taiwan had several exciting events on the schedule, the NT$ 20,000,000 ($607,500) GTD Championship event served as the series headliner and saw a smashing turnout with a staggering 862 entries resulting in a guarantee-busting prize pool of NT$ 24,570,000 ($746,000).
In the end, it was Taiwan’s own Kung Yu-Chien who topped the field, securing his first major win and a career-high NT$ 3,601,000 ($109,450).
The NT$ 33,000 (~US$ 1,000) PS Taiwan Championship paid out the top 130 finishers with min-cashes starting at NT$ 30,000 ($915). Only 14 players made it to the final day and it didn’t take long for the field to whittle down to the final 9 players. Kung started the 9-handed final table in the middle of the pack and gained momentum at five-handed after busting Chia Hsiang Ko in 5th place. Kung continued his domination, eliminating the final three players, including Ji Min Lee in the heads-up for the title.
Starting the final duel with a massive 5:1 lead, Kung sealed the victory over Lee in just a few hands. On the final hand, Lee shoved with As 7d and Kung made the call with Ad 9d. With two nines on the board, Kung made a trip to win the coveted 24K Gold PS trophy and $109,940 in top prize money. Ji Min Lee from South Korea settled in second place for $72,910.
Players Series Taiwan Championship Final Table Payouts
1. Yu Chien Kung – NT$3,601,000 / $109,940
2. Jimin Lee – NT$2,388,000 / $72,910
3. Fabian Rolli – NT$1,660,000 / $50,680
4. Beng Hong Ker – NT$1,238,000 / $37,795
5. Ko Chia Hsiang – NT$928,000 / $28,335
6. Chan Justin Pak Kwan – NT$706,900 / $21,580
7. Kennie Tay – NT$546,000 / $16,670
8. Min Sung Jun – NT$435,000 / $13,280
9. Kuan Chung Chih – NT$360,000 / $10,990
Other Notable Winners From Players Series Taiwan
While Yu Chien Kung was the biggest winner of the series, there were several other notable winners crowned during the series, including Taiwan’s Meng Ling Lin and Korea’s Seungmook Jung. Meng Ling Lin topped a field of 87 entries and bested USA’s Vincent Rubianes in heads-up, clinching Event #56 Superstar Challenge for a career-second PS trophy and NT$ 2,781,000 ($84,905) from a grand prize pool of NT$ 9,020,200.
Talking about Seungmook Jung, he navigated through a tough field of 103 entries at the PS Super High Roller Championship, securing the NT$ 2,625,000 ($80,145) top prize and his first-ever PS trophy. Here is a quick look at all the big winners from the recently-concluded series.
| Event | Buy-In | Winner | Country | 1st Prize | Entries |
|---|
| #36 PS Taiwan Championship | 33,000 NT$ | KY (Kung Yu-Chien) | Taiwan (TWN) | $109,940 | 862 |
| #56 Superstar Challenge (8-Handed) | 120,000 NT$ | Meng Ling Lin | Taiwan (TWN) | $84,905 | 87 |
| #43 PS Super High Roller Championship (8-Handed) | 100,000 NT$ | Seungmook Jung | Korea (KOR) | $80,145 | 103 |
| #32 PS High Roller Championship (8-Handed) | 66,000 NT$ | Julian Salvesen | Norway (NOR) | $49,215 | 98 |
| #3 PS Taiwan Open | 16,500 NT$ | WW (Wang Wei Hsiang) | Taiwan (TWN) | $43,935 | 597 |
| #23 PS Super High Roller Open (8-Handed) | 50,000 NT$ | Mok Jo Seng | Malaysia (MYS) | $27,785 | 79 |
| #17 Single-Day High Roller (8-Handed) | 40,000 NT$ | LT (Lim Ta Hsien) | Malaysia (MYS) | $19,295 | 54 |
| #54 Monster Stack | 16,500 NT$ | Kim Yichang | Korea (KOR) | $18,380 | 160 |
| #9 PS High Roller Open (8-Handed) | 33,000 NT$ | Hsuan Yu Lai | Taiwan (TWN) | $20,670 | 96 |
| #38 Mystery Bounty High Roller | 40,000 NT$ | Kristof Segers | Belgium (BEL) | $13,745 | 94 |
Japanese Student Mitsuki Sakimoto Wins APL Manila Main Event
Ace Poker League (APL) has wrapped up with Japan’s Mitsuki Sakimoto reigning supreme in this season’s Manila Main Event. A total of 739 entries turned up for this PHP 65,000 ($1,120) buy-in event and battled for their share from a massive guaranteed prize pool of PHP 55,000,000 ($1,000,000), which was finally shared by top 111 players.
Only 8 players returned for the final day and following over four hours of play, Sakimoto bested the field, earning him PHP 9,650,000 ($166,695) and etching his name as the biggest winner of the series. Sakimoto, a Japanese university student, is new to the game. The 22-year old ventured out to the city of Manila to explore his newfound hobby – poker. To his surprise, his passion for the game turned into a life-changing $166,695 prize money.
Final Table Payouts
1. Mitsuki Sakimoto – ₱9,650,000 / $166,695
2. Jae Yi Chang – ₱6,315,000 / $108,855
3. Edgar Asehan – ₱4,356,000 / $75,085
4. Reiner Magbutay – ₱3,062,000 / $52,780
5. Renato Villanueva Jr – ₱2,191,000 / $37,770
6. Hoseung Jung – ₱1,600,000 / $27,580
7. Lee Sunghak – ₱1,188,000 / $20,480
8. Jeseok Lee – ₱903,000 / $15,565
9. Paul Zehetleitner – ₱697,000 / $12,015
India’s Gaurav Idnani Wins APL Speed Racer II To Win His First Live Title
The Ace Poker League (APL) also saw participation from Indian players with Gaurav Idnani shining for India in Event #11 – Speed Racer II. Idnani topped the 48-entry field to take the PHP 79,100 ($1,365) top prize. He overcame a final table dominated by Filipino and South Korean contenders to earn his career maiden win. The PHP 202,800 prize pool was distributed among six players, with Gaurav taking the largest share alongside the prestigious APL trophy.
Korea’s Steve Yea Joonhe was the second biggest winner of the recently-concluded APL series. He overcame a field of 92 entries to win $69,650, the second largest prize awarded at the series. Here is a look at all the big winners.
| vent | Buy-In (PHP) | Winner | Country | 1st Prize (USD) | 1st Prize (PHP) | Entries |
|---|
| APL Main Event | 65,000 | Mitsuki Sakimoto | Japan (JPN) | $166,695 | 9,650,000 | 739 |
| Super High Roller | 180,000 | Steve Yea Joonhee | Korea (KOR) | $69,650 | 4,032,000 | 92 |
| Gold Dragon High Roller Deepstack | 55,000 | Edison Yu | Philippines (PHL) | $24,730 | 1,431,600 | 109 |
| APL Kick Off | 16,000 | Sergei Korzhenko | Russia (RUS) | $18,200 | 1,053,600 | 341 |
| Mini Main | 20,000 | Seonggwon Kim | Korea (KOR) | $19,600 | 1,134,800 | 466 |
| Prime Poker High Roller Single Day | 35,000 | Martin Gonzales | Philippines (PHL) | $8,635 | 499,920 | 83 |
| High Roller Single Day | 55,000 | Ryuki Shirase | Japan (JPN) | $10,625 | 615,200 | 35 |
| Prime Poker Mystery Bounty | 20,000 | Jason Kyle Magbanua | Philippines (PHL) | $11,230 | 650,000 | 280 |
| High Roller Single Day | 65,000 | Kang Won Gyu | – | $7,645 | 442,500 | 15 |
| Speed King | 35,000 | Lee Sunghak | Korea (KOR) | $3,395 | 196,600 | 10 |
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Source: SoMuchPoker
Image Credit: SMP. PS and APL
