APT Jeju 2025 Wraps Up With Record Main Event and Breakthrough Champions

The Asian Poker Tour’s Jeju stop has officially entered the record books, delivering the largest international poker tournament ever staged in Korea and crowning champions from across the globe.

After nearly two weeks of action from September 26 to October 5, 2025, at Jeju Shinhwa World’s LES A Casino, the festival showcased massive fields, record prize pools, and career-defining victories.

Ceesvin Claims Record Main Event

The centerpiece of the festival was the KRW 2.6M Main Event, which drew a staggering 1,693 entries (905 unique) — smashing the Korean record for tournament attendance and generating a prize pool of KRW 3.8 billion (~USD 2.7M).

Singapore’s Abraham Ceesvin, entering his fourth APT Main Event final table. Ceesvin started short but fought his way back, eliminating five of his last eight opponents. His breakthrough moment came heads-up against China’s Lili Tang, where he flopped the nut straight to capture the 24K Gold Lion Trophy, a seat into the APT Championship Main Event in Taipei, and a career-best KRW 649,835,200 (~USD 464,170) payday.

The victory cemented Ceesvin’s reputation as one of Asia’s most consistent performers, finally delivering the title that had eluded him in prior deep runs at Incheon and Taipei.

Dai Triumphs in Ultra Stack

Another marquee highlight was the Ultra Stack, which drew 254 entries across three starting flights. Singapore’s Zhonghuan Dai captured the title and his career-best score of KRW 35,850,454 (~USD 25,753). The win more than doubled his lifetime live earnings and established him as a rising name to watch.

Taiwan’s Hua Wei Lin, already an accomplished APT champion, settled for runner-up, while China’s Yun Long Jin finished third.

Lobo Makes His Mark in Micro Main Event

India’s Jeevan Vivian Lobo made his first APT appearance one to remember, turning his first live cash into his first APT title in the Micro Main Event. The event gave recreational players a taste of Main Event structure at a smaller buy-in.

Lobo navigated the 112-entry field to claim the trophy and KRW 9,941,792 (~USD 7,140) after a heads-up ICM deal with China’s Ting Yu.

Wang Dominates Record High Roller

The High Roller – Last Chance broke its own set of records, drawing 116 entries — the largest field ever for this format in APT history. It was American pro Michael Wang, already a WSOP bracelet winner with USD 9M in earnings, who added his first APT title. Wang claimed KRW 75,672,000 (~USD 54,052) after outlasting China’s Weidong Guo and Japan’s Hajime Watanabe.

Haywood, Zhu, and Mehdi Close Strong

New Zealand’s Daniel Adam Haywood underlined his Omaha prowess, winning PL Omaha High for his second APT trophy of the series. It was his fourth Omaha cash in Jeju, further cementing his reputation in mixed-game formats.

China’s Jia Zhu secured his maiden APT title in the Turbo – Double Stack, earning KRW 9,941,792 (~USD 7,140) after two prior cashes earlier in the festival.

Meanwhile, Morocco’s Chaoui Roqai Mehdi doubled his title tally with a victory in the Turbo – High Roller, banking KRW 19,598,000 (~USD 14,000). Mehdi had earlier won the Single Day High Roller, making his Jeju debut one of the most successful of the series.

A Landmark Festival for Asian Poker

APT Jeju 2025 enjoyed the record-shattering Main Event to breakthrough champions like Ceesvin, Dai, Lobo, and Zhu, and the continued dominance of established stars like Wang and Haywood, the stop encapsulated the global depth of modern poker.

With Jeju’s chapter now closed, all eyes turn to Taipei in November, where the APT Championship Main Event will feature a historic USD 5M guarantee.

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