Superstar Challenge - Day 1

Day 1 of the Superstar Challenge has come to an end here in Taipei, and it’s been nothing short of eventful. We’ve seen chips flying, intense hands, and some tough bust-outs throughout the day.

The 27 entry field (23 uniques) featured two former Superstar Challenge champions in the form of the USA's Joseph Cheong and Australia's Josh McCully, although both would fall by the wayside as play progressed.

Other notables in the running included Natural8 Ambassador Punnat Punsri and fellow Ambassador Kannapong "Tent" Thanarattrakul, as well as the always entertaining Chih Wei Fan.

Out of the 27 entrants, only four players remain, with only Fan making the cut out of the aforementioned notables. All of them have locked up a cash finish and are now setting their sights on the first-place prize of TWD 8,590,525 (USD 272,110) and the coveted Stealth Lion APT trophy.

Daniel Neilson is firmly in control, sitting with nearly half the chips in play as we head into tomorrow’s action.

Here’s a quick look at the live tournament winnings of some of the key players in the field:

• Stephen Song: $7.9 million
• Daniel Neilson: $4.2 million
• Charles Waymel: $13,802
• Chih Wei Fan: $632,808

These figures reflect the players' past success on the felt, with some looking to add to their impressive resumes, while others aim to make a name for themselves in this tournament.

The Final Day gets underway at 11:15am local time on Tuesday, October 1 with coverage available right here on the APT Blog. The Final Day's action will also be live streamed on the APT's official YouTube channel.

Be sure to tune in for live updates and coverage tomorrow as we crown the Superstar Challenge champion!

Day 1 of the Superstar Challenge has officially wrapped up! It was a full day of exciting action, with plenty of big hands and tough bust-outs. The field has thinned, only 4/27 players remain, but the real battle is just getting started.

Stay tuned for a full recap of today’s highlights, coming soon!

John Neilson flopped a straight in position on a T♦ K♠ 9♦ board against Joshua McCully. When checked to, Neilson bet the flop, fired again on the turn, and shoved the river.

McCully called him down each time but couldn’t beat the straight. McCully busted on the bubble.

Punnat Punsri found himself all-in preflop with A♠ Q♥ against Wei Fan's A♦ 8♠. Punsri was at risk, and things went downhill fast when two eights hit the board. No help came for Punsri, and he was sent to the rail in a tough beat, while Fan scooped the pot.

Ethan Yau starts the hand with 310,000 chips, he calls a flop bet and then calls all-in on the turn with Q♣ T♦ on a 2♦ T♥ 5♥ J♠ board.

He doesn't find help on the river and will lose to John Neilson's K♦ K♠

Wei Fan opened from the small blind, and Julian Maskill responded by shoving 430,000 from the big blind. Fan made the call with K♥ Q♦, up against Maskill’s A♥ 4♥.

The board ran out 7♦ A♠ 5♦ Q♥ K♣, giving Fan two pair on the river and sending Maskill packing in 8th place. A tough runout for the Brit!

Joshua McCully

Stephen Song opened from the cut-off to 40,000 and got a call from Joshua McCully in the big blind. The flop came K♦ A♣ 8♦, and McCully check-called a 30,000 bet.

The turn brought the :5d, completing a possible flush, and McCully called another 90,000 from Song.

On the :Qc river, McCully didn't budge, calling Song’s big 250,000 bet. Song's triple barrel bluff failed as McCully took down the pot.

Players are taking a short break at the APT Taiwan Superstar Challenge. After some intense hands and big swings, it's a chance to regroup and catch their breath. Play will resume shortly—stay tuned for more action!

Stephen Song

Stephen Song opened on the button and got called by Kazuhiko Yotsushika in the big blind. The flop came down A♠ 7♠ :3s, and Yotsushika check-called a 20,000 bet.

When the A♣ hit the turn, Yotsushika min check-raised Song’s 50,000 bet to 100,000, and Song made the call. The river brought the :5s, and Yotsushika led out with another 100,000.

Song went into the tank, used a time bank, and raised it up to 325,000, forcing the fold. With a smile, Song proudly showed Ax 7x for a turned boat.

Charles Waymel

We saw a wild 6-handed hand with three players all-in preflop! Charles Waymel shoved with A♣ K♦, Ethan 'Rampage' Yau followed with Q♣ Q♦, and Joshua McCully joined the party holding J♠ J♦.

The board ran out 8♥ 5♥ 2♣ A♠ :3h, giving Waymel top pair to triple up. Rampage also added to his stack, as his queens held up against McCully’s pocket jacks.

Big swings in this hand!