Since the APT’s New Era rebrand at APT Taipei 2023 in April of last year the tour has continually posted Asia’s largest tournament guarantees, attracting some of Asia’s largest fields and generating some of the region’s richest prize pools.
It’s not just the burgeoning fields, and ballooning prize pools that have become an APT hallmark; the bumper schedules packed with daily high roller tournaments are another key aspect of the tour’s allure, especially for the APT’s dedicated high roller contingent.
There are more than double the number of events on offer at the APT Taipei Poker Classic 2024 compared to the APT Taipei 2023 festival the series is named for – an increase from 49 to 114 tournaments!
With high roller events making up close to a fifth of the schedule, there is plenty on offer for those keen on living the high life with 23 High Roller tournaments in total over the ten-day festival, all of which come with buy-ins of TWD 20,000 (~USD 620) or more; six boast a buy-in equivalent to the USD 1.5-2K threshold, four come with ~USD 2.5K buy-ins, with a further two at the ~USD 3-3.4K price point.
The three largest events on the schedule––the Superstar Challenge, the APT Super High Roller, and the Baby Super Star Challenge–– come with buy-ins of ~USD 25K, ~USD 9.2K, and ~USD 4.6K respectively.
With the exception of the Superstar Challenge, the Zodiac Classic – Sponsored by Natural8, and the Event 101: Last Change High Roller––which will play out at the Asia Poker Arena (APA)––the majority of the high roller events will play out at the Chinese Mahjong League (CML).
Read on for a breakdown of the APT Taipei Poker Classic 2024 High Roller Events where we look at the format, structure, former champions, and potential prize pool and field-size guesstimates based on previous events:
High Rolling Highlights
TWD 100K-800K (~USD 3K-25K) Buy-in Five out of the 23 scheduled high roller events boast buy-ins of TWD 100K (~USD 3K) and higher:
Buy-in: TWD 800,000 (~USD 24,550)
Date: Mon, Sept 30-Tues, Oct 1, 11:15am
Venue: APA
First introduced at the APT Da Nang back in December of 2022 the two-day Superstar Challenge has seen the entry fee increase from the equivalent of USD 5,000 to a hefty USD 25,000 since its debut, making it the biggest buy-in on the schedule by a large margin.
Over the nine Superstar Challenge tournaments that have run, the average prize pool comes in at over half a million dollars with the event boasting an average USD six-figure top prize in excess of USD 175,000.
With a 250K starting stack, a shot clock format, 40-minute levels and great structure, the tournament draws some of the Asia-Pacific’s top tournament players and includes poker luminaries such as the Philippines’ John “Jojo” Tech, the USA’s Joseph Cheong, and Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier in its list of illustrious former champions.
Grospellier briefly held the record for the largest first place prize ever awarded in Taiwan after his recent win during March’s APT Taipei 2024, defeating the event’s third-largest field of 49 entries to bank a sizable TWD 11.6 million (~USD 367K) top prize. With the tournament awarding the exclusive APT black lion silhouette trophy and what could well be another USD six-figure top prize, expectations are high for another star-studded turn out.
Buy-in: TWD 300,000 (~USD 9,200)
Date: Sat, Sept 28-Sun, Sept 29, 11:15am
Venue: CML
Two of the tour’s three signature events are high roller tournaments––the APT Super High Roller and the APT High Roller–– with the former coming with the second-largest buy-in on the schedule (the equivalent of ~USD 9.2K) and playing out over the opening weekend.
The event comes with a 250K starting stack, starts with a shot clock in play, and boasts 40-minute levels. Players will battle it out over 16 levels on Day 1, with the survivors returning for the final day to play down to a champion, who will walk away with the first of the festival’s award-winning signature lion trophies.
Six of the seven APT Super High Roller tournaments of the New Era have generated USD six-figure prize pools. The seventh, and the last to play out in Taiwan back in March, generated a prize pool of over USD 1.1 million with poker superstar Isaac Haxton defeating a field of 137 entries to claim the largest first place prize this event has ever awarded – a TWD 9 million (USD 287K) top prize.
Buy-in: TWD 150,000 (~USD 4,600)
Date: Fri, Oct 4, 11:15am
Venue: CML
Playing out at the start of the final weekend of the festival on Friday, October 4, the TWD 150,000 (~USD 4.6K) Baby Superstar Challenge comes with the festival’s third-biggest buy-in and made its APT debut back in March at the APT Taipei 2024.
Designed to play out in a single day, the tournament comes with a 100K starting stack with a shot clock in play from the start, and 30-minute levels, with players receiving five time bank chips worth 30-seconds each.
Austria’s Klemens Roiter claimed the inaugural Baby Superstar Challenge title, overcoming a 41-entry field to take the lion’s share of the TWD 11,334,450 (~USD 358,935) prize pool, walking away with a TWD 3,854,450 (~USD 122,075) top prize – the second-largest score of his poker career.
Buy-in: TWD 110,000 (~USD 3,400)
Date: Sat, Oct 5-Sun, Oct 6, 11:15am
Venue: CML
The second of the tours signature high roller events––the two-day TWD 110K (~USD 3.4K) APT High Roller––plays out over the closing weekend of the festival. Boasting the fourth largest buy-in on the schedule, the eventual winner will walk away with the coveted bronze lion APT High Roller Trophy and a USD six-figure top prize.
Players start with a 100K starting stack with the Day 1 action playing out over sixteen 40-minute levels, with the survivors returning for the Final Day to play down to a champion. Shot clocks are in play from the start, with players receiving five 30-second time banks, reset at start of the Final Day.
The New Era average field-size comes in at just over 120, with Natural8 Ambassador Eric “Six Poker” Tsai the last man to tame the bronze lion back during May’s APT Jeju 2024 claiming the lion’s share of the KRW 1.2 billion (~USD 886K) prize pool and defeating a field of 191 entries to take home the largest winner's purse the tournament has generated in the country – an impressive KRW 266 million (USD 196K) top prize.
Buy-in: TWD 100,000 (~USD 3,070)
Date: Tues, Oct 1, 11:15am
Venue: CML
The TWD 100,000 Event 45: Single Day High Roller comes with the festival’s fifth largest buy-in and is the only other tournament on the schedule with a buy-in of TWD 100K (~USD 3K) and above.
Players start with 100K in chips with shot clocks in play from the get-go and blind levels of 30 minutes, with players receiving five time bank chips worth 30-seconds each.
The last non-freezeout SDHR with a TWD 100K (~USD 3K) buy-in at the recent APT Taipei 2024 saw local I-Chun “Charlie” Chiu best a field of 68 entries to seize the largest portion of the TWD 5.9 million (~USD 187K) prize pool, taking home a TWD 1.7 million (~USD 54K) top prize.
TWD 50K-80K (~USD 1.5K-2.5K) Buy-in
A further nine events out of the 23 scheduled high roller tournaments feature in the series’ second largest buy-in bracket ~USD 1.5K to 2.5K:
Buy-in: TWD 55,000 (~USD 1,690)
Date: Fri, Sept 27, 11:15am
Venue: CML
The first of the high roller events on the schedule to play out is the TWD 55k (~USD 1,690) Event 3: Single Day High Roller, which gets underway at 11:15am at the tournament tables of the Chinese Mahjong League (CML).
Players start with a 100K stack, with a shot clock in play from the start and the action playing out over 30-minute levels. Players receive five 30-second time bank chips, which reset at the final table.
The last SDHR Freezeout to play out during APT Jeju 2024 came with a KRW 3 million (~USD 2,180) buy-in and saw China’s Jin Zhou defeat a 41-strong field to take the lion’s share of the KRW 107 million (~USD 70K) prize pool, claiming a KRW 36.5 million (~USD 26.5K) top prize.
Buy-in: TWD 80,000 (~USD 2,455)
Date: Sun, Sept 29, 11:15am
Venue: CML
First introduced back during August’s APT Incheon 2023, the Single Day High Roller – Mystery Bounty has proved to be a popular addition to the schedule, drawing 77 entries and generating a KRW 268 million (~USD 202K) prize pool––including bounties––on its tournament debut which saw Japan’s Katsuki Yamashita claim his maiden tournament title and the KRW 36 million (~USD $28K) top prize.
Players start with 100K stack, with the action playing out over 30-minute levels. Shot clocks are in play from the start, with players receiving five 30-second time bank chips, reset upon reaching the final table. Mystery Bounties come into play once 2X the ITM has been reached, so if the tournament paid out the top ten places bounties will kick in with twenty players remaining.
Buy-in: TWD 50,000 (~USD 1.5K) & TWD 80,000 (~USD 2,455) respectively
Date: Mon, Sept 30-Tues, Oct 1, 11:15am & Weds, Oct 2-Thurs, Oct 3, 11:15am respectively.
Venue: CML
The two High Roller Double Stack tournaments on the schedule, the TWD 50,000 Event 32: High Roller Double Stack and the TWD 80,000 Event 56: High Roller Double Stack make up two of the festival’s five two-day high roller events – the others being the APT Super High Roller, APT High Roller, Superstar Challenge.
Both tournaments come with 200K starting stacks and 40-minute blind levels, with the opening Day 1 comprised of 16 levels in total; survivors return for the final day to play down to a winner. Shot clocks are in play from the start, with players receiving five 30-second time back chips, reset at the final table.
Buy-in: TWD 50,000 (~USD 1,530)
Date: Tues, Oct 3, 7pm & Sun, Oct 6, 9:30pm
Venue: CML
Both the Event 48: Turbo High Roller & Event 104: Hyper Turbo High Roller come with a ~USD 1.5K price tag and are two of the early evening/late night events on offer over the festival, getting underway at 7pm and 9:30pm respectively.
Both tournaments see players start with 20K stacks. The turbo comes with 15-minute blind levels, while the hyper turbo comes with 10-minute levels. Fifteen-second shot clocks are in play from the start, with players receiving two 15-second time bank chips, reset at the final table.
Field size can range from between 20 to 50 players, with Japan’s Shimizu Nozomu besting a 42-strong field during APT Taipei 2024’s Event 44: Turbo High Roller to claim the largest portion of the TWD 1.87 million (~USD 59K) prize pool, winning a TWD 637K (~USD 20K) top prize.
Buy-in: TWD 80,000 (~USD 2,455)
Date: 1pm, Thurs, Oct 3-Fri, Oct 4, 11:15am
Venue: APA
Following an increase to the buy-in and the addition of a sizable guarantee—the largest outside of the Main Event—the last three Zodiac Classics have set tour prize pool records.
On the tour’s last visit to Taiwan the UK’s Jun Li claimed the lion’s share of the richest prize pool this event has ever awarded, earning a TWD 4.36 million (USD 138K) top prize. The recent Zodiac Classic at APT Jeju 2024 saw China’s Peng Chen earn a sizable KRW 131.79 million (USD 96,940) top prize.
Day 1 gets underway at 1pm local time on Thursday, October 3, with players starting with a 40K stack and entrants competing over thirteen 40-minute levels. The survivors return for the Final Day at 11:15am on Friday October 4. Shot clocks come into play one table off the money.
Buy-in: TWD 80,000 (~USD 2,455)
Date: Sun, Oct 6, 11:15am
Venue: CML
Players start with 100K stack with the action playing out over 30-minute levels and a 30-second shot clock in play from the start, with players receiving five 30-second time bank chips which reset at the final table.
Buy-in: TWD 60,000 (~USD 1,840)
Date: Mon, Oct 7, 11:15am
Venue: APA
A slightly faster paced tournament than the other non-turbo and hyper turbo offerings with 20-minute blinds levels. Players start with 100K stacks with a 30-second shot clock in play from the get-go. Players receive five 30-second time bank chips which reset at the final table.
TWD 20K-30K (~USD 620-925) Buy-in
The remaining nine high roller events on the schedule are all evening and late night turbo and hyper turbo offerings playing out at the tournament tables of the Chinese Mahjong League (CML), with the exception of the TWD 25,000 (~USD 770) Event 114: Hyper Turbo High Roller, which plays out at the Asia Poker Arena (APA).
These events come with 15-minute and 10-minute blind levels respectively. All offer players 20K starting stacks, with a 15-second shot clock in play from the start. Players receive two 15-second time banks, which reset at the final table.
Buy-in: TWD 20,000 (~USD 620)
Date: Sat, Sept 28, 9:30pm
Venue: CML
Buy-in: TWD 30,000 (~USD 920)
Date: Sun, Sept 29, 7pm
Venue: CML
Buy-in: TWD 20,000 (~USD 620)
Date: Sun, Sept 29, 9:30pm
Venue: CML
Buy-in: TWD 20,000 (~USD 620)
Date: Mon, Sept 30, 9:30pm
Venue: CML
Buy-in: TWD 30,000 (~USD 920)
Date: Tues, Oct 1, 9:30pm
Venue: CML
Buy-in: TWD 20,000 (~USD 620)
Date: Weds, Oct 2, 9:30pm
Venue: CML
Buy-in: TWD 20,000 (~USD 620)
Date: Fri, Oct 4, 9:30pm
Venue: CML
Buy-in: TWD 30,000 (~USD 920)
Date: Sat, Oct 5, 9:30pm
Venue: CML
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Event 114: Hyper Turbo - High Roller
Buy-in: TWD 25,000 (~USD 770)
Date: Mon, Oct 7, 6pm
Venue: APA
View the full APT Taipei Poker Classic Schedule HERE