HomeTAIPEI CITY, Taiwan – The Asian Poker Tour (APT) officially bids farewell to Taiwan (in a series that alomst refused to end) and now prepares for its next leg in Incheon City, Korea. But with the 12-day whirlwind that was the APT Taiwan 2022 in the books, the tour leaves with renewed vigor and carries inspiration drawn from the spirit of the Taiwanese poker community moving forward.
What started out with a mere six players when the cards first flew on opening day last 23rd September (now seemingly eons ago) for the APT Taichung Championship, evolved into a total of 2,422 entries including ridiculous numbers in the Main Event (491–the second highest in APT Taiwan history), the aforementioned APT Taichung Championship (427 entries), the Mystery Bounty (251) and even the Monster Stack (150).
2,422 entries were tallied for APT Taiwan 2022
Sixteen countries were also represented, despite strict quarantine protocols that were actually endured by those coming from abroad and wanting a piece of the action.
In a time when it was believed that due to the country still battling the new wave of the pandemic that players may not opt to take part in an event that could bring in throng, the Taiwanese poker community did the exact opposite and came in droves to the Chinese Texas Hold’em Poker Association (CTP Club) and set all sorts of records in the process.
The locals wanted the leg to continue so much that they convinced organizers to add no less than three more events; two extra High-Rollers and a Head-Hunters. The twenty events in the schedule now carry an asterisk as a total of 23 tourneys went down here.
But perhaps the biggest surprise was that the original total guaranteed prize pool of NT$6M (US$190,540.00) what blown into smithereens and that more than tripled to an astounding NT$19,378,550.00 (US$615,320.00), following a trend that gathered steam in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam to Pasay City in the Philippines and now here.
Despite the strong showing by the locals who took down all but two of the tiffs in the series, it was a Belgian national who came away with the highly coveted Player of the Series (POS) plum as Kristof Segers won one event, placed second in two and had a total of seven cashes in a masterful display of poker savvy.
Despite the strong local contingent, Kristof Segers of Belgium is declared the APT Taiwan 2022 POS
Among the more memorable storylines are the victory of 27-year-old online veteran Zhan Shuo Guo, who prior to coming here had only one live cash three years prior but walked away with the APT Taiwan 2022 Main Event title and with it the NT$1,039,100.00 (US$33,000.00) top prize that now virtually changes his life.
27-year-old Zhan Shuo Guo kept his eyes on the prize for his biggest career cash and first ever live event trophy in winning the APT Taiwan 2022 Main Event
Also not to be outdone is how APT Taichung Championship chip-leader Wang Hong Che offered a big chunk of his ICM chopped money to the other two competitors for the tournament to stop so he could have the trophy and ended up having less money than the runner-up–the trophy is more important than the money.
Wang Hong Che gave up a big chunk of his prize money to ensure he would get the trophy in the APT Taichung Championship
For the first time since APT Phu Quoc earlier this year, two women also bagged crowns with High-Roller specialists Chen Yi Liu and Hua Wei Lin besting their male counterparts–and in Lin’s case her significant other in 2-time APT High-Roller champion Chang Yu Chung Heads-up for the title.
But perhaps the most inspiring of all is how CTP Club dealer Yu Jyun Chang–on his day off–joined and won the Monster Stack event and also received a life-changing payout of NT$253,000.00 (US$7,988.00) and will perhaps consider moving to the other side of the felt after this triumph.
CTP Club dealer Yu Jyun Chang takes down his biggest cash ever in the Monster Stack
In the end, the real winner was the game itself as Taiwan showed that its poker rebirth is legit and should be among the hotbeds in the region for a long time to come.
All the event results from APT Taiwan 2022 can be viewed here.
And the action from the entire Final 8 of the Main Event can be re-watched here.
After a mere 11-day hiatus, the APT will be once again touching lives this time in Incheon for the APT Korea 2022, which commences on the 16th of this month. Keep it here for all the latest from the APT.
It is now goodbye from Taiwan!