HomeA very big day at the APT Taiwan 2019 – MAIN EVENT – at CTP Club (Chinese Texas Hold’em Poker Association) with Hong Kong’s Chow Cliff shipping his maiden victory at the record-setting event.
“It’s a dream winning this event! I’ve played tournaments for years but this is my biggest score. I made many mistakes so I’m lucky. Coming into heads up against King Lun, you don’t expect to win” said Cliff. When asked about his double up hand at heads up, calling for his tournament life with 8-5 mid pair, he laughed, “it was a fish call, I’m a fish.”
Cliff crushed the competition; he eliminated 6 players of the final 9 to emerge victorious against pro Alan King Lun Lau at heads up. Cliff won the very first APT Taiwan championship title. He overcame a field of 523 entries and pocketed TWD 2,443,800 (~USD 79,400). Recap below.
Chow Cliff – APT Taiwan Main Event champion
Final 9 recap
Seated L-R: Kwon Chung Kong, James Jagger, Co Chung Chuen, Wan Wei Han, Lo Hung Leuk Matthaus, Jeonggyu Cho, Chow Cliff, LI Min Jie, Alan King Lun Lau
Fall of the chip leader
Race to the title began with Jeonggyu Cho all in within the first ten minutes. He was called by the day’s entering chip leader, James Jagger. Cho had A♠ Q♥, Jagger with 6♦ 6♣. A queen landed on the board and just like that, Cho was at average stack of 1.4M.
The next player to get it all in and get called was Alan King Lun Lau with Q♣ Q♥. He was up against Jagger who held A♣ 10♦. The board further ensured the win for Lau as the cards felted 8♥ Q♦ Q♠ 8♦ 7♣ for quads.
With two players doubled up, Jagger was all in shortly after with half the average stack left and A♣ 2♠ to battle with. Chow Cliff called holding K♦ K♠. No help came on the board, instead Cliff improved to a full house to eliminate Jagger in 9th place.
James Jagger – 9th place
Cliff crushes the competition
Next to tumble out was Wan Wei Han the only player in the lineup representing the host country. Wan wasn’t called on his first shove but on his second, Cliff did. Wan had A♦ 8♦, Cliff dominated with A♠ K♣, the board bricked, and they were down to 7 players. This was Cliff’s second victim of the final 9.
Wan Wei Han – 8th place
With 7 remaining, junior player from Hong Kong, Kwon Chung Kong found his chips all in with J♠ 10♠. He was up against Co Chung Chuen with 7♣ 7♥. Again the board bricked to send Kwon packing up in 7th place.
Kwon Chung Kong – 7th place
He was followed by Li Min Jie in 6th place. Jie was Lau’s second head of the day. Li raised with A♥ Q♥, Lau three-bet with 9♥ 9♠, Li jammed, called by Lau. The board ran 9♣ 2♥ 8♣ 4♦ J♥.
Li Min Jie – 6th place
At 5 remaining, Cliff railed the rest. Lo Hung Leuk Mattheus was his third victim served on the platter. Mattheus shoved with A♦ 5♦, Cliff called with 3♠ 3♦. No help on the board for Mattheus to finish in 5th place.
Lo Hung Leuk Mattheus – 5th place
Down to 4 players, another one bit the dust to Cliff. On the chopping block was Jeonggyu Cho. On a flop 5♠ 7♠ 6♥, Cliff bet, Cho check-raised, called by Cliff. On the turn A♦, Cho shoved, Cliff called, and the cards were Cho J♠ 9♠ flush draw, Cliff A♣ 7♣ top two pair. The river Q♥ was not the out Cho needed and he became the fourth head owned by Cliff. This was a very decent finish for Cho who entered the finals at the bottom of the rung.
Jeonggyu Cho – 4th place
With two more players in his way, the unstoppable Cliff continued his rule. He sent Co Chung Chuen nosediving out in 3rd place with A♦ 10♣ holding against Q♣ J♦ to make that five under his belt.
Co Chung Chuen – 3rd place
This brought about the heads up round against Lau, the most decorated player at the final table. Surprisingly Cliff was slightly behind in chips. Before they resumed, a deal was immediately struck with Lau claiming a larger share. Once the game was on, it didn’t last too long. Cliff banked a huge double up.
Heads up
The hand began with a limp by Cliff, Lau raised, Cliff answered with a three-bet, Lau called. At the flop 3♣ 7♥ K♠, Lau checked, Cliff c-bet, Lau called. On the 8♣ turn, Lau checked, Cliff fired another bet, Lau announced all in, Cliff called.
Lau 3♥ 6♥ bottom pair
Cliff 8♦ 5♠ mid pair
The river fell 9♣, the hand ended, Cliff stormed to a monstrous stack of around 12.3M, Lau plummeted to below 700k. Lau managed to double up twice after that but the glory would not be his. On their fourth all in heads up showdown, Lau ahead with A♣ 8♥, Cliff with A♦ 5♠. The final board spread 5♦ 10♠ Q♦ 9♠ 4♠ and the newest APT Main Event champion emerged.
Congratulations to Chow Cliff for his victory!
Final 9 Payouts
1st Chow Cliff – Hong Kong – TWD 2,443,800 (deal)
2nd Alan King Lun Lau – Hong Kong – TWD 2,800,000 (deal)
3rd Co Chung Chuen – Hong Kong – TWD
4th Jeonggyu Cho – Korea – TWD
5th Lo Hung Leuk Mattheus – Hong Kong – TWD
6th Li Min Jie – China – TWD 607,900
7th Kwon Chung Kong – Hong Kong – TWD 482,700
8th Wan Wei Han – Taiwan – TWD 393,300
9th James Jagger – UK – TWD 327,800
You can watch the final 9 action in APT Twitch. We also have Live Updates posted on the previous days.
That concludes the APT Taiwan 2019 – Main Event. It ran from February 21 to February 26 with an enormous 523 entries to set a record prize pool for the country of TWD 15,219,300. That sum totally obliterated the 5M advertised guarantee. 53 players earned a share. Alan King Lun Lau pocketed the larger piece of TWD 2.8M but it was Chow Cliff who lifted the APT Mythical Golden Lion Trophy and the APT Championship Ring. He becomes the first-ever major champion of the APT in the country.