Asian Poker Tour Taipei 2025 wrapped up with a historic finish. A record-breaking prize pool and a packed field led to one of the most dramatic runs seen in the tournament’s history. Among more than 2,500 hopefuls, one player stood out. Akira Takasugi, a 28-year-old accounts manager from Japan, outplayed the field and claimed the largest Main Event prize ever offered on the tour.
Good to know
- Total prize pool reached $3.73 million, the largest in APT history.
- All final table players secured a minimum payout of around $46,300.
- Top three earned Main Event tickets for the upcoming APTC series in November.
Akira Takasugi walked away with the top prize at the APT Taipei 2025 Main Event, beating over 2,500 players to claim the biggest win in Asian Poker Tour history. The final prize pool hit TWD 121 million (about $3.73 million), a record high for the region.
Takasugi entered the final day with three other Japanese players, starting fourth in chips. Despite having less live tournament experience than some others, he showed no signs of hesitation and took control midway through the final table. On the 91st hand, he moved into the lead and never let it go.
The Main Event cost TWD 55,000 (roughly $1,800) to enter and drew 2,547 entries across several starting flights. Only nine players returned for the last day of action. Japan, Macau, and Hong Kong were all represented at the final table, with each player already assured a six-figure payout in USD terms.
Wayne Lam from Hong Kong had the chip lead at the start of the day, but it was Macau’s Iat Man Leong who sent him packing and secured a spot in heads-up play against Takasugi.
Takasugi brought a strong chip advantage into the final duel. After 24 hands, the match ended when Leong shoved with queen-three suited. Takasugi called with king-six offsuit and paired his king on the flop. That hand locked in a massive TWD 19 million ($586,710) payday, along with the signature Gold Lion trophy.
The win marked Takasugi’s first-ever APT final table appearance. He had previously never won more than a small fraction of this amount. “Honestly, I’m still trying to figure out what to do about the taxes!” he joked after the victory.
Reflecting on the toughest part of his run, Takasugi recalled his struggle on Day 2. “At one point on Day 2, I dropped down to just 4,400 chips. But I managed to come back from there. On Day 3, during the first couple of levels, I was playing with just 40% of the average stack. It was really tough being that short stacked. I just prayed to God.”
His comeback led to a 4,162% increase on his previous best live cash. The result also pushed him over 500 places higher on the Japan All-Time Money List, putting him just outside the top 30.
Before heading off for his winner’s photo, he had a final message for fans: “To everyone who watched the stream and cheered me on: Thank you! I was able to win the APT main event!”
The APT will return to Taipei in November for its biggest guaranteed tournament series to date, and Takasugi has already secured his ticket.
Final Table Results Asian Poker Tour Taipei 2025 Main Event
| Result | Player | Country | Prize | Prize (USD) |
| 1 | Akira Takasugi | Japan | 19,009,440 | 586,710 |
| 2 | Iat Man Leong | Macau | 10,133,000 | 312,750 |
| 3 | Wayne Lam | Hong Kong | 6,867,000 | 211,950 |
| 4 | Shinichiro Kano | Japan | 5,292,500 | 163,350 |
| 5 | Nishant Kumar | India | 4,419,500 | 136,400 |
| 6 | Kiwanont Sukhum | Thailand | 3,564,000 | 110,000 |
| 7 | Rintaro Kagawa | Japan | 2,721,500 | 84,000 |
| 8 | Owen Chong | Malaysia | 1,969,000 | 60,770 |
| 9 | Dang Thi Hue | Vietnam | 1,500,000 | 46,300 |
*Top 3 also received a TWD 350,000 ticket to the APTC Main Event later this year.
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