Calvin Lee

The Asian Poker Tour Championship (APTC) may have already crossed the half-way point, but the action inside the Red Space, Taipei is only heating up. Today marked the beginning of the largest buy-in event of the APT New Era (since the 2022 buyout by the current owners). A total of 39 high-rollers (33 unique) turned out for the TWD 1,500,000 (~USD 50,000) Superstar Championship, generating a massive TWD 57,842,503 (~USD 1,853,925) prize pool — the second largest of the festival so far.

True to its name, the prestigious event attracted a who’s who of poker titans all eager to prove their prowess on the felt. However, by the time the last pot had been pushed, it was Calvin Lee who emerged as the man to beat after bagging 1,635,000 — more than double the stack of his nearest challenger, Wei Lim Chen (810,000).

Lee, a US-based poker pro and regular on the high-roller circuit, holds an impressive poker resume that includes a WSOP bracelet, two APT titles, and over USD 5,000,0000 in live-tournament cashes. Lee will enter Day 2 looking for his second APT Superstar title, having won one already earlier this year at APT Incheon.

Superstar Championship Top Ten Chip Counts

Other notables who bagged big include Stephen O'Dwyer (790,000), Punsri Punnat (595,000), Samuel Muller (545,000), and Roman Hrabec, who immediately hopped in after winning the Super High Roller Championship earlier today. Hrabec wasted little time putting his stack to work and actually held the lead for a time toward the end of the day until a collision between him and Lee occurred on one of the last hands of the night. Despite the hit, Hrabec still managed to bag a top-three stack worth 790,000.

Day 1 Highlights

Thirteen players took their seats at the start of play and within two levels, Jun Obara found himself on the rail after running a bluff with ace-king against Samuel Mullur. According to Matthias Lipp, Mullur flopped a full house with pocket tens and Obara check-raised a bet from Mullur on the turn. Obara shoved his remaining stack on the river and Mullur snap-called to claim the first elimination of the day. Obara reentered at the end of late reg, however, and managed to bag a respectable 375,000.

Obara Jun

The always dangerous Michael Addamo joined the fray early and wasted little time getting involved in pots. However, the Aussie, widely known for his fearless and aggressive style, was quickly left short after losing a couple of big pots to Lipp. Addamo eventually got the majority of his stack in with way the best of it against Chase Cokaliong, but Cokaliong hit an unlikely trips to leave Addamo short. Addamo went on to bust shortly after the hand.

Faring better as one of the early entrants was Tobias Schwecht, who found himself jousting and getting the better of Fabian Gumz in several pots. In one such instance, Schwecht picked up pocket kings and caught Gumz bluffing to take an early lead.

Tobias Schwecht

Several players, including Danny Tang, Jason Mo, Joseph Cheong, Martin Fritz, Daniel Smiljkovic, Biao Ding, and Stephen O'Dwyer, opted to wait until near the end of registration to hop in and take their chances with a short stack. While most of them found their way to the rail in short order, O'Dwyer fared the best and was even the first player to breach a million in chips after flopping a full house against Schwecht and getting paid off. O'Dwyer slipped a bit toward the end, but still managed to with a well above-average stack.

It was shortly after late regisration that Lee began his epic ascent up the counts. It began after Lee turned a flush against Dyan Linde in a large pot, at which point Lee began winning a series of smaller pots, particularly against Hrabec. However, it wasn't until the aforementioned clash between Hrabec and Lee did he take an overwhelming lead. In the hand, Hrabec flopped two pair, but Lee turned a superior two pair and collected a couple of large bets from Hrabec to end as the only player over a million in chips.

The final 18 players will reutrn tomorrow (Nov 24) at 11:15 AM and play down to a winner. Just seven players will make the money and will be playing for the following:

Payouts

Be sure to check back here for continiuing updates right up until the next Superstar Champion is crowned!

For the Full Superstar Championship Survivor List: Click here.

The remaining 18 players are now bagging and tagging for the evening.

Stay tuned for a recap of Day 1.

Calvin Lee

Roman Hrabec and Calvin Lee were heads-up on a board of 3 2 A 7 with a large pot already in the middle.

Lee checked from the big blind and called a 165,000 bet from Hrabec, who was on the button.

The K completed the board and Lee checked again. Hrabec kept his foot on the gas and sized up for a bet of 275,000.

Lee contemplated his decision, but eventually landed on a call and Hrabec tabled A 3 for aces and treys. Lee showed A 7 for aces and sevens and was sent the massive pot.

With that hand, Lee has taken over the chip lead with about 1,600,000.

Samuel Mullur

Unlikely scenarios unfolded at the same table within seconds.

It all started with Samuel Mullur escaping an extremely bad preflop situation. He shoved his stack and was called by two other players who covered him with premium hands:

Samuel Mullur: A 4

Daniel Smiljkovic: A K

Steve O’Dwyer: A Q

The dealer then ran a board that completely flipped the situation:

T 5 6 7 8

With a straight on the low end, Mullur tripled his stack, while Smiljkovic was left short stacked. O’Dwyer remained largely unaffected, keeping his stack near seven figures.

Smiljkovic now faced a 16,000 big blind and 16,000 big blind ante. With only his meager 10,000 chips left, he shoved as the outsider and was called by O’Dwyer.

Daniel Smiljkovic: T 8

Steve O’Dwyer: A 2

But luck smiled once more on the short-stack, and Smiljkovic hit a straight on the turn with the board: 5 7 9 J K .

Jason Mo

Roman Hrabec opened from under the gun and was called by Calvin Lee in the cutoff and Jason Mo in the big blind.

Mo checked to Hrabec, who continued for 75,000 on the T 8 5 flop. Lee folded, but Mo moved all in for approximately 300,000 total. Hrabec quickly called to put him at risk and a showdown was held.

Jason Mo: 9 8

Roman Hrabec: A T

Mo would need some help with his eights against Hrabec's tens, but the 6 K runout changed nothing to eliminate Mo in the last level of the day.

Calvin Lee

Three ways on a flop of A 7 6 , Calvin Lee checked from the small blind and Dylan Linde checked from the big blind to Biao Ding, who bet 23,000 on the button.

Lee called, but Linde then check-raised to 78,000, which got a fold from Ding and a call from Lee.

Lee check-called an 85,000 bet from Linde on the 4 turn and then both players checked down on the J river.

Lee turned over 8 7 for a flush and Linde nodded his head before sending his hand into the muck.

Daniel Smiljkovic

Punnat Punsri, who registered for the tournament at the last minute, opened to 24,000 under the gun. His bet was called by Samuel Mullur on the button and Daniel Smiljkovic in the big blind.

On a flop of 2 3 7 , all three players checked.

Everything unfolded on the turn T .

Punsri checked, Smiljkovic bet 50,000, and Mullur 3-bet to 80,000. Punsri folded without much hesitation, but Smiljkovic, facing a life-or-death decision, shoved his remaining chips. Mullur called, and the two remaining players revealed their hands:

Daniel Smiljkovic: 7 7

Samuel Mullur: A T

The 2 hit the river, giving Smiljkovic a full house, a hand far superior to Mullur’s two pairs, sending Mullur down into the lower part of the chip counts.

Stephen O'Dwyer

Heads-up on a completed board of J 2 2 5 K with over 300,000 already in the middle, Tobias Schwecht bet 240,000 from the small blind.

O'Dwyer took some time and then moved all in for approximately 400,000 from the big blind, sending Schwecht deep into the tank.

Schwecht used up his remaining timebanks as he contemplated his decision, but eventually decided to look O'Dwyer up,.

O'Dwyer turned over J 2 for a flopped full house and Schwecht showed he held Q Q and offered a sincere, "Nice hand" to O'Dwyer.

The massive double up pushed O'Dwyer to the million-chip mark, while Schwecht, who was the chip leader not along ago, got cut down to just 180,000.

Dylan Linde

Roman Hrabec faced Dylan Linde in a heads-up confrontation.

Both players checked the flop Q 4 9 .

When the dealer revealed the J on the turn, Hrabec bet 60,000, but Linde wasn’t intimidated and called to see the river K .

The fifth card gave Linde the nuts with a broadway straight. Instead of extracting value, he chose to check the river, attempting to trap his opponent and hoping Hrabec would continue his aggression and push in a large stack.

Unfortunately for Linde, Hrabec also checked, leaving Linde to settle for the (already generous) pot.

When Linde revealed his hand A T , Hrabec mucked his cards.

In total, 39 entrants (33 unique) participated in the APT Superstar Championship, generating a TWD 57,842,503 (~USD 1,853,925) prize pool.

Seven players will make the money, with a min-cash being worth TWD 2,732,700 (~USD 87,585).

The eventual winner will take home TWD 18,726,503 (~USD 600,210) in addition to a Gold APT Championship Lion Trophy.