The Asian Poker Tour Online (APTO) has officially moved into the record books, with this past weekend marking a historic surge in participation and prize money on the virtual felt at Natural8. As the series passed its halfway point, momentum only intensified, with Events #11 through #14 shattering expectations and establishing new benchmarks for the festival’s four-year history.
With 14 of the 20 scheduled Trophy Events now completed, a remarkable 11 of those tournaments have set new participation or prize pool records, cementing this year’s installment as the most successful to date.
The standout performance of the weekend occurred in the Mini Main Event (Event #14). Drawing a staggering 19,229 entries, it officially became the largest single field in the history of the APT Online. The massive turnout pushed the prize pool to $1,415,254, comfortably crushing the $1 million guarantee. In an impressive display of skill, Belarus’s Dmitry Chertkov navigated the monumental field to claim the title and a top prize of $169,487, outlasting runner-up ‘Paul8151’ of Taiwan.
Earlier in the week, Event #9, the Vietnam National Cup, proved that structural changes pay off. By pivoting to a standard format, the event attracted 2,628 entries for a $232,716 prize pool—a 115.5% increase in the top prize compared to 2025. China’s ‘AllinDY’ emerged victorious, taking home $27,858.
High-stakes enthusiasts were equally busy, as Event #10, the debut of the $525 Single Day High Roller, drew 819 entries to generate a $409,500 prize pool. Taiwan’s ‘HuanChen’ claimed the trophy after defeating professional player Dietrich Fast in a hard-fought heads-up duel.
The trend of record-breaking turnouts continued through the weekend’s remaining major events. The Korea National Cup (Event #11) transitioned to a bounty format for the first time, leading to a 31.8% jump in attendance compared to last year. Hong Kong’s ‘Littleshy’ captured the win, earning $18,035 in base prize money plus an additional $17,290 in bounties.
Meanwhile, the $250 Sunday Super Stack (Event #12) set records across every metric, drawing 2,471 entries and generating a historic $568,330 prize pool. Israeli player ‘AvocadoLove’ took the top honors, while well-known pro Jessica ‘JessicaStreusel’ Teusl earned a spot on the podium. Finally, the Bounty Hunters High Roller (Event #13) saw Austria’s Dawid Smolka dominate a 759-entry field, securing a combined payout of over $105,000 between the winner’s share and collected bounties.
As the series enters its final stretch, the bar has been set exceptionally high. With 11 of 14 events setting new standards for the festival, the final six trophy events promise to deliver even more drama as players continue their chase for APT Online glory.
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