APT Online returns in 2025 with a new level of prestige as the Asian Poker Tour (APT) and Natural8 once again bring Asia’s most celebrated live tournament experience to the virtual felt. This year's edition continues to deliver the full spirit of APT competition directly to players’ screens, allowing poker enthusiasts from across the region – and worldwide – to battle for major titles, sought-after trophies, and multi-million-dollar prize pools without leaving home.
Headlining the festival is the USD 3,000,000 GTD APT Online Main Event, set to be one of the largest and most anticipated tournaments in the series’ history. Across the schedule, players will find 20 Trophy Events – each of which will award a real-life APTO trophy to the respective winner – featuring buy-ins from just USD 11, ensuring an inclusive and accessible championship experience.
There are also three exclusive APT Online Lion Trophy Events, celebrating the champions who rise above the field in the most elite online arenas. Action begins on 9 November at 9:00 p.m. (HKT) with the USD 1,500 APT Online High Roller, boasting a USD 500,000 GTD.
The challenge escalates on 16 November at 9:00 p.m. (HKT) with the USD 3,000 APT Online Super High Roller, featuring an impressive USD 1,000,000 GTD.
The spotlight then shifts to the pinnacle of the festival — the USD 800 APT Online Main Event, kicking off on 16 November at 9:05 p.m. (HKT), where players will chase the prestigious Lion Trophy and a share of its USD 3,000,000 GTD prize pool.
In addition to the flagship events, players will have the chance to secure their seat to the next major live championship via the Level Up (+10) Mega Satellites to APT Championship Taipei 2025.
Running every Sunday from 19 October to 16 November at 8:00 p.m. (HKT), these satellites feature USD 1,100 buy-ins and reward consistent participation by increasing guaranteed packages when the prior week’s target is met. At Level 5, a remarkable 50 packages worth USD 600,000 will be awarded.
To further elevate the competition, players can also aim for glory on the APT Online $100K Leaderboard. A total of $100,000 in prizes will be distributed, including four exclusive $12,000 APT Live Packages that grant winners the opportunity to join APT Championship Main Event.
PS: As a bonus, Natural8 is giving out one FREE Food & Drink Voucher (worth NT$150) at APT Championship 2025 per APT Online Trophy event and $1,100 APT Championship Main Event Satellite entry. Make sure you redeem yours at the APT Championship that's happening in Taipei, Taiwan from 14th Nov - 30th Nov 2025.
A Record-Breaking Start
The first two Trophy Events of the APTO 2025 are in the books, and both proved to be record-breakers.
The $108 Event #1: Bounty Kickoff drew its largest-ever field and generated it's richest-ever prize pool, with Russia's "YAPOPALVRIVER" claiming the biggest top prize this event has ever awarded.
The record-breaking trend continued with the $5,000 Event #2: Superstar Challenge drawing it's largest-ever field, with some of poker's elite online players competing for the richest prize pool this tournament has ever generated, with the Mexico-based "lIlIllIIetsRoll" claiming the biggest top prize this event has ever awarded.
So far, the opening two events have seen 3,829 combined entries compete for $1,422,192.80 in prize money – an impressive 25 percent increase in entries and a 26 percent increase in prize money over the 2024 edition of the festival.
Upcoming highlights include the VND 3M (*$113.96) Event #5: Vietnam National Cup [Bounty] (VND 5BN / $189,938 GTD), running Saturday, 1st November, the $250 Event #6: Sunday Super Stack ($250,000 GTD), running Sunday, 2nd November, and the $1,050 Event #7: Bounty Hunters High Roller [2-Day Event] ($500,000 GTD) running Sunday, 2nd November to Monday, 3rd November.
Check out the full APT Online schedule HERE.
Event #1: Bounty Kickoff
The opening salvo of APT Online 2025 got underway in emphatic fashion with the Event #1: Bounty Kickoff, drawing a massive 3,605 entries and powering past its $250,000 guarantee to amass an impressive $358,192.80 prize pool, setting new entry and prize pool records for the tournament.
With a $49.36 + $50 + $8.64 buy-in, players were eager to dive into the festival’s first trophy event and chase not only a share of the prize money, but also progressive bounties worth at least $25 for every elimination. The fast-paced structure and knockout pressure delivered non-stop action, with the tournament wrapping up in just under nine hours (8:52:47).
After a hard-fought final table, it was Russia’s “YAPOPALVRIVER” who clinched the opening title of the series, banking the richest top prize this event has ever awarded – an impressive $17,369.12 plus a commanding $17,396.92 in bounties.
Kazakhstan’s Togzhan Aztaeva came close in second place, earning $17,366.51 and $2,752.33 in bounties after a competitive heads-up battle that saw both players apply relentless pressure deep into the late stages.
China’s “Kaolo999” rounded out the podium, finishing third for $13,799.39 and $262.50 in bounties.
BOUNTY KICKOFF FINAL TABLE RESULTS
| Rank | Player | Country | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | YAPOPALVRIVER | Russia | $17,369.12 + $17,396.92 |
| 2 | Togzhan Aztaeva | Kazakhstan | $17,366.51 + $2,752.33 |
| 3 | Kaolo999 | China | $13,799.39 + $262.5 |
| 4 | GGPK--666 | China | $10,964.96 + $4,459.99 |
| 5 | mikeqts | China | $8,712.72 + $2,827.62 |
| 6 | Diego Bittar | Brazil | $6,923.1 + $1,562.37 |
| 7 | Jimoothy | HongKong | $5,501.08 + $1,228.13 |
| 8 | rico peng | HongKong | $4,371.15 + $1,085.16 |
| 9 | Hhong man | Japan | $3,473.3 + $3,681.93 |
Event #2: Superstar Challenge
The stakes escalated quickly in Event #2: Superstar Challenge, a prestigious two-day high-stakes battle that attracted 224 elite entrants to create a formidable $1,064,000 prize pool, soaring past the $600,000 guarantee and setting a new APT Online record for this tournament for both field-size and prize pool.
With a $4,750 + $250 buy-in, this marquee event drew some of the biggest names in the online and live arena, and delivered intense competition from start to finish over a gruelling 26:11:38 of play.
After two days of relentless action, it was Mexico’s “lIlIllIIetsRoll” who emerged victorious, securing the title and a commanding $192,774.56 top prize – the largest this event has ever awarded.
Brazil’s Thiago Crema delivered a strong deep-run performance to finish runner-up for $148,649.42, while Norwegian superstar and WSOP bracelet winner Espen Jorstad rounded out the podium in third place, earning $114,624.31.
APT regular Chih Wei Fan (“ChihWei”) narrowly missed the final table, finishing in 11th place for $15,979.47.
SUPERSTAR CHALLENGE FINAL TABLE RESULTS
| Rank | Player | Country | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | lIlIllIIetsRoll | Mexico | $192,774.56 |
| 2 | Thiago Crema | Brazil | $148,649.42 |
| 3 | Espen Jorstad | Norway | $114,624.31 |
| 4 | Luc Van Der Beek | Netherlands | $88,387.43 |
| 5 | D Velasevic | Serbia | $68,156.07 |
| 6 | T Mulder | Austria | $52,555.50 |
| 7 | Niklas Astedt | Sweden | $40,525.81 |
| 8 | Huang Wenjie | Hong Kong | $31,249.71 |
| 9 | Pedro Padilha | Brazil | $24,096.76 |
