Rene Von Reden Takes Down Record-Setting Asian Poker Tour Taipei Main Event

The 2024 Asian Poker Tour Taipei Poker Classic NT$50,000 ($1,550 USD) buy-in no-limit hold’em main event drew a massive field of 1,991 entries, resulting in a prize pool worth over $2.7 million when rendered in US dollars. As a result, eventual champion Rene Von Reden walked away with a record-setting top prize of $446,809, the largest poker tournament payout ever awarded in Taipei according to social media posts by the APT.

The top 295 finishers made the money, with six-figure USD payouts for the final five. Plenty of big names ran deep, including Mid-States Poker Tour champion Kou Vang (184th), bracelet winner Joseph Cheong (152nd), Punnat Punsri (70th), and four-time bracelet winner Dominik Nitsche (26th).

The final day began with nine players remaining and Dhanesh Chainani in the lead. Von Reden was the second shortest stack to start, but still had plenty of rook to work with 20 big blinds.

Andy Chen (9th – $33,697) was the first to fall, running K-9 suited into the A-J of Abraham Ceesvin. Junichiro Hashimoto (8th – $44,144) soon followed when his pocket fives were outraced by the 9-8 suited of Fan Chih Wei, which flopped a straight to all but seal it.

Lau Sio Fat’s run ended in seventh place ($62,651) when his A-J was outraced by the pocket sevens of Jae Wook Shin. Neither player connected with the board and the field was narrowed to six contenders.

The next elimination saw Von Reden shove from the button with A-3. Wei called all-in from the big blind with A-K suited. The board brought a three to turn the tables in Von Reden’s favor, and Wei was eliminated in sixth place ($81,809).

Start-of-day leader Chainani got the last of his stack in preflop with A-8 shoved from the small blind. He was behind facing the A-9 of Von Reden out of the big blind. Chainani flopped a pair of eights to take the lead, but Von Reden turned a ten-high straight.

Another battle of the blinds brought about Chan Man Lok’s elimination. Ceesvin shoved from the small blind with 8-7 suited and received a call from the A-J suited of Chan. The flop gave Ceesvin eights and sevens and a massive lead. A blank on the turn left Chan drawing dead. He earned $122,109 as the fourth-place finihser.

Von Reden won a massive pot with trip fives besting the queens and sixes of Shin. Shin eventually got all-in with A-10 racing against the pocket eights of Ceesvin. The flop improved Cesvin to a set, which left Shin in need of running straight cards. The turn brought a blank, leaving him drawing dead. Shin cashed for $170,128.

Heads-up play began with roughly a 5:3 chip advantage for Ceesvin over Von Reden. Von Reden hero called with his flopped top pair that became second pair after an ace hit the turn. Ceesvin was semi-bluffing with an open-ended straight draw. The river was a blank and Von Reden took a healthy lead of his own.

Things had evened out a bit before the decisive hand arose. Ceesvin min-raised to 2,400,000 with K6 from the button and Von Reden called with 92 out of the big blind. The flop came down K73 and Von Reden checked. Ceesvin bet 2,800,000 and Von Reden called. The 3 hit the turn and Von Reden checked again. Ceesvin bet 4,500,000. Von Reden check-raised to 12,000,000. Ceesvin moved all-in for 31,000,000 total and Von Reden called. The river was the Q, bringing the tournament to a close. Ceesvin was awarded $245,830 as the runner-up finisher.

Here is a look at the payouts and POY points awarded at the final table:

Photo credit: APT X account.