Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT): History, Champions & How It Works
Since 2007, the Asia Pacific Poker Tour has been the region’s flagship live series, bringing PokerStars-backed tournament poker to some of Asia’s most significant gaming hubs. Unlike some of its sister regional tours, the APPT has continued running in recent years, with stops at major venues across the Asia-Pacific region.
What the APPT Is
The APPT runs Main Events, high-roller tournaments, and side events with buy-ins typically ranging from a few hundred to several thousand US dollars, drawing both regional players and international touring professionals. Historic stops have included Macau, Manila, Seoul, Auckland, and Melbourne; more recently, the tour has run major series at venues including NagaWorld in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and Okada Manila in the Philippines.
Tournament schedules in this space shift from year to year based on venue partnerships and market conditions – recent APPT series have included seven-figure guaranteed Main Events at both Cambodia and Manila stops. Check PokerStars’ current live events calendar for confirmed upcoming dates rather than relying on any previously published schedule, including older versions of this guide.
Champions Through the Years
| Year | Event | Winner (Country) | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | APPT Manila | Brett Parise (USA) | $179,775 |
| 2008 | APPT Macau | Edward Sabat (USA) | $453,851 |
| 2010 | APPT Macau | Victorino Torres (Guam) | $416,439 |
| 2011 | APPT Melbourne | Leo Boxell (Australia) | $336,000 |
| 2014 | APPT Macau | Raiden Kan (Hong Kong) | $360,000 |
| 2017 | APPT Macau | Wilson Lim (Singapore) | $275,000 |
A two-time APPT Seoul champion (2012 and 2013), among the few players to win the same tour stop in consecutive years.
The first Filipino player to win an APPT Main Event, a genuinely significant result for the tour’s host-country fanbase.
Known to many viewers as a World Poker Tour commentator, Dunst also won an APPT Seoul title in his own right.
How to Qualify
As with most PokerStars-backed tours, the realistic path into an APPT Main Event for most players is through online satellites rather than a direct buy-in – starting from low-cost qualifiers and building up through step tournaments to a full seat. Live step satellites are also typically available at partner venues in the days leading into a series.
Why It Matters
The APPT filled a genuine gap when it launched in 2007 – Asia-Pacific players previously had far fewer opportunities to compete on a well-run, internationally recognized live tour without traveling to Europe or the US. Its continued operation, even as sister tours like the LAPT have been discontinued, reflects the region’s now-established appetite for large-field live tournament poker. For other major regional tours, see our guides to the Latin American Poker Tour and the European Poker Tour.
