#37: Superstar Challenge (8-Handed) – No-Limit Hold’em – Day 2 – NT$3,000,000 GTD
-
Status
Completed -
Buy-in
NT$120,000
~USD 3,910 -
Date
03 Mar 2026 -
Start Time
12:00 pm -
Registration Ends
Start of Level 13 (~1:30 pm) -
Starting Stack
250,000
| Total Buy-in | NT$120,000 |
|---|---|
| Prize Pool | NT$108,000 |
| Entry Fee | NT$12,000 |
LEVELS:
- Levels will be 40 minutes for the duration of the tournament.
- Day 1 will play down until the end of level 10.
- Day 2 will play down until a winner is determined.
RE-ENTRY:
- Unlimited re-entry is allowed before the close of registration.
PAYOUTS:
- Approximately one in seven entries (15%) will be in the money.
SHOT CLOCKS & TIME BANKS:
- Shot Clocks will be implemented throughout the tournament.
- Each player has 15 seconds to act on their first decision and 30 seconds on any subsequent decision (at the Final Table, the initial decision time is increased to 30 seconds).
- Players receive 4 time-extension chips worth 30 seconds each at the time of taking their seat, then 1 additional time-extension chip at the start of every odd level (3, 5, 7, 9, etc).
PACE OF PLAY:
- Players are required to make decisions within a reasonable timeframe.
- Players who are found to intentionally abuse time, deliberately stall, or purposely slow down the gameβs progression will be subjected to a 5-second shot clock for all subsequent decision-making.
- In all tournaments, including shot clock tournaments, we retain the right to limit the time any player has to make a decision.
SEATING & RE-DRAWS:
- Play will be 8-handed for the duration of the tournament with a Final Table of 9 players.
- Seating re-draws will be conducted prior to the start of Day 2, and at 16 and 9 players remaining.
FINAL TABLE LIVE STREAM:
- The Final Table will be live streamed with a 30-minute delay.
STAFF FEE:
- Four percent (4%) of the prize pool will be withheld to offset tournament staffing costs.
RULES:
- Tournament Director Association (TDA) rules will be used.
| Lvl | Duration | Small Blind | Big Blind | Ante |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 40 Min | 5,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 |
| 12 | 40 Min | 5,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 |
| 10-Minute Break | ||||
| 13 | 40 Min | 6,000 | 12,000 | 12,000 |
| 14 | 40 Min | 8,000 | 16,000 | 16,000 |
| 15 | 40 Min | 10,000 | 20,000 | 20,000 |
| 16 | 40 Min | 10,000 | 25,000 | 25,000 |
| 17 | 40 Min | 15,000 | 30,000 | 30,000 |
| 18 | 40 Min | 20,000 | 40,000 | 40,000 |
| 19 | 40 Min | 25,000 | 50,000 | 50,000 |
| 20 | 40 Min | 30,000 | 60,000 | 60,000 |
| 21 | 40 Min | 40,000 | 80,000 | 80,000 |
| 22 | 40 Min | 50,000 | 100,000 | 100,000 |
| 23 | 40 Min | 60,000 | 120,000 | 120,000 |
| 24 | 40 Min | 60,000 | 160,000 | 160,000 |
| 25 | 40 Min | 100,000 | 200,000 | 200,000 |
| 26 | 40 Min | 125,000 | 250,000 | 250,000 |
| 27 | 40 Min | 150,000 | 300,000 | 300,000 |
| 28 | 40 Min | 200,000 | 400,000 | 400,000 |
| 29 | 40 Min | 250,000 | 500,000 | 500,000 |
| 30 | 40 Min | 300,000 | 600,000 | 600,000 |
| 31 | 40 Min | 400,000 | 800,000 | 800,000 |
| 32 | 40 Min | 500,000 | 1,000,000 | 1,000,000 |
-
Status
Completed -
Entries
60
-
Winner
π΅π John Niko Costiniano
TWD1,451,900
| Place | Name | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | π΅π John NIko Costiniano | 1,451,900 |
| 2nd | π°π· Hogyun Kang | 1,436,000 |
| 3rd | πΊπΈ Dohyeok Kim | 1,290,900 |
| 4th | πΉπΌ Yu Chung Chang | 552,000 |
| 5th | π°π· Jung Seunghyuk | 420,000 |
| 6th | πΉπΌ Kristof Segers | 331,000 |
| 7th | πΉπ Nirunrut Rachburom | 277,000 |
| 8th | πΉπ Rangka Tekarn Teeraphat | 242,000 |
| 9th | ππ° Hon Cheong Lee | 220,000 |
-
Status
Completed -
Entries
60
-
Winner
π΅π John Niko Costiniano
TWD1,451,900
John Niko Costiniano Outlasts Elite Field in Superstar Challenge

The Superstar Challenge of the Players Series Championship III reaches its conclusion with π΅π John Niko Costiniano officially taking the title after the final three players agreed to an ICM deal. The high-stakes event generated a massive total prize pool of TWD 6,220,800.
As a result of the agreement, John Niko Costiniano secures the largest portion of the remaining funds, walking away with TWD 1,451,900 and the trophy. π°π· Hogyun Kang finishes as the runner-up with a payout of TWD 1,436,000, while πΊπΈ Dohyeok Kim completes the top three, earning TWD 1,290,900.
John Costiniano Crowned Champion of The Superstar Challenge
![]()
John Costiniano
On his Players Series debut, π΅π John Costiniano emerges as the newest Series Superstar Challenge champion after a three-way deal. Costiniano pockets a cool TWD 1,451,900 along with his first ever PS trophy.
Read up on the action via the recap and live updates below or watch the livestream via Players Series YouTube.
|
Place
|
Name
|
Prize (TWD)
|
|---|---|---|
|
1st
|
π΅π John Niko Costiniano
|
1,451,900
|
|
2nd
|
π°π· Hogyun Kang
|
1,436,000
|
|
3rd
|
π°π· Dohyeok Kim
|
1,290,900
|
|
4th
|
πΉπΌ Yu Chung Chang
|
520,000
|
|
5th
|
π°π· Seunghyuk Jung
|
401,000
|
|
6th
|
πΉπΌ Kristof Segers
|
308,000
|
|
7th
|
πΉπ Nirunrut Rachburom
|
235,000
|
|
8th
|
πΉπ Teeraphat Rangkatekarn
|
178,000
|
|
9th
|
ππ° Hon Cheong Lee
|
135,000
|
β Event Recap
With two levels of registration open, Day 2 of the Superstar Challenge boosts the field to 60 entries as latecomers make a final dash before closing. Once the gates shut, eliminations come quickly.
The dayβs opening chip leader, πΉπ Teeraphat Rangkatekarn, fires off a series of knockouts until he runs into Costiniano, who finally tames his aggression. The bubble bursts on π°π· Kang Ki Seok, whose pocket queens fall to πΊπΈΒ Dohyeok Kimβs ace, setting the stage for the final table.
ππ° Hon Cheong Lee, starting with a very short stack, is the first to hit the payout desk, unable to gain traction. In contrast, fellow short stack π°π·Seunghyuk Jung survives several showdowns and climbs into 5th place.
The last two Thai contenders fall in one-go. Rangkatekarn finishes 8th, and πΉπ Nirunrut Rachburom comes in 7th, both falling to the hot-handed π°π· Hogyun Kang while back-to-back finalist, πΉπΌ Kristof Segers, takes 6th place.
Four-handed play is fast and furious with well-timed bluffs and aggressive moves paying off. πΉπΌΒ Yu-Chung Chang is unable to keep up and exits in 4th to πΊπΈ Dohyeok Kim, who takes the chip lead for the first time.
In the closing stretch, Costiniano sets a perfect trap to catapult to the top of the leaderboard, eventually securing the crown after a three-way ICM deal. Kudos as well to Kang who nearly captured a series second high roller title, placing second just after his victory at the Natural8 Open Super High Roller.Β
Three-Way Deal At The Break
At the break, the final three players agreed to an ICM deal, bringing play to an early conclusion. With the largest stack at the time, John Costiniano is officially awarded the victory.
|
Place
|
Name
|
Prize
|
|---|---|---|
|
1st
|
π΅π John Niko Costiniano
|
TWD 1,451,900
|
|
2nd
|
π°π· Hogyun Kang
|
TWD 1,436,000
|
|
3rd
|
πΊπΈ Dohyeok Kim
|
TWD 1,290,900
|
John Costiniano's Trap Earn The Max

John Costiniano
With Dohyeok Kim firmly in the driver’s seat, he continues to grind to climb to 7,500,00 until John Costiniano puts a stop to it. Kicking off the hand with a 260,000 raise out of the small blind seat, Kim defends his big blind.
At the flop
, both players check for a free turn card of
. No more checking for Costiniano who sends out 425,000, Kim answers with a shove, Costiniano snap-calls with his trap holding
.
Costiniano is still not out of the woods with Kim’s
top pair backed by outs. The river
isn’t one of them to pay a costly double up.
|
Player
|
Chips
|
|---|---|
|
π΅π John Niko Costiniano
|
5,400,000
|
|
π°π· Hogyun Kang
|
5,190,000
|
|
πΊπΈ Dohyeok Kim
|
5,000,000
|
Final 3 Players
|
Player
|
Chips
|
|---|---|
|
πΊπΈ Dohyeok Kim
|
6,445,000
|
|
π°π· Hogyun Kang
|
5,190,000
|
|
π΅π John Niko Costiniano
|
3,365,000
|
Yu-Chung Chang Eliminated In 4th Place - TWD 552,000

Yu Chung Chang
Down to 13 big blinds, Yu-Chung Chang is all in holding
and is flipping against caller Do Hyeok Kim who hasΒ
.
The board brings no partners for Chang’s big cards, instead running
to end his run in 3rd place.
Hogyun Kang Can't Get Past John Costiniano
Hogyun Kang widens his range with a raise of 200,ooo holding
. Next to act John Costiniano calls with
, and after the blinds fold, the dealer spreads a flop of
.
Kang continues to represent with a bet of 200,000 again and Costiniano sticks around having hit second pair. The turn gives Kang a gutshot and fires 500,000 but still doesn’t scare away Costiniano who calls again.
Kang finally slows down on the river while Costiniano goes the other direction with a bet of 700,000 to earn the pot without a showdown.
|
Seat
|
Player
|
Chips
|
|---|---|---|
|
1
|
π°π· Hogyun Kang
|
4,900,000
|
|
4
|
π΅π John Niko Costiniano
|
3,600,000
|
|
5
|
πΉπΌ Yu-Chang Chang
|
2,250,000
|
|
9
|
πΊπΈ Dohyeok Kim
|
4,900,000
|
Continuation Bets Earn Dohyeok Kim The Pot

Dohyeok Kim
Yu-Chung Chang
looks down at an ace and gives it a min-raise, button player Dohyeok Kim
calls, and it’s a three-way with John Costiniano
defending his big blind.
The flop d
brings a bit more action with a bet of 250,000 from Kim that only Costiniano calls for his open-ended. The turn
sees Kim fire another 500,000 and that does the job with Costiniano folding in frustration.
|
Seat
|
Player
|
Chips
|
|---|---|---|
|
1
|
π°π· Hogyun Kang
|
5,800,000
|
|
4
|
π΅π John Niko Costiniano
|
2,500,000
|
|
5
|
πΉπΌ Yu-Chang Chang
|
2,300,000
|
|
9
|
πΊπΈ Dohyeok Kim
|
5,100,000
|
Level 21 Begins (4 Players Remaining)
Level 21 is underway with blinds ofΒ 50K-100K ante 100K. Only four players remaining.
|
Seat
|
Player
|
Chips
|
|---|---|---|
|
1
|
π°π· Hogyun Kang
|
5,500,000
|
|
4
|
π΅π John Niko Costiniano
|
2,100,000
|
|
5
|
πΉπΌ Yu-Chang Chang
|
2,500,000
|
|
9
|
πΊπΈ Dohyeok Kim
|
4,000,000
|
Yu-Chung Chang Banks A Double Off John Costiniano
From under the gun, Dohyeok Kim has
good for a min-raise. Out of the small blind, John Costiniano has
and fires a three-bet of 460,000. The action gets heavier with big blind Yu-Chung Chang firing a four-bet jam with
for a total of 1,2,00,000.
Kim can’t believe it and folds while Costiniano gives it a lengthier decision. After using up two time extensions, he emerges with a call to put Chang’s tournament life on the line.
Chang is ahead and in prime shape for a huge double up. The flop runs a clean
, with the Β
turn changing nothing. The riverΒ
seals Chang the win with the best kicker.
|
Seat
|
Player
|
Chips
|
|---|---|---|
|
4
|
πΉπΌ Yu-Chang Chang
|
2,500,000
|
|
5
|
π΅π John Niko Costiniano
|
2,100,000
|
Hogyun Kang vs John Costiniano
Out of the small blind, Hogyun Kang looks down at
Β and raises 240,000. Big blind John Costiniano defends with Β
and they go hunting at the flop which spreads
Kang lands top pair and continues for 150,000, Costiniano calls and they go another around to the turn Β . Kang bets again for 250,000 and Costiniano flats to complete the spread with the
.
Kang dips in his stack once more and counts out 700,000. Costiniano tanks before letting go of his hand.
|
Seat
|
Player
|
Chips
|
|---|---|---|
|
1
|
π°π· Hogyun Kang
|
5,500,000
|
|
4
|
π΅π John Niko Costiniano
|
3,600,000
|
Dohyeok Kim Barrels Down For The Pot
Dohyeok Kim with
opens 160,000 on the button and big blind John Costiniano defends on the big blind with
. The flop of
gives Costiniano a pair to check-call Kim’s 120,000 c-bet.
On the turn Costiniano checks again and faces another barrel from Kim for 340,000. Costiniano tanks then gives up his hand.
|
Seat
|
Player
|
Chips
|
|---|---|---|
|
1
|
π°π· Hogyun Kang
|
5,900,000
|
|
4
|
π΅π John Niko Costiniano
|
3,400,000
|
|
5
|
πΉπΌ Yu-Chang Chang
|
1,900,000
|
|
9
|
πΊπΈ Dohyeok Kim
|
3,600,000
|
Four Players Remaining
|
Seat
|
Player
|
Chips
|
|---|---|---|
|
1
|
π°π· Hogyun Kang
|
5,800,000
|
|
4
|
π΅π John Niko Costiniano
|
4,820,000
|
|
5
|
πΉπΌ Yu-Chang Chang
|
2,200,000
|
|
9
|
πΊπΈ Dohyeok Kim
|
3,010,000
|
Seunghyuk Jung Eliminated In 5th Place - TWD 420,000

Seunghyuk Jung
Seunghyuk Jung
opens with a jam for 1,000,000 from under the gun and Do Hyeok Kim tanks with
then folds. Next one over is the chip leader Hogyun Kang who doesn’t spend any time thinking about what to do and snap-calls with
.
After the blinds fold, the dealer lays out the board
which ends Jung’s run in 5th place.
|
Seat
|
Player
|
Chips
|
|---|---|---|
|
1
|
π°π· Hogyun Kang
|
5,800,000
|
|
8
|
π°π· Seunghyuk Jung
|
Eliminated
|
Diamonds Help Out Yu-Chung Chang
John Costiniano min-raises from under the gun and Yu-Chung Chang tanks before raising to 600,000. The bet doesn’t scare Costiniano in the least and snap-shoves. Chang snap-calls for his tournament life.
Yu-Chung Chang: Β
John Costiniano:
Costiniano has a point higher however it has no clout against Chang’s diamond that find buddies on the board
. With his flush, Chang doubles up to 30 big blinds.
|
Seat
|
Player
|
Chips
|
|---|---|---|
|
5
|
πΉπΌ Yu-Chang Chang
|
2,400,000
|
|
4
|
π΅π John Niko Costiniano
|
3,700,000
|
Seunghyuk Jung Doubles Up But Still Short
Seunghyuk Jung is down to just six big blinds when he gets dealt
. He goes all in and big blind Dohyeok Kim donates, calling with
.
With no hits on the board for Kim,Β
, Jung returns to double digit big blinds.
|
Seat
|
Player
|
Chips
|
|---|---|---|
|
1
|
π°π· Hogyun Kang
|
4,920,000
|
|
4
|
π΅π John Niko Costiniano
|
4,820,000
|
|
5
|
πΉπΌ Yu-Chang Chang
|
1,095,000,
|
|
8
|
π°π· Seunghyuk Jung
|
1,010,000
|
|
9
|
πΊπΈ Dohyeok Kim
|
3.,155,000
|
Level 20 Begins (5 Players Remaining)
Level 20 is underway with blinds of 40K-80K ante 80K. Only 5 players remaining.
Seunghyuk Jung vs Dohyeok Kim
Smal blind Seunghyuk Jung Β
Β limps in on the small blind and Dohyeok Kim
checks for a cheap look at the flop
. Both players improve with Jung landing top pair and gives it respect with a 60,000 bet. Kim tests him with a 155,000 raise. Jung calls and they both check the turn
.
The river is checked again by Jung while Kim fires a 350,000 bet for his flush. Jung folds.
|
Seat
|
Player
|
Chips
|
|---|---|---|
|
9
|
πΊπΈ Dohyeok Kim
|
3,700,000
|
|
8
|
π°π· Seunghyuk Jung
|
750,000
|
Thin Value For Dohyeok Kim's Pair
Dohyeok Kim has
and decides to limp it from the small blind. Hogyun Kang also has a pairΒ
, and tests Kim with a bet of 210,000. Kim calls and to take it to the flop
.
Kang continues for 125,00 and Kim check-calls for the turn . Again Kim checks and Kang checks back. The river
scares both players to opt to check.
Kim takes down his first decent pot of the day.
|
Seat
|
Player
|
Chips
|
|---|---|---|
|
9
|
πΊπΈ Dohyeok Kim
|
3,400,000
|
|
1
|
π°π· Hogyun Kang
|
5,000,000
|
Kristof Segers Falls In 6th Place - TWD 331,000

Kristof Segers
Everyone folds to the small blind Kristof Segers and he looks down at
and goes all in only to run into big blind John Costiniano’s
.
The flop of
improves Segers though still behind the ladies. The turn
changes nothing, and with the river
, Segers run ends in 6th place.
|
Seat
|
Player
|
Chips
|
|---|---|---|
|
1
|
π΅π John Niko Costiniano
|
4,000,000
|
|
2
|
πΉπΌ Kristof Segers
|
Eliminated
|
Hogyun Kang Gets Value For Top Pair

Hogyun Kang
Everyone folds to Hogyun Kang on the small blind who min-raises. Big blind Kristof Segers
defends and they proceed to check it all the way to the river
where Kang bets 400,000. Segers counts out the chips and eventually decides to pay to see Kang’s winning hand.
|
eat
|
Player
|
Chips
|
|---|---|---|
|
1
|
π°π· Hogyun Kang
|
5,520,000
|
|
2
|
πΉπΌ Kristof Segers
|
900,000
|
Thai Players Eliminated Simultaneously - Nirunrut Rachburom (7th), Teeraphat Rangkatekarn (8th)
![]()
Teeraphat Rangkatekarn
Hogyun Kang Β
Β raises to 125,000, Nirunrut Rachburom
flats, then Teeraphat Rangkatekarn
three-bets all in for 395,000. Kang defends with a call and Rachburom joins as well risking her tournament life.
A duck on the window all but seals the double knockout and the two Thailand players are eliminated on a board of
with Kang’s boat far ahead.

Nirunrut Rachburom
Rachburom finishes in 7th place for TWD 277,000 and Rangkatekarn takes 8th place for TWD 242,000.
|
Seat
|
Player
|
Chips
|
|---|---|---|
|
1
|
π°π· Hogyun Kang
|
4,800,000
|
|
3
|
πΉπ Nirunrut Rachburom
|
Eliminated
|
|
7
|
πΉπ Teeraphat Rangkatekarn
|
Eliminated
|
Level 19 Begins (8 Players Remaining)
Level 19 is underway with blinds of 30K-60K ante 60K. Only 8 players remain on the hunt for the title and the TWD 2,160,000 top prize.
Hon Cheong Lee Finishes In 9th Place - TWD 220,000

Hon Cheong Lee
Down to just 135,000, Hon Cheong Lee puts it all on the line holding
and big blind Hogyun Kang makes the easy call with
.
With Kang looking for a jack to trim the field, the board doesn’t give it however it runs
to reduce Lee to playing the board. Kang’s jack plays to boot Lee out in 9th place.
|
Seat
|
Player
|
Chips
|
|---|---|---|
|
1
|
π°π· Hogyun Kang
|
3,800,000
|
|
6
|
ππ° Hon Cheong Lee
|
Eliminated
|
Kristof Segers Boosted By The Ladies
Kristof Segers opens the minimum and is challenged with a three-bet to 300,000 by Seunghyuk Jung. Segers four-bet jams his 495,000 stack and it’s a no-brainer snap call from Jung.
Kristof Segers:
Seunghyuk Jung:
With the board running
, Segers dodges the ace to double through.
|
Seat
|
Player
|
Chips
|
|---|---|---|
|
2
|
πΉπΌ Kristof Segers
|
1,300,000
|
|
8
|
π°π· Seunghyuk Jung
|
1,300,000
|
Seunghyuk Jung Check-Jams On Hogyun Kang
Seunghyuk Jung opens from early position for 100,000 and two spots over at hijack, Hogyun Kang flats with
and it’s a three-way with Hon Cheong Lee defending on the big blind withΒ
.
When the flop comes
, action is checked to Kang who bets 100,000 and only Jung continues with him to the turn
.
Again Jung checks to Kang, he maintains control with a bet of 250,000. Jung tanks then shoves for a total of 835,000. Kang opts to fold his aces.
|
Seat
|
Player
|
Chips
|
|---|---|---|
|
8
|
π°π· Seunghyuk Jung
|
1,900,000
|
|
1
|
π°π· Hogyun Kang
|
3,500,000
|
|
6
|
ππ° Hon Cheong Lee
|
210,000
|
Seunghyuk Jung Doubles Up Again
On the second hand of the day, Teeraphat Rangkatakern open-jams and now, for hands later, he open-jams again. Seunghyuk Jung calls the cards go on their backs.
Teeraphat Rangkatakern:
Seunghyuk Jung:
Jung doubles up again when the board runs
.
Immediately following the hand, Rangkatakern is dealt
and jams. No one calls and he shows them the hand.
|
Seat
|
Player
|
Chips
|
|---|---|---|
|
1
|
π°π· Seunghyuk Jung
|
1,285,000
|
|
2
|
πΉπ Teeraphat Rangkatekarn
|
490,000
|
NIrunrut Rachburom Folds To Hogyun Kang's Aggression
Hogyun Kang
min-raises on the button and Nirurut Rachburom
defends her big blind.
The flop comesΒ
, and Kang continues for 75,000. Rachburom check-calls and they go to the turn
where Kang barrels another 105,000. With her top pair, Rachburom calls again to complete the board with theΒ
river.
Rachburom checks again, Kang is unrelenting firing a 400,000 bet. Rachburom tanks then finds a fold to preserve her chips.
|
Seat
|
Player
|
Chips
|
|---|---|---|
|
1
|
π°π· Hogyun Kang
|
3,975,000
|
|
2
|
πΉπΌ Kristof Segers
|
595,000
|
|
3
|
πΉπ Nirunrut Rachburom
|
785,000
|
|
4
|
π΅π John Niko Costiniano
|
3,475,000
|
|
5
|
πΉπΌ Yu-Chang Chang
|
1,120,000
|
|
6
|
ππ° Hon Cheong Lee
|
310,000
|
|
7
|
πΉπ Teeraphat Rangkatekarn
|
945,000
|
|
8
|
π°π· Seunghyuk Jung
|
580,000
|
|
9
|
πΊπΈ Dohyeok Kim
|
3,215,000
|
First Hand Scoop For Seunghyuk Jung
First hand of the final table opens with a 105,000 raise from the chip leader John Costiniano
out of the hijack seat and big blind Seunghyuk Jung calls with
. As one of the shortest stacks, entering with only six big blinds, it is no surprise to see Jung jam on a flop ofΒ
with top pair.
Easy call for Costiniano as it only costs him another two big blinds. With the turn and river
. Jung quickly doubles up.
|
Player
|
Chips
|
|---|---|
|
π°π· Seunghyuk Jung
|
605,000
|
|
π΅π John Niko Costiniano
|
3,425,000
|
Final Table Underway!
Shuffle up and deal! Final table is underway. Blinds continue at 25K-50K ante 50K with 36 minutes remaining in the clock.
Final 9 Set!

Front (L-R): Hogyun Kang, Nirunrut Rachburom, Yu-Chung Chang, Hon Cheong Lee; Back (L-R): John Costiniano, Kris Segers, Seunghyuk Jung, Teeraphat Rangkatekarn, Do Hyeok Kim
Chip Counts
|
Seat
|
Player
|
Chips
|
|---|---|---|
|
1
|
π°π·Hogyun Kang
|
3,595,000
|
|
2
|
πΉπΌKristof Segers
|
720,000
|
|
3
|
πΉπNirunrut Rachburom
|
1,140,000
|
|
4
|
π΅πJohn Niko Costiniano
|
3,740,000
|
|
5
|
πΉπΌYu-Chang Chang
|
1,120,000
|
|
6
|
ππ°Hon Cheong Lee
|
310,000
|
|
7
|
πΉπTeeraphat Rangkatekarn
|
845,000
|
|
8
|
π°π·Seunghyuk Jung
|
315,000
|
|
9
|
πΊπΈ Dohyeok Kim
|
3,215,000
|
The final 9 players are guaranteed a piece of the TWD 6,220,800 prize pool. At the minimum is TWD 220,000 and for the champion, the TWD 2,160,000 top prize awaits. Spectators can follow the race via the livestream in the Players Series YouTube channel. Action resumes 6:50PM. Livestream is on a 30-minute delay.
Payouts
|
Place
|
Payout (TWD)
|
|---|---|
|
1st
|
2,160,000
|
|
2nd
|
1,230,000
|
|
3rd
|
788,800
|
|
4th
|
552,000
|
|
5th
|
420000
|
|
6th
|
331,000
|
|
7th
|
277,000
|
|
8th
|
242,000
|
|
9th
|
220,000
|
Kang Ki Seok Crashes Out On The Bubble
![]()
Kang Ki Seok
Kang Ki Seok open-jams with
and is shocked to hear a call from Dohyeok Kim who turns over
.
Battling for his tournament life, Kang’s hopes vanish when the flop comes
. The turnΒ
brings him a sliver of hope with outs to split but it is not to be with the
on the river. Seok falls on the stone cold bubble.
|
Player
|
Chip Counts
|
|---|---|
| Dohyeok Kim |
3,215,000
|
|
Kang Ki Seok
|
Eliminated
|
Darren Wee Eliminated By Hogyun Kang
Darren Wee is all in for his last 355,000 and isn’t going to skate through with small blind Hogyun Kang making the call.
Darren Wee:
Hogyun Kang:
Upon seeing Kang’s cards, Wee shakes his head in disappointment as only his jack is live. His outs don’t materialize on the board
to fall two spots from the money.
|
Player
|
Chip Counts
|
|---|---|
|
Hogyun Kang
|
3,595,000
|
|
Darren Wee
|
Eliminated
|
Level 18 Begins (11 Players Remaining)
Level 18 is underway with blinds of 25K-50K ante 50K. Only 11 players remain from a field of 60 entries. ITM begins at the final 9 players with each one guaranteed a piece of the TWD 6,220,800 prize pool.
Darren Wee Out-Kicks For The Boost
Darren Wee open shoves his last 405,000 on the button and Kristof Segers makes the call. When they turn them over, Wee has the superior kicker with
againstΒ
. The jack-high board keeps him ahead to rake in a double up.
|
Player
|
Chip Counts
|
|---|---|
|
Darren Wee
|
810,000
|
|
Kristof Segers
|
850,000
|
Chia Yun Wu Is Not All In Yet
Chia Yun Wu raises 425,000 leaving himself just 10,000 behind. Not realizing that Wu isn’t all in yet, Kristof Segers puts the chips in and flips open his hand
. Wu says “no all in” and Segers flips back his cards face down.
Both players check the flop and when it reaches the turn
, Segers has a pair Β
. They proceed to check it all the way through then Wu mucks and is down to half a small blind..
Shortly after, Wu is eliminated but not before scoring a triple up to just under two big blinds.
|
Player
|
Chip Counts
|
|---|---|
|
Kristof Segers
|
960,000
|
|
Chia Yun Wu
|
10,000
|
John Costiniano With Another Big Pot

John Costiniano continues to deny Teeraphat Rangkatekarn with another big pot going his way. By the turn board
, up for grabs is around 600,000 with Costiniano making a bid for 360,000. Teeraphat tanks then folds again.
|
Player
|
Chip Counts
|
|---|---|
|
John Costiniano
|
3,000,000
|
|
Teeraphat Rangkatekarn
|
1,230,000
|
Seunghyuk Jung Lands Quads
Seunghyuk Jung opens 400,000 and is forced all in for his last 5,000 by Kang Ki Seok who three-bet jams with a covering stack.
Seugnhyuk Jung:
Kang Ki Seok:Β
Jung needs to fade the overcards but doesn’t need to with the flop coming down a beauty
quads to secure him the double up. The turn is
and river
.
|
Player
|
Chip Counts
|
|---|---|
|
Seunghyuk Jung
|
535,000
|
|
Kang Ki Seok
|
810,000
|
Chia Yun Wu Celebrates
Chia Yun Wu is down to 405,000 when he is all in holding
Β that finds one caller in Yu-Chung Chang who has
. As soon as the full board tables
, Wu roars in celebration.
|
Player
|
Chip Counts
|
|---|---|
|
Chia Yun Wu
|
875,000 |
|
Yu-Chung Chang
|
1,600,000
|
Level 18 Begins (12 Players Remaining)
Level 18 is underway with blinds of 20K-40K ante 40K. Only 12 players remain out of a field of 60 entries. ITM begins at the final 9 players which will earn a piece of the TWD 6,220,800 prize pool.
Yu-Chung Chang Doubles Up, Hon Cheong Lee Plunges
Yu-Chung Chang opens on the button then calls for his tournament life after small blind Hon Cheong Lee jams.
Yu-Chung Chang:
Hon Cheong Lee:
Chang is looking prime for a double up and with the board cooperating
, he happily scoops up the reload.
|
Player
|
Chip Counts
|
|---|---|
|
Yu-Chung Chang
|
1,980,000
|
|
Hon Cheong Lee
|
125,000
|
John Costiniano Adds More To His Big Stack
With a pot of around 630,000 by the time the board completes
, chip leader John Costiniano fires 420,000 sending Teeraphat Rangkatekarn deep in the tank. After using up a time extension, Teeraphat can’t find the call and tosses his hand to the muck.
|
Player
|
Chip Counts
|
|---|---|
|
John Costiniano
|
2,610,000
|
|
Teeraphat Rangkatekarn
|
1,945,000
|
Kristof Segers Recovers
After plunging to six big blinds, Kristof Segers shoves three consecutive times to steal the blinds and ante on the first two then finds a caller in Hon Cheong Lee.
Kristof Segers:
Hon Cheong Lee:
The flop gives a slight scare
with a gutshot to Lee but no more as the rest comeΒ
turn
Β river for Segers to double up.
|
Player
|
Chip Counts
|
|---|---|
|
Kristof Segers
|
800,000
|
|
Hon Cheong Lee
|
1,165,000
|
Hon Cheong Lee Dominates For A Full Reload
Yu-Chung Chang opens then quickly gets out of the way following the heavy action with Hon Cheong Lee all in for 705,000 and Kristof Segers joining in with 895,000.
Hon Cheong Lee:
Kristoff Segers:
The board runs clean
for Lee to drag in a full reload.
|
Player
|
Chip Counts
|
|---|---|
|
Hon Cheong Lee
|
1,475,000
|
|
Kristof Segers
|
190,000
|
Kristof Segers Doubles Up
Kristof Segers open shoves holding
and is in trouble against caller Yu-Chung Chang withΒ
.
Seems his luck bank has is full as the flop runs
and with the runoutΒ
, Segers survives and apologizes for the bad beat.
|
Player
|
Chip Counts
|
|---|---|
|
Kristof Segers
|
920,000
|
|
Yu-Chung Chang
|
1,190,000
|
Level 17 Begins (12 Players Remaining)
Level 17 is underway with blinds of 15K-30K ante 30K with 12 players remaining. ITM begins at the final 9 players each one guaranteed a piece of the TWD 6,200,800 prize pool.
Chih Wei Fan Falls On A Flip

Chihwei Fan
Following a raise from the button Nirunrut Rachburom, small blind Chih Wei Fan jams and gets a call from big blind Hogyun Kang. Rachburom assesses the situation then opts to get out of the way.
|
Player
|
Chip Counts
|
|---|---|
|
Hogyun Kang
|
1,900,000
|
|
Nirunrut Rachburom
|
710,000
|
|
Chih Wei Fan
|
Eliminated
|
Seungmook Jung Goes Up Again Then Bangs Into Aces

Seungmook Jung
Shortly after railing Methavee Taveekitvatee, Seungmook Jung enters three consecutive hands that ends his day six spots from the money. The first hand is a double up through Rangka Teeraphat who calls Jung’s three-bet shove of 550,000.
Seungmook Jung:
Rangka Teeraphat:
Flipping for his tournament life, the flop nearly ensures Jung the win with a set
and with the turn Β
, he doubles up. The river is a meaninglessΒ
.
Following that hand, Jung three-bets all in and initial raiser Dae Gyu Hwang calls for his tournament life.
Seungmook Jung:
Dae Gyu Hwan:
Jung is ahead with a superior kicker and with no bad beats on the board
, he cleans up as Hwang packs up.
On the next hand, Jung is all in preflop again for 995,000, Do Hyeok Kim three-bets all in. Jung snaps and sees the bad news.
Seungmook Jung:
Do Hyeok Kim:
Kim’s aces hold throughout the board to send Jung plunging to just 20,000 (1 big blind).
Jung manages to quadruple up to 105,000 then loses it immediately after.
|
Player
|
Chips
|
|---|---|
|
Rangka Teeraphat
|
1,500,000
|
|
Do Hyeok Kim
|
1,960,000
|
|
Seungmook Jung
|
Eliminated
|
Methavee Taveekitvatee Eliminated By Seungmook Jung
Methavee Taveekitvatee has been sitting on a short stack and gets it all in with
Β then goes on to fall to Seungmook Jung’s
on an ace-high board.
|
Player
|
Chips
|
|---|---|
|
Seungmook Jung
|
1,615,000
|
|
Methavee Taveekitvatee
|
1,375,000
|
Teeraphat Rangkatekarn Defends With Rags
Out of the cutoff seat, Dae Gyu Hwang min-raises, next door neighbor Teeraphat Rangkatekarn three-bets to 120,000, back on Hwang, he four-bets to 325,000, and Teeraphat flats to tame the action.
At the flop of
, both players check then betting resumes on the turnΒ
with a 200,000 delayed c-bet from Hwang. Teeraphat calls nd the river comes
. Both players go back to checking.
Hwang has
ace-high, Teeraphat takes it down with
which gets a shock from his tablemates.
|
Player
|
Chips
|
|---|---|
|
Teeraphat Rangkatekarn
|
2,150,000
|
|
Dae Gyu Hwang
|
490,000
|
Battle Of The Blinds: Rangka Teeraphat vs John Costiniano
Teeraphat Rangkatekarnlimps in on the small blind and gets to play the flop cheap with big blind John Costiniano checking. The flop of
brings light action with Teeraphat’s 40,00 bet called.
Teeraphat checks the turn and Costiniano continues to mimic to bring the river
.
Teerapahat checks once more, Costiniano bets 110,000, Teeraphat answers with a raise to 250,000, and Costiniano calls. \
Teeraphat has
for top pair, Costiniano hasΒ
two pair to clam the pot.
|
Player
|
Chips
|
|---|---|
|
John Niko Costiniano
|
1,615,000
|
|
Teeraphat Rangkatekarn
|
1,375,000
|
Hogyun Kang Defends His Big Blind
Action folds to button Nirunrut Rachburom, she opens for 50,000 and is denied the steal with big blind Hogyun Kang defending. Rachburom tries again at the flop
, but still Kang sticks to her with a check-call to head to the turn
.
Rachburom tries again with another 50,00 bet and still, Kang denies her and check-calls to bring the river .Β With three failed attempts, Rachburom checks back instead then mucks to Kang’s
top pair.
|
Player
|
Chips
|
|---|---|
|
Hogyun Kang
|
1,570,000
|
|
Nirunrut Rachburom
|
830,000
|
Level 16 Begins (16 Players Remaining)
Level 16 is underway with blinds of 10K-25K ante 25K. Only 16 players remaining on the hunt out of a field of 60 entries. The final 9 players are guaranteed a piece of the TWD 6,220,800 prize pool.
Yu-Chung Chang Gains A Little
Following a raise from cutoff Nirunrut Rachburom that’s called by button Chih Wei Fan, big blind Yu-Chung Chang defends with a three-bet to 135,000. Rachburom tank-folds while Fan gives him some action.
They go to a flop of
where Chang continues for 125,000, Fan tanks then thinks best to lay it down.
|
Player
|
Chips
|
|---|---|
|
Yu-Chung Chang
|
1,130,000
|
|
Chih Wei Fan
|
400,000
|
Redraw (16 Players Remaining)
Table 27
|
Seat
|
Player
|
Chips
|
|---|---|---|
|
1
|
Kang Ki Seok
|
1,630,000
|
|
2
|
Methavee Taveekitvatee
|
250,000
|
|
3
|
Seungmook Jung
|
452,000
|
|
4
|
Seunghyuk Jung
|
404,000
|
|
5
|
Do Hyeok Kim
|
1,200,000
|
|
6
|
Dae Gyu Hwang
|
1,494,000
|
|
7
|
Teeraphat Rangkatekarn
|
1,610,000
|
Table 28
|
Seat
|
Player
|
Chips
|
|---|---|---|
|
1
|
Darren Wee
|
597,000
|
|
2
|
Kris Segers
|
412,000
|
|
3
|
Nirunrut Rachburom
|
1,008,000
|
|
4
|
Chih Wei Fan
|
600,000
|
|
5
|
Hogyun Kang
|
1,550,000
|
|
6
|
Yu-Chung Chang
|
1,100,000
|
|
7
|
Hon Cheong Lee
|
862,000
|
|
8
|
Chia Yun Wu
|
502,000
|
Dennis Kim Bangs Into Rangka Teeraphat's Rockets
It’s not looking good for Dennis Kim who is all with
only to see big stacked Rangka Teeraphat flip overΒ
.
No help comes of any kind on the board
and Kim packs up and Teeraphat continues to rebuild.
|
Player
|
Chips
|
|---|---|
|
Rangka Teeraphat
|
1,488,000
|
|
Dennis Kim
|
Eliminated
|
Level 15 Begins (18 Players Remaining)
Level 15 is underway with blinds of 10K-20K ante 20K. Only 18 players remain from a total field of 60 runners. ITM starts at the final 9 players.
Better Pair For Do Hyeok Kim
Under the gun player min-raises and to his immediate left, Do Hyeok Kim three-bets 75,000. After action folds around back to utg, he calls to take the bout to the flop.
After the dealer fans
, Kim continues the aggression for 55,000 and it’s called again for the turnΒ
.Β No bets land with Kim checking back. The riverΒ
sees action resume with a 30,000 lead out bet that Kim calls.
Under the gun shows
, Kim wins it with Β
.
|
Player
|
Chips
|
|---|---|
|
Do Hyeok Kim
|
1,150,000
|
Hogyun Kang Cracks It On The River

Hogyun Kang
In a battle of the blinds and a big pot already brewed by the time turn comes
, small blind Hogyun Kang jams
Β and Seunghyuk Jung snaps showing
. With Kang hunting down hearts and all the eights in the deck, one of them arrives on the river in the form of the
to give him the flush and a double up.
|
Player
|
Chips
|
|---|---|
|
Hogyun Kang
|
930,000
|
|
Seunghyuk Jung
|
280,000
|
Fabian Rolli Wins The Flip

Fabian Rolli
Fabian Rolli doubles through with
further improving on the board to get past Chih Wei Fan’s Β
. The board isΒ
.
|
Player
|
Chips
|
|---|---|
|
Fabian Rolli
|
585,000
|
|
Chih Wei Fan
|
78,000
|
Seungmook Jung Jams For The Pot
On a board of
and a pot that bloats to 385,000, Seungmook Jung jams and takes it down as Hogyun Kang folds.
|
Player
|
Chips
|
|---|---|
|
Seunghyuk Jung
|
600,000
|
|
Seungmook Jung
|
816,000
|
Teeraphat Rangkatekarn Knocks Out Wang Chihyuan

After moving to a new table, Rangka Teeraphat has a bit of trouble, losing a large chunk to John Costiniano who is now the new chip leader. However, Teeraphat has recovered some of the drop by knocking out Wang Chihyuan.
Chihyuan opens from under the gun with
, action folds around to the big blind Teeraphat who jams
, and Wang calls with a covering stack.
The flop brings a scare to Teeraphat who is now behind
, then a dramaticΒ
on the turn gives Teeraphat back the lead and sealed with a victory with the river
for broadway.
Wang is down to five big blinds and proceeds to lose it to Teeraphat as well.
|
Player
|
Chips
|
|---|---|
|
Rangka Teerphpat
|
960,000
|
|
Wang Chihyuan
|
Eliminated
|
Seungmook Jun Relinquishes Big Pot
With a hefty 225,000 pot in the middle and board at its limit
, Do Hyeok Kim has 320,000 out front that sends Seungmook Jung into the think tank. He emerges with a fold to award the big stacked Kim more chips.
|
Player
|
Chips
|
|---|---|
|
Do Hyeok Kim
|
1,173,000
|
|
Seungmook Jung
|
460,000
|
Prize Pool Doubles to TWD 6,220,800 (9 ITM)
The numbers are in! The Superstar Challenge was one hot ticket with the prize pool doubling up past the guarantee to settle at a richer TWD 6,220,000. The players are now on the hunt to reach for the glory and the top prize of TWD 2,160,000. ITM begins at the final 9 players.
|
Place
|
Payout (TWD)
|
|---|---|
|
1st
|
2,160,000
|
|
2nd
|
1,230,000
|
|
3rd
|
788,800
|
|
4th
|
552,000
|
|
5th
|
420000
|
|
6th
|
331,000
|
|
7th
|
277,000
|
|
8th
|
242,000
|
|
9th
|
220,000
|
Big Stacks
| Player | Chips |
|---|---|
| John Costiniano | 2,160,000 |
| Kang Ki Seok | 1,658,000 |
| Dae Gyu Hwang | 900,000 |
| Seunghyuk Jung | 865,000 |
| Yu-Chung Chang | 785,000 |
| Wang Chihyuan | 710,000 |
| Rangka Teeraphat | 540,000 |
Dae Gyu Hwang Rails One
Dae Gyu Hwang has a dominating kicker
Β
to oust one player when the board bricks. He now joins the upper ranks with 900,000 in chips.
Level 14 Underway (23 Players Remaining)
Level 14 is underway with blinds of 8K-16K ante 16K. Only 23 players remain from a total field of 60 entries. ITM begins at the final 9 players.
Hogyun Kang Rails Parit Ovadhana
Two days ago, Parit Ovadhana was all smiles after taking down the HOPS Sunday Superstack. A second victory will not be, at least not in this event, having busted to Hogyun Kang.
Parit Ovadhana:
Hogyun Kang;
The board runs out Β
.
Kang ships it and rises to 450,000.
Teeraphat Rangkatekarn Running Hot
Within the first ten minutes of the level, eight players have already gone bust. One of the casualties is courtesy of the day’s entering chip leader Rangk Teeraphat who is been on attack mode. According to tablemate Seungmook Jung, Teeraphat is running very hot as proven by his massive stack.
Catching his latest takedown, his
paired on the board to outdraw
. He now sits with 1,700,000 in chips.
Level 13 Begins - Registration Closes At 60 Entries - 38 Players Remaining
After two levels with registration open, the Superstar Challenge closes with 60 entries. Stay tuned for the official prize pool and payouts. From here on, the agenda is to play on until a champion is crowned. Good luck to all!
Superstar Challenge β Day 2 Seats Set, Action Awaits
|
Name
|
Chips
|
Seat
|
|---|---|---|
|
πΉπ Teerapat Ranghateakarn
|
1,095,000
|
26-3
|
|
πΉπ Nirunrut Rachburom
|
915,000
|
25-2
|
|
π°π· Seung Hyuk Jung
|
897,000
|
27-2
|
|
π°π· Kiseok Kang
|
874,000
|
25-8
|
|
πΉπΌ Yu Chung Chang
|
824,000
|
25-1
|
|
π°π· Dae Gyu Hwang
|
741,000
|
27-3
|
|
π°π· Ho Gyun Kang
|
550,000
|
25-4
|
|
π°π· Seungmook Jung
|
392,000
|
26-8
|
|
π°π· Sung Jin Yun
|
365,000
|
27-5
|
|
πΉπΌ Yu Che Liu
|
352,000
|
26-5
|
|
πΈπ¬ Darren Wee
|
349,000
|
26-2
|
|
πΉπ Pussacha Nonsing
|
333,000
|
25-7
|
|
π°π· Gi Boum Kim
|
320,000
|
26-6
|
|
ππ° Hon Cheong Lee
|
318,000
|
26-1
|
|
πΉπΌ Chi Jen Chu
|
301,000
|
27-6
|
|
πΉπ Parit Ovadhana
|
294,000
|
25-5
|
|
π¦πΊ Andrew Han
|
249,000
|
27-7
|
|
π°π· Yo Hwan Lim
|
165,000
|
25-3
|
|
π¨π Fabian Rolli
|
125,000
|
26-4
|
|
πΉπΌ Poseidon Ho
|
98,000
|
27-1
|