Defining Moments of Avadh Shah and Neel Joshi’s Stellar Runs at APT Taipei 2025

The APT Taipei 2025 has exploded onto the scene, taking over the city in collaboration with the Chinese Texas Hold’em Poker Club (CTP) and making history as the inaugural poker festival hosted in the Red Space venue. The event, with a staggering guaranteed prize pool of TWD 178 Million (~$5.4 Million), is set across 120 trophy events. These events are packed into a 10-day extravaganza that wraps up on May 4. Moreover, with poker’s elite players flocking to the tournament, the early days have already proven to be spectacular.

In just three days, 36 champions have claimed APT trophies. Team India is making a strong impact with 18 cashes, including nine from the exclusive Natural8 India APT Taipei – India Exclusive Tournament. Early performances have been impressive, with Avadh Shah and Neel Joshi emerging as standout stars.

Avadh Shah: A Double Trophy Haul In APT Taipei 2025

Avadh Shah, a seasoned live tournament player with a stellar online poker career, made a major impact early at APT Taipei 2025. With nearly ₹4 Crores in online earnings and ₹59 Lakhs in profit, Shah has proven himself as a formidable force in the poker world. However, the first few days of APT Taipei were unquestionably his.

In a stunning display of skill and determination, Shah managed to claim two APT trophies in quick succession. His first victory came in the ₹5K Natural8 India APT Taipei – India Exclusive Tournament. This hybrid event, where players qualified online on Natural8 India, culminated in a live final in Taipei with the top nine. Shah entered the final table as the chip leader after battling through 361 online entries. Despite facing fierce competition, he secured his very first live tournament title, pocketing ₹3.10 Lakhs along with the APT Lion Trophy and an entry into the Main Event of the series (worth ₹1.47 Lakhs).

The final table was intense. Shravan Chhabria, one of India’s poker heavyweights, finished in second place for ₹2.32 Lakhs. He also secured a seat in the Main Event. The top nine consisted of six online qualifiers. However, Mohit Arora, Pratik Parte, and Mithun Mahesh were unable to attend for unspecified reasons. Despite this, the tournament offered great value. For example, it provided flight and stay packages (worth ₹1.20 Lakhs each) for the finalists. Additionally, Mini Main tickets were given to those finishing outside the top four.

The final table results were as follows:

• Avadh Shah – ₹3,09,919
  
• Shravan Chhabria – ₹2,32,406
  
• Sagar Maheshwari – ₹1,74,280
  
• Mohit Arora – ₹1,30,691
  
• Pratik Parte – ₹98,004
  
• Arun Sriram – ₹73,493
  
• Mithun Mahesh – ₹55,112
  
• Nishant Kumar – ₹41,328
  
• Devajit Labh – ₹30,991
  

Just two days later, Shah didn’t stop at one win. He stormed through Event #29: TWD 20K NL Hold’em – Big Bounty, which saw 173 entries. Outlasting the competition, he clinched his second APT trophy of the festival, collecting a career-best live cash of TWD 6,89,900 (₹18.05 Lakhs). This total included TWD 120,000 (₹3.14 Lakhs) in bounty prizes alone. Shah’s stellar performance not only secured him two trophies but also boosted his lifetime live earnings, bringing them closer to ₹28 Lakhs, according to The Hendon Mob.

The final table in the Big Bounty event concluded with:

• Avadh Shah – TWD 6,89,900
  
• Andrew Hosok Han – TWD 655,500
  
• Shang Chuan Wu – TWD 335,000
  
• Chin Ho Li – TWD 280,000
  
• Yu Chi Liu – TWD 260,500
  
• Wai Fung Tang – TWD 225,500
  
• Jian Yang The – TWD 135,000
  
• Miyamoto Kozo – TWD 104,500
  
• Sahara Toru – TWD 77,500
  

With two impressive victories and winnings totaling ₹21.15 Lakhs, Shah has set a high bar for the rest of the Indian contingent at the event.

Neel Joshi’s Impressive Performance in the Super High Roller

While Shah was dominating the early events, another rising star from India, Neel Joshi, was making waves in the high-stakes arena. Joshi had previously impressed with a third-place finish in the 2024 Player of the Year race. He then entered Event #15: TWD 330K APT Super High Roller, a prestigious event that drew the region’s elite players.

Joshi held his own in a field of 122 entries, ultimately finishing in 15th place and earning TWD 6,05,500 (₹15.84 Lakhs). This marked his fourth-largest live cash to date and further solidified his standing as a force in the high roller circuit. Meanwhile, the event featured a massive prize pool of TWD 37,040,420 ($1.14 million). In the end, Vietnam’s Nguyen Quang Minh claimed the first-place prize of TWD 9.58 Million ($295,700) after defeating Australia’s Alexander Lynskey heads-up. Lynskey, on the other hand, received TWD 6.23 Million ($192,515) for his runner-up finish.

Team India’s Strong Presence at APT Taipei

As the tournament progresses, the Indian contingent has consistently shown its strength. Furthermore, with numerous players scoring cashes across various events, Team India has already made its mark. Consequently, the future looks bright for the nation’s poker players in this prestigious festival.

A snapshot of the Team India scorecard shows players like:

• Siddharth Karia – TWD 32,000 (Event #1)
  
• Suresh Kolli – TWD 24,000 (Event #1)
  
• Bharath Jayaram – TWD 1,75,500 (Event #12)
  
• Siddharth Karia – TWD 52,000 (Event #12)
  
• Neel Joshi – TWD 6,05,500 (Event #15)
  
• Avadh Shah – TWD 6,89,900 (Event #29)
  

India’s presence at APT Taipei continues to be a source of pride, with players like Shah and Joshi setting the stage for even more success as the tournament unfolds.

Conclusion

The first few days of APT Taipei 2025 were packed with action and unforgettable performances. The festival is shaping up to be historic for both Indian players and the global poker community. Avadh Shah’s double victory and Neel Joshi’s strong showing in the Super High Roller have set a high standard. As the tournament continues, India will stay at the forefront of the action, further boosting its global poker reputation.’

Stay updated with the latest poker action by following POKERBOL on Instagram and Twitter.​

FAQs

What is the guaranteed prize pool for APT Taipei 2025?
The guaranteed prize pool for APT Taipei 2025 is an impressive TWD 178 Million (~$5.4 Million), spread across 120 trophy events.

Who are the standout players from India at APT Taipei 2025?
Avadh Shah and Neel Joshi have been standout players at APT Taipei 2025. Shah claimed two trophies, while Joshi finished in 15th place in the Super High Roller event.

What were Avadh Shah’s major victories at APT Taipei 2025?
Avadh Shah secured two major victories at APT Taipei 2025. His first win came in the ₹5K Natural8 India APT Taipei – India Exclusive Tournament, and his second came in Event #29: TWD 20K NL Hold’em – Big Bounty.

How did Neel Joshi perform in the Super High Roller event?
Neel Joshi finished in 15th place in the APT Super High Roller, earning TWD 6,05,500 (₹15.84 Lakhs), marking his fourth-largest live cash.

How has Team India performed at APT Taipei 2025 so far?
Team India has made a strong impact, with multiple players scoring cashes. Avadh Shah and Neel Joshi are among the top performers, with other players like Siddharth Karia and Suresh Kolli also making notable contributions.