SPC XVIII

Event Report

The Aegean Paradise once again played host to a festival of drama and triumph, as Singapore’s poker faithful and regional crushers clashed for glory across three signature events.

Before the cards even hit the felt, one of the weekend’s high points came when Lim Yang Ming was presented with the coveted Singapore Poker Championships Triple-Crown Award, cementing his name alongside the very best in the series’ history.

But the headlines belonged to a new mix of champions. Malaysian Ong Ee How, fresh off his 3rd place finish in the last SPC POTY race, scooped the Mystery Bounty title. Former PKR and 888 pro Sofia Lövgren made her SPC debut in stunning fashion by taking down the Mini-Roller. And continuing his dominance of the Series, Lim Min Soon bulldozed through another stacked field to capture the Natural8 Main Event, defeating reigning Poker Dream champion KK Liew heads-up to seal his second SPC Main Event title of 2025.

Mini-Roller:

The S$988 Mini-Roller drew 48 entries on Friday night, creating an elite field that was, in a very deep structure, redolent with play of the highest level.

23 runners made the overnight cut, and the war of attrition gradually winnowed the field down to 10.

The drama began early when Sofia Lövgren made her presence felt, shattering 10-handed play with a double elimination—her AK holding firm against Aaron Lam’s A7 and Soh Chye Wei’s pocket 8s.

By the time the final table was formed, Sofia was already one of the stories of the night. The first casualty was Malaysian crusher Joel Singham, who bubbled the final seven when his AK fell to Sofia’s pocket jacks. That win gave her momentum, but it was David Murphy who surged next, crippling Lim Min Soon in a pre-flop clash of big slick against queens. Murphy’s top set held, leaving Min Soon on the ropes before the eventual six-time finalist finally bowed out in 6th place for S$2,400, his AK once again felled, this time by Mark Remnant’s kings.

From there, Warren Tang was the next to fall, continuing his string of SPC final tables but unable to dodge elimination in 5th. He 3-bet jammed into Sofia’s raise with AQ, only to find her holding KK, and when the board ran dry, Warren was sent packing with S$3,200. Sofia pushed further ahead four-handed, ending the run of Tony Wan, who shoved his short stack with A2 but was snapped off by her AJ. The flop offered no salvation, and Tony exited with S$4,000.

It was then Murphy’s turn to strike again, ending Mark Remnant’s spirited campaign in 3rd place. Mark’s A2 had little chance against Murphy’s 88, and a flopped set sealed the deal, leaving Mark to collect S$5,200 for his deep run.

That set the stage for an intriguing heads-up duel between Murphy and Lövgren. For long stretches neither player could gain a clear edge, their stacks yo-yoing back and forth in a series of small skirmishes. But the defining hand arrived on a 3♣ 8♣ 4♣ board. Murphy check-raised the flop and then shoved the 4♠ turn, only for Sofia to snap him off with A♣ 4♥ for trips. Murphy’s T♣ 5♥ was stone dead, ending his run in 2nd for S$9,200.

With that, Sofia Lövgren was crowned Mini-Roller champion, banking S$16,300 in her very first SPC appearance.

The Natural8 Main Event

The headline event attracted 241 entries, with a stacked field peppered with SPC veterans and former champions. By the end of Day 1, just 47 players advanced to Day 2, and when the dust had settled, the final table lineup was one of the most daunting in recent times.

The action began with the short-stacked Terence Lai, who became the first casualty of the final nine. His A7 couldn’t hold against Jason Ng’s KJ, and he walked away in 9th place for S$2,900. Shortly after, John Lee followed him to the rail when his A8 also succumbed to king-jack, this time in the hands of Tan Hai Hsien. John exited in 8th for S$3,600.

Next to fall was Tan Hai Shien, undone by a classic bad spot. His A7 squared off against Eugene Lee’s pocket sevens, and the pair held strong to end Tan’s run in 7th place, worth S$4,500. Making his SPC debut, Kennie Tay impressed many with his fearless play, but his campaign ended in 6th when his pocket deuces were crushed by KK Liew’s queens. Kennie banked S$5,700 for his efforts.

At this point, Lim Min Soon began to shift gears. He first dispatched Jason Ng in 5th place for S$6,900, when Jason’s button shove with KQ ran into Min Soon’s Ac 6c—which promptly flopped the nut flush to hammer the point home. He then claimed another scalp in the form of Vincent Hong, who was forced to call off his short stack with Q4. Min Soon’s speculative 59 paired up, sending Vincent to the rail in 4th for S$9,100.

That left a powerhouse three-handed lineup of Min Soon, Eugene Lee, and KK Liew. Both Min Soon and Liew dominated the exchanges, needling each other verbally while Eugene tried to hang on. Eventually, the pressure told—Eugene shoved from the small blind with J7, and Liew snapped him off with A6. A six landed on the flop to seal Eugene’s fate, ending his excellent run in 3rd place for S$11,600.

The heads-up match between Min Soon and KK Liew was everything the rail had hoped for. Starting nearly even in chips—1.5M to 1.3M—the two clashed fiercely, with neither able to carve out a decisive edge. Chips flew, words flew, and deal discussions came and went before the pair finally agreed to a split, leaving S$5,000 and the trophy to be decided by a final hand.

That last flip looked destined for Liew, who tabled AJ against Min Soon’s ragged Q3. But destiny belongs to the bold, and when the river queen struck, Min Soon exploded in jubilation. Liew had to settle for S$17,350 as runner-up, while Min Soon walked away with S$22,350, his second Main Event title of the year, and reclaimed the POTY leaderboard lead from Lim Yang Ming.

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