SPC XIX

Event Report

The Singapore Poker Championships returned to the MV Aegean Paradise from December 19–21, 2025, to close out an exciting, dramatic, and laughter-filled year. Previous Player-of-the-Year contender Samson Yu marked his first SPC of the year by capturing the Mini-Roller title, while SPC debutant Nagavicneswaran “Nesh” announced himself in emphatic fashion with a dominant Main Event victory.

Elsewhere, Tan Hai Hsien cruised to the Mystery Bounty title, and Lim Min Soon locked up the 2025 Natural8 Player-of-the-Year crown with yet another deep run—adding one more chapter to an already formidable list of accolades.

The Mini-Roller

The Mini-Roller kicked off at 8:30pm on Friday night, drawing 44 entrants for a lively, fast-paced opener to the weekend. After the bubble burst, the final table wasted little time getting to work.

Short-stacked Paul Wee was the first to bow out in 6th place, his AJ unable to hold against A7 in an all-in preflop confrontation. Serbian first-timer Danilo Perisic followed soon after in 5th, his promising SPC debut coming to an end when he made a tough river call and found himself stacked by Jared Khor, who had quietly filled up on the turn.

Momentum swung firmly Jared’s way when he took a sizeable chunk out of Samson Yu on a 9-4-K-T-7 board—Jared’s nut straight trumping Samson’s lower end. The pendulum would swing again shortly after, however, when Henry Hoo and Samson tangled on a 6h 8d Td flop. Henry’s Ad 8s was ahead, but another diamond on the turn completed Samson’s flush with Kd Jd, and a harmless river sealed Henry’s exit in 4th.

Samson regrouped, grinding back chips through a series of small but important pots. The pivotal moment came on a 9-2-4 board, when Samson led, Jared called, and Lim Min Soon shoved. Samson made a reluctant call with T9, just edging Min Soon’s 89. The very next hand saw Min Soon’s QT fall to Jared’s QJ, ending his run in 3rd—and officially confirming Lim Min Soon as the 2025 Natural8 Player-of-the-Year.

From there, Samson seized full control. Building a chip lead that ballooned to nearly 10:1, he closed the door swiftly. The final hand saw Samson’s Jd 7h connect on a 3d Jc 8d flop, while Jared’s Td 4d flush draw never materialised. The turn and river bricked out, and Jared settled for a very respectable runner-up finish. Samson Yu hoisted the Mini-Roller trophy—an emphatic return to the SPC stage.

The Natural8 Main Event

The Main Event began at 1pm on Saturday, December 20, with the final flight closing at a bleary-eyed 3am Sunday morning. Across three starting flights, 207 runners took their shot at SPC glory. Overnight chip leaders included Dickson Woo, Nesh, SPC twin Steve Tay, and crowd favourite Haresh, who managed the remarkable feat of qualifying through all three flights—earning himself a tidy Christmas bonus courtesy of the S$1,500 extra-bag incentive.

With 27 players paid, Day 2 featured a familiar roll-call of contenders, including Tan Tong, Liew Kok Kong, Henry Hoo, and Lim Min Soon. By the time the final table was set, it was a compelling mix of veterans, newcomers, and breakout stories.

Short-stacked Paul Wee was the first casualty, his A7 no match for Nesh’s 33. The defining moment came at eight-handed play, when two of the tournament’s biggest stacks collided. Nesh won a massive pot against Haresh, vaulting himself into clear control with nearly 30% of the chips in play. Haresh’s tournament life ended on the very next hand, his QJ running squarely into Tan Tong’s pocket Kings.

Josh Sum exited in 7th when his KJ found no help against Danilo Perisic’s Queens, and Steve Tay followed in 6th, his JJ crushed by Danilo’s Aces. Five-handed play saw Tan Tong take a heavy blow when his AK failed to outrun Dickson Woo’s Tens. A few hands later, Tan Tong made his stand with KQ, only to be cold-decked by Nesh’s AQ after Nesh squeezed from behind, forcing out Akihiro Konishi. Tan Tong’s SPC run ended in 5th, and Konishi departed on the very next hand.

Dickson Woo briefly looked poised to claw back chips when he picked up KK, but by this stage the Nesh train was running at full speed. Nesh’s A6 found an Ace on the flop—and another on the river—to eliminate Dickson in brutal fashion.

Heads-up play began with Nash holding a commanding 5:1 chip advantage, and it lasted exactly one hand. Danilo Perisic moved all-in with Q5, Nesh called with QT, and the board offered no reprieve. Just like that, the tournament was over.

In a performance that blended timing, pressure, and relentless control, Nagavicneswaran “Nesh” captured the SPC XIX Natural8 Main Event title on his very first SPC outing—an unforgettable debut!