What was meant to be the final day of play has instead set the stage for a dramatic unscheduled finale, as just six contenders remain in the hunt for the 2025 Australian Poker Open A$10,000 Trojan title.
After eleven intense hour-long levels on Day 2 inside Club Marconi at Doltone House Western Sydney, the 85-entry field has been trimmed to its final half-dozen. Only nine players made the money, and with a stacked leaderboard and A$220,000 still up top, everything is on the line heading into Day 3.
Leading the charge is Noel Jaber, who bagged the overnight chip lead by the slimmest of margins ahead of Joseph Antar. The pair sit atop an elite group of survivors, all looking to etch their name into APO history and join defending champion Bernardo Del Toro on the exclusive list of Trojan title holders.
Final Six Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Noel Jaber | Australia | 2,090,000 | 42 |
| 2 | Joseph Antar | Australia | 1,935,000 | 39 |
| 3 | Weiran Pu | China | 1,610,000 | 32 |
| 4 | Benjamin LeBlond | Canada | 1,065,000 | 21 |
| 5 | Kahle Burns | Australia | 970,000 | 19 |
| 6 | Joshua McSwiney | Australia | 830,000 | 17 |
Play is now pencilled in for 1 p.m. on Saturday, giving the finalists a chance to fire the last Day 1 flight of the APO Main Event at noon on Friday. When they return, it’ll be with everything on the line — the trophy, the title, and the lion’s share of the prize pool still waiting to be claimed.
Najeem Ajez, Anthony Xu, and John Perry all managed to reach the money but fell short of the final day, hitting the rail before play was paused with six remaining.
Current Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize (A$) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $250,000 | ||
| 2 | $177,700 | ||
| 3 | $117,800 | ||
| 4 | $69,800 | ||
| 5 | $55,900 | ||
| 6 | $41,900 | ||
| 7 | John Perry | Australia | $33,960 |
| 8 | Anthony Xu | Australia | $27,970 |
| 9 | Najeem Ajez | Australia | $23,970 |
Action resumes Saturday at 1 p.m. local time, and the PokerNews Live Reporting team will be on-site to bring you every elimination, chip count update, and key hand as The Trojan crowns its 2025 champion.
