Heads Up: Rene von Reden

With Rene on Reden

I attended the APT Players' Party during the APT Jeju Classic 2026 and had a chance to cheers some drinks with former APT Main Event winner Rene von Reden. Below is a short article on our encounter that I shared with APT for their website, but I'm not sure if it was used. I wrote it immediately the morning after the APT Players' Party, partially struggling with a whiskey hangover. LOL. Anyway, revised it a bit to include his final series outcome. 

Not so long ago, Germany’s Rene von Reden lifted the APT Golden Lion trophy after winning the APT Taipei Classic 2024 Main Event, securing a payout of nearly USD 450,000. More than a year removed from that breakthrough moment, von Reden remains closely tied to the tour that produced it, returning whenever his schedule allows and maintaining a deep connection with the circuit.

When asked how poker life has been since that victory, he was quick to clarify his status in the game. “I am not a professional poker player. I only play in the APT.”

“I love the APT and everything about the APT - from the people who work there and the players that I sit with at the table. Everyone is like family,” he continued.

Away from the tables, von Reden works as a “government employee”, a role that limits his time on the live circuit. When opportunities for time off do arise, he builds his travel schedule around APT stops. “I just love poker and strategy games and mind games,” he said, noting that the tour has also given him the chance to visit new destinations, experience different cultures, and continue pursuing the game in environments he enjoys.

“Even if I’m not a professional, I still study the game and do a lot of reading about GTO and other things,” von Reden said, explaining that he consistently looks for ways to improve and apply theory at the table. He acknowledged that not all opponents approach the game in the same way, which can make theoretical adjustments challenging, but emphasized that navigating those differences is part of what makes poker both challenging and rewarding.

APT Taipei Classic 2024 Main Event Champion Rene von Reden

More than the success at the felt, von Reden points to relationships built through poker as the most rewarding aspect of his journey. One of the closest friendships he has formed is with Singapore’s Abraham Ceesvin, who sat across from him heads up when he captured the Taipei Classic Main Event title.

“He didn’t want to make a deal!,” von Reden recalled with a smile. “So I had to go and win it.”

He quickly adds that Ceesvin has since become one of his closest friends in the game. “I was so happy when he won the Main Event because he had been in the final table so many times and if anyone works hard and deserves it, it’s him.”

Rene von Reden had his sights set on the Mini Main Event before deciding on his next moves at the series. “I'm not having a great run, but I’ll just keep playing and hope for the best and have fun along the way. It’s important to have fun.” At the end of the series, he eventually cashed 18th in the National Cup and in 21st place during the APT High Roller.

For von Reden, trophies may mark the milestones, but it is the sense of family he has found on the APT that remains the real prize -  and the reason he keeps coming back.