APT Incheon Main Event Day 2 | 1,393 entries set a new record; Yuxuan Deng is the only player to surpass one million entries, leading the last 207.

On August 12, 2026, Day 2 of the Asian Poker Tour (APT) Incheon Main Event concluded. With the extended registration deadline, the 2,500,000 KRW Main Event attracted 1,393 entries from 807 different players, bringing the total prize pool to 3,008,540,000 KRW, setting a new record for both the size of the APT Incheon Main Event and the prize pool.

The Chinese contingent took the lead after Day 2. Yuxuan Deng finished bagging 1,052,000 chips, making him the only player among the 207 who advanced to Day 3 to break the million-chip mark; Shoumin Zhang and Peng Chen also finished in the top ten of the chip leaderboard.

1,393 participants set a new Incheon record, and the prize pool exceeded 3 billion won.

The APT Incheon Main Event originally had a guaranteed prize pool of 1.5 billion won, but the actual prize pool reached 3,008,540,000 won, almost double the guaranteed amount.

According to APT historical data, this tournament has become the largest international poker tournament ever held in Incheon. In comparison with the history of APT Korea, it ranks third in both the number of participants and the prize pool, second only to the 2025 APT Jeju Main Event and the 2026 APT Jeju Classic Main Event.

The champion will receive 523,720,000 Korean won, approximately US$374,000; the top three will also receive a US$10,000 APT Championship Main Event spot to compete for the championship in Taipei in November.

419 people returned on Day 2, and another 216 people entered at the last minute.

At the start of Day 2, a total of 419 players who advanced from the four on-site starting groups returned to Paradise City Casino Resort.

Because late registration remained open in the first level of Day 2, an additional 216 people chose to enter in the final stage, bringing the final size of the main event to 1,393 entries.

Singaporean player Shawn Lee entered Day 2 as the chip leader on the start of the day, but as the competition progressed through nearly nine 60-minute rounds, his lead was eventually taken over by Chinese player Yuxuan Deng.

After a two-and-a-half-hour battle in the bubble, Lifu Huang became the last player to win no prize money.

One of the longest phases of Day 2 of this year's main event occurred during the bubble.

With only 207 players able to enter the prize pool, the pace slowed significantly as the number approached the bubble stage. Official reports indicate that the bubble phase lasted approximately two and a half hours.

The bubble burst approximately 15 minutes after the start of level 19.

Chinese player Lifu Huang became the last player to miss out on the official prize money, as he was eliminated by his compatriot Haohui Ma in a crucial hand. The remaining 207 players are now all locked in at least 3,790,000 Korean won.

However, Huang still managed to secure a free APT Main Event slot in a lottery arranged by the tournament organizers after his elimination, providing him with extra compensation for this bubble elimination.

Yuxuan Deng surpasses one million, taking the lead on Day 3.

After the bubble burst, Yuxuan Deng continued to accumulate scoreboards in the final stage, eventually finishing Day 2 with 1,052,000.

He was also the only player among the 207 surviving players to have a chip count exceeding seven figures.

Japanese contestant Tomoki Matsuda followed closely with 980,000, while Atsushi Miyakoshi ranked third with 959,000.

The Chinese contingent occupies three spots in the top ten. Besides Deng leading the pack, Shoumin Zhang ranks fourth with 888,000 points, while Peng Chen, who just won third place in the APT Super High Roller, ranks sixth with 852,000 points.

APT Incheon Main Event Day 2 Top 10

Several former Main Event champions were eliminated, with Punnat Punsri becoming the only Gold Lion champion.

Day 2 also saw the departure of several players who had previously won the APT main event.

Defending champion Junjie He, 2026 APT Jeju Classic Main Event champion William Li, and 2025 APT Manila Classic Main Event champion Ivan Govorov all failed to advance to Day 3.

Therefore, Thai star Punnat Punsri became the only player among the remaining 207 to have ever won the APT Main Event Gold Lion Trophy.

Punsri advanced to Day 3 via Natural8 OnLive and currently holds 492,000 chips, still with a chance to add another APT Main Event title to his collection.

Toby Joyce, Webster Lim, and other notable players will remain on the field.

Besides Punsri, several other APT major champions and international stars also completed Day 2 and advanced.

2025 APT Championship High Roller Championship winner Toby Joyce advanced with 433,000 chips; APT Taipei Poker Classic 2024 Super High Roller champion Phanlert Sukonthachartnant held 397,000 chips; and Martin Sedlak continued his run with 285,000 chips.

Other notable players include:

Newly crowned APT Super High Roller champion Jeremy Chan also advanced with 219,000 chips, and will continue his challenge for the series' second major title.

Tony Ren Lin leads 184 High Rollers

While the main event was underway, Day 1 of the Event #59 High Roller, with a buy-in of 3,000,000 Korean won, was also completed.

The competition attracted 184 participants, creating a prize pool of 476,000,000 Korean won. Ultimately, 54 contestants completed the bagging process. The champion will receive 105,648,000 Korean won.

Chinese player Tony Ren Lin became the chip leader on Day 1 with 986,000 chips.

Lin's career live tournament winnings have now surpassed $20 million, placing him among the top earners in Chinese history. He previously won the APT Jeju Classic Super High Roller title and is now once again in the lead in the race for the APT trophy.

Another Chinese athlete, Xiang Zou, ranked second with 896,000 points, while Japanese athlete Tomokatsu Kumano ranked third with 753,000 points.

High Roller Day 1 Top 10

Chinese athletes took the top two spots, with Mingzhe Zhou ranking fifth with 708,000 points, and Hon Cheong Lee from Hong Kong ranking eighth.

Wei Sun wins his first APT championship

In the Day 6 side event, Chinese player Wei Sun achieved a breakthrough in Event #66 Hyper Turbo High Roller.

The high roller tournament with a buy-in of 1,500,000 won attracted 72 entries, and Sun successfully went all the way to the end, winning 28,409,200 won and his first APT championship trophy.

Japanese player Yuto Oba won the runner-up position and 20,470,000 won, while Chinese player Nan Zhao came in third place and won 13,300,000 won.

The top three Hyper Turbo High Rollers

Frank Zhang wins Incheon Station for the second time.

In another event, Event #67 Super Hyper Turbo NLH, American player Frank Zhang won the championship.

A total of 120 people participated in the event, and Zhang earned 8,462,688 Korean won. He had previously won his first APT title at Event #12 Masters Omaha – PL Omaha High in Incheon, so this victory also makes him a double champion in the series.

Japanese athletes Takumi Odani and Yusei Shido finished second and third respectively.

All 207 players made it into the prize pool, reducing the Day 3 target to the top 48.

The APT Incheon Main Event Day 3 will resume on August 13 at 11:15 AM.

The remaining 207 players have all entered the prize pool. The next stage is expected to consist of a maximum of 10 60-minute levels, or the day's competition will end earlier when the number of players on the field is reduced to 48.

Yuxuan Deng started strong with 1,052,000 chips, but Tomoki Matsuda and Atsushi Miyakoshi were close to the million mark. On the Chinese side, Shoumin Zhang and Peng Chen were both in the Top 10, giving the Chinese players several high-chip positions before the main event progressed deeper.

From a record-breaking 1,393 entries to a total prize pool exceeding 3 billion won for the first time, this year's APT Incheon Main Event has set a new local record for the series. The next key focus will be whether Yuxuan Deng can maintain his one-million-chip advantage into the last 48, and whether the Chinese contingent can further expand their presence in the Gold Lion competition.

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