APT Incheon | Hong Kong banker Stephen Pang leads the Main Event final table, Xiao Zhang finishes second in the Zodiac Classic.

On August 14, 2026, the Asian Poker Tour (APT) Incheon event entered its later stages. The APT Main Event, which set a record in Incheon, narrowed down from 1,393 entries to a final nine. Hong Kong's San Hon “Stephen” Pang became the final table chip leader with 13,550,000 chips, while China's Shoumin Zhang finished second with 10,585,000 chips. The nine players will compete for the 523,720,000 KRW first-place prize and the APT Gold Lion Trophy.

On the same day, another key event, the Zodiac Classic, also concluded its championship battle. Chinese player Xiao Zhang led into the Heads-Up stage at one point, but was ultimately reversed by Japanese player Masatoshi Minowa, finishing as runner-up and winning 144,917,000 Korean won; Minowa won 155,187,000 Korean won and her first APT championship.

With 1,393 entries, only the final nine remain in the main tournament.

The 2026 APT Incheon Main Event had a buy-in of 2,500,000 KRW, attracting 1,393 entries and creating a total prize pool of 3,008,540,000 KRW, making it one of the largest international poker tournaments ever held by the APT in South Korea. On Day 4, 47 players returned to Paradise City Casino Resort, and after eight 60-minute levels, the nine-player final table was set.

All final table players have secured at least 38,580,000 KRW, while the ultimate champion will receive 523,720,000 KRW and the Gold Lion Trophy, the highest honor in the APT Main Event. The top three finishers will also each receive a $10,000 APT Championship Main Event entry.

Stephen Pang leads with 13.55 million chips.

Stephen Pang from Hong Kong, China, was the biggest winner of Day 4. He finished with 13,550,000 chips, equivalent to 85 big blinds, and was one of only two players in the nine-handed final table to break the 10 million chip mark.

Pang is a banker by profession and a regular member of the Hong Kong Poker Players' Association (HKPPA). Although he already has an APT title, this Incheon event marks his first time cashing in an APT Main Event. A finish of eighth place or better at the final table would surpass his previous best live single-game winnings of $29,081.

After the tournament, Pang specifically mentioned Walter Lau's previous victory in the Taipei Main Event, believing it proved that Hong Kong poker players are highly competitive. He also hopes to bring the Mega Lion Main Event back to the HKPPA and use the prize money to continue participating in the APT Jeju and APT Championship.

Pocket K doubles, flush eliminates opponent, Pang takes over Day 4

Pang launched a swift offensive in the early part of Day 4.

He first doubled up significantly with pocket kings against Yoko Sasaki's pocket threes, then made a flush with a 7-6 suited starting hand, eliminating Sumate Aramkul from Thailand.

The biggest turning point came in the hand against Japanese player Nozomi Ota. Pang held pocket queens and eventually cracked Ota's pocket aces, winning Day 4 and entering one of the biggest pots before the final three tables, further solidifying his chip lead.

Pang then eliminated Saifah Chanpanya in the 11-person stage, ultimately advancing to the final nine with a clear advantage.

Shoumin Zhang is close behind with 10.58 million.

Chinese player Shoumin Zhang is ranked second with 10,585,000 chips and 66 big blinds, making him the only player besides Pang with an eight-figure chip count.

Zhang had previously won the APT Incheon Event #18 Hyper Turbo NL 7 Card Stud, and now has the opportunity to achieve his second title on the biggest stage of the series. During Day 4, he successfully caught a big bluff from Chinese player Peng Chen, further propelling him to the top of the chip leaderboard.

After entering the final table bubble, Zhang called Daming Kang's all-in with KQ (approximately 11 big blinds) with AQ, completing the final elimination and officially producing a nine-player final table.

APT Incheon Main Event Final Table Scoreboard

Japan had five players in the final nine, making it the country with the most players at the final table; however, the top two spots on the scoreboard were occupied by Pang from Hong Kong and Zhang from China.

Phachara Wongwichit challenges the second Mega Lion.

Thai star Phachara Wongwichit is ranked fifth with 5,610,000 chips and still has 35 big blinds.

He has the most complete APT record among the nine finalists, with eight APT titles and over $2.9 million in live tournament winnings. A sixth-place finish or better in this event would bring his career live tournament earnings to over $3 million.

More importantly, if Wongwichit wins the championship, he will become the first player to win two APT Mega Lion Trophy titles.

Shinichiro Kano wins three consecutive APT Main Event Cash events.

Although chip leader Shinichiro Kano lost the lead on Day 3, he still ranked fourth with 6,190,000 chips.

Kano previously finished fourth at the 2025 APT Taipei Main Event, and this is his second time reaching the final table of an APT Main Event. Even more impressively, he has cashed in at every APT Main Event he has participated in so far this 2026 season.

Another Japanese player, Kazuki Koyama, presents a stark contrast. Before entering this main event, his prize money for open live tournaments was only around $730. Now, even if he finishes ninth, his earnings in a single event will be nearly 38 times his previous career earnings.

Final table prize money distribution

In addition to prize money, the top three finishers will each receive a $10,000 APT Championship Main Event seat.

Zodiac Classic 403 entries, three Chinese players advance to the FT

While the main event determined the final nine players, the Zodiac Classic – Sponsored by Natural8, with a buy-in of 3,000,000 Korean won, also concluded its final day.

The competition attracted 403 participants from 303 different players, creating a total prize pool of 1,044,576,000 Korean won, with 55 people making it into the prize pool.

The Chinese contingent occupied four of the nine finalists: Xiao Zhang, Renji Mao, Xinze Li, and Haibo Yang. Ultimately, Xiao Zhang and two-time WSOP bracelet winner Renji Mao both made it into the final three.

The three reached an ICM agreement, with Xiao Zhang leading the way into the one-on-one match.

When the competition was down to Masatoshi Minowa, Xiao Zhang, and Renji Mao, the three chose to reach a prize-sharing agreement according to ICM.

After the agreement was finalized, the remaining blind levels were shortened to 10 minutes, and the three continued to compete for the championship trophy, an additional 7,000,000 Korean won, and a $10,000 APT Championship Main Event seat.

Xiao Zhang then eliminated Renji Mao, taking the lead on the scoreboard into the heads-up finals.

However, Minowa successfully closed the gap and overtook her opponent in the Heads-Up stage, ultimately keeping the championship in Japan. Xiao Zhang thus took second place and won 144,917,000 Korean won, approximately US$103,510.

Masatoshi Minowa wins his first APT title, more than quadrupling his career winnings.

Masatoshi Minowa ultimately won 155,187,000 Korean won, approximately US$110,850, and secured his first APT championship.

Before participating in the Zodiac Classic, Minowa's career live tournament winnings totaled only $32,748. This single victory more than quadrupled his career earnings.

Zodiac Classic Final Table Results

Chinese players achieved second, third, fifth, eighth and ninth place in the nine-person final competition, with Xiao Zhang and Renji Mao each winning more than 100 million Korean won.

The Mini Main Event broke records again, with 1,427 participants.

Another major event on Day 8 of the APT Incheon event, the Mini Main Event, also broke records.

The three starting combinations of the 900,000 KRW buy-in tournament attracted 1,427 participants, creating a total prize pool of 1,078,812,000 KRW, far exceeding the original guarantee of 400,000,000 KRW. This number of participants also broke the record for both participation and prize pool for APT's Mini Main Event in South Korea.

199 players successfully advanced to the Final Day. Japanese player Akifumi Ikejiri leads the leaderboard with 1,158,000 chips, followed by Thai player Pannakit Thankarn with 1,029,000 chips, and Chinese player Yun Long Jin in fourth place overall with 865,000 chips.

The champion will receive 189,982,000 Korean won, a Mini Main Event trophy, and an APT Championship Main Event seat worth $10,000.

Superstar Challenge: 29 entries, Ryuta Nakai leads the top 11.

One of the series’ highest buy-in events, the 35,000,000 KRW Superstar Challenge, also took place on Day 8.

The tournament recorded 29 entries from 25 different players, creating a prize pool of 961,350,000 Korean Won. After 14 40-minute levels, only 11 players advanced to the Final Day, but ultimately only five made it into the money.

Japanese player Ryuta Nakai leads with 1,130,000 chips, followed by Punnat Punsri with 1,000,000, and defending champion Calvin Lee in third place with 895,000. Chinese player Yuan Lei is currently in fourth place with 880,000 chips.

The champion will receive 360,000,000 Korean won, a Black Stealth Lion Trophy, and a $10,000 APT Championship Main Event seat.

The APT Incheon Main Event champion will be decided on August 15th.

The APT Incheon Main Event Final Day will resume on August 15th at 11:15 AM, with nine players battling it out to determine the new Gold Lion champion.

Stephen Pang started with 85 big blinds, followed closely by Shoumin Zhang with 66 big blinds. These two are the only players with eight-digit scorecards, giving the Hong Kong and China teams a significant advantage before the championship showdown.

The Japanese team has five players advancing to the Final Four: Tempei Kotani, Shinichiro Kano, Takeru Endo, Kazuki Koyama, and Ryo Fujita, giving them a significant numerical advantage. Meanwhile, Thai star Phachara Wongwichit will be aiming to become the first player in APT history to win the Mega Lion Trophy twice.

With the field narrowed down from 1,393 to just nine, the APT Incheon Main Event has officially entered its final championship match. Whether Stephen Pang can convert his massive chip lead into another APT Main Event title for Hong Kong poker, and whether Shoumin Zhang can achieve a double victory in the series, will be the two most important storylines for the Chinese contingent on Final Day.

Want to change Texas Holdem from "can understand" to "can win"?

If you want to learn more about Texas Hold'em, you can continue reading：

The Origins of Texas Hold'em: Why is it the World's Most Popular Poker Variant?
Texas Hold'em Hand Rankings and Showdown Rules (Beginner’s Essentials)
Texas Hold'em Betting teaching: Check / Bet / Call /Raise and Betting Strategy Analysis
The importance of Texas Hold'em position? Why is the back position more advantageous?
How to play Texas Hold'em? Novices learn Texas Hold'em rules, processes and betting teaching in 10 minutes
Texas Hold'em Starting Hands Strategy Guide: Which Hands to Play?
Texas Holdem Starting Hands Chart Tutorial: Complete Starting Hand Chart and Position Strategy
How to play Texas Hold'em? Complete rules and a hand's flow (Preflop / Flop / Turn / River)

Hunter Poker offers comprehensive tutorials, hand analysis, and strategy sharing to help players upgrade from simply "reading the cards" to understanding the range . This allows you to make better decisions in every hand.

▶️ In Facebook Follow Hunter Poker.
📘 In Youtube Follow Hunter Poker.

Want to learn more about Texas Hold'em gameplay and strategies?

Online Texas Hold'em free tournaments typically have no entry fee, making them ideal for beginners to familiarize themselves with the rules and for advanced players to test strategies and gain experience. View full brand profiles to learn about each platform's free tournament schedule, features, and target audience.

Go to learn more