KPC Jeju Opening Match | 370 participants in the Jeju Opening Match, Kang Dae-kyo and Yang Junru take the first day's championship.

On July 25, 2026, the KPC Jeju Station officially kicked off. The first day of competition featured the KPC Welcome Tournament and the Jeju Opening Tournament. The Jeju Opening Tournament featured three starting groups on the same day, attracting a total of 370 participants and setting the stage for a highly competitive series.

In addition to the main event's qualification battles, three other events on the first day also produced champions. Jiang Daqiao won her first title in the series, Australian player MEERWAISHUSSAINI won the Day Hunter High Roller event, and Yang Junru became the first female champion of the event by winning the Pot Limit Omaha Hunter Turbo event.

KPC Jeju Station undergoes comprehensive upgrade, with total guaranteed prize money reaching 2 billion Korean won.

This year's KPC Jeju Station has undergone a comprehensive upgrade in terms of stage, hardware, broadcasting, and athlete services. The organizers stated that the total investment reached the million-dollar level, aiming to create an immersive venue that combines live competition, live broadcast production, and viewing experience.

The entrance to the venue features a themed display area showcasing this year's series, revealing two important prize pool figures:

The series boasts a total guaranteed prize pool of 2 billion Korean won, with the main event guaranteeing 880 million Korean won, making it the biggest highlight of the remaining matches.

The main event championship trophy was unveiled.

After the start of the first day of competition, the champion trophies and bracelets for all events in this year's KPC have been displayed at the venue.

The main event trophy features a black and gold color scheme, with a wing-shaped design and cut lines on the body. The base incorporates a rock-crack pattern and is engraved with the KPC main event nameplate. Paired with the illuminated KPC crown logo at the back, it became one of the most eye-catching venue displays on the opening day.

This trophy will be taken home by the final winner of the main event, and it also serves as a preview of the visual representation of the highest honor at this event.

200 square meter main stage service TV table and final table

KPC Jeju Station has set up a core main stage of approximately 200 square meters, serving as a dedicated competition area for the TV table and the final table.

Above the stage were multi-layered circular light stands and the KPC crown logo. The venue featured a black and gold and dark purple color scheme and was equipped with multiple cameras and gimbals to capture details of the poker table, such as betting, folding, and showdown.

The lighting system can be adjusted according to the general competition and the final stage. In addition to taking into account the players' line of sight when reading the cards, it will also serve the live broadcast production of the subsequent TV table and the final table.

The athlete service area provides one-stop support.

In addition to the competition area, the venue also has a dedicated event service center to handle needs such as athlete registration, check-in, schedule inquiries, material collection, and problem reporting.

The organizers hope that centralized services will reduce the time players spend dealing with administrative procedures during the event, allowing participants to focus on the competition at the poker table.

The three groups in the Jeju Opening Ceremony started on the same day.

The KPC Welcome Match kicked off at 11:00 AM on July 25th. Following this, the three starting age groups of the Jeju Opening Match took to the field in succession:

After all three groups completed their registrations, the first round of the Jeju Opening Tournament recorded a total of 370 participants, and the list of those who advanced to the finals was subsequently determined.

It should be noted that the original title states "46 people advanced," but the text states "56 players advanced to the final day," which are inconsistent. Therefore, the number of players who advanced should be based on the official list released by the event organizers.

Jiang Daqiao wins her first title in the series

The first side event that produced the champion on the first day was Event #2, a limit three-draw mixed tournament.

After several rounds of competition in different card-swapping events, Kang Dae-kyo emerged victorious, becoming the first player to lift the championship trophy at the 2026 KPC Jeju Station.

This victory also made Jiang Daqiao the first to leave her name on the champion list of this station.

MEERWAISHUSSAINI wins the Single Day High Roller event.

The winner of the Event #3 Single Day High Roller Hunter Tournament was Australian player MEERWAISHUSSAINI.

The single-day format reduced the time players had to accumulate chips and adjust strategies, while the bounty system further increased the frequency of all-in duels. MEERWAISHUSSAINI ultimately broke through the field to win the first High Roller title of the event.

Yang Junru is the first female champion at this station.

Event #4 Pot Limit Omaha Hunter Turbo was won by Chinese player Yang Junru.

This game combines PLO, bounty, and fast structure, requiring players to consider both scoreboard management and elimination bounty value in a highly volatile environment.

Yang Junru ultimately claimed the title, becoming the first female champion at the 2026 KPC Jeju Station, and also securing the first championship title for a Chinese athlete at this station.

KPC Jeju Station Day 1 Champion

The opening and final days of the Jeju Opening Ceremony will take place next.

After completing the first day's three groups, the Jeju Opening Tournament will enter the final day, where the advancing players will return to the tables to compete for the championship of the first major event of the tournament.

On the same day, the Mystery Bounty Tournament Day 1A and Day 1B, the High Roller Tournament Round 1, and the Goddess Tournament will also be held, with multiple tournament lines running simultaneously.

With 370 participants in the Jeju Opening Event and Kang Dae-kyo, Meerwaishusaini, and Yang Junru taking the first title, the 2026 KPC Jeju Station has successfully completed its first day of warm-up. Moving forward, the 880 million won guaranteed Main Event and other major series events will become the core of competition at the Jeju poker tables.

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