APT Main Event (2,600,000 KRW)

The penultimate flight of the Main Event ended in dramatic fashion, with players going big or going broke. A total of 284 entries (233 unique) filled the Landing Casino at Jeju Shinhwa World, South Korea, competing for a share of the guaranteed KRW 2.2 billion (~USD 1.5 million) prize pool, which had already been met during yesterday’s flight.

Adding Flight A & Flight B's 824 combined entries, and the 234 online entries, the running total has reached 1,342, already surpassing the 2024 APT Jeju Main Event record of 1,089 entries. With the final flight still to come and registration open until the end of Day 2’s first level, new records are sure to be made.

Sitting atop the chip pile is Xu Chen from China with 242,100 in the bag. Close at his heels is Pisan Kumpree from Thailand bagging 229,200 chips and closing off the podium positions is Ka Chuen Yip with 198,800.

Two-time APT Main Event Champion Mike Takayama remains in contention despite a tough position on the ladder. He’s aiming to add another APT title to his resume, and with his experience and skill, he’s well-equipped to overcome any challenges in his path.

Other notables that qualified for Day 2 are: Germany's Martin Finger (172,000), Singapore's Abraham Ceesvin (142,000), the USA's Christopher Park (139,400), Canada's Greg "Greg Goes All-in" Liow (102,900), and China's Yayun Liu (95,100), Yan Zhang (92,200).

Flight D has already started. Players will start with a 40,000 chip stack and will play through six 30-minute levels and four 45-minute levels.

Stay tuned for live updates straight from the floor.

Flight C has now come to a close for the day and the remaining 133 players are bagging up their chips.

Stay tuned for a recap of the day and full chip counts and survivors.

Poseidon Ho raised from under the gun to 2,700 only to face a three-bet from Jiaming Che to 10,000 from early position. Action folded to Chunhui Ji who made the call from the big bind.

Ho then moved all in for 58,600 and Che also jammed all in for 80,600. Ji in the big blind went into the tank before folding his cards.

Poseidon Ho: J♥ 8♥

Jiaming Che: T♦ T♣

No miracles for Ho on the K♠ 3♦ 6♥ 7♥ 9♠ run out and Ho's Flight C run was sunk by Che.

Rishi Mehra opened to 3,000 in cutoff and got called by Chunhui Ji in the big blind to see a flop.

The flop came T♥ 6♣ 4♣. Mehra continued with 4,000 and Ji called once again. On the turn 4♠ Mehra shoved all-in for 22,200 sending Ji to the tank. After burning two time banks, Ji made the call and put himself at risk nearing the end of the day.

Chunhui Ji: K♦ 6♠

Rishi Mehra: Q♠ T♣

Ji caught a pair on the flop but couldn't beat Mehra's top pair. Nothing changed when the A♠ fell on the river. Ji left the floor as the dealer pushed the pot to Mehra.

Zhiwei Ding was posed to be the chip leader of the Flight C until he encountered a three-way all-in situation. Action was picked up with the cards tabled and the chips in the middle of the table, with Chenglong Liu with 38,600 in and Zhengyi Liu with 90,000 chips.

Chenglong Liu: A♥ K♠

Zhengyi Liu: K♦ K♠

Zhiwei Ding: Q♣ Q♠

Zhengyi Liu was ahead and stayed ahead on the 9♣ 2♦ 6♥ 3♣ 4♥ board. Chenglong Liu’s run came to an end, though there was hope he’d return for the last flight. Meanwhile, with only a handful of hands left, Zhengyi Liu was comfortable advancing to Day 2 with his stack.

The floor have paused the clock and announced that the last six hands will dealt for the day.

The remaining players will then bag up their chips and carry them through to Day Two on October 1.

The pot was already over 25,000 and the flop was spread out of 7♠ 3♥ J♠. Anton Lu checked to Danqiu Chen who bet out for 8,500. Lu made the call.

On the J♣ turn the action went check-check and it was rinse and repeat when the dealer flipped over the river of the T♠. Lu tabled Q♦ Q♥ which was way ahead of Chen's A♦ K♠ and he was shipped the pot.

Cong Tuan Bui, in the small blind, fired a 30,000 on a board of 9♦ 4♦ J♦ A♠ with a pot of 50,000. Michael Nam, his heads-up opponent, shoved all-in for around 140,000 on the button. Bui leaned backed and looked into the heavens and let out a groan, visibly bemused and uncertain as what to do next.

He took a few seconds to think about his options then decided to risk his tournament life with a call.

Cong Tuan Bui: J♠ J♣

Michael Nam: A♦ 6♦

Once the hands were tabled, Bui looked absolutely desperate as Nam had flopped the nut flush against his flopped set. He waited for the deal to finish, when a miracle happened as the A♣ fell on the river giving him a full house and saving him from getting eliminated from the tournament.

Yusuke Arima raised to 2,500 from under the gun and found a call from Abraham Ceesvin in the hijack. Michael Nam sat in the cut-off then three-bet to 8,100 and both other players made the call.

The flop came 4♠ 6♣ J♠ and all players knuckled the table for the dealer to peel off the 8♣ as the turn card.

Arima now led out for 7,500 and got calls from both players. The river brought the 2♠ and now Arima checked. Ceesvin fired off a chunky river bet of 18,400.

Nam got out of the way and Arima went into the tank before making the call leaving himself just 200 in chips behind. Ceesvin tabled 4♥ 4♣ for a flopped set and Arima insta-mucked his cards.

After a 3,400 raise from Yan Zhang under the gun and with action folded around, Nobuaki Sasaki, with only 8,400 behind in the small blind, shoved all-in for his tournament life. Zhang called, taking the players to showdown.

Nobuaki Sasaki: A♠ 6♠

Yan Zhang: T♠ 8♠

The flop came: Q♠ K♦ J♣.

Sasaki had a gutshot straight draw, Zhang an open-ended one.

The turn 5♥ didn't change anything but Sasaki completed his straight when the T♦ fell on the river.

Sasaki scooped the pot, doubling up, yet remained in danger with such a short stack entering the final level of the day.

Action was picked up with Haoyu Zhao and Zhao Yong, at risk, with their chips and hands on the middle of the table.

Zhao Yong: A♥ 8♦

Haoyu Zhao: K♥ Q♦

Yong was ahead with ace-high. The window card on the K♠ 7♠ 2♥ immediately put Yong at a disadvantage triggering him to get on his feet, ready to leave. The J♥ and the river 5♦ didn't help him at all and looking visibly disappointed, he picked up his things and left the tournament floor.

With 14,500 sitting in the pot and the board fanned out of 5♠ 2♣ A♠ Q♣ Gary Moon bet out for 6,500 from the small blind and was called by Haibo Yang in the big blind.

The river brought the K♥ and Moon ramped it up now and fired out for 15,000.

Yang called and insta-mucked on seeing Moon's A♥ Q♥ for a turned two pair.

The blinds, Jiaming Che in small and Toshiaki Nihei in the big, checked the flop of: 9♦ 2♥ 9♣, with a pot of 5,000. Chunhui Ji, the only other player in the hand, fired out 1,800, pushing Che out. Nihei decided to stay with Ji to see the next card.

Both players checked the turn 6♥. After another check from Nihei on the river 4♦, Ji shot out 6,500, enough to claim the pot.

With over 13,000 sitting in the pot and the flop reading A♠ K♠ Q♠ Jason Wai checked to Haibo Yang who bet out for 3,000 only to face a check-raise from Wai to 7,700. Yang called and both players checked the 5♠ on the turn.

The action again went check-check on the Q♠ river and Yand tabled T♣ T♠ for third paur which was streaks ahead of Wai's total air with 8♣ 6♣ and Yang was shipped the pot.

Yong Zhao opened to 1,000 under the gun and got Zhaoyi Lin in early position and Aaron Lim to call. Short-stack Zhongxian Li moved his remaining 5,800 chips in the middle of the felt. Zhao asked, " How much? How much?" After the chips were spread, he made the call. Lim called too.

On the flop 4♦ T♣ 2♠, Zhao looked at Lim's stack and asked, "How much? How much?" Lim just made his stack visibly but didn't say a word, which triggered Zhao to bet 14,000, effectively putting Lim all-in.

Lim quietly put his stack in for a call putting his tournament life at risk.

Zhongxian Li: A♠ J♠

Aaron Lim: 5♣ 4♣

Yong Zhao: 3♦ 3♠

Lim was ahead having spiked a pair on the flop. The turn 7♦ and river 8♥ didn't help Zhao. Lim scooped the pot for a double up and Li was sent to the rail.

With 4,000 odd in the pot and the flop reading K♥ 3♣ T♥ Ye Li in the small blind check-called Peng Zhou in the big blind's 1,300 continuation bet.

The dealer flipped over the 3♦ as the turn and again Li check-called this time for 2,200. The river brought the 5♣ and Li checked again. Zhou now fired out a 5,000 river bet and Li called instantly mucking his cards when Zhou tabled K♦ K♣ for a flopped set.

Play is back under way after the players had their latest break.

Players are now on another 15-minute break.

Yao Fang opened to 1,800 from under the gun and got a three-bet from Gezhun Kuang in the hijack. Fang looked surprised yet made the call.

The flop fell: 3♠ 9♥ 7♥.

Fang checked, triggering Kuang to bet 3,500. Fang overbet with 9,500. Kuang, unperturbed, called.

On the turn Q♠, action went check-check. On the river, Fang maintained the pressure with a 11,000 bet, resulting in a fold from Kuang.

Xingwei Chen raised to 1,700 from the cut-off and Steve Ng flat-called from the button, as did An Nguyen in the small blind. Anqi Luo, in the big blind, then three-bet to 8,800.

Chen then four-bet to 18,500, only for Ng to five-bet all-in for 29,500. Nguyen folded and Luo six-bet jammed all in for approx. 65,000 and had Chen covered. Chen got out of the way pretty quickly!

Steve Ng: T♥ 9♥

Anqi Luo: A♥ T♣

The board ran out: A♠ 4♣ 8♦ 5♠ K♥, giving Luo top pair, sending Ng to the rail.

Yan Zhang in the small blind, Yuichi Sumida in the big blind and Eimantas Plekavicious in early position, checked the flop of: 3♥ 3♣ 4♠ with a pot of 5,000.

After a check, Sumida bet 3,300 on the turn 5♣. Plekavicious called and Zhang got out of the way.

Sumida continued the pressure on the river 7♥, but this time Plekavicious pushed back with an 11,000 bet. Sumida thought for a moment before folding his hand, and surrendered the pot to Plekavicious.

Zilong Yu opened to 1,200 from under the gun and Qiuran Huang three-bet to 3,600 from the hijack. Peter Khamas in the cut-off flat-called and the action folded back to Yu who mucked his cards.

The players checked down the 9♠ A♥ 4♠ flop along with the K♥ turn.

On the 2♥ river things started to get frisky as Huang bet out for 5,000 only to face a raise to 16,000 from Khamas. Huang went into the tank using two time-banks before pushing all-in and had Khamas covered.

Khamas snap-called and tabled his rivered set with 2♣ 2♠ but was way behind Huang's turned set with K♠ K♣ and Khamas was sent to the rail.

Yi Peng Ye opened to 1,200 and Cheng Cheng, with only 3,100 behind, shoved all-in. Ye snap-called putting Cheng at risk.

Cheng Cheng: 3♥ 3♦

Yi Peng Ye: A♦ Q♠

Cheng was ahead when the flop dropped: 4♦ 9♣ J♠. He maintained his lead through the runout of: 9♥ 8♦, giving him two-pair with the board and a double up. An uphill climb still remains ahead, such is the life of the short stack.

Greg "Goes All-in" Liow opened with 1,200 and got Siyuan Lu and Martin Finger immediately on his left to call. With action on the big blind, ZongJin Sui three-bet to 7,200 triggering Liow to go all-in for 38,800. Both Lu and Finger got out of the escalating action.

Sui took some time to consider his options staring Liow down. Liow offered his lucky all-in glasses to Sui but after a refusal, made the call putting himself at risk.

ZongJin Sui: Q♣ Q♥

Greg Liow: A♥ K♦

Liow immediately spiked a pair on the 2♣ K♥ J♣ flop spurring Sui to get on his feet. The runout 7♠ and 3♠ didn't help Sui at all. Liow scooped the pot for a double as Sui headed out of the floor.

In a multi-way pot of 4,500, small blind Yong Zhao, big blind Ravn Teo and under the gun Zhaoyi Lin checked the flop 9♣ T♣ T♥. Cutoff Yunfeng Sun, however, gave action with a 2,500 bet which only got Zhao to join him.

The turn 7♣ went check-check. After another check, Sun, tired of tapping the table, fired 5,100 on the river 5♦. Zhao thought for a moment before making the call.

Sun showed A♦ T♦ for trips on the flop resulting in Zhao throwing his hand to the muck pile.

Yuichi Sumida limped from the small blind and Fabian Schmidt checked his option. The flop came K♣ 3♣ 4♠ and Sumida led with a 500 bet that Schmidt called

Both players knuckled the turn 3♥ leading them to the last street which dropped 4♣. Sumida fired 2,000 which was enough to take the pot.

Zhiwei Ding limped from early position and Kunlie Xie raised to 1,200 from the button. Action folded back around to Ding, who then three-bet to 6,200.

Xie went into the tank for a short while and then four-bet all in for approximately 22,000. Ding snap-called.

Kunlie Xie: 7♦ 7♠

Zhiwei Ding: J♥ T♥

Not the best of flops for Xie when the Q♣ T♦ 8♦ came rolling off. No miracle seven on the K♣ turn nor the 3♠ river for Xie and he was sent to the rail.

Liqiang Gao raised to 1,100 from early position and found calls from Guodong Zhuo in middle position, Selim Oulmekki in late position, and Haibo Yang in the big blind.

The flop came: T♣ 2♠ A♠.

It was checked around to Oulmekki who bet out for 2,000. Gao and Zhuo called, Yang folded. The action checked round on the Q♥ turn and the players saw the T♠ drop on the river.

Oulmekki checked and Gao fired out for 5,400. Oulmekki made the call and tabled: A♦ 3♥ on level par with Gao's: A♣ 4♠ and the players chopped the pot.

Players have returned from their first break and cards are back in the air.

Players are now on their first 15-minute break of the day.

Zhongyan Sui raised to 1,000 from early position and was called by Ko Yun Wang, from middle position. Action then folded round to Yifan Zhang in the small blind, who three-bet all-in for 16,800.

Sui made the call and Wang, reluctantly, also called.

The flop came J♣ 4♦ T♦.

Both active players checked to see the T♠ come on the turn. The action again went check-check, and the 3♥ was peeled off by the dealer for the river.

Sui checked again, but now Wang moved all-in for his last 24,200. Sui tanked for a short while and made the call.

Wang tabled: 7♠ 7♣ but was out-pipped by Sui with his 8♥ 8♠ and Sui was shipped the side pot as Wang was sent to the rail. Sui, however, was out-pipped by Zhang with his 9♣ 9♦ and was pushed the main pot for a full treble-up.

Yirui Zhang, in early position, opened with an 800 bet and got called by Tao Yao. Xiaoying Mao, in the big blind, had other things in mind and three-bet to 5,000. Zhang folded but Yao called to see a flop.

The dealer showed: T♦ A♥ 7♦.

Mao continued with another 5,000 and Yao called.

They both checked the turn T♠. Mao also checked the river 8♦ spurring Yao to bet 11,000. Looking slightly frustrated, Mao gave up and folded her hand.

Graham Cowan opened with 800 from under the gun and got three-callers in HongXu Zhang in early position, Xingwei Chen in cutoff and button Chunhua Jin. The quartet went to see the flop that fell Q♣ 4♠ J♦.

Cowan continued with 1,200 and only got Chen to call. The turn 9♦ fell and keeping the pressure high, Cowan fired 3,100. Still Chen called.

The moment the J♣ fell, Cowan wasted no time in announcing all-in for 11,400. Chen took a few seconds considering his options burning a time bank in the process. Finally he threw a single chip for a call.

Cowan got on his feet and mucked his cards visibly frustrated. The dealer urged him to show his hand, nonetheless as it was an all-in showdown. Cowan showed 8♣ 7♣ and left, not even bothering to check Chen's Q♠ T♣ for a two-pair with the board.

With 6,000 in the pot and the board reading A♣ 4♣ 7♦ 2♦ Junhao Jiang check-called Zhiwei Ding's 3,600 bet and the players saw the 4♠ come on the river.

The action went check-check and Ding tabled A♠ 7♣ for two pair, Jiang's cards went into the muck and Ding was shipped the pot.

Ka Chuen Yip opened to 700 under the gun and got to callers in Chak Pan Yiu in early position. Haibo Yang in the big blind three-bet to 3,500 and both Yip and Yiu called to see the flop.

The dealer dealt 3♣ A♣ 6♦. Yang fired a continuation bet of 4,000. Yip called but Yiu folded.

The turn came 7♥ and another 7,000 chips came from Yang's stack. Yip flat called.

Slowing down, Yang checked the river 8♣. After a few seconds of consideration Yip shoved all-in for 21,000 sending Yang to the tank. After burning a time card, Yang conceded both the hand and the pot to Yip.

Murly Manokharan opened to 800 in cutoff, and got called by Ye Li on the button, and Peng Zhou in the small blind.

The flop came: A♣ 2♣ 6♥.

Manokharan continued with 800 after a check from Zhou. Li called and the small blind got out of the way.

Both players checked the turn 2♥ but on the 3♦ river, Manokharan fired another 2,000, only to be called by Li again.

Both players tabled their cards to see exactly the same hand - Manokharan held: A♥ T♣ while Li similarly had: A♦ T♠.

The dealer chopped the pot without much fuss.

Peng Zhou limped under the gun and Akira Saito in middle position raised to 1,000. Yu Heng Huang, immediate to his left, three-bet to 2,000. Zhou joined in folding his hand when action went back to him. Saito shoved all-in for 16,100 and was snap-called by Huang putting the former at risk.

Akira Saito: K♥ K♠

Yu Heng Huang: Q♦ Q♥

Saito was ahead on the flop of 4♥ 5♥ 7♠. To Huang's dismay, Saito's lead was strengthened when the K♦ fell on the turn. And as if to rub Saito's victory in, the river 4♦ dropped on the river giving Saito a full house.

Huang looked on as the dealer pushed the pot to Saito's side.

On a board of: T♥ 7♥ 9♦ 2♦ and over 6,000 already in the pot, Michael Wang bet out for 8,000, only to face a raise from Jiaming Che to 20,000.

Wang called, but insta-mucked when Che moved all in on the 7♣ river.

With 3,000 in the pot and the flop spread out of Q♣ Q♠ 4♣ Kunlie Xie in early position checked to Antoine Priniotakis in middle position who fired out for 1,200. Xie made the call and the players saw the K♥ drop on the turn.

The action went check-check and the A♣ peeled off on the river. Priniotakis bet out for 2,500 and Xie folded to send the pot to Priniotakis uncontested.

On the: 8♠ T♠ 4♦ 7♠ board, Hao Wang from the small blind, bet out for 1,200 and got called by Hao Chen, in the big blind. Zhe Li in the cut-off, got out of the way.

The action went check-check on the 8♦ river and Wang tabled 5♠ 4♠ for a baby flush. Chen insta-mucked.

On a pot of 1,500, Gytis Lazauninkas in hijack, and Haibo Yang on the button, were both waiting when the flop dropped: 5♦ 7♥ T♠.

Lazauninkas led with 1,000 to be called by Yang. The turn 4♥ was check-called by Lazauninkas after Yang took control and fired 2,200.

After another check, Yang double barreled a healthy 8,000 bet, which was enough to take the pot down.

Junhao Jiang was looking to claim a juicy pot of 13,000 when he bet 9,000 on a board that ran 5♣ 2♣ 8♠ 4♦ T♥, Akinobu Kirishima was thinking the same thing when he called.

Jiang, however, tabled 7♦ 6♠ prompting Jiang to muck his hand, visibly disappointed as he watched the dealer push the pot towards Jiang's direction.

With the board fanned out of T♦ 9♥ 3♣ 2♦ and the pot at over 6,000 Roy Cowan checked from under the gun to Han Wang in the cut-off who bet out for 4,000.

Cowan made the call and again checked to Wang when the dealer rolled off the river of the 7♥. Wang now bet out for 10,000 and Cowan instantly called. Wang tabled K♦ K♣ and Cowan cards went into the muck announcing "Not a great board for Jacks!".

Yong Fatt Lee raised from the cut-off to 500 and was called by Lin Zhou in the small blind.

The flop came A♦ 5♣ K♦ and Zhou check-called Lee's 500 continuation bet and the players saw the 8♥ come on the turn.

The action went check-check and the dealer peeled off the 2♣ as the river. Zhou checked again and snap-folded Lee's 2,000 river bet.

Murly Manokharan opened with 4,300 and got called by the button, Xian Li, to see a flop.

The flop dropped: T♥ 7♠ 2♣.

Manokharan continued with 8,000. Li snap-called.

The turn 8♥ fell and Manokharan, relentless, increased the pressure with a 20,000 bet. Li took a few seconds before making the call.

Putting maximum pressure, Manokharan went all-in for 9,000. After burning a time bank, Li called to see Manokharan table: K♣ K♦. Disappointed, he mucked his hand face up to show: J♣ J♥.

On a pot of 6,000, Liqiang Gao in the small blind and Kingsley Lai in cutoff were waiting for the flop which came 6♠ T♥ 3♦.

Gao led out with 1,500 and Lai called. On the turn 6♥, Gao increased the heat with a pot sized bet of 7,500 which was enough to make Lai fold.

Heads up, Ye Li bet 2,300 into a pot of 5,000 and a board of 4♦ A♠ 8♣ 5♠ 5♦ after a check from his heads up opponent Sung Han Wang.

Wang, looking uncertain, made the call anyway. Li tabled A♦ K♦ for a two-pair with the board prompting Wang to muck his hand.

Yuxuan Liu raised to 300 from the button only to be three-bet to 1,300 from the big blind by Aleksei Varashev. Liu made the call and the players saw the flop of K♦ 7♥ 2♣.

Varashev continues for 1,000 and Liu made the call. The action went check-check on the 4♠ turn and the dealer peeled off the 5♥ as the river card.

Varashev checked to Liu who took a stab and fired out for 2,000. Varashev snap called and tabled 8♦ 8♠ picking off Liu's bluff with Q♣ T♣.

Flight C has started with our early starters eager to build their stacks and get into the action.

Cards are in the air for Flight C of the 2025 APT Jeju Main Event.

Stay tuned for all your updates.

Today promises plenty of excitement as the KRW 2.6M (~USD 1,850) APT Main Event continues with Flight C at 11 a.m. and Flight D at 6 p.m. local time at the Landing Casino in Jeju Shinhwa World, South Korea.

With the guarantee already met midway through yesterday’s Flight B, every entry moving forward pushes the prize pool beyond KRW 2.2 billion (~USD 1.5 million). Flight B also attracted more players than the opener, drawing 427 entries (343 unique)—an 80% increase over APT Incheon 2025’s Flight B and nearly 50% more than APT Jeju 2024’s Flight B.

Combined with Flight A’s 397 entries and 234 online entries, the running total stands at 1,058, and with registration open until the start of Day 2, that number is set to soar.

Players in Flights C and D start with 40,000 in chips and will battle through ten levels—six at 30 minutes each, followed by four at 45 minutes. Re-entry is allowed, with players able to forfeit their stack before registration closes.

How many will join the field today? How big will the final prize pool grow? And what records might be broken by day’s end?

Stay tuned as we bring you live updates from what promises to be a thrilling day of poker action.