Shinichiro Kano Leads Final 47 as APT Incheon Records Continue to Fall

The record-breaking APT Incheon Main Event is down to its final 47 players, with Japan’s Shinichiro Kano leading the race towards the Gold Lion at Paradise City Casino Resort .

Kano bagged 3,050,000 after the field fell from 207 players during Day 3. He is the only survivor above three million and now has another opportunity to reach an APT Main Event final table after finishing fourth in Taipei last year .

The Main Event was not the only tournament setting records. The Zodiac Classic – Sponsored by Natural8 attracted 403 entries, the largest field the event has drawn at an Incheon stop, while Yingjie Chen won the festival’s two-day High Roller for KRW 105,648,000.

At this point, an APT Incheon record barely has time to settle before another one falls.

Kano Leads Final 47 in APT Incheon Main Event

The 1,393-entry APT Incheon Main Event began Day 3 with 207 players already inside the money. Nearly six 60-minute levels later, only 47 remained.

Kano ended the session with 3,050,000 to take over at the top of the leaderboard. The Japanese player is attempting to improve on the career-best result he recorded in the APT Taipei 2025 Main Event, where he finished fourth.

China’s Zhentao Long is close behind with 2,965,000. Long is looking for his first APT Main Event final table and what would be the sixth APT final-table appearance of his career.

Japan’s Yoko Sasaki occupies third place with 2,580,000. Sasaki is one of two women still in contention, alongside compatriot Nozomi Ota , who returns in 20th place with 1,210,000.

Peng Chen remains in position for another major result after bagging 2,280,000. Chen has already finished third in the APT Super High Roller and the Superstar Challenge during this festival.

APT Incheon Main Event Day 3 Top Ten

Another Lion Remains Within Wongwichit’s Reach

Phachara Wongwichit returns ninth with 1,835,000 and is the only remaining player who has previously won one of the APT’s signature Lions outside the APT Championship.

The Thai professional won the APT Taipei 2023 High Roller and now has a chance to add the tour’s most recognizable trophy to his collection.

Natural8 ambassador Chih Wei Fan completes the top ten with 1,720,000. Fan was also part of the APT Taipei 2023 Main Event final table and is hunting another deep run three years later.

The elimination of Punnat Punsri in 75th place means the tournament will crown a first-time APT Main Event champion.

Toby Joyce remains involved with 705,000. The APT Championship 2025 High Roller winner could become only the second player to win both an APT Championship Mega Lion and an APT signature Lion, following Julian Warhurst .

Other familiar names still chasing the final table include bracelet winner Chin Wei “Webster” Lim with 1,255,000 and Yifu He on 1,010,000.

Serbia’s Toni Ravnak returns with 985,000, while the UK’s Jun Li has 615,000.

Each survivor is guaranteed at least KRW 8,630,000 (~USD 6,165). The eventual champion will receive KRW 523,720,000 (~USD 374,085) from the KRW 3,008,540,000 prize pool, along with the Gold Lion Trophy.

The top three finishers will also receive seats worth approximately USD 10,000 for the APT Championship Main Event in Taipei this November.

Day 4 begins at 11:15am on Friday, August 14 and will continue until the nine-handed final table is set.

The complete Main Event Day 4 seat draw, chip counts and live reporting are available on Somuchpoker.

Zodiac Classic Sets New Incheon Record

The Zodiac Classic – Sponsored by Natural8 attracted a record 403 entries from 303 unique players, surpassing the previous Incheon benchmark set in 2025.

The KRW 3,000,000 tournament generated a KRW 1,044,576,000 (~USD 746,125) prize pool, more than doubling its KRW 500 million guarantee.

Two-time APT champion Kosaku Akashi leads the 134 players advancing to the Final Day after accumulating 407,000.

Thailand’s Tattana Pengduen follows with 370,000, while two-time bracelet winner Renji Mao bagged 363,500.

Aaron Lim also finished inside the top ten with 277,500.

Zodiac Classic Day 1 Top Ten

Only 55 players will reach the money, with a min-cash worth KRW 5,050,000. The champion will receive KRW 199,966,000 (~USD 142,830) and an APT Championship Main Event seat.

Korea National Cup runner-up Phuong Ngoc Nguyen advanced with 215,000, while Yita Choong bagged 195,500.

John Perry remains involved with 168,000, and APT All-Time Money List leader Joseph Cheong carries 158,500 into the Final Day.

Bracelet winner Adriaan Jacobs advanced with 86,000, while former APT Incheon Main Event champion Junjie He will return with 54,000.

The Final Day begins at 11:15am on Friday, August 14.

Yingjie Chen Wins Third APT Title

Yingjie Chen won the two-day High Roller after overcoming a 184-entry field to collect KRW 105,648,000 (~USD 74,928) and the third APT title of his career.

Malaysia’s Kilian Loeffler came close to claiming his first APT trophy but finished second for KRW 71,300,000.

Taiwan’s Kuan Ying Chen completed the podium and secured a career-best KRW 49,080,000 payday.

Day 1 chip leader Tony Ren Lin reached the final table but saw his bid for another major title end in sixth place. Lin collected KRW 24,510,000.

High Roller Final Table Results

Wong Adds a Second Trophy in Incheon

Chak Sum Wong became a two-time champion at APT Incheon 2026 after winning the 38-entry Hyper Turbo NL 8 Game.

The Hong Kong player earned KRW 4,490,972 (~USD 3,185) after finishing ahead of Martijn Gerrits and Frank Zhang .

Wong secured his maiden APT title earlier in the festival in the Fixed Limit Dealer’s Choice Seven Card Stud. His latest victory added another trophy to a series that has also included two additional final-table appearances.

Shimizu Ends 15-Year Wait

Masato Shimizu collected his second APT title 15 years after winning his first, topping the PL Omaha 5 Card High – 21 for KRW 4,261,171 (~USD 3,022).

Li Ta Hsu almost added another trophy one day after recording the tenth APT title of his career, but finished second for KRW 3,070,000.

Mixed-game specialist Craig Anthony Cooper placed third for KRW 2,000,000.

More Day 7 Winners

Yoshitaka Yagi secured his maiden APT title and a career-best score in the Turbo High Roller, defeating an 80-entry field to win KRW 29,134,000.

Chaopeng Chen topped one of the day’s largest completed side events, overcoming 303 entries in the NL Hold’em tournament to collect KRW 35,107,590 (~USD 24,899).

Thailand’s Paul Nattapatsiri won his fourth APT title in the Masters Fixed Limit Seven Card Stud for KRW 17,266,000, while Hong Kong’s Sze Mei Lau turned her second recorded live cash into victory in the Women’s High Roller.

Lau earned KRW 14,866,000 and her first APT trophy after finishing ahead of Japan’s Ayana Shinozaki and Ami Togashi.

Japan’s Honoka Yamada also claimed a maiden APT title by winning the 170-entry Hyper Turbo NLH for KRW 16,192,720.

Main Event Final Table and Zodiac Title Headline Day 8

The Main Event returns at 11:15am on Friday, August 14, with 47 players competing for nine places at the final table.

The record-breaking Zodiac Classic also resumes at 11:15am and will play down to a champion, with KRW 199,966,000 and an APT Championship Main Event seat waiting at the top.

The KRW 900,000 Mini Main Event begins with Flight A at 11am. Flight B follows at 4pm before the turbo Flight C starts at 8:30pm. The tournament carries a KRW 400 million guarantee.

High-stakes players have several options, beginning with the KRW 3,000,000 Nine-Game High Roller at 11:15am. The KRW 35,000,000 Superstar Challenge starts at 11:30am, while a KRW 2,000,000 Turbo High Roller rounds out the day from 9pm.

Friday will produce the Main Event final table and a Zodiac Classic champion, while the Mini Main Event and Superstar Challenge begin their own runs towards the closing weekend.

Information and images courtesy of the Asian Poker Tour.