APT Incheon Main Event surpasses $1M guarantee, Philippines’ Mike Takayama and Thailand’s Punnat Punsri wrap up final flight

08/31/2023

unnamed 1 — Photo Credit – Asian Poker Tour

The prestigious APT is showing no signs of slowing down with another outstanding Main Event turnout for its fifth return to South Korea. Tournament tables across the Paradise City Casino were heavily packed as the thrilling KRW 1,300,000,000 (~US$ 1,000,000) guaranteed APT Incheon Main Event played down its final two flights yesterday. The biggest tour in APT history completed four qualifiers on schedule, racking up a collective 709 entries with each posting the KRW 2,300,000 (~US$ 1,725) entry fee towards the prize pool.

The generated pot from the four flights alone so far amounts to KRW 1,467,630,000 (~US$ 1,128,946) in prizes, enough to cover the ambitious million dollar guarantee. This record serves as the second largest tournament in brand history and the biggest APT event in the country. With registration remaining open until Day 2 action starts at noon today, chances are the stakes are about to get higher and the top prize looking as lucrative as ever.

Flight C and D Recap

Chipleader Zhanghui Yu 664485b80c — Zhanghui Yu, Photo Credit – Asian Poker Tour

A combined 331 players survived the initial ten levels of play with Flight A chip leader Yu Sheng Lin maintaining his position atop with a massive 246,500 chip count. Yesterday’s action saw the first of two 30 minute flights cap the day with 85 entrants advancing through out of the 156 entry field. China’s Zhanghui Yu led the pack with a healthy 184,100 bag, ranking 15th in the overall Day 2 counts. Among those joining Yu in the felt today are notables John Tech, Winfred Yu, APT Superstar Challenge champion Jun Hao Wu, and runner-up Kevin Choi.

Chipleader Mike Takayama 176012ec38 — Mike Takayama, Photo Credit – Asian Poker Tour

With the evening games giving players the last chance to build a stack, the last flight on schedule drew in a total of 123 entries with a lesser 70 players qualifying through the next round. Action wrapped up with several poker superstars topping the ranks including WSOP bracelet winner Mike Takayama, APT Taipei Main Event champion Punnat Punsri, Japan’s Kazuhiko Yotsushika and Australia’s Aaron Lim. Philippines’ Takayama stands to be a solid crusher across the Asian tournament scene with a whopping 16 APT titles under his belt, in search for his third APT Main Event in this season’s games. The Filipino pro topped the Flight D counts with 205,000 in chips, putting him sixth in the overall pecking order.

Second Punnat Punsri 56cb5f9eb5 — Punnat Punsri, Photo Credit – Asian Poker Tour

Thailand’s Punnat Punsri followed closely behind with 201,300 after a crucial flip against Huidong Gu on the ninth level of the day propelled him to the top. Punsri claimed the richest APT Main Event in history earlier this May after besting the 1,434 Taiwan entry field for NT$ 11,210,400 (~US$ 364,300).

Day 2 action resumes on Level 11: 800 / 1,600 – ante 1,600 for 60 minute intervals and plays down to ITM. Day 3 returns at exactly 12:15 pm on September 1, Friday, playing to the final nine. Full payouts will be revealed once registration closes at the start of Day 2.

APT Incheon Main Event Day 2 Top Chip Counts

Place	Name	Flag	Chip Count
1	Yu Sheng Lin	Taiwan	246,500
2	Nan Zhu	China	229,400
3	Adrian Boon Chye Chua	Singapore	223,000
4	Taago Tamm	Estonia	215,000
5	Xiaohua Fu	China	205,700
6	Mike Takayama	Philippines	205,000
7	King Wai Cheung	Hong Kong	203,400
8	Artem Sofronov	Russia	202,400
9	Veleriy Pak	Uzbekistan	202,100
10	Punnat Punsri	Thailand	201,300
11	Kazuki Obata	Japan	199,600
12	Zihao Meng	China	198,500
13	Wayne Chi Wah Lau	Canada	198,000
14	Taiki Uragami	Japan	190,000
15	Zhanghui Yu	China	184,100
16	Peerathat Sukpaisarn	Thailand	180,300
17	Kazuma Otake	Japan	178,600
18	Yunfeng Sun	China	177,800
19	Tomochika Kamiya	Japan	175,700
20	Kazuhiko Yotsushika	Japan	175,400