Hong Kong’s Chun Shing Lau Wins APT Taipei 2026 Main Event; Side Event Highlights From Day 11

Day 11 of the Asian Poker Tour (APT) Taipei 2026 at Red Space and Asia Poker Arena was headlined by Chun Shing Lau winning the Main Event for TWD 16,640,100 (~USD 533,340). The recreational player from Hong Kong dominated the final table to secure the Gold Lion Trophy. Other major winners included Seunghyuk Jung , who took down the Mini Main Event, and Eisuke Katsuren , who triumphed in the Zodiac Classic .

The festival moves into its final day with Rudy Edenata leading the APT High Roller and the Labour Day Monster Stack and Ultra Stack playing down to champions. Action concludes today with the Micro Main Event and the crowning of final trophy winners for this historic series.

Chun Shing Lau Crowned APT Taipei 2026 Main Event Champion

The APT Taipei 2026 Main Event has concluded at the Red Space Arena, with Hong Kong’s Chun Shing Lau securing the title after a dominant final table performance. Lau defeated Australia’s Joshua McCully heads-up to claim the TWD 16,640,100 (~USD 533,340) top prize, the APT Gold Lion Trophy, and a seat to the APT Championship (APTC) 2026 Main Event season finale this November.

Lau started the final day with a huge lead, holding over a third of all the chips. Even though he played against some very tough opponents and the lead went up and down, he stayed calm and earned his place as an APT Main Event champion.

Final Table Highlights

The final nine featured a series of confrontations as the field played down to a winner. Pakinai Lisawad was the first to exit in ninth place after four-bet jamming pocket nines into the pocket aces of Ching En Chen. Failing to find a two-outer, the Thai professional hit the rail early.

The GPI #1-ranked player Tony Ren Lin followed in eighth place when his hopes for a Main Event title ended after calling off his stack on a queen-high board with queen-jack, Lau held king-queen, and with no help on the river, Lin was eliminated. Chia Lin Huang fell next in seventh place during a flip, moving all-in with pocket sevens against Chen’s ace-king, where Chen paired up his king to send the Taiwanese player to the payout desk.

As play continued, Miki Shiraishi managed a brief triple-up after being left with very few chips, but finally fell in sixth place with king-seven against the ace-queen of McCully. Kazuma Ishihara departed in fifth place after a failed bluff against McCully left him short, he shoved with king-three and was beaten by Lau’s pocket eights.

The field was reduced to three when Belgian player Kristof Segers exited in fourth place after jamming a queen-high turn with top pair, only to be snapped off by Lau’s flopped two pair. Finally, Chen’s run ended in third place when his ace-queen was outdrawn by Lau’s ace-ten after a ten appeared on the flop, setting the stage for the final duel.

Heads-Up Battle

Lau began the final duel with a 4-to-1 chip advantage, but McCully proved to be a resilient opponent. On the very first hand, McCully rivered a full house against Lau’s nut straight to nearly even the stacks. Despite the setback, Lau spent the next hour chipping away at McCully’s stack with consistent pressure.

In the final hand, McCully called off his remaining chips with king-jack but found himself trailing Lau’s ace-ten. The board ran out clean for the chip leader, leaving McCully with a runner-up finish worth TWD 9,519,000 (~USD 305,100) and confirming Lau as the champion.

Real Estate to High Stakes: Lau’s “Impulsive” Journey

In a post-match interview, Lau introduced himself as a recreational player and real estate agent from Hong Kong, known to his friends as “Wo Jai.” He began playing small cash games in 2018 but did not enter the live tournament scene until late 2023. Lau admitted that his trip to Taipei was an “impulsive decision” made to spend time with friends rather than a calculated professional move.

I didn’t actually plan this trip specifically. It was an impulsive decision to come because many of my friends were here. I just wanted to hang out and play, so I feel very lucky to have made it this far.

Overcoming Stigma and Maintaining Balance

Lau also addressed the cultural challenges of being a poker player in Hong Kong, where the game is often viewed as “gambling” by older generations. He expressed hope that his success might help his family, particularly his mother, understand that poker can be a pursuit based on growth and skill. Despite the life-changing win, Lau remains grounded, stating his intention to remain a recreational player to maintain a healthy life balance.

I’ve never wanted to be a full time pro. Life needs balance and different hobbies. Poker is one of those interests, one that can earn some money, but I think I’m much happier staying recreational than going professional.

In a lighter moment, he revealed he avoided looking at the Gold Lion trophy throughout the final table, following a friend’s superstitious advice that the lion has a strong “killing intent” and staring at it could result in a “counter kill.”

He now looks forward to using his won seat in the APTC this November, noting he plans to study further to prepare for the expert-heavy field. Ultimately, Lau’s victory serves as a reminder that in the world of tournament poker, anyone can rise to the top with the right mindset and a dedication to personal growth.

Seunghyuk Jung Secures Career-Best Score in Mini Main Event

The Mini Main Event concluded as one of the standout successes of the festival, building a massive prize pool of TWD 39,968,640 (~USD 1,276,950) from 1,542 entries. The final turnout comfortably shattered the initial TWD 25 million guarantee, setting the stage for the final day at Red Space.

South Korea’s Seunghyuk Jung emerged victorious to capture his first APT title and a career-best prize of TWD 6,988,540 (~USD 223,276). Jung entered the tournament nearing the USD 400,000 mark in live earnings and surpassed that milestone emphatically with this result. In addition to the prize money, the victory earns him a seat in the APTC Main Event this November.

The final podium featured a strong international presence, with fellow South Korean Jintae Yang finishing as the runner-up for TWD 3,943,400 (~USD 125,987). Hong Kong’s Ka Yu Yeung took third place, taking home TWD 2,779,600 (~USD 88,805).

Eisuke Katsuren Triumphs In Zodiac Classic

The additional third day of competition proved no obstacle for Japan’s Eisuke Katsuren , who maintained his chip lead to secure the title in Zodiac Classic – Sponsored by Natural8 . Katsuren earned a top prize of TWD 5,457,040 (~USD 174,905) and his maiden APT title, along with a seat in the APTC Main Event this November.

The tournament, which drew a field of 486 entries, was forced into an unscheduled third day after play could not conclude before the 3:00 AM cutoff on Friday. Katsuren defeated Estonia’s Ranno Sootla heads-up to seal the victory. Sootla took home TWD 4,515,500 (~USD 144,730) for his runner-up finish, while Hong Kong’s Leo Pang rounded out the podium in third place for TWD 4,113,700 (~USD 131,850). These payouts were determined by an ICM deal struck between the final three players on the previous night.

A total of 71 players shared in the TWD 35,691,840 (~USD 1,143,970) prize pool. In addition to the prize money, both Katsuren and Sootla secured coveted seats for the upcoming season finale in Taipei.

#124 Zodiac Classic - Sponsored by Natural8 @RED (85,000 TWD)

Total Prize USD

$1,143,970

Total Prize

NT$35,691,840

Guaranteed

NT$25,000,000

Entries

486

ITM

71

#	Payout	Player	SPI
1	NT$5,457,040 $174,905	EK Eisuke Katsuren Japan	2,932.54
2	NT$4,515,500 $144,730	RS Ranno Sootla Estonia	2,073.62
3	NT$4,113,700 $131,850	LP Leo Pang Hong Kong	1,693.10
4	NT$2,405,700 $77,105	KW Kuen Wai Jeffrey Lo Hong Kong	1,466.27
5	NT$1,890,200 $60,585	JT John Tech Philippines	1,311.47
6	NT$1,476,400 $47,320	HC Hon Cheong Lee Hong Kong	1,197.21
7	NT$1,111,700 $35,630	TH Trong Hieu Ngo Viet Nam	1,108.40
8	NT$775,000 $24,840	IH Ichiro Hamada Japan	1,036.81
9	NT$613,700 $19,670	AT Anh Tuan Le Tran Viet Nam	977.51

Check the 71 Payouts & Results ...

Ray Chiu Sails To Second Lion Of The Series In Noah’s Ark PLO

Event #143: Hyper Turbo – PL Omaha High – 5 Card – Noah’s Ark – 2x2x2 featured a specialized format where players were dealt five hole cards with two community cards revealed on each street. Emerging as the “captain” of the field was Ray Chiu , the current CEO of Gods of Poker (GOP) and former APT Floor Manager. Chiu navigated the unique structure to claim his second Lion trophy of the series and a top prize of TWD 122,614 (~USD 3,917).

Much like the pairs that famously boarded Noah’s Ark, Chiu now possesses a perfect pair of Lions from this series, marking his fourth APT title overall and pushing him closer to the USD 300,000 career earnings milestone. Taiwan’s Ju Yin Yeh secured second place with a career-best TWD 84,800 (~USD 2,709), while Hong Kong’s Pat Tao Leung finished third for TWD 54,100 (~USD 1,728).

Rudy Edenata Leads Record APT High Roller Into Final Day

With the Main Event concluded, the spotlight has shifted to the APT High Roller, the final “Big Three” signature event of the series. The tournament drew the second-largest field in the tour’s 20-year history, with 329 entries (211 unique) generating a prize pool of TWD 34,110,720 (~USD 1,089,800). This marks the second richest prize pool ever recorded for this specific event.

Leading the charge after 17 levels of play is the reigning APT Jeju 2026 High Roller champion, Rudy Edenata . The Indonesian pro bagged a massive stack of 1,950,000, putting himself in prime position to capture a historic second signature lion trophy and the TWD 6,526,320 (~USD 208,510) top prize. Following closely are South Korea’s Hoseong Ha with 1,585,000 and newly crowned APT Super High Roller champion Mike Takayama with 1,419,000.

The field has been trimmed to just 62 survivors, though the atmosphere remains tense as only the top 47 players will finish in the money. In addition to the significant payouts, the top two finishers will also receive a USD 10,000 seat to the APTC Main Event this November.

Final Day Decided For Labour Day Monster Stack And Ultra Stack

Two of the festival’s most anticipated side events are set to conclude today at Red Space, with massive fields narrowed down to their final contenders. The Labour Day Monster Stack drew a staggering 2,135 entries, creating a prize pool of TWD 6,000,000 (~USD 191,693). Only 109 survivors remain, all of whom have secured a min-cash. Taiwanese players currently dominate the top of the leaderboard, led by Jyun Li Lin with 1,715,000, Wu Shan En with 1,696,000, and Ma Yu Hsiang with 1,635,000.

Parallel to the Monster Stack action, Ultra Stack has also reached its Final Day after drawing 732 entries. The event generated a prize pool of TWD 12,912,480 (~USD 412,539), with a top prize of TWD 2,388,180 (~USD 76,300) and a coveted APTC Main Event seat up for grabs. Japan’s Kazuo Yamamoto with 1,858,000 leads the 103 players returning to the felt, followed by Taiwan’s Sheng Wei Wu with 1,711,000 and China’s Cheng Wu with 1,472,000.

Both events are scheduled to resume at 11:15 AM local time and will play down to a champion today, marking the final stage for these large fields.

Key Events: Final Day, May 3

The final day of APT Taipei 2026 is set to conclude with a massive lineup of events at the Red Space venue. Headlining the schedule is Micro Main Event, which features a TWD 2,000,000 guarantee with registration open from 11:00 until 14:50.

Simultaneously, two major trophies will find their owners as both the Ultra Stack and the APT High Roller resume for their Final Days at 11:15 local time. With over TWD 30,000,000 in combined guarantees across these key events, the series is poised for a grand finale as the remaining fields play down to their respective champions.

All facts, figures, and images courtesy of Asian Poker Tour.