Tony Ren Lin Leads Main Event Final 46 As Lester Edoc Wins Record 21st Title On Day 9 Of APT Taipei 2026

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Updated: 2026.05.01

Day 9 of the Asian Poker Tour (APT) Taipei 2026 at Red Space and Asia Poker Arena was headlined by the Main Event reaching a historic TWD 111,862,080 (~USD 3.5M) prize pool, the second-largest in the tour’s history. After an intense Day 3, the field of 2,354 entries has been whittled down to just 46 survivors, with Tony Ren Lin leading the chip counts.

Lester Edoc also reached major milestone by capturing his 21st APT title in the High Roller, while Darius Nass bagged the chip lead in the Zodiac Classic, which generated a massive TWD 35.6M prize pool. The action also expanded with the start of the Labour Day Monsterstack, drawing 609 entries across its first two flights.

Tony Ren Lin Leads Final 46 In APT Taipei 2026 Main Event

The APT Taipei 2026 Main Event has officially become one of the biggest tournaments in Asian poker history. The final prize pool has climbed to a staggering TWD 111,862,080 (~USD 3,585,320), making it the second-largest ever for the tour. After a long and intense Day 3, the massive field of 2,354 entries was whittled down to just 46 players. Everyone left is now guaranteed a solid payday, but all eyes are on the top prize of TWD 16,640,100 (~USD 533,340).

Leading the pack is Chinese poker star Tony Ren Lin , who put on a clinic at the feature table. He ended the night as the only player with more than 5 million chips, bagging up 5,275,000 to take into Day 4. He is followed closely by Thailand’s Pakinai Lisawad with 4,750,000 and Hong Kong’s Chun Yu Ma with 4,670,000, both of whom have plenty of chips to make a run for the trophy.

The remaining field is packed with talent, including world-renowned pro Joseph Cheong , who currently sits at the top of the APT all-time money list. Other top contenders like India’s Nishant Kumar and Philippines’ Michael Gabby Concepcion are also comfortably in the mix, ensuring that the battle for the final table will be anything but easy.

Main Event Day 3 Top Ten Chip Counts

Rank	Player	Flag	Chip Counts	Big Blinds
1	Tony Ren Lin	China	5,275,000	106
2	Pakinai Lisawad	Thailand	4,750,000	95
3	Chun Yu Ma	Hong Kong	4,670,000	93
4	Nattichai Sutipanwihan	Thailand	4,175,000	84
5	Kwang Chung Tan	Singapore	4,000,000	80
6	Miki Shiraishi	Japan	3,560,000	71
7	Pei Shan Hsu	Taiwan	3,370,000	67
8	Nopparut Piyatassakorn	Thailand	3,260,000	65
9	Nishant Kumar	India	2,905,000	58
10	Michael Gabby Concepcion	Philippines	2,615,000	52

Sergei Zakharov Wins Free Seat To APTC In November

It wasn’t just the card players winning big today. Russia’s Sergei Zakharov became the first person to snag a seat for the APT Championship (APTC) Main Event in November through a special lucky draw. Another draw will happen at the start of Day 4, and the top six finishers in this tournament will also earn their way into that massive November event.

The 46 survivors will return to the tables today at 11:15 AM and play down until the final table is reached.

Lester Edoc Wins 21st APT Title In High Roller Event

The Philippines’ Lester Edoc reached a major career milestone by winning Event #108: High Roller at APT Taipei 2026. The two-day tournament attracted 175 entries, with Edoc taking home the TWD 2,460,600 (~USD 78,613) top prize. This victory marks his 21st APT title and pushes his total career live earnings past the USD 3 million mark.

It was a strong showing for Filipino players as Christopher Mateo finished in second place for TWD 1,667,000 (~USD 52,779), while Japan’s Ryosuke Ikari took third for TWD 1,111,300 (~USD 35,185). Edoc’s win is his fifth title since the tour’s “New Era” began, further cementing his status as one of the most successful players in the tour’s history.

High Roller Final Table Results

Place	Name	Flag	Prize (TWD)	Prize (USD)
1	Lester Edoc	Philippines	2,460,600	78,613
2	Christopher Mateo	Philippines	1,667,000	53,259
3	Ryosuke Ikari	Japan	1,111,300	35,504
4	Haruhiko Shinohara	Japan	910,200	29,078
5	Mingchen Zhang	China	730,300	23,332
6	Bongjae Lee	South Korea	566,200	18,088
7	Moonho Seo	South Korea	419,100	13,389
8	Hyunseok Park	South Korea	308,000	9,840
9	Wooram Cho	South Korea	245,500	7,843

Darius Nass Tops Day 1 Of Zodiac Classic; Prize Pool Hits TWD 35.6M

Germany’s Darius Nass finished as the chip leader after the opening day of the Zodiac Classic – Sponsored by Natural8. The TWD 85,000 (~USD 2,700) buy-in tournament recorded 486 entries, creating a total prize pool of TWD 35,691,840 (~USD 1,143,970). Nass bagged 468,500 chips and is currently in the lead for the TWD 6,767,640 (~USD 216,910) top prize.

The tournament continues today at 11:15 AM with 156 players returning. Payouts start at the top 71 positions, which means 85 players will be eliminated before reaching the money. The minimum payout is TWD 133,300 (~USD 4,270). Along with the prize money, the first and second-place finishers will each receive a seat to the APTC Main Event this November. Play will proceed today until a champion is decided.

Labour Day Monsterstack Draws 609 Entries In Opening Flights

Labour Day Monsterstack Field (Credit: APT)

The Labour Day Monsterstack is off to a strong start at APT Taipei 2026, recording 609 entries across its first two qualifying sessions. Featuring an accessible TWD 3,500 buy-in and a TWD 6 million guarantee, the tournament has already begun its payout phase, with survivors from each flight locking up a Day 2 spot and a min-cash. Taiwan’s Jyun Li Lin set the pace in Flight A with a massive 1,715,000 stack, while Yung Kuei Wu topped Flight B with 1,405,000 chips.

There are four qualifying opportunities remaining for players to join the action. Flight C kicks off today at 11:00, followed by the faster-paced Flight D Turbo at 18:00. The final two flights, Flight E and Flight F Turbo, will take place tomorrow at the same times, giving the field plenty of chances to build a stack before the event concludes on May 3.

Key Events: Friday, May 1

Today features a packed schedule at APT Taipei 2026, headlined by Day 4 of the APT Main Event and the Final Day of the Zodiac Classic, both of which kick off at 11:15 AM in the Red Space. Players looking to jump into new action have three opportunities to join the TWD 25M GTD Mini Main Event, with Flight A starting at 11:00 AM, Flight B at 4:00 PM, and a Turbo Flight C at 8:30 PM.

Over at the Asia Poker Arena, the Labor Day Monster Stack continues with Flight 1C at 11:00 AM and a Turbo Flight 1D at 6:00 PM, while high-stakes enthusiasts can enter the Baby Superstar Challenge starting at 11:30 AM.

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