Chang Hwan Lee Flies High With KRW 200M APT Incheon High Roller Victory

Chang Hwan Lee does not have much time to study poker. Running four companies and travelling frequently tends to make finding a free evening difficult.

His solution is to open the laptop whenever he gets on a plane.

That preparation paid off at APT Incheon 2026 , where Lee converted the Day 1 chip lead into victory in the KRW 5 million APT High Roller .

The Japanese player defeated Jun Li heads-up to collect KRW 199,870,000 (~USD 142,765) and the APT Rose Gold Lion Trophy. His winner’s package also included a seat to the APT Championship 2026 Main Event worth KRW 14 million (~USD 10,000).

The tournament attracted 222 entries from 154 unique players at Paradise City Casino Resort , creating a total prize pool of KRW 959,040,000 (~USD 685,030) that nearly doubled the KRW 500 million guarantee.

A total of KRW 945,040,000 was paid out in cash, with the APT Championship seat forming the remainder of the full prize pool.

#92 APT High Roller (5,000,000 KRW)

Total Prize USD

$685,030

Total Prize

959M KRW

Guaranteed

500M KRW

Entries

222

ITM

31

#	Payout	Player	SPI
1	₩199,870,000 $142,865	CL Changhwan Lee South Korea	2,169.18
2	₩134,570,000 $96,190	JL Jun Li United Kingdom	1,533.84
3	₩94,880,000 $67,820	CS Chun Shing Lau Hong Kong	1,252.38
4	₩76,930,000 $54,990	KS Konstantin Solovev Russia	1,084.59
5	₩60,860,000 $43,505	ML Maxim Lykov Russia	970.09
6	₩46,210,000 $33,030	HN Hiroyuki Noda Japan	885.56
7	₩33,740,000 $24,115	MS Martin Sedlak Germany	819.87
8	₩24,670,000 $17,635	WK Wai Kiat Lee Malaysia	766.92
9	₩20,410,000 $14,590	SW Shotiwan Wattanalarp Thailand	723.06

Check the 31 Payouts & Results ...

Patience Pays Off for Lee

Lee, who already owns a WSOP bracelet, admitted the quality of the High Roller field forced him to remain patient and think carefully about the meaning behind every decision made against him.

“There were so many professional players, so it was a very tough game for me,” Lee said. “I tried to be patient and respect their actions because everything they did had an intention.”

The victory carried extra meaning following two near misses at an Asian Poker Tour festival in Jeju earlier this year.

“I finished second and third at APT Jeju, and I was unhappy because I couldn’t get the trophy,” he said. “After studying a lot more about GTO and tournament theory, I achieved my goal. I’m so happy and very honored to have this trophy.”

Finding enough time to put in that work has not always been easy. Lee said running four companies leaves him limited time to study, so he often uses flights to prepare for tournaments.

“I can mostly study only once or twice a month,” Lee said. “Before a tournament, I use my laptop on the flight to study GTO.”

More travel now awaits after Lee secured his APT Championship seat. Taipei would be a new destination for him, provided he can rearrange his schedule.

“I have never been to Taipei, but because of this ticket, I must find space in my schedule,” he said.

There was no lavish celebration planned after a final day that lasted well into the night.

“I’m going to celebrate by myself and go to bed,” Lee said. “I’m so sleepy.”

Lee Takes Control at the Final Table

Lee returned for the final day leading the 51 remaining players with 1,211,000, narrowly ahead of Yuan Lei. Only 31 places were paid, with a min-cash worth KRW 8,320,000 (~USD 5,940).

The bubble took time to break after several short stacks found double-ups. Takanari Uchida was eventually eliminated in 32nd when Ryuta Nakai made a flush against his jack-ten, sending the remaining field into the money.

One of the largest pots before the final table saw Ryan Plant six-bet shove around 40 big blinds with ace-nine. Wai Kiat Lee snap-called with pocket kings, which held and improved to a full house on the river.

Pongsapak Himathongkom was eliminated in tenth to form the official final table, with Walter Lau leading the final nine. Chang Hwan Lee began second but moved ahead after winning a major flip with pocket jacks against Wai Kiat Lee’s ace-king.

Lee then began collecting knockouts. His king-jack paired a king against Martin Sedlak’s ace-jack before his ace-king held against Hiroyuki Noda . Maxim Lykov followed when his pocket fours were overtaken by Lee’s king-deuce.

By the time the tournament reached three-handed play, Lee controlled close to three-quarters of the chips.

Li briefly cut into the lead after doubling with trip jacks, but Lau remained short. The Hong Kong player eventually check-shoved top pair on an eight-high flop, only to find Lee waiting with pocket queens.

The overpair held, sending Lau out in third for KRW 94,880,000 (~USD 67,770) and leaving Lee and Li to play for the trophy.

Jun Li Falls One Place Short Again

Lee entered heads-up with a lead of more than three-to-one, but Li stayed within reach and had rebuilt to 5.8 million when the final hand arrived.

Li limped the button with king-queen before Lee moved all in from the big blind. Li snap-called for just over 23 big blinds and found himself flipping against pocket tens.

An ace-eight-deuce flop kept Lee in front. The turn and river both brought fours, confirming the victory and leaving Li with another runner-up finish in the APT Incheon High Roller.

Li earned KRW 134,570,000 (~USD 96,120), but the result carried a frustrating piece of history. He also finished second to Edmond Chim in the 2025 edition , leaving him one place short in the same tournament for the second consecutive year.

For Lee, the final river completed a run that began with him leading the final 51 players. He finished with every chip in play, the Rose Gold Lion and a reason to find room in his calendar for one more flight.

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