Heng Je Hu Wins APT Championship 2026 Opener Ahead of Official Launch
The APT Championship 2026 began with an early tournament on Thursday, November 12, as Taiwan's Heng Je Hu claimed the Asia Gaming Industry Championship title at Red Space in Taipei, Taiwan.
The industry-exclusive tournament attracted 102 entries, with Hu taking home TWD 279,562 (~USD 7,720) after defeating compatriot Weichun Lin heads-up.
The result sets the stage for the official start of the 17-day festival on Friday, November 13. Running through November 29, the APT Championship 2026 features 23 Championship Events and more than TWD 256 million (~USD 8.1 million) in combined guarantees, headlined by the USD 5M GTD APT Championship 2026 Main Event Freezeout.
Heng Je Hu Claims First APT Championship 2026 Lion Trophy
The TWD 13,000 buy-in Asia Gaming Industry Championship Freezeout brought together poker industry professionals for the opening tournament of the APT Championship 2026.
Restricted to casino staff, operators, organizers, media representatives, influencers and other poker industry personalities, Event #0 generated a TWD 1,093,962 (~USD 33,560) prize pool from 102 entries.
Attendance was up 34.2% compared with the inaugural edition in 2025, while 15 players finished in the money.
Taiwan's Heng Je Hu, a 25-year-old online poker agent, emerged victorious after defeating Lin heads-up. Hu collected TWD 279,562 (~USD 7,720), his largest live tournament cash to date, while Lin received TWD 192,500 (~USD 5,320) for second place.
Speaking after his victory, Hu expressed his appreciation for the opportunity to compete and thanked his friends for their support.
"I'm grateful I didn't give up on this game," Hu said following the win.
USA's Elton Keung finished third for TWD 126,400 (~USD 3,490), followed by Hong Kong's Shun Hei Lee in fourth and Thailand's Phongsatorn Panchakabut in fifth.
The tournament also had a charitable element. APT owner Daren Yoon and special advisor Victor Chong pledged at least TWD 500,000 to the Taiwan Alzheimer's Disease Association, while CTP executives David Tai and Raymond Wong committed a further TWD 100,000.
All four also pledged their tournament winnings to charity. Chong reached the final table and finished ninth, adding TWD 28,400 to the charitable contribution.
Among those competing were Somuchpoker representatives Máté Hanusi and Callum Jury, alongside poker industry figures Kevin Mathers, Stephen Lai and Natural8 ambassador Hua-Wei Lin.
Asia Gaming Industry Championship Final Table Results
Place | Player | Country | Prize (TWD) | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 279,562 | $7,720 | ||
2 | 192,500 | $5,320 | ||
3 | Elton Keung | 126,400 | $3,490 | |
4 | 102,300 | $2,825 | ||
5 | 82,600 | $2,280 | ||
6 | Chih Yi Fan | 64,500 | $1,780 | |
7 | Mars Chan | 50,900 | $1,400 | |
8 | Stephanie Chang | 38,800 | $1,070 | |
9 | 28,400 | $785 |
APT Championship 2026 Officially Begins November 13 With Over USD 8 Million Guaranteed
With the opening industry event concluded, attention now turns to Friday's official launch of the APT Championship 2026.
Organized in partnership with the Chinese Texas Hold'em Poker Club (CTP), the festival returns to Red Space following the record-breaking 2025 edition, which attracted 28,265 entries and awarded approximately USD 34 million in prize money.
This year's schedule includes 23 Championship Events alongside 186 side events and satellites, providing a wide range of buy-ins and formats throughout the 17 days.
The first major tournament is the TWD 16,000 National Cup Championship, running November 13–15 with a TWD 20 million (~USD 613,000) guarantee.
The opening weekend will also lead into the TWD 35,000 Mystery Bounty Championship, sponsored by Natural8, beginning November 15 with TWD 15 million guaranteed.
Other notable events include the Ultra Stack Championship, Natural8 Cup Championship, Super High Roller Championship and Superstar Championship, alongside PLO and mixed-game tournaments.
Major APT Championship 2026 Events
Event | Dates | Buy-in | Guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|
National Cup Championship | Nov 13–15 | TWD 16,000 | TWD 20M |
Mystery Bounty Championship | Nov 15–16 | TWD 35,000 | TWD 15M |
Ultra Stack Championship | Nov 16–18 | TWD 25,000 | TWD 25M |
Natural8 Cup Championship | Nov 18–21 | TWD 108,900 | TWD 33M |
Super High Roller Championship | Nov 20 | TWD 825,000 | — |
Superstar Championship | Nov 22–23 | TWD 1,600,000 | — |
APT Championship 2026 Main Event Freezeout | Nov 23–27 | TWD 330,000 | TWD 165M |
High Roller Championship | Nov 26–28 | TWD 495,000 | — |
The main attraction remains the USD 5M GTD APT Championship 2026 Main Event Freezeout, beginning November 23.
With a TWD 330,000 (~USD 10,100) buy-in, the tournament offers players a single entry, with no re-entries permitted.
Last year's Main Event attracted 671 entries and generated a TWD 194,080,973 prize pool. India's Nishant Sharma won the title for TWD 37,030,773 (~USD 1.2 million), the largest Main Event first-place prize in APT history.
The 2026 edition will conclude on November 27, two days before the festival wraps up.
Somuchpoker x APT Championship Points Race Returns With $2,000 in Prizes
Alongside the tournament action, the Somuchpoker x APT Championship Points Race returns with $2,000 in Natural8 credits available to the three highest-ranked players.
Running throughout the festival from November 12–29, the competition awards Somuchpoker Poker Index (SPI) points to players who cash in eligible tournaments.
All tournaments count toward the leaderboard except satellites, with players automatically earning points whenever they cash.
The overall winner will receive $1,000 in Natural8 credits, while second place earns $600 and third place receives $400.
Players must have a Natural8 account to receive their prizes, and the leaderboard will be updated throughout the festival as results are recorded.
Opening Weekend Gets Underway in Taipei
The National Cup Championship headlines Friday's opening schedule, followed by the Mystery Bounty and Ultra Stack Championships over the coming days. The 17-day festival runs through November 29, with the Main Event Freezeout and High Roller tournaments among the highlights of the closing week.
The 17-day series runs until November 29, with the final week centered on the APT Championship 2026 Main Event Freezeout and High Roller events.
For the full schedule, tournament results and live updates, visit the APT Championship 2026 festival page.
All images courtesy of the Asian Poker Tour.
About the Editor
Tim Baker is a UK-born Live Poker Reporter based in Indonesia, covering major poker tournaments across Asia and around the world since 2023. With nearly two decades of experience around live and online poker, he brings deep knowledge of the game and the international poker scene to his tournament coverage.
