KPC x LPT & King Poker Cup 2026: Highlights

The inaugural KPC x LPT Series 2026 and the King Poker Cup wrapped up less than a week ago at the LES A Casino in Jeju, South Korea, marking the first collaboration between K Poker Cup and Long Poker Tour. Running from January 3 to 12, the joint festival featured 54 events with a Main Event guaranteed prize pool of KRW 2,280,100,000 in the KPC x LPT Main.

From January 11 to 18, the focus shifted to the King Poker Cup, which introduced higher buy-ins in USD and a more upscale setup, including refreshed tables and seating to reflect the elevated level of play. Across the board, the series drew 7,983 total entries, plus 800 unique units entered both KPC x LPT series and King Poker Cup. and generated a combined prize pool of USD 13,901,385.

KPC Achieves Record-Breaking Milestones with 2026 K Poker Cup × Long Poker Tour Series and King Poker Cup Series

Within just one year of its establishment, the KPC brand has achieved remarkable growth and established a strong presence in the competitive poker landscape. The KPC x LPT portion delivered a strong turnout and competitive fields. The Main Event closed with a record-breaking 2,030 entries, building a KRW 2,375,100,000 prize pool.

This highlights the rapid expansion of its player base and the growing appeal of the brand’s flagship tournaments. The star of the principal festival was China’s Lante Zhang, who topped the Main Event field, claiming KRW 296,250,000 (~USD 207,490), plus a USD 15,000 King Poker Cup seat after outlasting Huanyu Chen of Taiwan when it came down to the wire.

Zhang described the win as a long time coming. “I’ve been playing poker since 2011, but I had never won a big tournament before,” he said. “I’d made final tables, but never crossed the line. This one really means something to me.” He emphasized adjusting to opponents: “I focus a lot on how my opponents play and adjust to them. Everyone has different tendencies.”

#17 KPCx LPT Main Event (1,300,000 KRW)

Total Prize USD

$1,577,010

Total Prize

₩2,280,100,000

Guaranteed

₩880,000,000

Entries

2,030

ITM

224

#	Payout	Player	SPI
1	₩300,000,000 $207,490	LZ Lante Zhang China	4,141.85
2	₩220,000,000 $152,160	HC Huanyu Chen Taiwan	2,928.73
3	₩166,500,000 $115,160	HL Hui Liu China	2,391.30
4	₩130,000,000 $89,915	XJ Xiaqing Ji China	2,070.92
5	₩100,000,000 $69,165	YL Yiming Li China	1,852.29
6	₩75,000,000 $51,875	RP Ryan Plant United Kingdom	1,690.90
7	₩53,000,000 $36,655	SL Sin Lan Chen Taiwan	1,565.47
8	₩39,000,000 $26,975	PD Peng Deng China	1,464.36
9	₩28,000,000 $19,365	XX Xiaobang Xu China	1,380.62

Check the 224 Payouts & Results ...

Event #1 – Jeju Opening

China’s Yixian Chen (Eason Chen) got the series off to a perfect start by winning the inaugural event. After an eight-hour Day 2 that included more than half of it at the final table, Chen topped a field of 429 entries (222 unique) to claim the title and KRW 64,000,000 (~USD 44,265) first-place prize and making his presence immediately felt among the field.

The event far exceeded expectations, doubling the KRW 180,000,000 guarantee and building a KRW 333,590,000 prize pool across three starting flights. The strong turnout inside LES A Casino signalled early excitement for the historic KPC x LPT collaboration and set a high standard for the rest of the festival.

Chen, a fashion designer from Ningbo, Zhejiang, started playing online on PokerStars in 2018 before transitioning to live tournaments around 2020. “Nowadays, I rarely play online because I still have my own business to run,” he said. “I’ve just started building my own brand, so I have comparatively more free time now. Also, it’s really convenient to travel to Jeju from Ningbo; it only takes about one hour by plane.”

He described early swings in Flight A, dropping to 11–12 big blinds before rebounding to chip leader. “When I was really short, I was already mentally prepared to be eliminated, so I just relaxed and played. Luckily, I doubled up a few times.” On his style: “When I’m short-stacked, I play more aggressively… But when my stack became healthy again, I switched back to a tighter and more stable style. I think my general playing style is more loose and aggressive.”

#4 PL Courchevel Hi-Lo 5 CARD - TURBO (400,000 KRW)

Total Prize USD

$5,580

Total Prize

₩8,070,000

Entries

24

ITM

4

#	Payout	Player	SPI
1	₩3,280,000 $2,270	QF Quncheng Fang China	301.24
2	₩2,190,000 $1,515	JW Jun Weng China	213.01
3	₩1,450,000 $1,005	JC Jie Chen Australia	173.92
4	₩1,150,000 $795	MW Michael Wookju Chung United States of America	150.62

Event #4 – PL Courchevel Hi-Lo 5 CARD – TURBO

China’s Quncheng Fang made a strong impression early in the series by dominating the draw variants, securing three titles across four events and showcasing versatility in mixed games. As well as a final table finish in the NL 2-7 Single Draw- Turbo event, he won the PL Courchevel Hi-Lo 5 CARD Turbo (Jan 3, 24 entries) for KRW 3,280,000 (~USD 2,270), the FL 2-7 Triple Draw (Jan 5, 24 entries) for KRW 6,740,000 (~USD 4,660), and the PL Drawmaha Hi-Turbo (Jan 7, 46 entries) for KRW 4,200,000 (~USD 2,905). These results added approximately USD 10,400 to his career live earnings.

According to The Hendon Mob, Fang’s total live tournament earnings stand at USD 59,731, placing him on China’s all-time money list. His previous best cash was USD 12,593, and these series wins push his total over USD 70,000, marking a solid boost from the early festival action. Fang, a consistent performer in Asian events, continues to build his resume with these specialised game victories.

#4 PL Courchevel Hi-Lo 5 CARD - TURBO (400,000 KRW)

Total Prize USD

$5,580

Total Prize

₩8,070,000

Entries

24

ITM

4

#	Payout	Player	SPI
1	₩3,280,000 $2,270	QF Quncheng Fang China	301.24
2	₩2,190,000 $1,515	JW Jun Weng China	213.01
3	₩1,450,000 $1,005	JC Jie Chen Australia	173.92
4	₩1,150,000 $795	MW Michael Wookju Chung United States of America	150.62

Event #8 – High Roller

Another highlight was the KRW 5,000,000 High Roller, which attracted 178 entries for a KRW 794,250,000 prize pool. Vietnam’s Khoa Anh Ngo took the title and KRW 181,700,000 (~USD 125,670), his biggest live cash to date.

Ngo kept it straightforward on rankings: “For me, the ranking is not really important. But improving and having new results is always something I’m happy with.” He stressed discipline: “I think for every poker player, discipline is very important. Especially the mental game.”

#8 High Roller (5,000,000 KRW)

Total Prize USD

$549,335

Total Prize

₩794,250,000

Entries

178

ITM

28

#	Payout	Player	SPI
1	₩181,700,000 $125,670	KA Khoa Anh Ngo Viet Nam	1,942.45
2	₩120,800,000 $83,550	QM Quang Minh Nguyen Viet Nam	1,373.52
3	₩87,900,000 $60,795	AZ Alan Zheng Australia	1,121.47
4	₩64,850,000 $44,855	YW Yilong Wang China	971.22
5	₩48,450,000 $33,510	YH Yuxi Huang China	868.69
6	₩36,650,000 $25,350	CC Chung Ching Cheung Hong Kong	793.00
7	₩28,100,000 $19,435	SN Seunghyun Nam United States of America	734.18
8	₩21,800,000 $15,080	CY Chun Yu Ma Hong Kong	686.76
9	₩17,200,000 $11,895	TC Tingjia Cao China	647.48

Check the 28 Payouts & Results ...

Event #52 – Closer Event – Monster Stack

Taiwan’s Chung-Tang Lin  capped off the KPC x LPT 2026 series by winning the Closer Event – Monster Stack (GTD KRW 100,000,000), claiming the title and KRW 33,000,000 (~USD 22,800) first-place prize from a field of 138 entries. The KRW 1,100,000 buy-in event ran on January 12, providing a fitting end to the first phase of the collaboration with solid turnout and a competitive final table.

Tang navigated the deep-stack structure effectively, building momentum through the late stages to close out the victory and add a notable score to his results in the series.

#52 Closer Event- Monster Stack(GTD:100M) (1,100,000 KRW)

Total Prize USD

$90,715

Total Prize

₩131,160,000

Guaranteed

₩100,000,000

Entries

138

ITM

18

#	Payout	Player	SPI
1	₩32,950,000 $22,790	CT Chung Tang Lin Taiwan	1,021.42
2	₩21,990,000 $15,210	JS Jaemoon Seok South Korea	722.26
3	₩15,370,000 $10,630	LT Lili Tang China	589.72
4	₩11,040,000 $7,635	SL Sin Lan Chen Taiwan	510.71
5	₩8,160,000 $5,645	GC Gailiang Chen China	456.79
6	₩6,220,000 $4,300	JZ Jinyu Zhang China	416.99
7	₩4,880,000 $3,375	FM Fen Mai Hong Kong	386.06
8	₩3,950,000 $2,730	ZM Zhiyuan Meng China	361.13
9	₩3,310,000 $2,290	CW Chengshan Wu China	340.47

Check the 18 Payouts & Results ...

King Poker Cup Takeover

On January 11, the King Poker Cup took over, shifting to USD buy-ins and a premium feel with updated venue elements. The flagship USD 15,000 King’s Main Event drew 191 entries across two starting flights, generating a prize pool of USD 2,681,700.

China’s Tony Ren Lin emerged as the champion, claiming the inaugural title, the trophy, and the USD 600,700 top prize after a commanding final table performance. He defeated Vietnam’s Trung Hieu Nguyen in heads-up play, having entered the final day with solid lead and holding strong through key spots, including a crucial double-up with ace-king against pocket tens when a king hit the river to stay in the game.

Ren Lin joked about his hot run: “Why just two, not three? That’s what I’m thinking at the moment,” referring to his earlier NLH/PLO Mix win . He praised the festival: “King Poker Cup is really a wonderful festival. Even before I won any event, I had already commented that it provides a world-class experience in Asia, especially for the $5,000-$20,000 games. KPC is truly the best one.”

On a tough hand: “The most resilient opponent was Lei Yu, in a hand where he had pocket jacks and I had pocket aces. It was truly a sick one.” He added with a laugh: “My target is to reach No. 1 on the GPI by the end of this year… Well, I’m bluffing.”

#S4 The King's Main Event ($15,000)

Total Prize

$2,681,700

Entries

191

ITM

29

#	Payout	Player	SPI
1	$600,700	TR Tony Ren Lin China	3,334.08
2	$400,000	TH Trung Hieu Nguyen Viet Nam	2,357.55
3	$286,000	AC Abraham Ceesvin Singapore	1,924.93
4	$193,000	ZC Zengxiang Chen China	1,667.04
5	$143,000	MC Matas Cimbolas Lithuania	1,491.04
6	$108,000	TO Takumi Odani Japan	1,361.13
7	$83,000	SN Seunghyun Nam United States of America	1,260.16
8	$68,000	ZL Zikai Li Singapore	1,178.77
9	$58,000	CS Calvin Sungwon Lee United States of America	1,111.36

Check the 29 Payouts & Results ...

Event #S1 – King’s Debut / Crown Opener

The USD 5,000 King’s Debut drew 362 entries for a USD 1,658,900 prize pool. China’s Yang Zhang won USD 330,500, adding to his strong resume that includes a WSOP bracelet and over USD 3.6 million in career earnings. Zhang held a strong stack at the final table and turned momentum with a river raise holding queen-jack. In heads-up against Zhihua Yang , Zhang called an all-in with ace-ten (top pair) against ace-eight (flush draw) and held on the river to secure the title.

Zhang reflected calmly: “I’ve been playing poker for more than 10 years… I’m happy, but also quite calm. I didn’t feel a big emotional swing.” He valued fundamentals: “I think I’m better in preflop play. Collecting and analysing information is essential.”

#S1 King's Debut/Crown Opener - 王者初現/皇冠開幕賽 ($5,000)

Total Prize

$1,658,900

Entries

362

ITM

54

#	Payout	Player	SPI
1	$330,500	YZ Yang Zhang China	3,160.27
2	$220,300	ZY Zhihua Yang China	2,234.65
3	$162,100	HD Huu Dung Nguyen Viet Nam	1,824.59
4	$120,500	RP Ryan Plant United Kingdom	1,580.14
5	$90,500	KW Kok Wei Teoh Malaysia	1,413.32
6	$68,700	BW Benjamin Wu United States of America	1,290.18
7	$52,700	RM Renji Mao China	1,194.47
8	$40,800	DZ Dajie Zhuo China	1,117.33
9	$31,900	YL Yang Li China	1,053.42

Check the 54 Payouts & Results ...

Event #S3 – Crown Hunt

The USD 10,000 Crown Hunt mystery bounty event (with its signature wine bottle bounties) attracted 109 entries, generating USD 693,300 in prizes plus USD 327,000 in bounties. Lithuania’s Matas Cimbolas won USD 156,500 plus USD 86,000 in bounties, navigating a field with regulars and handling volatile swings from the bounty format.

#S3 Crown Hunt (7K+3K Mystery Bounty) - 神秘賞金賽D2 ($13,000)

Total Prize

$1,020,300

Entries

109

ITM

17

#	Payout	Player	SPI
1	$156,500	MC Matas Cimbolas Lithuania	2,200.29
2	$138,700	YL Yayun Liu China	1,555.84
3	$82,600	JS Jianfeng Sun China	1,270.34
4	$59,300	CS Calvin Sungwon Lee United States of America	1,100.15
5	$43,800	XJ Xiaqing Ji China	984.00
6	$33,400	XZ Xiaosheng Zheng China	898.27
7	$26,200	PZ Peng Zhou China	831.63
8	$21,200	LY Lei Yu China	777.92
9	$17,700	IB Iulian Blebea Romania	733.43

Check the 17 Payouts & Results ...

Event #S7 – Final Coronation

The USD 30,000 Final Coronation closed the festival with 68 entries and a USD 1,909,500 prize pool. China’s Lei Yu took USD 485,500 after outlasting a tough final table featuring WSOP bracelet winner Mike Takayama and others. Yu rebuilt from a short stack, including a three-way pot where his pocket kings held. In heads-up against Ye Wang , they made a deal with Yu taking the trophy.

Yu stayed composed: “I’ve been playing poker for over ten years and have gone through many ups and downs, so I don’t show too much emotion anymore.” He praised the series: “The King Poker Cup is one of the best high buy-in events in Asia. I hope it continues to grow.”

#S7 Final Coronation ($30,000)

Total Prize

$1,905,500

Entries

68

ITM

11

#	Payout	Player	SPI
1	$485,500	LY Lei Yu China	2,504.69
2	$450,000	YW Ye Wang China	1,771.09
3	$240,000	WH Wayne Heung Hong Kong	1,446.09
4	$170,000	TN Thixoa Nguyen France	1,252.35
5	$126,000	AL Alp Lin Hong Kong	1,120.13
6	$100,000	DC Dong Chen China	1,022.54
7	$82,000	AC Abraham Ceesvin Singapore	946.68
8	$70,000	MT Mike Takayama Philippines	885.54
9	$62,000	YL Yang Li China	834.90

Check the 11 Payouts & Results ...