Main Event Begins as Zhang Yu Wins TLPT Jeju Opening Event

Kai Cocklin
Kai CocklinHead of Live Poker

The second day of the TLPT Jeju 2026 festival brought more champions, the launch of the Main Event, and the finale of the Team Event inside LES A Casino at Jeju Shinhwa World.

China’s Team Chen Jun Wins TLPT Team Event

The Team Event reached its conclusion on Saturday after beginning with nine teams of six players each. Every team member started on a separate table, with the winner of each table advancing to the streamed final table. Points were then awarded based on finishing positions, with the overall standings determined by cumulative team performance.

There was no prize money awarded for individual performances, with the entire prize pool reserved for the top three performing teams overall.

TLPT Jeju 2026 - Team Japan, Captained by Sanechika Nana, finished second overall, but won the final table.
TLPT Jeju 2026 - Team Japan, Captained by Sanechika Nana, finished second overall, but won the final table.

The team led by Chen Jun claimed the title and the KRW 26,760,000 top prize after a strong showing across the opening rounds, including winning three of the six starting tables. The team captained by Japan’s Sanechika Nana produced the player who won the streamed final table, but finished second overall in the team standings for KRW 17,840,000. The team captained by Nie Yu rounded out the podium in third place.

Team Event Results (Captain's Name)

1. Chen Jun (China) – KRW 26,760,000
2. Sanechika Nana (Japan) – KRW 17,840,000
3. Nie Yu (China) – KRW 12,170,000

Main Event Day 1a Draws 192 Entries

The TLPT Jeju Main Event officially kicked off with Day 1a and attracted 192 entries, with just 29 players successfully bagging chips for Day 2.

China’s Li Xiubo finished atop the counts with 518,500, the only player to cross the half-million mark, while Julie Marriott of the United States ended the night second in chips with 458,000. Xue Jiawen completed the top three with 393,500.

Several familiar names also advanced, including Australia’s Kota Kagasaki with 222,500 and China’s Liu Xingyu with 292,500, as the USD 1,500,000 guaranteed TLPT Main Event began to gather momentum heading into the remaining opening flights.

Main Event Day 1a Top Ten Chip Counts

Rank

Player

Country

Chip Count

1

Li Xiubo

China

518,500

2

Julie Marriott

United States

458,000

3

Xue Jiawen

China

393,500

4

Li Songlin

China

369,000

5

Liu Xingyu

China

292,500

6

Luo Yihang

China

279,000

7

Wang Zheng

China

279,000

8

Chen Lei

China

242,500

9

Jian Yi

China

230,000

10

Kota Kagasaki

Australia

222,500

Zhang Yu Wins Opening Event

The Opening Event also crowned its champion after generating 202 total entries across three starting flights. China’s Zhang Yu came away with the title and KRW 39,700,000 after defeating fellow countryman Jin Boxin heads-up.

Japan’s Miyanaga Mitsumasa was the lone non-Chinese player at the final table and finished in fifth place for KRW 8,530,000.

TLPT Jeju 2026 - Zhang Yu
TLPT Jeju 2026 - Zhang Yu

Opening Event Final Table Results

Place

Player

Country

Payout

1

Zhang Yu

China

KRW 39,700,000

2

Jin Boxin

China

KRW 25,810,000

3

Zhang Jiahao

China

KRW 17,310,000

4

Tao Junjie

China

KRW 11,970,000

5

Miyanaga Mitsumasa

Japan

KRW 8,530,000

6

Zeng Quanyu

China

KRW 6,260,000

7

Han Yongnan

China

KRW 4,760,000

8

Zang Chenfeng

China

KRW 3,740,000

9

Ma Ning

China

KRW 3,040,000

Side Event Winners Crowned on Busy Saturday

Saturday’s side event schedule kept the action flowing throughout the day at TLPT Jeju, with both the Ladies Event and No Limit Hold’em Turbo drawing healthy fields.

She Jumiao Wins Ladies Event

TLPT Jeju 2026 -Jumiao She
TLPT Jeju 2026 -Jumiao She

The TLPT Ladies Event attracted 28 entries and generated a KRW 9,744,050 prize pool, with China’s She Jumiao eventually taking home the trophy and KRW 3,690,000 after defeating Teng Jinxi heads-up.

Chen Xiaoxiao added another deep run to her growing series resume with a third-place finish, while Japan’s Nana continued her strong weekend by reaching another final table shortly after helping her team finish runner-up in the Team Event.

Place

Player

Country

Payout

1

She Jumiao

China

KRW 3,690,000

2

Teng Jinxi

China

KRW 2,470,000

3

Chen Xiaoxiao

China

KRW 1,550,000

4

Li Xin

China

KRW 1,110,000

5

Sanechika Nana

Japan

KRW 930,000

Caixin "Tina" Wong Takes Down NLH Turbo

The No Limit Hold’em Turbo proved even more popular, drawing 82 entries and building a KRW 42,804,050 prize pool. Taiwan’s Caixin "Tina" Wong emerged victorious for KRW 12,130,000 after overcoming China’s Fu Honggang in heads-up play.

TLPT Jeju 2026 - Caixin Wong
TLPT Jeju 2026 - Caixin Wong

Xiaoxiao nearly turned her Ladies Event podium finish into a second final table appearance of the day, eventually finishing fourth, while Nana added yet another cash to her weekend results with a sixth-place finish.

Place

Player

Country

Payout

1

Caixin "Tina" Wong

Taiwan

KRW 12,130,000

2

Fu Honggang

China

KRW 7,770,000

3

Chen Xiaohuang

China

KRW 5,200,000

4

Chen Xiaoxiao

China

KRW 3,640,000

5

Ivan Zhang

China

KRW 2,670,000

6

Sanechika Nana

Japan

KRW 2,050,000

7

Ni Jianyi

China

KRW 1,670,000

8

John Dorsey

United States

KRW 1,430,000

9

Fan Jinsui

China

KRW 1,290,000

What’s Coming Up on Day 3

Day 3 of TLPT Jeju will see the Main Event continue with Day 1b, while the opening flight of the Mystery Bounty also gets underway at LES A Casino.

The Circuits High Roller will also return for its final day after 13 players survived from a 30-entry field. Only five players will make the money, with Xia Feng leading the way after bagging 1,100,000. Li Yiming sits second with 767,000, while Triton One Main Event Winner Joshua Gebissa rounds out the top three on 444,000.

Circuits High Roller Day 1 Chip Counts

Rank

Player

Country

Chip Count

1

Xia Feng

China

1,100,000

2

Li Yiming

China

767,000

3

Joshua Gebissa

Germany

444,000

4

Martin Sedlak

Germany

407,000

5

Ma Haohui

China

362,000

6

Ye Zhi

China

349,000

7

Matsuda Naohiro

Japan

254,000

8

Chen Jingqi

China

233,000

9

Jesse Spatuzzi Felmanas Wigan

United Kingdom

219,000

10

Shen Yuzhi

China

126,000

11

Dai Dongxu

China

96,000

12

Chen Si

China

84,000

13

Le Nguyen Khoi Nguyen

Vietnam

78,000

With the Main Event field continuing to grow, the Mystery Bounty set to make its debut, and the Circuits High Roller champion still to be crowned, another packed day of action awaits inside Jeju Shinhwa World as the TLPT Jeju festival continues to pick up steam.

About the Editor

Kai Cocklin

Kai Cocklin is Head of Live Poker at SoMuchPoker, overseeing live tournament coverage, reporting teams and festival partnerships across the Asia Pacific region and beyond. Before joining SoMuchPoker he worked with PokerNews at major festivals including the World Series of Poker and the European Poker Tour, where he managed live reporting teams and helped develop new writers.