William Li Conquers the Largest Poker Tournament Ever in Korea at APT Jeju Classic

History was written once again on Jeju Island as the APT Jeju Classic Main Event concluded with a new record and a new champion. From a field of 1,718 entries, the largest-ever assembled for a poker tournament in South Korea, Canada’s William Li emerged victorious to claim the KRW 579,649,600 (USD 402,535) top prize and the APT Gold Lion trophy.

The KRW 2,300,000 buy-in event surpassed the previous national record of 1,693 entries set during the tour’s last visit to Jeju just months earlier. The turnout generated a KRW 3,414,009,600 (USD 2,370,840) prize pool, reinforcing Jeju’s growing reputation as one of the Asian Poker Tour’s most reliable and record-setting destinations.

Li closed out the title after defeating Shintaro Sato heads-up, while Christian Tabac completed the podium. In addition to their payouts, the top three finishers each secured a seat to the APT Championship Main Event later this year, valued at approximately USD 10,000.

#18 APT Main Event (2,300,000 KRW)

Total Prize USD

$2,370,840

Total Prize

₩3,414,009,600

Guaranteed

₩2,200,000,000

Entries

1,718

ITM

255

#	Payout	Player	SPI
1	₩579,649,600 $402,535	WL William Li Canada	4,614.64
2	₩323,930,000 $224,950	SS Shintaro Sato Japan	3,263.04
3	₩226,520,000 $157,305	CT Christian Tabac Romania	2,664.26
4	₩164,160,000 $114,000	LZ Lei Zhang 2 China	2,307.32
5	₩130,790,000 $90,825	ZY Zu You Wang China	2,063.73
6	₩104,060,000 $72,265	QM Quang Minh Nguyen Viet Nam	1,883.92
7	₩79,520,000 $55,220	AN Arita Naohiro Japan	1,744.17
8	₩56,120,000 $38,970	HM Haohui Ma China	1,631.52
9	₩42,910,000 $29,800	YP Yuefeng Pan China	1,538.21

Check the 255 Payouts & Results ...

Winner’s Reaction

Interview courtesy of the Asian Poker Tour

For Li, the victory carried far more weight than a single tournament result. Rather than viewing it as a sudden breakthrough, he described the title as the culmination of a long personal journey through the game.

“I think this trophy represents a lot to me. Over the past two years, I’ve played many tournaments. There were happy moments and frustrating ones, ups and downs along the way. In the end, this feels like a milestone, something worth commemorating. At least for one of my hobbies, at some point in my life, it feels like it has finally given something back to me.”

Even as the final table narrowed and the stakes escalated, Li never allowed himself to feel secure. He explained that caution, rather than confidence, guided most of his decision-making until the very end.

“I’m actually a relatively pessimistic person, so I don’t really let myself feel happy too early. If there was a moment when I felt the most confident, it was after I won the second-to-last pot. The chip gap became huge, and at that point I felt the title was basically mine.”

Until that moment arrived, Li kept reminding himself how fragile any lead can be in poker, especially on the biggest stage.

“But before that, everyone knows how poker is, anything can happen. Nothing is ever certain. So I only truly relaxed after it was completely over.”

When reflecting on the heads-up battle, Li identified the very first hand as a turning point that reshaped the dynamic between himself and Sato.

“In the first hand of heads-up, I made a standard limp with 9-4, I hit two pair. After playing against my opponent for two days, I had some reads on him — he tends to make a lot of unpredictable all-ins.”

Those reads proved crucial when the pressure was highest and the chips went in.

“On that board, when he shoved, I didn’t think I was behind many hands, so it felt like an easy call. That hand became a very important turning point. After winning it, our stacks were almost even, with him just slightly ahead.”

Not every major decision felt as straightforward, however, and Li admitted that another key hand left him far less comfortable.

“The second hand was actually pretty uncomfortable. With my straight draw on that board, I was behind a lot of his calling range. If he called two barrels and then shoved the river, I would lose to higher straights and all the full houses.”

Still, the realities of heads-up play often leave little room for caution.

“Still, heads-up, with the combo I had, I didn’t feel like I could fold much. Even though he covered me, I had to go with my hand.”

Beyond the mental strain of the final table, Li also spoke openly about the physical toll the tournament took across multiple long days.

“Honestly, one of the biggest difficulties in the main event was that there was no dinner break on Days 2 and 3. I was really hungry, and by Day 4 I even felt a bit dizzy from it.”

Rather than viewing it as a flaw, Li framed the experience as part of the competitive challenge.

“Poker is a competitive sport, it’s not supposed to be easy. Being hungry and having irregular meals is simply part of what players have to deal with and overcome.”

Li was also quick to praise the overall standard of the event, highlighting the professionalism behind the scenes throughout the series.

“Overall, I think the experience was very good. The APT dealers are professionally trained, the equipment is solid, and the floor staff and referees are all very professional. In my opinion, within Asia, APT is probably one of the best-run series.”

As for the significance of the prize money, Li made it clear that the victory carried emotional weight rather than life-altering consequences.

“Poker isn’t my profession. I’m not a professional player. It’s just my biggest hobby… this win feels like a return on that passion.”

He closed by acknowledging the support system that allowed him to pursue the game in the first place.

“Finally, I want to thank my family for supporting this hobby of mine.”

Final Table Action

The final table opened at full speed, with Yuefeng Pan forced into an all-in situation on the very first hand. Although his cards were live, Sato connected on the flop to send Pan out in ninth place.

Momentum continued to swing as Haohui Ma soon followed in eighth after running into a dominating ace held by Quang Minh Nguyen . Nguyen then doubled early when his pocket aces held against Zu You Wang , but Wang remained in contention after surviving the hand.

The pace remained relentless. Arita Naohiro briefly doubled before exiting in seventh, while Nguyen surged to the chip lead after a stretch of favorable hands. That run came to a halt when Tabac coolered Nguyen with a full house, briefly reclaiming control of the table.

Sato responded by winning a key flip against Nguyen, retaking the chip lead and eventually eliminating the Vietnamese contender in sixth after hitting runner-runner to crack Nguyen’s made hand.

With five players left, Sato held a commanding share of the chips. Wang exited in fifth after running ace-four into Li’s pocket eights, a hand that quietly boosted Li into contention. Moments later, Li survived an all-in against Tabac by hitting the river to double and move into second place.

Li’s momentum continued with a well-timed bluff against Tabac, while Lei Zhang bowed out in fourth after his pocket tens failed to improve against Sato’s jacks. Tabac fought on but ultimately fell in third after Sato flopped a queen against his ace-king.

Heads-up play began with Sato holding more than a three-to-one chip advantage, but Li struck immediately, flopping two pair on the first hand to score a crucial double. A series of small pots followed before Li made a correct hero call against a Sato bluff, leaving the Japanese player with just over one big blind.

The title was decided on the very next hand. Sato moved in with king-six and was called by Li’s ace-deuce. The board ran clean, sealing the victory for Li and bringing the record-breaking APT Jeju Classic Main Event to a close.

All images courtesy of APT