Hirotaka Fukatsu won the APPT Korea 2026 Main Event

Japanese poker player Hirotaka Fukatsu claimed victory at APPT Korea 2026, earning a record $160,788 and setting a personal career high.

The main event of the PokerStars Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) Korea 2026 has concluded in Korea, marking a triumphant victory for Japanese player Hirotaka Fukatsu . He claimed the win and earned the top prize of $160,788 —the best result of his poker career. Previously, his largest cash was $15,969 for a fourth-place finish at the APT Incheon Ultra Stack in August 2026. Now, Fukatsu can be proud of his new personal record and the APPT Korea champion title. APPT Korea 2026: Tournament Scale and Prize Pool The main event of APPT Korea 2026, held at Paradise City Incheon, attracted an impressive field of 782 players . Thanks to this turnout, the prize pool reached 1.2 billion Korean won , equivalent to $895,160 . These numbers confirm the ongoing growth of live poker’s popularity in Asia and the strong interest in PokerStars tournaments in the region. The winner took home the largest share of the prize pool, while his heads-up opponent was China’s Xueying Zhao . For Zhao, this was her second final table in the series, once again finishing runner-up, which also became her career-best cash— $100,571 . Final Day: Battle for the Title and Key Hands On the third and final day of the Main Event, only the top 14 players returned to the Paradise City Incheon venue. At the start of the day, Hirotaka Fukatsu was only ninth in chips, but managed an impressive comeback. Early in the final day, Hiroki Taniguchi was eliminated in 10th place, setting the final table lineup. The first finalist to leave the table was Andrew Tomoya Matahira from Japan. He went all-in with ace-king (A-K) but lost a coinflip against the pocket sevens of Russian player Maxim Sorokin . For ninth place, Matahira received $14,924 —the second-largest cash of his poker career. The key moment for Fukatsu came in a hand against Soichiro Hayashi . Fukatsu made two pair on the turn with king-queen (K-Q), which allowed him to beat Hayashi’s pocket aces and eliminate him in eighth place. This hand propelled Fukatsu into the chip lead. Another Japanese player, Daijiro Fukuoka , exited in seventh place. Despite a series of successful double-ups after losing a coinflip to the day’s chip leader Tony Mu , Fukuoka couldn’t hold on when his pocket tens lost to Fukatsu’s straight. Sixth place and $32,796 went to experienced player Chao Ting Cheng , who has nearly $1.3 million in live tournament winnings. Cheng briefly kept his hopes alive by making quads with king-eight (K-8), but soon lost to Sorokin and was eliminated. The final five were set after Sorokin was knocked out by Mu. Then Taisuke Niina lost to Fukatsu, leaving just three players at the table. Climax: Three Players, Dramatic Heads-Up, and Fukatsu’s Victory In three-handed play, the key episode was the elimination of Tony Mu . First, he doubled up Xueying Zhao when her ace-jack (A-J) made a flush on the river, beating Mu’s ace-ten (A-10). After that, Mu went all-in with pocket aces (A-A) against Zhao’s pocket kings (K-K). A king hit the flop, and despite being ahead, Mu lost, finishing third for $71,710 . At the start of heads-up, Fukatsu had nearly a 2:1 chip lead, but Zhao quickly evened the stacks. Nevertheless, Fukatsu managed to regain the lead and close out the match for the win. In the final hand, Zhao shoved with queen-six (Q-6), and Fukatsu called with king-ten (K-10). On the flop, Zhao made a pair of queens, while Fukatsu hit a pair of tens. The turn brought another ten, giving Fukatsu trips (three of a kind). The river didn’t help Zhao, and she finished second with a new career-best cash, while Fukatsu became the champion. APPT Korea Main Event 2026 Final Table Payouts Place Player Country Prize (USD) 1 Hirotaka Fukatsu Japan $160,788 2 Xueying Zhao China $100,571 3 Tony Mu — $71,710 4 Taisuke Niina — $56,443 5 Maxim Sorokin Russia $44,484 6 Chao Ting Cheng — $32,796 7 Daijiro Fukuoka Japan $25,557 8 Soichiro Hayashi — $19,444 9 Andrew Tomoya Matahira Japan $14,924 Poker Formats and Terms: What Happened at the Final Table For readers unfamiliar with some poker terms, here’s an explanation of the key moments at the final table: Coinflip — a situation where two players are all-in with roughly equal chances to win, for example, a pair versus two overcards (A-K vs 7-7). Two pair — a hand consisting of two pairs of cards of different ranks (for example, K-Q on a K-8-Q-5-2 board). Quads — four cards of the same rank (for example, four eights). Trips — three cards of the same rank (for example, three tens). Flush — five cards of the same suit. Heads-up — the stage of the tournament when only two players remain at the table, playing for the top prize. All-in — a player puts all their remaining chips into the pot. Chip leader — the player with the largest stack (number of chips) at a certain stage of the tournament. Next APPT Stop: Manila in October After the successful Korean leg, the Asia Pacific Poker Tour continues its journey across Asia. The next major event is the APPT Manila Championship , which will take place from October 8 to 19, 2026 at Okada Manila casino. The exact schedule is still being finalized, but it’s already known that last year’s APPT Manila champion was Minwoong Jeong , who outlasted 384 opponents and took home the top prize of $202,981 . Players looking to qualify for APPT Manila will have access to satellites on the PokerStars platform, offering extra opportunities for players from different countries. What This Means for PPPoker Club Players The success of Hirotaka Fukatsu and other APPT Korea 2026 participants is clear proof that even players who aren’t global stars can achieve significant results at major live series. For PPPoker club members, this is a great incentive to develop their skills and try their hand at tournaments of all levels, from online events to major international live tournaments. The APPT tournament format, payout structure, and final table dynamics are often similar to those used in PPPoker clubs. This means that regularly playing in club tournaments helps hone strategy, learn to adapt to different playing styles, and prepare for more serious challenges. Keep an eye on satellite and qualifier schedules—maybe the next big APPT winner will be one of our players! Moreover, news like this shows that poker in Asia continues to grow, raising the level of competition. For PPPoker players, it’s a chance to learn from the best, analyze hands from live final tables, and apply that knowledge in their own games, with the goal of one day reaching the final table of a major tournament.