Steven Peng wins APT Incheon: new poker records in Korea

The APT Incheon festival ended with a historic record for the number of participants and the prize pool. Steven Peng became the Main Event champion.

This past weekend saw the conclusion of the Asian Poker Tour (APT) Incheon festival, which became a truly historic event for the South Korean poker scene. The Main Event not only set a new record for the number of entries among all poker tournaments in mainland Korea, but also delivered record-breaking payouts in the history of APT stops in Incheon. The total prize pool for the series reached an impressive 15,966,848,834 Korean won (equivalent to $11,404,892), an all-time high for this stop. Record Participation and Prize Pool The APT Incheon 2026 Main Event, with a buy-in of 2,500,000 Korean won (about $1,700), attracted 1,393 entries, which is 9% more than last year. Thanks to this influx of players, the tournament prize pool grew to 3,008,880,000 Korean won ($2,148,960), significantly exceeding the guaranteed minimum. In addition to cash prizes, the pool also included three $10,000 tickets to the APT Championship Main Event. Once the final nine were determined, each remaining player was already guaranteed at least $27,560 in prize money. Final Table: Starting Stacks and Favorites Nine of the tournament’s best players returned to the table for the final day. The chip leader was Stephen Pang, who had amassed a stack of 13,550,000 — equivalent to 85 big blinds. He was followed by Shoumin Zhang (10,585,000) and Tempei Kotani (6,935,000). The shortest stack belonged to Ryo Fujita — 2,130,000 (17 big blinds). APT Incheon Main Event Final Table Results The top 3 players also received a $10,000 ticket to the APT Championship Main Event. The final payouts reflect a three-way deal. 1st place: Stephen Pang — $293,429* + $10,000 ticket 2nd place: Shoumin Zhang — $261,271* + $10,000 ticket 3rd place: Yifu He — $236,898* + $10,000 ticket 4th place: Tempei Kotani — $111,180 5th place: Kazuki Koyama — $87,040 6th place: Shinichiro Kano — $68,130 7th place: Phachara Wongwichit — $53,320 8th place: Takeru Endo — $41,740 9th place: Ryo Fujita — $27,560 Key Hands and Final Table Timeline The first to leave the final table was Ryo Fujita, for whom this was a debut in the APT Main Event. In one of the opening hands, Fujita three-bet with pocket nines after a raise and a call from Tempei Kotani. The original raiser folded, and Kotani called. On a J-3-K flop, Fujita bet his remaining 100,000 (less than one big blind), and Kotani called with A-J. Neither the turn nor river brought a nine, and Fujita finished in 9th place. The next elimination came 26 hands later. Takeru Endo, from late position, shoved all-in for 15 big blinds with pocket tens, and Shoumin Zhang called from the small blind with pocket jacks. The board was safe for Zhang, and Endo took 8th place. Phachara Wongwichit, for whom this was already his 33rd APT final table, finished 7th. Yifu He made a min-raise from the button, Wongwichit shoved from the small blind (16 big blinds) with A-10, and Zhang re-shoved from the big blind with A-Q. He folded, and the board brought no help for Wongwichit, who exited the tournament. Shinichiro Kano finished 6th after 58 hands at the final table. Kazuki Koyama was dealt pocket aces preflop and made a min-raise from early position. Kano, with K-Q of hearts, shoved from the cutoff (7 big blinds), and Koyama quickly called. Kano picked up a flush draw on the flop, but the turn and river didn’t improve him, and he was eliminated. Despite winning a pot with aces, Kazuki Koyama was the next to bust. With a stack of 10 big blinds, he shoved with pocket tens from the button. On the big blind, Yifu He picked up pocket queens and instantly called. The queens held, and Koyama finished 5th, earning $87,040 — the best result of his live career, which previously totaled just $750 in winnings. Fourth place went to Tempei Kotani, known as a mixed games specialist. Stephen Pang opened with a min-raise from early position with pocket queens, Kotani three-bet to 1,500,000 from the button with A-K of spades, and Pang shoved all-in. Kotani called off his last 10,000,000 chips. Kotani picked up a flush draw on the turn, but the river didn’t help, and he took home $111,180. Three-Way Deal and Tournament Conclusion When four players remained, they discussed the possibility of a deal for the first time. However, an agreement was only reached after Kotani’s elimination, when three were left. After discussion, a deal was struck in which the players split most of the prize pool, leaving the APT Gold Lion trophy, an extra $29,060, and a $10,000 APT Championship ticket up for grabs. Yifu He, who started three-handed play with the shortest stack, soon busted in 3rd place. In one hand, He shoved for 12 big blinds with A-2 of hearts after Zhang min-raised with pocket eights. The flop brought another eight, and the turn brought yet another, leaving He drawing dead and sealing his final position. The heads-up battle between Stephen Pang and Shoumin Zhang lasted 149 hands, with 85 needed to determine the finalists and another 64 to crown the champion. On the 119th hand, all the chips went in on a 6-3-2-3 board with two clubs. Zhang showed pocket fours, while Pang had K-J of clubs. The river brought the queen of clubs, completing Pang’s flush, and he began celebrating victory. However, Zhang was left with 750,000 chips — just over 1.5 big blinds. After that, Zhang managed to double up four times in a row, and it seemed an incredible comeback was possible. However, soon after, Zhang shoved all-in with K-10 for less than 10 big blinds, and Pang called with pocket nines. The board brought none of Zhang’s outs, and Stephen Pang became the APT Incheon Main Event champion. Series Statistics and Record Numbers The APT Incheon 2026 festival became the most successful stop in the series’ history in South Korea. In total, 15,966,848,834 Korean won (about $11.4 million) was awarded, setting a new record for APT in Incheon. The Main Event drew 1,393 entries — the highest ever for a poker tournament in mainland Korea. The Main Event prize pool reached 3,008,880,000 Korean won ($2,148,960), and the minimum final table payout exceeded $27,000. The top 3 finalists — Stephen Pang, Shoumin Zhang, and Yifu He — not only received large cash prizes, but also won tickets to the $10,000 APT Championship Main Event, opening up new opportunities for them at future stops. Quick Facts About Key Participants Stephen Pang, who led the chip count at the start of the final table and went on to win, can now boast one of the most significant titles in Asian poker. For Shoumin Zhang, second place and a prize of over a quarter of a million dollars was also a major achievement. Yifu He, who rounded out the top three, not only received a solid payout but also a chance to prove himself at the APT Championship. Phachara Wongwichit, who finished 7th, marked his 33rd APT final table, confirming his consistency and experience on the Asian poker scene. Kazuki Koyama, despite limited live tournament experience (prior to this event, his winnings totaled just $750), delivered an excellent result and significantly improved his record. What This Means for PPPoker Club Players For PPPoker club members, this news is a great example of how rapidly poker is developing in Asia and how significant achievements can be even for players without big names in live poker. The record number of entries and prize money at APT Incheon shows the growing interest in tournaments with affordable buy-ins and big guarantees. This means that anyone who trains actively and plays in club games has a real chance to prove themselves not only online, but also on the international stage. Special attention should be paid to tournament structure: the APT Incheon final table showed that even short stacks and tough spots can be played successfully with the right poker skills. For PPPoker players, this is a reason to improve their game in various formats, including final tables and heads-up, to be ready for any scenario. Finally, the experience of players like Kazuki Koyama and Phachara Wongwichit proves that regular practice and participation in club tournaments can lead to success even at the most prestigious series. Follow the news, study hands from top players, and use the knowledge you gain in PPPoker clubs — maybe the next record will be yours!