APPT Returns to Korea After Seven Years
APPT Korea 2026 is taking place from September 3 to 14 at the luxurious Paradise City Incheon Resort. This marks an important return for the Asia Pacific Poker Tour brand, as the last Korean leg of the series was held in 2019.
The festival kicked off with the Paradise City Kickoff tournament boasting a 600,000₩ buy-in. Surpassing the original 75,000,000₩ guarantee, the event gathered 171 entries, bringing the prize pool to 86,700,000₩. The winner was Japan’s Tomohiro Kawada, who claimed 14,900,000₩.
An even greater interest was sparked by the Mystery Bounty. With a 900,000₩ buy-in, it registered 246 entries and distributed 191,300,000₩, exceeding the guaranteed 150,000,000₩. Shion Sakamoto claimed the first APPT series title and the distinctive 'Spadie' trophy. He earned 28,900,000₩ for the top spot, plus additional rewards from bounty envelopes.
The National Event Created a 344,200,000₩ Prize Pool
The first real test of attendance was the APPT National with a 1,200,000₩ buy-in and a 250,000,000₩ guarantee. After three opening flights, the total reached 332 entries, driving the prize pool up to 344,200,000₩, nearly 38% over the original guarantee.
Forty-eight players made it into the money, with the final six representing China, Japan, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Xueying Zhao held the best starting position, entering the finale just a day after securing second place in the NLH Shot Clock event. She immediately showed her prowess in the National Event. First, she knocked out Chao Ting Cheng, then Ka Chun Yuan, controlling about two-thirds of the chips with three players remaining.
Shaoshuai Li patiently awaited the right opportunity, which came as the final trio faced off. Zhao opened from the button to 125,000, Li from the big blind raised to 350,000, and instantly called her all-in. Li revealed A h A d, while Zhao showed A c 8 h. The board 4 c 6 h K s 6 c J c brought no surprises. Li secured a massive double-up to 6,400,000 and took the lead for the first time. The dynamics of the finale were completely overturned in a single hand.
Zhao managed to recover and with a pair of deuces eliminated Kento Kinoshita in third place, whose A d 7 c didn’t hold. Entering heads-up with a 1:2 chip disadvantage, Li gradually increased his lead. Shortly after, the tournament's last hand played out. Zhao raised to 120,000 from BTN, and Li called. Flop came K d 6 d 2 d, with Li check-calling a 175,000 bet. The same occurred on the turn 4 c, this time for 500,000. On the river J c, Li went all-in.
After deliberation, Zhao called with K d J c, two pairs. However, it couldn’t match Li’s A d 4 d, completing a flush on the flop. Shaoshuai Li thus completed the comeback, overpowering a 332-player field and earning 64,100,000₩. Xueying Zhao took second place with 41,500,000₩ and a 1,800,000₩ entry to the newly launched APPT Korea Main Event.
APPT National Final Table Results:
| # | Name | Country | Prize |
| 1. | Shaoshuai Li | China | $47,242 |
| 2. | Xueying Zhao | China | $30,586 |
| 3. | Kento Kinoshita | Japan | $20,982 |
| 4. | Ka Chun Yuan | Hong Kong | $16,354 |
| 5. | Chun Yu Ma | Hong Kong | $12,905 |
| 6. | Chao Ting Cheng | Taiwan | $9,927 |
| 7. | Ryoya Enomoto | Japan | $7,952 |
| 8. | Maxim Lykov | Russia | $6,633 |
| 9. | Saki Hayashi | Japan | $5,525 |
All Eyes Turn to Billion-Dollar Main Event
With the APPT National concluded, the festival's focus shifts to the most significant event on the schedule. APPT Korea Main Event with a 1,800,000₩ buy-in and a 1,000,000,000₩ guarantee kicked off today with Day 1A.
Players start with 30,000 chips, experiencing 40-minute levels. Late registration remains open until the beginning of the eleventh level, with up to 15 levels planned for the first day. Day 1A is the first of four starting flights, so a substantial influx of registrations is expected in the coming days.
