Tony “Ren” Lin delivered a dominant early statement at the APT Jeju Classic 2026, capturing two major titles in consecutive days as the festival opened at the LES A Casino inside Jeju Shinhwa World on January 30.
The Chinese high-stakes regular secured victories in the Super High Roller and the Superstars Challenge, banking more than $598,000 in combined prize money and immediately positioning himself as one of the central figures of the series.
Super High Roller Win Highlights Remarkable Comeback
Lin topped a field of 115 entries in the KRW 15,000,000 buy-in Super High Roller, creating a total prize pool of KRW 1,589,587,500, approximately $1,103,880. It marked the largest Super High Roller prize pool ever generated by an APT event held in Korea.
His run to the title included one of the most dramatic turnarounds of the tournament. With three players remaining, Lin was reduced to just two big blinds and appeared close to elimination. He doubled with queen-jack against Quang Dinh Do’s five-trey, then steadily rebuilt his stack. Within twelve hands, Lin had climbed back into contention and took over the chip lead.
Lin later eliminated Do in a key pot when Do flopped middle set but ran into Lin’s flopped straight. The championship hand followed shortly after on a board of eight-five-eight-four-ace. Lin check-raised the flop, bet the turn, and shoved the river. Do tank-called with seven-five but was beaten by Lin’s king-eight.
APT Jeju Classic 2026 Super High Roller Final Table Results
| Rank | Player | Country | Prize (KRW) | Approx. Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ren Lin | China | 396,317,500 | $275,220 |
| 2 | Ryuta Nakai | Japan | 267,780,000 | $185,960 |
| 3 | Quang Dinh Do | Vietnam | 174,060,000 | $120,875 |
| 4 | Khoa Anh Ngo | Vietnam | 144,130,000 | $100,090 |
| 5 | Guoliang Wei | China | 116,250,000 | $80,730 |
| 6 | Ryan Plant | Ireland | 91,680,000 | $63,670 |
| 7 | Yosuke Miki | Japan | 70,100,000 | $48,680 |
| 8 | Kento Nasu | Japan | 52,770,000 | $36,645 |
| 9 | Paulius Plausinaitis | Lithuania | 39,380,000 | $27,350 |
Superstars Challenge Delivers Second Trophy
Lin carried that momentum directly into the KRW 35,000,000 Superstars Challenge. The event drew 49 entries on Day 1, with only 16 players advancing to Day 2. Lin ended the opening session as the overall chip leader.
After Haruhiko Shoohara exited in tenth place, Lin reached his second final table of the series and locked up another in-the-money finish. Ryuta Nakai was eliminated in ninth, followed by Huu Dung Nguyen in eighth. Joseph Cheong bowed out in seventh, and the eliminations of Paulius Plausinaitis and Lester Edoc reduced the field to four.
A pivotal hand saw Lin double with pocket queens against Quang Minh Nguyen’s king-jack, giving Lin a decisive chip lead. He went on to eliminate Khoa Anh Ngo in fourth and Fendy Kosasih in third. The final hand ended when Lin’s ten-five held against Nguyen’s short-stacked king-three of diamonds.
Lin secured KRW 465,270,000, approximately $323,100, for the win, completing a two-title sweep in as many days.
APT Jeju Classic 2026 Superstars Challenge Final Table Results
| Rank | Player | Country | Prize (KRW) | Approx. Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ren Lin | China | 465,270,000 | $323,100 |
| 2 | Quang Minh Nguyen | Vietnam | 342,920,000 | $238,140 |
| 3 | Fendy Kosasih | Indonesia | 229,420,000 | $159,320 |
| 4 | Khoa Anh Ngo | Vietnam | 173,070,000 | $120,190 |
| 5 | Lester Edoc | Philippines | 123,160,000 | $85,530 |
| 6 | Paulius Plausinaitis | Lithuania | 91,770,000 | $63,730 |
| 7 | Joseph Cheong | United States | 73,250,000 | $50,870 |
| 8 | Huu Dung Nguyen | Vietnam | 59,570,000 | $41,370 |
| 9 | Ryuta Nakai | Japan | 51,520,000 | $35,780 |
Impact on All-Time Earnings
The pair of victories pushed Lin’s live tournament earnings to $17,431,793, narrowing the gap on Biao Ding in China’s all-time money list. Ding currently sits at $19,678,797, with Aaron Shu Nu Zhang leading at $21,920,818.
Lin also earned an APT Jeju Classic Main Event seat through his Super High Roller victory, giving him another immediate opportunity to continue his climb as the series progresses.
