The Asian Poker Tour has announced the schedule for APT Championship 2026, with the main festival set to run in Taipei from November 13 to 29. An industry-only Asia Gaming Industry Championship is also listed for November 12, one day before the main schedule begins.
This year's APT Championship schedule features 210 trophy events and 26 satellite events. The published guarantees total more than TWD256,000,000, or approximately USD8,100,000, with 23 Championship Events forming the core of the series.
The event follows the inaugural APT Championship in 2025, which drew more than 28,000 total tournament entries and awarded over USD34,000,000 in prize money.
USD5M Main Event Takes Center Stage
The headline event is the APT Championship Main Event Freezeout, scheduled for November 23 to 27.
The Main Event carries a USD10,000 buy-in, a USD5,000,000 guaranteed prize pool, and a 50,000 starting stack. As a freezeout, players have only one tournament entry.
The 2025 APT Championship Main Event drew 671 entries and generated a prize pool of approximately TWD194,000,000, or about USD6,200,000. India's Nishant Sharma won the event and collected approximately TWD37,000,000, or about USD1,200,000, for first place.
Players looking for a route into the 2026 Main Event can also follow APT Incheon 2026 and APT Jeju 2026. APT Incheon is scheduled for August 7 to 16 at Paradise City Casino in South Korea, with nine APT Championship Main Event seats listed for the festival. APT Jeju is scheduled for September 25 to October 7 at LES A Casino Resort, with the number of Main Event seats and the full schedule to be announced later.
Championship Events and Key Guarantees
APT Championship 2026 includes 23 Championship Events across the schedule.
The National Cup Championship opens on November 13 with a TWD16,000 buy-in and a TWD20,000,000 guarantee. Other key guaranteed events include the Mystery Bounty Championship, Ultra Stack Championship, Natural8 Cup Championship, APT Championship Main Event, and Trip Saver Championship.
| Event | Buy-in | Guarantee |
|---|---|---|
| National Cup Championship | TWD16,000 | TWD20,000,000 |
| Mystery Bounty Championship | TWD35,000 | TWD15,000,000 |
| Ultra Stack Championship | TWD25,000 | TWD25,000,000 |
| Natural8 Cup Championship | USD3,300 | USD1,000,000 |
| APT Championship Main Event | USD10,000 | USD5,000,000 |
| Trip Saver Championship | TWD50,000 | TWD5,000,000 |
The Asia Gaming Industry Championship is listed for November 12 and is restricted to casino employees and poker industry personnel.
High Roller Schedule Offers 26 Events
High Roller players will also have a broad schedule to choose from, with 26 high roller events listed during the series.
The Championship-level high roller lineup includes the PLO High Roller Championship, Single Day High Roller Championship, Super High Roller Championship, Superstar Championship, Micro High Roller Championship, High Roller Championship, and Mini High Roller Championship.
The highest buy-in currently listed is the USD50,000 Superstar Championship.
Omaha, Mixed Games, Heads-Up and Specialty Formats
Beyond No Limit Hold'em, the schedule includes 68 non-NLH events covering Omaha, draw poker, mixed games, and stud formats. PLO Championship and Mixed Games Championship are also part of the Championship Events lineup, each carrying a TWD70,000 buy-in.
Heads-up players are included as well, with six heads-up events scheduled across formats such as No Limit Hold'em, Pot-Limit Omaha, Big O, Mixed Games, and a Women's heads-up event.
The schedule also features specialty formats including Bomb Pot Stud, Super Badugi, and Second Best Hold'em.
Venue and Player Requirements
APT Championship 2026 will be held in Taipei, with official venue information listing Red Space 多元商務空間 and Asia Poker Arena.
Participants must be at least 18 years old and carry valid identification. Foreign players are required to present a valid passport, while local players may use a valid passport or valid local identification.
APT's venue information also reminds players that e-cigarettes, vapes, and IQOS devices are not permitted. Smoking is not allowed inside the venue, betel nut consumption is prohibited inside the tournament area, and smoking is limited to designated outdoor areas.
With a USD5,000,000 guaranteed Main Event, 23 Championship Events, 26 high roller events, and a wide mix of formats, APT Championship 2026 is set to be one of the major stops on the Asian poker calendar.
