San Hon “Stephen” Pang won the APT Incheon 2026 Main Event after overcoming a 1,393-entry field and defeating Shoumin Zhang heads-up.
The KRW 2,500,000 ($1,700) buy-in event generated a KRW 3,008,880,000 ($2,148,960) prize pool. Pang collected KRW 411,180,000 ($293,700) following a three-handed deal and also secured a $10,000 APT Championship seat.
His victory closed an APT Incheon festival that paid out KRW 15,966,848,834 ($11,404,892) across the series, the highest total recorded for an APT Incheon stop in the Source Data. The Main Event’s 1,393 entries also set a reported attendance record for a mainland Korean poker tournament.
Pang Leads the Final Nine
Pang began the nine-handed final table with the chip lead, holding 13,550,000, or 85 big blinds. Shoumin Zhang was next with 10,585,000, followed by Tempei Kotani on 6,935,000.
At the other end of the counts, Ryo Fujita entered with 2,130,000, or 17 big blinds, and became the first finalist eliminated.
Fujita held pocket nines in a three-bet pot against Kotani’s ace-jack. After the original raiser folded, Kotani called, and Fujita committed his final 100,000 on a jack-three-king flop. He did not improve and finished ninth for KRW 38,580,000 ($27,560).
Takeru Endo was next to leave. He moved all-in for 15 big blinds with pocket tens, but Zhang found pocket jacks in the small blind and called. The jacks stayed ahead on a queen-high board, sending Endo out in eighth.
Zhang was also involved in the next elimination. Phachara Wongwichit three-bet all-in for 16 big blinds from the small blind with ace-ten after Yifu He opened the button. Zhang moved over the top from the big blind with ace-queen, He folded, and Wongwichit found no help on the board.
Final Table Reaches Three-Handed Play
Shinichiro Kano exited in sixth after running king-queen of diamonds into Kazuki Koyama’s pocket aces. Kano picked up a flush draw on the flop, but the draw did not complete.
Koyama soon followed him to the rail. He shoved 10 big blinds from the button with pocket tens, only for Yifu He to find pocket queens in the big blind. The queens held, and Koyama earned KRW 121,860,000 ($87,040), a career-best live cash according to the Source Data.
Tempei Kotani finished fourth after playing a large preflop pot against Pang. Pang opened with pocket queens, Kotani three-bet with ace-king of spades, and Pang moved all-in. Kotani called and picked up a flush draw on the turn, but the river did not provide one of his remaining outs. He received KRW 155,650,000 ($111,180).
Pang, Zhang and He then reached a three-handed deal before play resumed for the APT Gold Lion Trophy and a $10,000 APT Championship seat.
He entered three-handed play as the shortest stack and was eventually eliminated by Zhang. After Zhang min-raised with pocket eights, He shoved 12 big blinds with ace-deuce of diamonds. Zhang called, flopped an eight and made quads when another eight arrived on the turn.
He finished third for KRW 257,000,000 ($183,570).
Zhang Pushes Pang Deep Into Heads-Up
It took 85 hands to reduce the final table to two players, followed by another 64 hands before Pang secured the title.
The tournament nearly ended on Hand 119. With the board showing six-three-deuce-three and two clubs, Zhang held pocket fours against Pang’s king-jack of clubs. The queen of clubs on the river completed Pang’s flush.
Pang appeared to have won, but Zhang still had 750,000 chips remaining, less than 1.5 times the 600,000 big blind.
Zhang then doubled up four times in succession to extend the match.
His recovery ended when he moved all-in for slightly under 10 big blinds with king-ten. Pang called with pocket nines, and a jack-high board kept the pair ahead.
Pang took the APT Incheon 2026 Main Event title and KRW 411,180,000 ($293,700). Zhang finished runner-up for KRW 366,500,000 ($261,785).
APT Incheon 2026 Main Event Final Table Results
| Rank | Player | Country | Prize (KRW) | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Hon “Stephen” Pang | Hong Kong | 411,180,000 | $293,700* |
| 2 | Shoumin Zhang | China | 366,500,000 | $261,785* |
| 3 | Yifu He | United States | 257,000,000 | $183,570* |
| 4 | Tempei Kotani | Japan | 155,650,000 | $111,180 |
| 5 | Kazuki Koyama | Japan | 121,860,000 | $87,040 |
| 6 | Shinichiro Kano | Japan | 92,440,000 | $66,030 |
| 7 | Phachara Wongwichit | Thailand | 70,740,000 | $50,530 |
| 8 | Takeru Endo | Japan | 50,130,000 | $35,800 |
| 9 | Ryo Fujita | Japan | 38,580,000 | $27,560 |
*Top-three payouts reflect a three-handed deal. The top three finishers also won a $10,000 APT Championship seat.
