APT INCHEON SCHEDULE | OFFICIAL RESULTS | IMAGES | WINNERS | PLAYER LISTS
INCHEON, SOUTH KOREA, August 26, 2023 – The first of the APT Incheon, South Korea 2023 marquee events – the KRW 600,000 APT Kickoff – has crowned a champion, with China's Hong Ru Zhang making his APT debut a memorable one.
Playing out at the tournament tables of the luxurious Paradise City Casino, just 42 players out of the 288 entries returned to action for the second and final day, all guaranteed a payout of at least KRW 1,030,000 (~USD $780) from the KRW 175,000,000 (~USD $132,050) prize pool.
It was Japan's Takahisa Watanabe the man returning in pole position with a 30 big blind chip lead over his next closest competitor.
Watanabe started strong, becoming the first player to break the seven-figure stack barrier, before a reversal of fortune saw the Japanese player reduced to the shortest stack by the time play reached the last 16.
Zhang however, was just getting started; the Chinese player came into the final two tables with a chip lead he would not relinquish, eliminating four out of the final nine players.
Eventually, it came down to a deal with the final table's second largest stack – Japan's Shogo Kimura – after the two exerted maximum ICM pressure to send the rest of the field to the rail.
Both players locked up a payday of KRW 28,000,000, with the duo then opting to play it out for the remaining KRW 1,360,000 plus the trophy and title.
Both players locked up a payday of KRW 28,000,000, with the duo then opting to play it out for the remaining KRW 1,360,000 plus the trophy and title.
It was Zhang who dominated the majority of the heads-up action, his pocket fours winning the final flip against Kimura's ten-nine offsuit to see the Chinese player clinch his maiden tournament title and a top prize of KRW 29,360,019 (~USD $22,170).
APT KICKOFF FINAL TABLE RESULTS
- 1st: Hong Ru Zhang (China) – KRW 29,360,019
- 2nd: Shogo Kimura (Japan) – KRW 28,000,000
- 3rd: Koichi Saeki (Japan) – KRW 16,720,000
- 4th: Shen Syu Ho (Taiwan) – KRW 13,530,000
- 5th: Zhangxin Zhao (China) – KRW 10,660,000
- 6th: Jung Hwan Shin (Australia) – KRW 8,140,000
- 7th: Xuefeng Huang (China) – KRW 5,980,000
- 8th: Guang Guo Piao (China) – KRW 4,400,000
- 9th: Takashi Taniguchi (Japan) – KRW 3,600,000
Other notables to cash but come up short of the final nine included Watanabe (16th for KRW 2,130,000), two-time former APT Main Event champion Lester Edoc (18th for KRW 1,860,000), Thailand's Kiwanont Sukhum (21st for KRW 1,680,000), the Philippines' top ranked tournament player Marc Rivera (23rd for KRW 1,680,000), and Taiwan's Chao Ting Cheng (31st for KRW 1,310,000).
For APT Kickoff Results please CLICK HERE
You can follow all the APT Kickoff action as it played out via the APT Blog.
All tournament information can be found on the Official Results page.
Serbia's Milos Petakovic Leads APT Super High Roller With KRW 529.6M (~USD $400K) in the Purse
Serbia's Milos Petakovic
With the first of the Series' coveted lion flagship trophies on the line, the KRW 7,000,000 APT Super High Roller drew a star-studded 84-strong field comprized of 63 unique entries – setting a new APT country record for the event.
Players such as USA's Joseph Cheong, and Jeff Gross, Hong Kong's Sparrow Cheung, the Philippines' Lester Edoc, and Marc Rivera, and bracelet winner's Mike Takayama and Alex Lindop were just some of the talent in the field.
Add in former APT Super High Roller champion Shung Er Sua – the only player in the field to have previously won the coveted pewter lion trophy – and Natural8 Ambassadors Yu-Chung Chang, Danny Tang, Kannapong "Tent" Thanarattrakul, and Phachara Wongwichit and you have a receipe for a thrilling tournament.
These poker luminaries battled it out over sixteen 40-minute levels in an attempt to lock up a seat for Day 2 and stake their claim to a share of the sizable KRW 529,620,000 (~USD $399,950) prize pool, with 16 of them successful in their endeavours.
For APT Super High Roller Prize Pool & Payouts please CLICK HERE
It was Serbia's Milos Petakovic who enjoyed the rub of the green. Petakovic began his tournament by sending Wongwichit to the rail on the first level played after the Thai player ran his pocket jacks into the Serbian's pocket kings.
While that ended Wongwichit's dreams of winning a second lion trophy to accompany his APT High Roller bronze lion, it fueled Petakovic dreams of winning his own.
These crystalised further after Petakovic closed out Day 1 on a high, turning a set of sevens on one of the last hands played to win a huge pot from Wing Po Liu and conclude the action with a stack of 3,750,000.
Thailand's Thanisorn Saelor also dominated a great deal of the action, flirting with the chip lead himself on numerous occassions and bagging the second biggest stack of 2,920,000.
Hong Kong's Tsz Him Chan rounded out the top three, concluding play with a stack of 2,210,000, with the top ten stacks as follows:
APT SUPER HIGH ROLLER TOP TEN STACKS
- Milos Petakovic (Serbia) – 3,750,000
- Thanisorn Saelor (Thailand) – 2,920,000
- Tsz Him Chan (Hong Kong) – 2,210,000
- Shimizu Nozomu (Japan) – 1,780,000
- Yu-Chung Chang (Taiwan) – 1,395,000
- Anson Tsang (Hong Kong) – 1,385,000
- Abraham Ceesvin (Singapore) – 1,190,000
- Kokwai Sim (Malaysia) – 1,130,000
- Asa Smith (United Kingdom) – 1,090,000
- Joseph Cheong (United States) – 855,000
You can read about all the APT Super High Roller action via the APT Blog.
For APT Super High Roller Day 2 Draw please CLICK HERE
Mystery Bounty Hunter - Sponsored by Natural8 Draws 368 Entries; Russia's Vladislav Klepikov Tops Counts
Russia's Artem Sofronov bagged a top three stack on Flight A of the Mystery Bounty
Boasting a KRW 225,000,000 guarantee, the third of the Series marquee events – the KRW 800,000 Event #8: Mystery Bounty Hunter - Sponsored by Natural8 – got underway at 12pm with the opening Flight A drawing 183 entries.
Flight B saw a further 185 entrants in action, bringing the total field up to 368 (243 unique) and generating a KRW 165,011,200 (~USD $124,610) prize pool, with a further KRW 92,000,000 (~USD $69,475) in the bounty pool.
For Mystery Bounty Hunter Prize Pool & Payouts please CLICK HERE
With the top 14 percent of the field from each flight making the Day 2 cut and the money, a total of 26 players made it through from Flight A with the action playing out over eighteen 30-minute levels.
It was Russia's Vladislav Klepikov bagging biggest, concluding play with an impressive 900,000 in chips
Hong Kong's Dicky Tsang (589,000) was the only other Flight A player to finish with a stack of over 500K, with Russia's Artem Sofronov (438,000) rounding out the top three, with the top ten stacks as follows:
MYSTERY BOUNTY HUNTER FLIGHT A TOP TEN STACKS
- Vladislav Klepikov (Russia) – 900,000
- Dicky Tsang (Hong Kong) – 589,000
- Artem Sofronov (Russia) – 438,000
- Tae Hoon Han (New Zealand) – 396,000
- Daichi Tsuji (Japan) – 387,000
- Aleksei Varashev (Russia) – 352,000
- Joon Hee Park (South Korea) – 280,000
- Masataka Shimazu (Japan) – 272,000
- Kyosuke Nagami (Japan) – 256,000
- Chien-Chih Weng (Taiwan) – 247,000
For Mystery Bounty Hunter Flight A Survivors please CLICK HERE
China's Tung Wing Wong
Flight B played out over eighteen slightly faster 20-minute levels, with a further 26 players making the cut.
It was China's Tung Wing Wong who topped the Flight B counts, and Wong will be returning third in the overall pecking order for Day 2 after bagging a stack of 531,000.
Taiwan's Kun-Han Lee (495,000),and Hsing Hsiung Tai (436,000) rounded out the top three Flight B stacks, with the top ten as follows:
MYSTERY BOUNTY HUNTER FLIGHT B TOP TEN STACKS
- Tung Wing Wong (China) – 531,000
- Kun-Han Lee (Taiwan) – 495,000
- Hsing Hsiung Tai (Taiwan) – 436,000
- Toshio Kataoka (Japan) – 379,000
- Naoki Ishige (Japan) – 349,000
- Yuji Maeda (Japan) – 315,000
- Shiina Okamoto (Japan) – 306,000
- Yuanhao Feng (China) – 262,000
- Munetaka Handa (Japan) – 256,000
- Ruiko Mamiya (Japan) – 226,000
For Mystery Bounty Hunter Flight B Survivors please CLICK HERE
For Mystery Bounty Hunter Day 2 Draw please CLICK HERE
The 52 survivors will unite for the second and final Day 2, which gets underway at 12:15pm local time with the tournament playing down to a champion and full coverage available via the APT blog.
MIXED GAME ACTION
Japan's Itsuko Yoroi Wins Inaugural Limit R-O-S-E (Razz, Omaha Hi-Lo, Stud, Stud Hi-Lo) Event
Japan's Itsuko Yoroi can now add an APT title to her poker resume after winning the inaugural Limit R-O-S-E Event #7
The first of the Series mixed games – the KRW 300,000 Event #7: Limit R-O-S-E (Razz, Omaha Hi-Lo, Stud, Stud Hi-Lo) – drew a 20-strong field (19 unique), generating a KRW 5,238,000 (~USD $3,950) prize pool.
The action played out over twenty-three 25-minute levels, with Japan's Itsuko Yoroi locking up the win, the KRW 2,198,000 (~USD $1,660) top prize, and more importantly, claiming the prestige of becoming the inaugural Limit R-O-S-E champion.
Yoroi, who boasts a poker resume dating back to 2014 and over USD $100,000 in live tournament cashes, now has an APT title to add to her list of accolades after besting the USA's Hal Rotholz heads-up.
Rotholz, who was on the hunt for his second APT title, had to settle for the KRW 1,470,000 (~USD $1,110) on offer for second place.
Japan's Haruna Fujita claimed KRW 940,000 (~USD $710) for third place, with compatriot Ruiko Mamiya the only other player to cash.
LIMIT R-O-S-E RESULTS
- 1st: Itsuko Yoroi (Japan) – KRW 2,198,000
- 2nd: Hal Rotholz (United States) – KRW 1,470,000
- 3rd: Haruna Fujita (Japan) – KRW 940,000
- 4th: Ruiko Mamiya (Japan) – KRW 630,000
For Event #7: Limit R-O-S-E Results please CLICK HERE
All tournament information can be found on the Official Results page.
SIDE EVENT ACTION
Japan's Shion Ogawa Clinches Maiden APT Title in Event #10 PL Omaha
Japan's Shion Ogawa claimed his maiden APT title in Event #10 PL Omaha
The KRW 1,000,000 Event #10: PL Omaha got underway at 1pm local time, drawing a 19-strong field (16 unique) and generating a KRW 16,587,000 (~USD $12,525) prize pool.
The action played out over twenty-one 25-minute levels, with Japan's Shion Ogawa taking the KRW 6,967,000 (~USD $5,260) top prize.
Ogawa defeated David Wang heads-up to claim his maiden APT title, with his Australian opponent receiving KRW 4,640,000 (~USD $3,500) for his runner-up finish.
China's Pok Chu took KRW 2,990,000 (~USD $2,260) for third place, with the Netherland's Martijn Gerrits – making his second final table appearence of the Series – the only other player to make the money.
PL OMAHA RESULTS
- 1st: Shion Ogawa (Japan) – KRW 6,967,000
- 2nd: David Wang (Australia) – KRW 4,640,000
- 3rd: Pok Chu (China) – KRW 2,990,000
- 4th: Martijn Gerrits (Netherlands) – KRW 1,990,000
For Event #10: PL Omaha Results please CLICK HERE
All tournament information can be found on the Official Results page.
Hong Kong's Cheuk Him Tsang Claims Maiden APT Title in Event #5 Turbo
Hong Kong's Cheuk Him Tsang claimed his maiden APT title in Event #5 Turbo
Playing out in the early hours of Saturday morning, the KRW 500,000 Event #5 Turbo saw a field of 40 entries comprised of 37 unique players battling for a share of the KRW 17,460,000 (~USD $13,180) prize pool.
It took nineteen fast-paced 15-minute levels to find a champion, with Hong Kong's Cheuk Him Tsang the man to claim the crown and the KRW 5,940,000 (~USD $4,480) top prize.
Tsang defeated Japan's Kenya Tokitsu heads-up to earn his maiden APT title, with Tokitsu collecting KRW 4,100,000 (~USD $3,095) for his runner-up finish.
Hong Kong's Ki Hin Kong rounded out the winner's podium, taking KRW 2,620,000 (~USD $1,980) for third place.
A total of five players made the money, with the tournament paying out as follows:
TURBO RESULTS
- 1st: Cheuk Him Tsang (Hong Kong) – KRW 5,940,000
- 2nd: Kenya Tokitsu (Japan) – KRW 4,100,000
- 3rd: Ki Hin Kong (Hong Kong) – KRW 2,620,000
- 4th: Kelvin Ma (Hong Kong) – KRW 2,010,000
- 5th: Ta Wei Tou (Taiwan) – KRW 1,570,000
- 6th: Kengo Ito (Japan) – KRW 1,220,000
For Event #5: Turbo Results please CLICK HERE
All tournament information can be found on the Official Results page.
Taiwan's Maggie Chien-Chih Weng Scores Timely Victory in Event #6: Midnight Tick Tock
Taiwan's Chien-Chih Weng claimed her maiden APT title in the Event #6 Midnight Tick Tock
As the name suggests, the KRW 300,000 Event #6: Midnight Tick Tock (Levels decrease every hour 20/15/10/5) got underway at 12am on Saturday morning, attracting a 37-strong field (32 unique).
Players fought it out at the felt over twenty-five levels to claim a share of the KRW 9,690,300 (~USD $7,315) prize pool, with the level length decreasing every hour until it reached the 5-minute threshhold.
It was Taiwan's Maggie Chien-Chih Weng who showcased her nocturnal poker skills, besting China's Quncheng Fang heads-up to take the KRW 3,590,300 (~USD $2,710) top prize, earning her maiden APT title in the process.
Fang received KRW 2,470,000 for his runner-up finish, with Japan's Kenji Hata completing the winner's triumvirate, taking KRW 1,570,000 (~USD $1,185) for third place.
A total of five players made the money, with the tournament paying out as follows:
MIDNIGHT TICK TOCK RESULTS
- 1st: Chien-Chih Weng (Taiwan) – KRW 3,590,300
- 2nd: Quncheng Fang (China) – KRW 2,470,000
- 3rd: Kenji Hata (Japan) – KRW 1,570,000
- 4th: Do Yoon Kim (Australia) – KRW 1,140,000
- 5th: Toshio Kataoka (Japan) – KRW 920,000
For Event #6: Midnight Tick Tock Results please CLICK HERE
All tournament information can be found on the Official Results page.