A Closer Look at the APT Incheon 2025 Schedule; 10 Days, 96 Events, Over KRW 3.4 Billion (~USD 2.38 Million) in Prize Pool Guarantees
After breaking records in Taiwan with the most successful APT series in the tour’s 19-year history, the Asian Poker Tour now sets its sights on South Korea for the third stop of the 2025 season – the highly anticipated APT Incheon 2025.
Hosted in partnership with Paradise Group, the ten-day poker festival will be held from Friday, August 1 to Sunday, August 10 at the luxurious Paradise City resort in Incheon, South Korea.
Following in the footsteps of APT Taipei 2025—which shattered 16 tour records and officially became the largest and richest poker series ever to run in Taiwan—APT Incheon brings its own flavour to the season with a carefully curated 96-event schedule (including satellites) and total prize pool guarantees exceeding KRW 3.4 billion (~USD 2.38 million).
The highlight of the festival is of course the KRW 1.5 billion (~USD 1.05 million) guaranteed Main Event, running from August 3 to 9, with a KRW 2.5M (~USD 1,750) buy-in. The tour’s two other signature Lion Trophy events return with massive guarantees: the KRW 15M (~USD 10,530) APT Super High Roller and the KRW 5M (~USD 3,500) APT High Roller—each with a KRW 500M (~USD 351K) prize pool guarantee on offer.
Beyond the headline tournaments, the schedule caters to all bankrolls and preferences. Key guaranteed events include the KRW 100M (~USD 70K) Korea National Cup, the fan-favourite Mystery Bounty Hunter – Sponsored by Natural8 with KRW 200M (~USD 140K) guaranteed, and the ever-popular Zodiac Classic – Sponsored by Natural8 featuring a KRW 250M (~USD 175K) guaranteed prize pool.
Read on as we break down the marquee events in more detail, including buy-ins, guarantees, and what kind of field sizes you can expect based on the tour’s history:
FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
Guarantee: KRW 1.5 billion (~USD 1.05M)
Date: Sunday, August 3 to Saturday, August 9
Buy-in: KRW 2.5M (~USD 1,750)
APT Incheon 2023 Main Event champion Shoichiro Tamaki
The crown jewel of the APT Incheon 2025 schedule, the Main Event boasts a KRW 1.5 billion (~USD 1.05 million) prize pool guarantee and will see players vie for the coveted 24K Gold Lion APT Main Event Trophy. The eventual champion will also earn a ticket to the** APT Championship Main Event**, set to take place this November.
As the centrepiece of every APT festival, the Main Event has consistently delivered elite-level competition and record-breaking turnouts. The current benchmark was set at APT Taipei 2025, which now holds the record for the largest Main Event in APT history—drawing 2,547 entries (1,276 unique) from 45 countries and regions, generating a staggering TWD 121 million (~USD 3.7 million) prize pool. Japan’s Akira Takasugi etched his name into the record books, claiming the trophy and the largest winner’s purse of the series.
APT Incheon has its own storied past, with Japan’s Shoichiro Tamaki clinching the APT Incheon 2023 Main Event title and walking away with KRW 271.4 million (~USD 206,030)—the biggest payout of that festival. With two years since our last visit to Incheon, expect a turnout of more than a thousand in the Main Event for our return.
Players will begin with 40,000 in chips and have four starting flights to choose from between August 3 and 5. Flight A features ten 60-minute levels, Flight B consists of six 45-minute levels followed by four 60-minute levels, while Flights C and D both comprise six 30-minute levels followed by four 45-minute levels.
From Day 2 onwards, the tournament adopts 60-minute levels. Late registration closes before the start of Day 2 on August 6, so players aiming to buy in directly must do so in advance.
Guarantee: KRW 100 million (~USD 70K)
Date: Friday, August 1 to Saturday, August 2
Buy-in: KRW 700K (~USD 490)
APT Incheon 2023 Korea National Cup champion Hong Ru Zhang
Kicking off our return to Incheon is the Korea National Cup, with a KRW 100 million (~USD 70,000) prize pool guarantee. Back in Incheon two years ago, China’s Hong Ru Zhang captured the APT Incheon 2023 Korea National Cup, topping the field to claim KRW 175 million (~USD 132,050).
The current record for an opening event was set at APT Taipei 2025, where 2,161 entries (a new in-country record) built a prize pool of TWD 21.26 million (~USD 656,304)—a new APT record for both field size and prize money. Taiwan’s Shi Rong Wang emerged victorious, collecting TWD 3.45 million (~USD 106,612)—the richest top prize ever awarded in this event.
The tournament averages over 950 entries with an average prize pool of more than USD 260,000. Players start with 30,000 in chips and three starting flights will run on Friday, August 1. Flight A features 25-minute levels, Flight B runs with 20-minute levels, and Flight C has 15-minute levels. The top 14 percent of each flight will advance to the Final Day and into the money, where the tournament plays down to a new Korea National Cup champion.
Mystery Bounty Hunter – Sponsored by Natural8
Guarantee: KRW 200 million (~USD 140K)
Date: Saturday, August 2 to Sunday, August 3
Buy-in: KRW 900K (~USD 630)
APT Incheon 2023 Mystery Bounty Hunter champion Dicky Siu Hang Tsang
One of the crowd favourites on the schedule, the Mystery Bounty Hunter – Sponsored by Natural8 features a KRW 200 million (~USD 140,000) prize pool guarantee.
The event’s current record was set at APT Taipei 2025, where a staggering 1,724 entries created a prize pool of TWD 24.3 million (~USD 750,795). South Korea’s Jung Sangjun emerged victorious, claiming the largest ever first-place prize in this event—TWD 2.74 million (~USD 84,654). At APT Incheon 2023, it was Hong Kong’s Dicky Siu Hang Tsang who topped the field to earn KRW 32.56 million (~USD 24,590).
Players start with 30,000 in chips and will have three starting flights to choose from on Saturday, August 2. Flight A begins at 11:00am with 25-minute levels, Flight B kicks off at 4:00pm, also with 20-minute levels, while Flight C starts at 8:00pm with 15-minute levels. The top 14 percent of each flight will move on to Sunday’s Final Day and the money, where the mystery bounties will then come into play.
Guarantee: KRW 500 million (~USD 351K)
Date: Saturday, August 2 to Sunday, August 3
Buy-in: KRW 15M (~USD 10,530)
APT Incheon 2023 APT Super High Roller champion Milos Petakovic
The APT Super High Roller is one of the tour’s three signature events, offering a substantial KRW 500 million (~USD 351,000) prize pool guarantee and the prestigious Pewter Lion APT Super High Roller Trophy. The eventual champion will also earn a coveted seat to the APT Championship Main Event, taking place this November.
A staple of the New Era, the tournament attracts elite high-stakes fields and consistently delivers strong numbers—averaging 87 entries and generating an average total prize pool of approximately USD 600,000. The all-time record for the tournament’s richest payout belongs to Isaac Haxton, who conquered a 137-entry field to claim TWD 9 million (~USD 287,885).
APT Incheon has its own place in the Super High Roller history books—APT Incheon 2023 still holds the tour’s in-country record for number of entries in this event. It was Serbia’s Milos Petakovic who emerged victorious last time, taking home KRW 145,650,000 (~USD 109,990).
Players begin with 250,000 in chips and a shot clock is active from the start, with two 30-second time banks provided and another issued at each scheduled break. Day 1 will feature 16 levels of 40 minutes, with the surviving contenders returning on Sunday, August 3 for Day 2 to play down to a champion.
Date: Sunday, August 3
Buy-in: KRW 500K (~USD 350)
APT Incheon 2023 Sunday Super Stack champion Bastien Joly
A fan-favourite single-day tournament, the Sunday Super Stack returns to APT Incheon with its signature deep starting stacks, offering excellent value for players looking to make a strong Sunday run.
The current tour record for this event was set at APT Taipei 2025, where 386 entries generated an APT-record prize pool of TWD 10 million (~USD 308,800). Japan’s Taiga Tanida claimed the title and the richest-ever first-place prize in this format, walking away with TWD 1.94 million (~USD 59,973).
Back in Incheon, France’s Bastien Joly emerged victorious in in this event two years ago, taking home KRW 29.1 million (~USD 21,975). The event averages 272 entries and builds an average prize pool of ~USD 135,344 across the New Era festivals, making it one of the most accessible big-field tournaments of the festival.
Players start with 100,000 in chips, with 25-minute levels in play until registration closes, after which the level duration shortens to 20 minutes for the remainder of the event.
Zodiac Classic – Sponsored by Natural8
Guarantee: KRW 250 million (~USD 175K)
Date: Thursday, August 7 to Friday, August 8
Buy-in: KRW 3M (~USD 2,100)
APT Incheon 2023 Zodiac Classic champion Daiki Shingae
The Zodiac Classic – Sponsored by Natural8 returns to Incheon with a mouth-watering KRW 250 million (~USD 175,000) guarantee. Back in 2023, it was Japan’s Daiki Shingae who lifted the Zodiac Classic trophy and earned KRW 46.83 million (~USD 41,400). The event averages 262 entries and typically builds a total prize pool in the region of USD 435,000, making it one of the highest-value tournaments outside of the Main Event.
The APT Taipei 2025 edition set a new benchmark for the event, breaking tour records for entries, prize pool, and first place payout. That tournament drew 626 entries, generating an enormous TWD 43,269,120 (~USD 1.32 million) prize pool. Taiwan’s Hung Te Lee claimed the lion’s share with a record-setting TWD 8,222,620 million (~USD 253,785) top prize.
Players start with 40,000 in chips and the tournament runs with a shot clock in effect from the start, with two 30-second time banks issued and an additional time bank awarded at every scheduled break. Day 1 on Thursday, August 7 features 13 levels of 40 minutes each, with survivors returning the following day to battle for the trophy.
Guarantee: KRW 200 million (~USD 140K)
Date: Friday, August 8 to Saturday, August 9
Buy-in: KRW 900K (~USD 630)
APT Incheon 2023 Mini Main Event champion Craig Cooper
Modelled after the Main Event but designed to wrap up in two days, the Mini Main Event delivers strong value with a KRW 200 million (~USD 140,000) guarantee. At APT Incheon 2023, it was Craig Cooper of the United Kingdom who came out on top, claiming KRW 44.78 million (~USD 33,970). The tournament averaged 570 entries and generated an average total prize pool of ~USD 292,000 across the New Era festivals, placing it among the most well-attended and lucrative events on the schedule.
The event’s current record was set at APT Taipei 2025, where 1,760 entries created a eye-watering prize pool of TWD 38,016,000 (~USD 1.32 million), about four times more than the event’s average. Taiwan’s Hung Te Lee not only won the event but also walked away with a record-setting TWD 6,515,000 (~USD 201,080) top prize—the richest ever awarded in this format.
Players begin with 30,000 in chips, with three starting flights all playing out on Friday, August 8. Flight A comes with 25-minute levels, Flight B features 20-minute levels, and Flight C shortens to 15-minute levels. The top 14 percent of each flight will make it through to Saturday’s Final Day and into the money.
Guarantee: KRW 500 million (~USD 351K)
Date: Saturday, August 9 to Sunday, August 10
Buy-in: KRW 5M (~USD 3,500)
APT Incheon 2023 APT High Roller champion Thanisorn Saelor
The final signature trophy event of the festival, the APT High Roller comes with a hefty KRW 500 million (~USD 351,000) guarantee and the prestigious Bronze Lion APT High Roller Trophy. The winner will also earn a seat to the APT Championship Main Event, set for November.
The current record for this tournament was set at APT Taipei 2025, where 415 entries built a massive TWD 39,441,600 (~USD 1.27 million) prize pool. Vietnam’s Nguyen Trung Quan came out on top, claiming TWD 7,586,600 (~USD 253,785)—the largest-ever payout for this signature tournament.
Interestingly, APT Incheon 2023 still holds the in-country field size record for this event, with Thailand’s Thanisorn Saelor conquering the largest-ever APT High Roller field on South Korean soil to take home KRW 171,939,500 (~USD 130,420).
The tournament averages 207 entries and typically builds an average total prize pool of ~USD 661,661.
Players begin with 100,000 in chips and play with a shot clock in effect from the start. Each player receives two 30-second time banks and one additional time bank at every scheduled break. Day 1 on Saturday, August 9 features 16 levels of 40 minutes, with survivors returning on Sunday, August 10 to play down to a winner.
Guarantee: KRW 150 million (~USD 105K)
Date: Saturday, August 9 to Sunday, August 10
Buy-in: KRW 700K (~USD 490)
APT Incheon 2023 Double Stack champion Riku Mieda
One of the most popular multi-flight events on the APT schedule, the Double Stack returns to Incheon with a KRW 150 million (~USD 105,000) prize pool guarantee, offering deep stacks, accessible buy-in, and deep value across two days of play.
The event averages 580 entries and builds an average total prize pool of ~USD 272,335. In the APT Incheon 2023 edition, it was Japan’s Riku Mieda who came out on top, claiming KRW 45,604,000 (~USD 34,530) after navigating one of the largest fields of the festival.
Players start with 60,000 in chips and have three starting flights to choose from on Saturday, August 9. Flight A comes with 25-minute levels, Flight B features 20-minute levels, and Flight C shortens to 15-minute levels. The top 14 percent of each flight will advance to the Final Day and the money, with the event concluding on Sunday, August 10.
Date: Sunday, August 10
Buy-in: KRW 400K (~USD 280)
APT Incheon 2023 Micro Main Event champion XiaoHui Wang
Capping off the APT Incheon 2025 festival, the Micro Main Event offers players a final shot at a trophy with a one-day structure and a budget-friendly KRW 400,000 (~USD 280) buy-in. Players begin with 40,000 in chips and compete over 20-minute levels throughout the day.
The tournament averages 207 entries and typically builds a total prize pool of ~USD 65,312. At APT Incheon 2023, it was China’s XiaoHui Wang who secured the title, taking home KRW 15.18 million (~USD 11,515) after besting the largest-ever in-country Micro Main Event field. That edition still holds the in-country records for field size, prize pool, and top prize in this format.