Tomoya Tsubouchi arrived at APT Incheon 2026 with five friends, limited international tournament experience and only one recorded live poker cash.

Less than two days later, he was holding an APT Lion Trophy.

The Japanese recreational player overcame a record-breaking field of 709 entries from 28 countries and regions to win the Korea National Cup, collecting KRW 78,109,411 and the first major title of the festival.

It was only the second time Tsubouchi had played a live tournament outside Japan. It was also his first live tournament victory.

“I’ve won online tournaments before, but winning a live, real-money international tournament for the first time is a whole new experience for me,” said Tsubouchi. “In fact, outside of amusement poker clubs in Japan, this is only my second time playing a live tournament overseas. Just my second time!”

Tsubouchi victory provided an early example of what can happen when a new player decides to attend an APT festival. Most will not leave with a title and more than KRW 78 million, of course, but they can expect an international field, tournaments for a wide range of bankrolls and the opportunity to compete for one of poker’s most distinctive trophies.

As APT continues attracting record fields across Asia, several players still relatively new to the tour shared what brought them to Incheon and what they found after arriving.

A Poker Holiday Becomes Something More

Tomoya Tsubouchi and friends

Tsubouchi travelled to Incheon as part of a six-person group, viewing the festival as both a poker trip and an opportunity to spend time with friends.

That holiday ended with all six celebrating one of the biggest moments of his poker life.

“More than the money, winning and taking home the trophy is what really means the most to me,” he said. “Of course, having the prize money is great too! I came here as a group of six friends, and I’m really looking forward to celebrating and partying with them tonight.”

Tsubouchi entered the Korea National Cup final table with a commanding chip lead and felt he played his best poker once the field reached five players. He used the growing payout pressure to accumulate chips before eliminating Phuong Ngoc Nguyen and Ian Rudolph in the same final hand.

His jack-ten completed a straight on the river, ending the tournament without the need for a heads-up battle.

While that final hand provided an unforgettable finish, Tsubouchi believed his control of the final table had been more important than one fortunate river card.

“Without relying too much on luck, I was able to steadily accumulate chips,” he explained. “Capitalizing on that favorable position was the key for me.”

Winning the tournament has already changed how he feels about poker and what could come next.

“I already loved poker, but this experience has made me fall completely in love with it even more,” he said. “This trophy is just my first step, and from here on, I want to keep building on this success and enjoy poker even more in the future.”

Discovering APT Online

Andrew Choi

Not every new player arrives with years of knowledge about the tour.

Andrew Choi is playing his first APT festival in Incheon. His introduction came through the simplest of modern routes: the internet.

“Online and YouTube,” Choi said when asked where he first discovered APT.

Choi currently works in South Korea and had previously played poker at Paradise City. After seeing the Incheon festival advertised online, he decided to experience APT for himself.

“I’ve played here a couple of times, and then I saw on the website that they had an APT here in Incheon,” he said. “That’s why I came.”

His initial assessment was straightforward.

“Everything is good.”

Choi began with the Main Event but was already looking beyond his first tournament, identifying the Zodiac Classic as another event he hoped to enter.

For players based in South Korea, the decision can be relatively easy. The festival brings an established international tour to a familiar venue, allowing them to experience APT without first planning an overseas poker trip.

A Familiar Name Brings Ameen Back

Sam Ameen

Sam Ameen is not completely new to APT. He recorded a small cash at APT Taipei 2026 before travelling to Incheon, but he remains a fresh face on the tour after taking a long break from poker.

Ameen has lived in Asia for 13 or 14 years, spending much of that time in Hong Kong before recently moving to Bangkok. His knowledge of APT stretches back to its earlier years in Macau, although it took his return to regular poker for him to finally begin attending its festivals.

“I think I first heard about it probably when APT first started,” said Ameen. “I remember playing poker in Macau 17 years ago and I remember APT Macau from way back in the day.”

“I had always heard about it, but then I took a break from poker for a long time. I’ve only really just started playing again. APT already had a good brand, so I was like, ‘Yeah, I want to come and play.’”

After experiencing Taipei and Incheon, Ameen highlighted the organization of the festival, the quality of the dealers and the technology available to players.

“I really like the way it’s run,” he said. “The app is great, with a really good UI, and it doesn’t really have many bugs. The staff seem really friendly, it’s well organised, and the dealers are good.”

Having recently returned from the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, Ameen was particularly happy with the standard of dealing in Incheon.

“I’ve just got back from Vegas and, obviously, the dealers there are the worst in the world!” he joked. “So, yeah, it’s nice to have good dealers. Very good.”

There was no complicated plan for the remainder of his festival.

“I’m going to play everything possible,” he said. “Fire lots of bullets, see how well I can run and see how it goes.”

From a WSOP Bracelet to a First APT Festival

Adriaan Jacobs

South Africa’s Adriaan Jacobs arrived in Incheon shortly after experiencing a breakthrough summer in Las Vegas.

Jacobs won the USD 600 Deepstack Championship at the 2026 World Series of Poker, defeating a huge field to capture his first bracelet. The result was only his fourth recorded live tournament cash.

The young online player only began playing live poker around one year ago, but his victory in Las Vegas allowed him to consider adding more international events to his schedule.

“I got a big cash in Vegas and we were trying to book my next trips,” Jacobs explained. “This one landed right before test week started, so I was barely able to make this one before I started studying.”

Although his Hendon Mob profile remains short, Jacobs explained that he has a few additional unrecorded results and considerably more experience online.

“I have a few results, maybe three results, that aren’t on my Hendon Mob, but mainly online,” he said. “I started playing live a year ago.”

Jacobs had heard about APT since he began playing poker, but the opportunity to visit South Korea also influenced his decision.

“I’ve always wanted to come to South Korea,” he said. “It’s such a treat being in South Korea too. What a beautiful country.”

His visit demonstrates another part of APT’s increasing international appeal. Players can combine a serious tournament schedule with the opportunity to experience a new country.

More Than One Route to APT

The players interviewed in Incheon did not discover APT through one shared route.

Choi found the festival through YouTube and the APT website. Ameen remembered the tour from his years playing in Macau. Jacobs knew the APT name through poker and saw Incheon as an opportunity to visit South Korea. Tsubouchi came with friends for only his second overseas tournament and left as a champion.

Their different stories help explain how APT fields have become increasingly international. Some players travel because of the schedule and the chance to win a Lion Trophy. Others are attracted by the destination, recommendations from friends, or an established brand they have known for years.

APT has also been actively introducing itself to players outside Asia. During the 2026 World Series of Poker, the tour displayed its Lion Trophy in Las Vegas as it looked to reach American players and others who may never previously have considered travelling to an Asian festival.

APTC Booth at the 2026 WSOP in Las Vegas

Getting a player’s attention is only the beginning. The tournament must then provide an experience that persuades them to return.

Tsubouchi’s comments suggest that APT succeeded in doing that. He particularly thanked the dealers and tournament staff, including those who assisted him in Japanese when communication became difficult.

“Everyone was incredibly kind and ran the event so smoothly,” he said. “I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to all of them. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

One visit has already given Tsubouchi his first live title, his largest poker prize and a trophy he values more than the money.

Other new players arriving at an APT festival cannot know what their own first visit will produce. As Tsubouchi discovered in Incheon, however, it may become considerably more than another series on the schedule.