APT CHAMPIONSHIP 2026 SCHEDULE | OFFICIAL RESULTS | PLAYER LISTS | LIVE REPORTING | IMAGES | WINNERS
TAIPEI, TAIWAN, November 12, 2026 – Welcome to the Asian Poker Tour Championship 2026! With the 2025 series debut proving to be the largest poker festival ever to run on the Asian continent, all eyes are on Taipei to see if this feat can be repeated.
Run in partnership with the Chinese Texas Hold’em Poker Club (CTP) at the cavernous Red Space 多元商務空間 venue and headlined by the TWD 330,000 (USD 10,100) buy-in APT Championship Main Event Freezeout carrying a TWD 165M/USD 5M guarantee, the festival comprises 23 Championship Events, plus a further 186 side events and satellites, and boasts over TWD 256 million (~USD 8.1 million) in prize pool guarantees.
The tour’s trademark gleaming golden lion trophies are on hiatus until the start of the APT 2027 poker season, with 23 APT Championship Lion Trophies introduced exclusively for this festival for the winners of the APT Championship Events.
CHAMPIONSHIP EVENTS*
- [Event 0] Asia Gaming Industry Championship Freezeout: Nov 12 – TWD 13,000/~USD 400 buy-in
- [Event 1] National Cup Championship (TWD 20,000,000/~USD 613,000 GTD): Nov 13-15 – TWD 16,000/~USD 490 buy-in
- [Event 2] Mystery Bounty Championship – Sponsored by Natural8 (TWD 15,000,000/~USD 460,000 GTD): Nov 15-16 – TWD 35,000/~USD 1,000 buy-in
- [Event 3] Ultra Stack Championship (TWD 25,000,000/~USD 766,000 GTD): Nov 16-18 – TWD 25,000/~USD 765 buy-in
- [Event 4] 7-Max Championship – Single Re-Entry: Nov 16-17 – TWD 85,000/~USD 2,600 buy-in
- [Event 5] PLO Championship – Single Re-Entry: Nov 17-18 – TWD 70,000/~USD 2,100 buy-in
- [Event 6] PLO High Roller Championship: Nov 18-19 – TWD 165,000/~USD 5,000 buy-in
- [Event 7] Natural8 Cup Championship Freezeout (TWD 33,000,000/~USD 1,000,000 GTD): Nov 18-21 – TWD 108,900/~USD 3,300 buy-in
- [Event 8] Micro Main Event Championship: Nov 19-21 – TWD 16,000/~USD 490 buy-in
- [Event 9] Single Day High Roller Championship: Nov 19 – TWD 330,000/~USD 10,100 buy-in
- [Event 10] APT Women's Championship – Sponsored by LIPS – Single Re-Entry: Nov 19-20 – TWD 35,000/~USD 1,000 buy-in
- [Event 11] Super High Roller Championship - 2 Re-Entry: Nov 20 – TWD 825,000/~USD 25,300 buy-in
- [Event 12] Mixed Game Championship – 9-Game – Single Re-Entry: Nov 20-21 – TWD 70,000/~USD 2,100 buy-in
- [Event 13] Superstar Championship – Single Re-Entry: Nov 22-23 – TWD 1,600,000/~USD 50,600 buy-in
- [Event 14] APT Championship Main Event Freezeout (TWD 165,000,000/~USD 5,000,000 GTD): Nov 23-27 – TWD 330,000/~USD 10,100 buy-in
- [Event 15] Mini Main Event Championship: Nov 24-26 – TWD 35,000/~USD 1,000 buy-in
- [Event 16] Micro High Roller Championship: Nov 25-26 – TWD 160,000/~USD 4,900 buy-in
- [Event 17] Teams Championship: Nov 26 – TWD 35,000/~USD 1,000 buy-in
- [Event 18] High Roller Championship: Nov 26-28 – TWD 495,000/~USD 15,100 buy-in
- [Event 19] Freezeout Championship: Nov 27-28 – TWD 65,000/~USD 1,900 buy-in
- [Event 20] Mini High Roller Championships: Nov 27-29 – TWD 247,500/~USD 7,500 buy-in
- [Event 21] Turbo Championship: Nov 28 – TWD 35,000/~USD 1,000 buy-in
- [Event 22] Trip Saver (TWD 5,000,000/~USD 153,000 GTD): Nov 28-39 – TWD 50,000/~USD 1,500 buy-in *USD amount for comparison only, values may fluctuate due to currency conversion rates
Blog & Live Stream Coverage
Championship Events 0-22 will all be featured in the APT Blog, and live stream coverage of the following events can be found exclusively on the official APT YouTube channel:
- Final Day of [Event 7] Natural8 Cup Championship Freezeout – 11:45am (TST) Sat, Nov 21.
- Final Day of [Event 11] Super High Roller Championship – 11:45am (TST) Sun, Nov 22.
- Final Day of [Event 13] Superstar Championship – 11:45am (TST) Mon, Nov 23.
- Day 2 of [Event 14] APT Championship Main Event Freezeout – 11:30am (TST) Tue, Nov 24.
- Day 3 of [Event 14] APT Championship Main Event Freezeout – 11:45am (TST) Wed, Nov 25.
- Day 4 of [Event 14] APT Championship Main Event Freezeout – 11:45am (TST) Thur, Nov 26.
- Final Day of [Event 14] APT Championship Main Event Freezeout – 11:45am (TST) Fri, Nov 27.
- Final Day of [Event 18] High Roller Championship – 11:45am (TST) Sat, Nov 28.
- Final Day of [Event 20] Mini High Roller Championship – 11:45am (TST) Sun, Nov 29.
Taiwan’s Heng Je Hu Wins Asia Gaming Industry Championship for TWD 279.5K (~USD 7.7K)
Taiwan’s Heng Je Hu claimed a career best score in the Asian Gaming Industry Championship Event
Ahead of the arrival of international competitors in Taipei, industry professionals got their turn at the tables.
Although the 17-day APT Championship officially launches on Friday, November 13, action kicked off early with the single-day TWD 13,000 (~USD 400) [Event 0] Asia Gaming Industry Championship Freezeout.
Entry to this unique Championship Event was reserved exclusively for casino staff, poker operators, organizers, media representatives, influencers, vloggers, and poker personalities.
The tournament attracted 102 entries and created a total prize pool of TWD 1,093,962 (~USD 33,560), marking a notable 34.2% increase in attendance and prize money compared to the inaugural 2025 edition.
Beyond the competitive play, the event carried a strong charitable focus, as APT owners and CTP executives committed to donating all of their tournament winnings to charity.
Specifically, APT owner Daren Yoon and special advisor Victor Chong pledged at least TWD 500,000 (~USD 13,800) to the Taiwan Alzheimer's Disease Association, supporting its mission to deliver care, advocacy, and education for individuals living with dementia and their families.
Chinese Texas Hold’em Poker Club (CTP) CEO David Tai and Director of International Marketing Raymond Wong pledged a TWD 100,000 (~USD 2,760) contribution, with all four agreeing to donate 100% of any payouts earned.
With Chong making the final table (for the second year in a row) and eventually finishing in ninth place, that proved to be an additional charitable donation of TWD 28,400 (~USD 785).
An eclectic mix of industry operators, bloggers, floor staff, APT hosts, commentators and Natural8 ambassadors battled over twenty-five 20-minute levels for a place in the paying positions, with 15 of them successful in their quest.
In addition to the APT owners and CTP management, notable entries included Hong Kong Poker Players’ Association Managing Director (HKPPA) Stephen Lai, Poker Information Manager for the GPI and the Hendon Mob Kevin “Kevmath” Mathers, Somuchpoker's Máté Hanusi and Callum Jury, and Natural8 ambassador Hua-Wei “Wei-Wei” Lin. Also in the field were APT commentators Kyle “Pocket Kyles” Ivanich and Sam "Bluffalo Sam" Insole, APT hosts Hsiao Chin “Elfin” Lin and Yuri Murakami, as well as local talent including Yen Han “Pete” Chen and former APT National Cup Taipei 2025 champion Shi Rong Wang.
However, it was Taiwan’s Heng Je Hu, a 25-year-old online poker agent, who tamed the pewter lion and claimed the first Championship Trophy of the festival, defeating compatriot Wei Chun Lin heads up to earn a career-best TWD 279,562 (~USD 7,720) top prize, with the latter collecting TWD 192,500 (~USD 5,320) for his runner-up finish.
"I'm a player and agent for online poker platforms. It was very enjoyable to participate in such a grand event. I’m very happy [to win] and I’d like to thank my friends. I'm grateful I didn't give up on this game," said Hu via the aid of a translator immediately following his win, before heading off to buy them dinner to celebrate.
INDUSTRY CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL TABLE RESULTS
TOP (L-R): Victor Chong (Malaysia), Chih Yi Fan (Taiwan), Elton Keung (USA), Phongsatorn Panchakabut (Thailand), Heng Je Hu (Taiwan).
BOTTOM (L-R): Wei Chun Lin (Taiwan), Stephanie Chang (Taiwan), Shun Hei Lee (Hong Kong), Mars Chan (Taiwan)
For Asia Gaming Industry Championship Freezeout Player List please CLICK HERE
For all Asia Gaming Industry Championship Freezeout Results please CLICK HERE
All tournament information can be found on the Asia Gaming Industry Championship tournament page and you can follow all the action as it played out via the APT Blog.