APT Zodiac Classic Champion Siyu Ji

After an extended day of play, the KRW 3,600,000 (~USD 2,400) APT Zodiac Classic has officially concluded with a new champion at the LES A Casino, at the luxurious Jeju Shinhwa World resort. China’s Siyu Ji outlasted a field of 426 entries (300 unique) to capture the biggest cash of her career - KRW 252,980,400 (~USD 175,680) - the largest first-place prize this event has awarded in the country. Along with the title, she also secured an APTC Main Event seat and her maiden APT Lion Trophy.

In what became the richest edition of the tournament ever held in Korea, the event generated a massive KRW 1,325,030,400 (~USD 920,160)prize pool – including a KRW 14.4M Asian Poker Tour Championship Main Event seat for the winner. With so much at stake, competition was relentless, and the originally scheduled two-day event had to be extended by an additional day to determine a champion.

Ji’s path to victory was anything but straightforward. She began Day 2 with a modest above-average stack but quietly built momentum as the field thinned. By the dinner break, she had surged into the top ten, signaling her arrival as a serious contender. Ji entered the final table second in chips, just behind China’s Yi Feng Zhang, the very player who would later stand between her and the title.

Siyu Ji and Yi Feng Zhang

During the final table, a pivotal clash between the two shifted the momentum dramatically, with Ji crippling Zhang and taking control as the dominant chip leader. However, Zhang mounted a remarkable comeback and entered heads-up play holding the advantage. The final duel spilled into an unscheduled Day 3, where, after just five hands, Ji sealed the victory. Zhang finished runner-up for KRW 159,900,000 (~USD 111,040), marking the best result of his career.

With the aid of a translator, she reflected on her victory, saying, “I still haven’t fully calmed down from the intense and thrilling battle at the table, but I’m very happy right now. I love this Zodiac event trophy so much. To me, it gives me an answer — it’s proof to myself.”

Ji becomes only the second woman to win the APT Zodiac Classic, following Natalia Rozova of Russia, who finished 50th in this year’s event and made the money but fell short of a deeper run.

Zodiac Classic Final Table Results:

*Plus and APTC Main Event seat valued at KRW 14,400,000

Final Table Action

With so much on the line, final table action began cautiously, as every player carefully chose their spots.

The first to fall was China’s Zhiyi Wang at the hands of the USA's Nicholas Wang. Zhiyi Wang open-shoved with pocket jacks against Nicholas Wang’s pocket sevens. Despite starting ahead, Nicholas Wang’s sevens connected with the board, eliminating Zhiyi Wang in ninth place for KRW 23,850,000 (~USD 16,560).

With an almost USD 4,000 pay jump awaiting eighth place, the pace slowed considerably. Chips shifted gradually, and nearly two hours passed before the next player hit the rail.

China’s Xu Pan, who entered the final table as one of the shortest stacks, was eliminated when his ace-king suited failed to improve against Zhang’s ace-nine suited, which paired on the turn. Pan collected KRW 29,880,000 (~USD 20,750) for his eighth-place finish.

As seven players remained past midnight, tournament staff informed the table, in accordance with APT policy, that play would have a hard stop at 3:00 a.m. (KST) and resume the following day at an agreed time. After the announcement, the tempo noticeably shifted, and action began to ramp up.

Yifeng Zhang

Everything changed in a pivotal clash between the two chip leaders, Ji and Zhang.

In their first major confrontation, Ji caught Zhang bluffing and called his all-in with ace-five after flopping a pair against Zhang’s three-two offsuit. The hand left Zhang with just two big blinds, while Ji surged to control 46% of the chips in play. From there, Ji began to dominate the table, eliminating players in quick succession.

Before Ji’s full takeover, China’s Yayun Liu was eliminated by compatriot Yahun Liu in a classic big slick versus big chick battle. With neither player improving, Yahun Liu’s ace-king offsuit outkicked Yayun Liu’s ace-queen offsuit, sending Yayun Liu to the payout desk in seventh place for KRW 42,070,000 (~USD 29,215).

Ji’s elimination run then began in earnest. India’s Akshay Nasa called Ji’s button shove with king-eight offsuit, while Ji held ace-jack suited. Ji’s hand held with ace-high, eliminating Nasa in sixth place for KRW 55,960,000 (~USD 38,860).

Akshay Nasa

Shortly after, Nicholas Wang fell in a blind-versus-blind battle against Ji. Wang’s ace-eight offsuit was dominated by Ji’s ace-jack offsuit, which again held without improvement. Wang exited in fifth place, earning KRW 71,430,000 (~USD 49,600).

The pace barely slowed. Yuhan Liu soon found himself all-in, and Ji snap-called. Liu’s pocket tens were up against Ji’s pocket kings. Although Liu flopped a set, Ji rivered a straight to crush his hopes of advancing further. Liu departed in fourth place with KRW 91,090,000 (~USD 63,255).

Amid Ji’s surge, Zhang quietly rebuilt his stack. After regaining momentum, Zhang called China’s Jing Feng Zhu’s all-in with nine-five offsuit. Zhu, holding queen-five offsuit, was eliminated when Zhang’s hand held, securing Zhu a third-place finish worth KRW 114,680,000 (~USD 79,640). Entering the final table as the short stack, Zhu’s podium finish marked a strong performance.

Jing Feng Zhu

That left Ji and Zhang for a rematch of their earlier battle. However, time had expired. Ji initially wanted to continue, believing the match would end quickly. However, a friend advised her that her luck might be limited for the day and that waiting could prove wiser. She agreed.

When play resumed the next day, it ended swiftly. Arriving early, both players agreed to begin before the official restart time. Within five hands, it was over.

On the final hand, Zhang appeared poised for another comeback when his king-queen offsuit paired the flop. However, the river delivered Ji the higher pair with ace-jack, sealing the victory. Zhang’s remarkable run concluded with a runner-up finish worth KRW 159,900,000 (~USD 111,040).

And with that, a new champion was crowned.

Congratulations to China’s Siyu Ji and to all the players who made this final table a memorable one. Stay tuned as the ten-day APT Jeju Classic 2026 festival comes to a close tomorrow.

The KRW 3,600,000 (~USD 2,400) APT Zodiac Classic has officially concluded, with Siyu Ji crowned champion. She takes home KRW 252,980,400 (~USD 175,680), an APTC Main Event seat, and her maiden APT Lion Trophy.

Stay tuned as a full recap of the final table will follow shortly.

Yi Feng Zhang

Yi Feng Zhang limped on the button, and Siyu Ji announced all in from the big blind. The moment Zhang shoved a stack of chips forward for the call, Ji jumped out of her chair and shouted, “Yes!” With the call made, Zhang was fighting for his tournament life.

Yi Feng Zhang: K Q

Siyu Ji: A J

The floor exploded with both sides of the rail showing for cards. The only one who remained seated was Zhang, who quietly watched the flop.

The flop came Q 2 T , pushing Zhang ahead with a pair. The tension escalated as Ji shouted for an ace to fall, while Zhang’s rail fired back, urging the board to hold.

The turn 8 did not help Ji, but she erupted in celebration, hugging her rail as the A fell on the river, eliminating Zhang in runner-up position and crowning her the new APT Champion.

Siyu Ji

On their fourth hand, Siyu Ji in the button limped, and Yi Feng Zhang checked - taking them to the flop.

The flop came 4 8 9 and action went check-check. On the turn 7 , Zhang fired 300,000 but Ji went beyond and made it 750,000. Zhang called to see the last card.

The river J fell and after action was passed to her, she bet 700,000 which was enough to take down the pot.

Siyu Ji

The players decided to start 15 minutes before start of play, eager to get the action going. Siyu Ji, in the big blind, won the first hand and on their second hand, Yi Feng Zhang raised 800,000 on the button and Siyu Ji called.

The flop came Q 5 4 which both players checked. The turn came 4 and after a check, Zhang resumed action with a 900,000 bet.

On the river A , Ji fired 1,700,000 and Zhang called leading them to a showdown. Ji tabled K 6 for a flush then cheered when Zhang threw his hand in the muck pile.

The record-breaking KRW 3,600,000 (~USD 2,400) APT Zodiac Classic resumes today at 3:00 p.m. (KST) with just two players remaining - China’s Siyu Ji and Yi Feng Zhang - who will battle it out to become the last player standing.

Originally scheduled as a two-day event, the tournament was extended after the final table remained eight-handed past 12:30 a.m. The floor announced that, regardless of progress, play would have a hard stop approximately two hours later, with action to resume the following day upon agreement from the remaining players.

Few expected the field to narrow to just two within that timeframe. Following a pivotal hand, eliminations came rapidly as Ji powered through the final table, leaving only Zhang in contention.

Heads-Up Chip Counts

Ji and Zhang had been the dominant forces throughout the final table, frequently clashing as the top two chip leaders. Their battles shaped the momentum of the night, and at one point Zhang was on the brink of elimination before mounting a phenomenal comeback to secure his place in the heads-up finale.

At stake is the largest first-place prize this event has ever awarded in Korea — KRW 252,980,400 (~USD 175,680) — along with an APTC Main Event seat and the prestigious APT Lion Trophy.

Play will resume at Level 32 with blinds of 100,000/200,000 and a 200,000 big blind ante, continuing until a champion is crowned.

Who will prevail in this heart-pounding heads-up battle, and who will emerge victorious? Stay tuned as we bring you the thrilling conclusion straight from Jeju Island, South Korea.