The Asian Poker Tour—sponsored by Natural8—is proud to announce the schedule for the highly anticipated APT Championship 2026 (APTC), set to take place from November 13–29, 2026, in Taipei, Taiwan.
Run in partnership with the Chinese Texas Hold’em Poker Club (CTP), the 17-day festival will be hosted at the Asia Poker Arena (APA) and Red Space 多元商務空間.
The announcement follows a landmark year for the tour, with APT Championship 2025 (APTC) officially establishing itself as the largest Asian poker festival of all time). The record-breaking series attracted an unprecedented 28,265 entries and awarded a staggering TWD 1,000,000,000 (~USD 34,000,000) in total prize money.
At the centre of that historic festival was the APT Championship Main Event Freezeout. The USD 10,000 buy-in showpiece drew 671 entries and generated a massive TWD 194,000,000 (~USD 6.2 million) prize pool—making it the biggest and richest USD 10K buy-in tournament held outside of Las Vegas in the last decade, the largest and wealthiest ever staged in Asia, and the richest tournament in APT history.
Nishant Sharma from India was the one that earned the largest Main Event payout the tour has ever awarded, TWD 37,000,000 (~USD 1,200,000), and the Gold Lion APT Championship Main Event Trophy.
Building on that momentum, APT Championship 2026 is set to raise the bar even further, featuring over TWD 260 million (~USD 8 million) in total guarantees alongside an expanded lineup of 23 Championship Events, up from 20 last year, reinforcing its position as the tour’s flagship festival.
The crown jewel of the festival remains the APT Championship Main Event, the most prestigious event on the APT calendar. Featuring a freezeout format, the Main Event once again comes with a USD 5 million guarantee, with a USD 10K buy-in. The event represents the ultimate test of skill, where players have a single opportunity to capture one of the most coveted titles in Asian poker.
For high-stakes players, the schedule once again delivers a trio of marquee events: the Super High Roller Championship (USD 25,000 buy-in), the Superstar Championship (USD 50,000 buy-in), and the High Roller Championship (USD 15,000 buy-in). These headline tournaments are expected to attract a stacked field of elite and seasoned professionals from across the globe.
The 2026 schedule also introduces several new Championship Events, further diversifying the festival’s offering. Omaha players will have a new high-stakes platform with the PLO High Roller Championship (TWD 150,000/~USD 4,700 buy-in) on November 18–19, while the introduction of the Single Day High Roller Championship (USD 10,000 buy-in) on November 19 adds a single-day, high-impact format to the lineup.
Another key addition comes in the form of the Ultra Stack Championship (TWD 150,000/~USD 4,700 buy-in), scheduled for November 25–26. Evolving from last year’s popular USD 5K Ultra Stack, this event now takes on Championship status, offering deeper structures and greater prestige.
Mixed games remain an integral part of the APT ecosystem, with the Mixed Games Championship (TWD 70,000/~USD 2,200 buy-in) continuing to provide a stage for mixed specialists, while the PLO Championship (TWD 80,000/~USD 2,500 buy-in) complements the expanded Omaha offerings across the schedule.
Other major highlights include returning fan favourites such as the **(USD 3,000 buy-in, USD 1,000,000 GTD), the National Cup Championship (TWD 16,000/~USD 500 buy-in, TWD 20,000,000 GTD), and the Mystery Bounty Championship (TWD 35,000/~USD 1,100 buy-in, TWD 15,000,000 GTD), each contributing to the festival’s diverse and dynamic tournament mix.
As with previous seasons, players will have multiple opportunities to qualify for the APT Championship Main Event through events held across the APT tour in the lead-up to the festival, as well as online via Natural8. Further details on qualification pathways will be announced in due course.
CHAMPIONSHIP EVENTS
Key festival highlights include:
- Asia Gaming Industry Championship: Nov 12 – TWD 13,000/~USD 400 buy-in
- National Cup Championship (TWD 20,000,000 GTD): Nov 13-15 – TWD 16,000/~USD 500 buy-in
- Mystery Bounty Championship sponsored by Natural8 (TWD 15,000,000 GTD): Nov 15-16 – TWD 35,000/~USD 1,100 buy-in
- Ultra Stack Championship (TWD 25,000,000 GTD): Nov 16-18 – TWD 25,000/~USD 800 buy-in
- 7-Max Championship: Nov 16-17 – TWD 80,000/~USD 2,500 buy-in
- PLO Championship: Nov 17-18 – TWD 80,000/~USD 2,500 buy-in
- PLO High Roller Championship: Nov 18-19 – TWD 150,000/~USD 4,700 buy-in
- Natural8 Cup Championship (USD 1,000,000 GTD): Nov 18-21 – USD 3,000 buy-in
- Micro Main Event Championship: Nov 19-21 – TWD 16,000/~USD 500 buy-in
- Single Day High Roller Championship: Nov 19 – USD 10,000 buy-in
- Super High Roller Championship: Nov 20-22 – USD 25,000 buy-in
- Mixed Games Championship: Nov 20-21 – TWD 70,000/~USD 2,200 buy-in
- Women’s Championship: Nov 20-21 – TWD 35,000/~USD 1,100 buy-in
- Superstar Championship: Nov 22-23 – USD 50,000 buy-in
- APT Championship Main Event (USD 5,000,000 GTD): Nov 23-27 – USD 10,000 buy-in
- Mini Main Event Championship: Nov 24-26 – TWD 35,000/~USD 1,100 buy-in
- Ultra Stack Championship: Nov 25-26 – TWD 150,000/~USD 4,700 buy-in
- High Roller Championship: Nov 26-28 – USD 15,000 buy-in
- Teams Championship: Nov 26 – TWD 30,000/~USD 950 buy-in
- Freezeout Championship: Nov 27-28 – TWD 50,000/~USD 1,575 buy-in
- Mini High Roller Championship: Nov 27-29 – USD 7,500 buy-in
- Turbo Championship: Nov 28 – TWD 35,000/~USD 1,100 buy-in
- Trip Saver Championship (TWD 5,000,000 GTD): Nov 28-29 – TWD 35,000/~USD 1,100 buy-in