APT CHAMPIONSHIP 2026 SCHEDULE | OFFICIAL RESULTS | PLAYER LISTS | LIVE REPORTING | IMAGES | WINNERS

A massive turnout secures its place as the second-largest non-Main Event and third-largest APT tournament in history

TAIPEI, TAIWAN, November 14, 2026 – Once again the opening event of the APT Championship has laid down a solid cornerstone for the festival, with the National Cup Championship setting a new record for the second consecutive year.

Run in partnership with the Chinese Texas Hold’em Poker Club (CTP) at the cavernous Red Space 多元商務空間 venue the TWD 16,000 (~USD 490) National Cup Championship drew a massive 2,459 entries (1,148 unique) over its five opening flights, surpassing its record-setting 2025 debut by over two percent (+2.5%).

The initial 820 combined Flight A & B entries were padded out by a further 740 Flight C entries to crush the TWD 20 million (~USD 613,000) guarantee on the third flight played.

The third of five flights also set a new APT Championship record, becoming the festival’s largest-ever opening flight. Flight D drew an additional 609 entries, with a further 280 entries joining the action for the Turbo Flight E.

The prize pool stands at a sizable TWD 32,657,094 (~USD 1,001,750)—over 63 percent more than the guarantee and a nine percent (9.4%) increase over the 2025 iteration of the tournament—putting it in the top five of the richest non-High Roller side events the tour has ever run.

In addition to claiming all the accolades that come with winning the National Cup Championship title and taming the second of the festival’s exclusive Championship Lion Trophies, the eventual champion will walk away with a hefty TWD 5,240,594 (~USD 160,755) top prize, plus an APT Championship Main Event seat worth TWD 330,000 (USD 10,000)!

With the top 14 percent of each flight advancing into the money, Flight C saw 104 players reach the Final Day, joined by 85 survivors from Flight D and 41 from Flight E.

All 345 survivors from the five flights will return in the paying positions and are guaranteed to make at least TWD 23,700 (~USD 725) for their two days of tournament grinding.

For National Cup Championship Prize Pool & Payouts please CLICK HERE

Flight C

Canada’s Mehmet Siginc topped the Flight C leaderboard

Flight C got the tournament action underway at 11am local time (TST) with 740 entries (569 unique) piling into the tournament before registration closed at 3:40pm – an eight percent (8.2%) increase in entries over the 2025 edition – with players duking it out over 21 twenty-five minute levels.

Following a protracted 40-minute bubble which lasted through the final break, the elimination of the USA’s Berkeley Yuan with 18 minutes remaining on the clock at level 21 saw the remaining 104 players bag up chips.

It was Canada’s Mehmet Siginc topping the flight, bagging up a stack of 1,100,000 with which to make his play for the title and trophy, putting him fourth in the overall pecking order coming into the Final Day.

Hong Kong’s Hung Wai Sze (983,000), and South Korea’s Sung Sik Eum (955,000) rounded out the top three, with New Zealand’s Tae Hoon Han (688,000), Taiwan’s Carlos Chang (668,000), and former Main Event champion Rene von Reden (632,000) all bagging top ten stacks.

FLIGHT C TOP TEN STACKS

Other notables to make it through include Flight A bubble boy Takahiko Kondo (511,000), Germany’s Daniel Smiljkovic (415,000), Australia’s Jennifer Cassell (365,000), and Natural8 ambassador Nevan Chang (285,000).

For National Cup Championship Flight C Player List please CLICK HERE

For National Cup Championship Flight C Survivors please CLICK HERE

All tournament information can be found on the National Cup Championship Flight C tournament page and you can read about all the thrills and spills in the Flight C APT Blog coverage.

Flight D

Taiwan’s Maggie Weng summited the Flight D leaderboard

Flight D got underway at 4:30pm (TST) drawing 609 entries (496 unique) with just 85 players bagging up chips at the end of the evening, with the action playing out over 22 twenty-minute levels.

In what proved to be a lightning-fast bubble, the eliminations of Australia’s Wei Zhu, and Anton Lu in two simultaneous bust outs on separate tables saw the survivors bag up their chips with Taiwan’s Chieh Chih "Maggie" Weng topping the flight with a stack of 1,052,000 putting her sixth in the overall counts coming into the Final Day.

Weng was the only Flight D player to bag a seven-figure stack, with Poland’s Dawid Smolka (818,000), and Australia’s Graham Cowan sitting some way behind in second and third respectively.

Other notables to finish in the top ten included Australia’s Vijayaram Shurane (659,000), and APT Taipei High Roller champion Ritwik Khanna of India (587,000).

FLIGHT D TOP TEN STACKS

Singapore’s Dhanesh Chainani (441,000), Romania’s number #1 ranked tournament player Alexandru Papazian (306,000) also made the cut.

For National Cup Championship Flight D Player List please CLICK HERE

For National Cup Championship Flight D Survivors please CLICK HERE

All tournament information can be found on the National Cup Championship Turbo Flight D tournament page and you can read about how all the Flight D action played out via the APT Blog.

Flight E

India’s Kunal Patni will be returning fifth in the Final Day counts after topping Flight E

The fifth and final Turbo Flight E got underway at 8:30pm (TST) attracting a further 280 entries (238 unique) with the action playing out over twenty-three fast-paced 15-minute levels.

The exit of South Korea’s Chang Seog Chae in 42nd place brought the tournament to a close, guaranteeing the 41 remaining survivors a place in the hallowed money spots.

It was India’s Kunal Patni propelling himself to the top of the counts with a stack of 1,080,000 – which will see him return fifth in the overall pecking order.

Patni was the only Flight E player to crack seven figures, with Japan’s Yoshihito Sugimoto (759,000), and Taiwan’s Cheng Pin Hsu (636,000) rounding out the top three, with the top ten as follows:

FLIGHT E TOP TEN STACKS

Other notables returning for the Final Day include Australia's Yita Choong (250,000), and former Main Event champion Abraham Ceesvin (195,000).

For National Cup Championship Flight E Player List please CLICK HERE

For National Cup Championship Flight E Survivors please CLICK HERE

All tournament information can be found on the National Cup Championship Turbo Flight E tournament page and you can read about all the Flight E action played out via the APT Blog.

Final Day Stacks

It is Flight B frontrunner Troy Mclean who will be returning in pole position for the Final Day with a stack of 1,261,000. Flight A top dog Konosuke Nakajima (1,234,000) and Flight A number two Jun Wei Yan (1,126,000) round out the top three stacks, with the top ten as follows:

FINAL DAY TOP TEN STACKS

For National Cup Championship Final Day Draw please CLICK HERE

The 345 survivors will return for the Final Day, which gets underway at 11:15am local time (TST) on Sunday, November 16.