Chang Hwan Lee

Day 1 of the 2026 APT Incheon High Roller has run its course.

A total of 222 entrants (154 unique) anteed up the KRW 5,000,000 buy-in, generating a massive prize pool of KRW 959,040,000 (~USD 685,030), nearly doubling the KRW 500,000,000 guarantee.

Out of the 222 players who took to the felt, 51 have survived and bagged chips to take into Day 2 tomorrow, August 16.

31 players will be paid, with a minimum cash prize of KRW 8,320,000 (~USD 5,940) being awarded, but all players will be eyeing up the juicy first-place prize of KRW 199,870,000 (~USD 142,765), which comes along with a ticket into the APTC Main Event in November and not to mention the exclusive award-winning APT Rose Gold Lion Trophy.

It was the Japan’s Chang Hwan Lee who finished Day 1 with a massive 1,211,000 chips. Close behind Lee is China’s Yuan Lei with 1,183,000 in chips, and hot on Lei’s heels is Lee’s compatriot Ryuta Nakai, rounding out the podium in third spot with 1,173,000 chips.

APT HIGH ROLLER DAY 1 TOP TEN STACKS

As would be expected in one of the closing higher buy-in events of the series, a plethora of top names took to the felt looking to get a bag through to Day 2 and be in with a shot at picking up the last Mega Lion Trophy on offer at APT Incheon.

Danny Tang

However, most fell by the wayside and the likes of Thailand’s Punnat Punsri, hot from his Superstar Challenge win earlier in the day, Hong Kong’s Danny Tang, Aussies John Perry, Yita Choong & Dylan Foster, the USA’s Daniel Neilson and Ireland’s Toby Joyce all couldn’t get a bag through and will be looking at one of the closer events to wrap up their series with a win.

Plenty of top-name players did make it through the day, though and we see the likes of Germany’s Martin Sedlak (855,000) sitting pretty in fifth spot and looking to make it the hat trick in APT titles.

Martin Sedlak

Ireland’s Ryan Plant (666,000) is also sitting in the top ten and looking to get his hands on his first APT Mega Lion trophy, to sit on the mantelpiece with his four other APT Lions. The UK’s Jun Li (655,000) is in a handy spot and has plenty of chips to make a deep run and will be hoping to go one better than his runner-up spot in the same event last year.

Jeremy Chan

Malaysia’s Jeremy Chan (608,000), after finally getting the second-place curse off his back, is looking to do the double here at APT Incheon and take down both the Super High Roller and High Roller events. Chan is in a great spot to bide his time and pick spots wisely and make a run at the final table to be the first player to win two Mega Lions at one series.

Sitting just outside the top ten in 16th place is China’s Ren Lin (574,000) who really needs no introduction and will be hoping to finish off the ‘Grand Slam’ of APT High Roller titles and add this title to the Super High Roller and Superstar Challenge titles that he claimed at this year's APT Jeju Classic.

Josh McCully

Aussie Josh McCully (364,000) is in the same boat as Lin and needs the APT High Roller title under his belt to also complete the ‘Grand Slam’.

For a full 2026 APT Incheon High Roller Survivor List, click HERE.

Day 2 kicks off tomorrow at 11.15 a.m. Local Time. Play will resume at Level 17 where the blinds will be 6,000/12,000 with a 12,000 big blind ante. Levels will be 40-minutes with a 15-minute break every three levels.

Play will continue until an APT 2026 Incheon High Roller champion is crowned and gets their hands on the exclusive APT Rose Gold Lion Trophy.

Be sure to join the APT team for live updates straight from the floor as the day unfolds.

To view the full seat draw for Day 3, click HERE.

Play has now concluded for the night.

The remaining 51 players are now bagging up their chips to return for Day 2.

Stay tuned for a brief recap of the day and full chip counts.

Ryan Plant

Ronald Lam in the big blind and Ryan Plant had already built a 50,000 pot beside a 7 T 2 flop.

On the K turn, Lam led out with 20,000 which Plant called.

Lam fired another 20,000 on the K river and Plant called again.

Lam showed T 3 which was good enough to win the pot.

Martin Sedlak

Martin Sedlak opened to 20,000 from middle position and was looked up by Saifah Chanpanya in the small blind. Xianling Chen sat in the big blind then three-bet all in for 144,000. Sedlak thought for a while and then four-bet all in to isolate, which did the trick as Chanpanya folded quicker than a cheetah on caffeine.

Xianling Chen: 9 9

Martin Sedlak: T T

Chen had run into a bit of a cooler on one of the last hands of the night and needed to hit the two outer or some miracle to stay alive. She got no help on the 6 K 3 4 5 runout and was sent to the rail.

Hiroyuki Noda

Jun Li opened to 20,000 and Hiroyuki Noda in the big blind called to see a flop.

The flop came A 4 J . After a check, Li fired 22,000. Noda thought for a few seconds before surrendering both his hand and the pot to Li.

Ryusuke Matsuo

Action was picked up with Takanari Uchida, at risk, and Ryusuke Matsuo with their cards and chips in the middle of the table.

Takanari Uchida: A T

Ryusuke Matsuo: Q T

Uchida was ahead all through the hand when the board ran 8 5 6 3 . His double up was secured when the A dropped on the river.

The clock has now been paused and the floor has announced that seven more hands will be dealt for the night.

After that, all remaining players will bag up their chips to return for Day 2 tomorrow, August 16.

Suparerk Totsaponvisad

Action folded to Jeffrey Lo, who moved all in from the button for 65,000. Suparerk Totsaponvisad squeezed his cards in the small blind and gave out a cry of "Let's go!"

"I've got a very bad hand!" came Lo's reply!

Jeffrey Lo: J 5

Suparerk Totsaponvisad: K 9

Not the flop Lo wanted to see when it came 9 9 4 and he was in deep trouble.

The 3 turn left Lo drawing dead and the 3 sealed the deal to send him to the rail.

Jun Li

Yuki Takahashi shoved all-in for 137,000 in late position. Jun Li in the big blind needed to burn a time card before making the call, putting Takashi's tournament life at risk.

Yuki Takahashi: A 7

Jun Li: K Q

Li was behind and he knew it. He looked like he wasn't expecting much until the flop came A T J . LI caught himself a straight making Takahashi make a double take on the board to make sure he was seeing right.

The runout 3 2 completed the board and eliminated Takahashi in the last level of the tournament.

Xianling Chen

Xianling Chen in early position opened to 16,000. With action folding to the blinds, Pongsapak Himathongkom in the small blind called. Trung Quan Nguyen in the big blind replied with an all-in shove for 94,000. Chen called but Himathongkom got out of the way, leaving the two players to head to showdown.

Trung Quan Nguyen: J J

Xianling Chen: A A

The moment the hands were tabled, Nguyen expected the worse with a smile. He stayed in his seat as the dealer flopped 9 3 6 .

Chen's lead was sealed when the A fell on the turn, prompting Nguyen to prepare to leave. He continued to leave the table as the Q fell on the river.