A Closer Look at the APT Jeju 2026 Schedule; 13 Days, 136 Tournaments, 12 APT Championship Main Event Seats & Over KRW 5.2 Billion (~USD 3.5 Million) in Guaranteed Prize Pools
After shattering records earlier this year with the historic APT Jeju Classic 2026, the Asian Poker Tour is making a grand return to South Korea’s premium holiday destination. The tour is shifting into overdrive for the fourth stop of its milestone 20-Year Anniversary season—the highly anticipated APT Jeju 2026.
In partnership with Landing Entertainment Korea (LEK), the APT is pulling out all the stops by expanding the festival format to a massive 13-day extravaganza running from September 25 to October 7, 2026. The battleground will be the world-class poker felt of the luxurious LES A Casino, located inside the sprawling Jeju Shinhwa World resort complex.
This extended schedule represents an impressive 32% increase over the APT Jeju Classic schedule, boasting an unprecedented 136 trophy events and a staggering KRW 5.2 billion (~USD 3.5 million) in total prize pool guarantees.
Every APT festival staged on Korean soil has established a new benchmark for the tour in the country, with the last four Main Events each setting new international attendance records as the largest ever held in South Korea.
As always, the highlight of the festival will be the KRW 2.2 billion (~USD 1.5 million) guaranteed APT Main Event, running from Sunday. September 27 to Saturday, October 3, which comes with a KRW 2.7M (~USD 1,800) buy-in.
The tour’s two other signature Lion Trophy events return with substantial guarantees: the KRW 15M (~USD 10,200) APT Super High Roller comes with a KRW 500 million (~USD 340,000) guarantee, and the KRW 5M (~USD 3,400) APT High Roller sports a KRW 700 million (~USD 476,000) guarantee.
The series will also serve as a battleground for the season-ending grand finale in Taipei, awarding 12 USD 10,000 APT Championship (APTC) Main Event seats throughout the festival:
- APT Main Event: 5 seats – top three finishers and two awarded by lucky draw on Day 3 & Day 4
- APT Super High Roller: 1 seat for the winner
- APT High Roller: 1 seat for the winner
- Superstar Challenge: 1 seat for the winner
- Zodiac Classic - Sponsored by Natural8: 1 seat for the winner
- Event #33 High Roller – Ultra Stack: 1 seat for the winner
- Event #54 High Roller: 1 seat for the winner
- Mini Main Event: 1 seat for the winner
With 136 scheduled tournaments split between 90 No Limit Hold’em tournaments that includes 11 dedicated Women’s Events, three heads-up events (one of which is also a Women’s Event), plus an eclectic selection of 46 non-NLH events comprising 21 Omaha tournaments, 17 stud and mixed games, and 8 draw games, players are split for choice.
There are also two exciting new additions to the schedule for the festival. The KRW 1.5M (~USD 1K) buy-in Event #101 Baby Zodiac Classic - Sponsored by Natural8 makes its APT debut and, with a solid KRW 1.5 million (~USD 85,000) guarantee, offers players a more bankroll friendly alternative to its bigger buy-in brother.
Then there is the KRW 600K (~USD 410) buy-in Event #97 Sunday Superstack - Big Bounty (KRW 300,000 Bounty) which plays out on the final weekend of the festival and offers players an exciting Bounty tournament alternative to the tour’s popular Sunday Superstack event.
Read on as we take a closer look at the key events on the APT Jeju 2026 schedule, including buy-ins, guarantees, tournament structures, and the records that continue to shape the tour’s rapid growth across Asia.
FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
Guarantee: KRW 2.2 billion (~USD 1.5M)
Date: Sunday, September 27 to Saturday, October 3
Buy-in: KRW 2.7M (~USD 1,800)
Defending APT Jeju 2025 champion Abraham Ceesvin
The crown jewel of the schedule, the APT Main Event returns with a massive KRW 2.2 billion (~USD 1.5 million) prize pool guarantee and the coveted 24K Gold Lion Trophy up for grabs. In a thrilling twist for this edition of the anniversary season, the stakes have been raised: five USD 10,000 APT Championship (APTC) Main Event seats are on the line. The top three finishers will secure an automatic pass to Taipei, while an additional two seats will be awarded via an exciting lucky draw on Day 3 and Day 4.
The flagship tournament of every APT festival has consistently rewritten the history books during the New Era. The all-time benchmark remains APT Taipei 2025, which stands as the largest Main Event in APT history after drawing a monumental 2,547 entries.
However, Jeju itself has become a record-breaking fortress; the tour's previous visit earlier this season at the APT Jeju Classic 2026 drew a historic 1,718-entry field to become the largest poker tournament ever held in South Korea with Canada’s William Li claiming the accolades and a KRW 649.8 million (~USD 402,535) top prize.
Prior to that, defending APT Jeju 2025 champion Abraham Ceesvin won the richest iteration of the tour’s flagship tournament ever to play out in Korea, overcoming a 1,693-entry field to claim the lion’s share of the KRW 3.8 billion (~USD 2.7 million) prize pool to bank a career-best KRW 649.8 million (~USD 464,170) top prize – the largest the tour has ever awarded in the country.
With the tour returning in prime holiday season, another massive turnout is expected to eclipse national records once more. Players will begin their quest with 40,000 in chips and have four starting flights to choose from. Flight A features standard 60-minute levels, while Flight B consists of six 45-minute levels followed by four 60-minute levels. Flights C and D will adopt accelerated structures with six 30-minute levels followed by four 45-minute levels.
From Day 2 onwards, the tournament locks into 60-minute levels throughout. Late registration closes after the first level played on Day 2, giving players a final window to enter Asia's marquee tournament arena.
Korea National Cup – Sponsored by DeepRun
Guarantee: KRW 200 million (~USD 136K)
Date: Friday, September 25 to Saturday, September 26
Buy-in: KRW 900,000 (~USD 615)
China’s Zhiyi Wang won the largest opening event ever to play out in Korea at the APT Jeju 2025
Kicking off the festival in style is the fan-favorite Korea National Cup – Sponsored by DeepRun, returning with a boosted KRW 200 million (~USD 136,000) prize pool guarantee.
The tournament continues to experience explosive growth across the tour, exemplified by the previous APT Jeju 2025 edition which set an international record as the largest opening event ever to play out in Korea. This saw China’s Zhiyi Wang conquer a massive 760-entry field to claim the lion's share of the KRW 536 million (~USD 382,990) prize pool and take home a KRW 92 million (~USD 65,720) top prize.
Players will begin their campaign with 30,000 in chips and have three starting flights to choose from, all playing out on Friday, September 25. Flight A features 25-minute levels, Flight B runs with 20-minute levels, and Flight C utilizes a fast-paced 15-minute turbo structure.
Only the top 14 percent of each flight will survive the opening day, securing both a spot in the money and a seat for the Final Day, where they will play down to a champion with the winner also receiving a USD 10,000 APT Championship Main Event seat.
Guarantee: KRW 500 million (~USD 340K)
Date: Saturday, September 26 to Sunday, September 27
Buy-in: KRW 15 million (~USD 10,200)
Defending APT Jeju 2025 Super High Roller champion Mingcong Chen
The high-octane drama reaches a boiling point on the opening weekend with the APT Super High Roller. Carrying a formidable KRW 500 million guarantee, this flagship high-stakes affair awards the coveted Pewter Lion Trophy.
The tour's previous stop on the island at the APT Jeju Classic 2026 showcased the true drawing power of this event, where the final table saw a legendary clash between poker superstar Tony Lin and Japan's Ryuta Nakai, with the former claiming back-to-back titles in the two biggest buy-in events of the festival after going on to win the Superstar Challenge immediately afterward.
While Lin’s win over a 115-entry field eclipsed that of defending APT Jeju 2025 champion Mingcong Chen, it is worth noting that that latter’s triumph over a 97-entry field back in August last year also made headlines; the 2025 edition of the tournament set the previous Korean-based tour record for both entries and prize pool.
Chen walked away with the largest share of the sizable KRW 1.34 billion (~USD 950,910) prize pool, returning to China with a sizable KRW 348 million (~USD246,990) top prize.
Players will face off with a deep 250,000 starting stack across 40-minute levels on Day 1, giving them ample room to manoeuvre. Registration remains open until the start of Day 2, allowing late entrants to jump directly into the business end of the tournament. Along with the trophy, a USD 10,000 APT Championship Main Event seat will be added to the winner's haul.
Mystery Bounty Hunter – Sponsored by Natural8
Guarantee: KRW 400 million (~USD 272K)
Date: Saturday, September 26 to Sunday, September 27
Buy-in: KRW 1.2 million (~USD 820)
APT Jeju 2025 champion Changliang Sun banked the largest Mystery Bounty first place prize the tour has ever awarded in Korea
Few events on the modern poker calendar can match the adrenaline rush of the Mystery Bounty Hunter – Sponsored by Natural8. Returning with an increased KRW 400 million guarantee, this fan-favorite tournament format offers players the chance to pull life-changing cash envelopes the second they navigate into the money.
The benchmark for this event in South Korea was set during the APT Jeju 2025 stop, when a massive field of 1,111 entries blasted past expectations to generate a staggering KRW 1 billion (~USD 748,880) prize pool. It was China’s Changliang Sun who etched his name in the annals of tour history after claiming a KRW 90 million (~USD 63,830) top prize – the largest the tour has ever awarded in Korea for this event.
The tournament features three starting flights on Saturday, September 26, where players begin with 30,000 in chips. Flight A comes with 25-minute levels, Flight B boasts 20-minute levels, and the turbo Flight C sports 15-minute levels. Using the same qualification framework as the National Cup, flights play down until just the top 14 percent remain.
Surviving stacks lock up a min-cash, punch their ticket to Sunday's Final Day, and unleash the chaotic hunt for the mystery bounty envelopes with the eventual champion also claiming an APT Championship Main Event seat.
Date: Sunday, September 27
Buy-in: KRW 600,000 (~USD 400)
Reigning APT Jeju 2025 Sunday Super Stack champion Fang Kai Yang
For players looking for highly competitive, deep-stack tournament poker at a more accessible price point, the Sunday Super Stack is the ultimate weekend battleground. Historically one of the most popular single-day tournaments on the Asian Poker Tour schedule, it routinely draws average fields of over 280 entries, generates an average prize pool of over USD 136,000, and awards an average top prize of over USD 26,000.
Reigning APT Jeju 2025 champion Fang Kai Yang overcame the largest Korean-based field this tournament has ever attracted, defeating 359 entries to earn the largest slice of the KRW 147 million (~USD 104,400) prize pool, with Yang banking a KRW 28.7 million (~USD 20,365) top prize.
Players start their campaign with a generous stack of 100,000 and navigate 25-minute levels until the close of registration at the end of level 10 with level length reducing to 20-minutes from level 11 onwards.
Zodiac Classic– Sponsored by Natural8
Guarantee: KRW 500 million (~USD 340K)
Date: Thursday, October 1 to Friday, October 2
Buy-in: KRW 3.7 million (~USD 2,500)
The USA’s Joseph Cheong claimed a record second Zodiac Classic title at the APT Jeju 2025
As the festival progresses into its second week, the attention of mid-to-high rollers shifts to the prestigious Zodiac Classic – Sponsored by Natural8. Boasting a KRW 500 million guarantee, this signature two-day tournament has long served as an arena for some of the tour’s top players to showcase their skills with the USA’s Joseph Cheong claiming the title a record two times.
Cheong’s second title victory came in this very tournament 12 months prior where he defeated the largest Korean-based field ever assembled for this event, triumphing over 449 entries to claim the lion’s share of the KRW 1.28 billion (~USD 914,420) prize pool to bank a KRW 244.5 million (~USD 174,710) top prize.
Players start with 40,000 in chips and compete over thirteen 40-minute levels on Day 1, with the tournament averaging over 220 entries per festival. The survivors will return for the Final Day to duke it out for a share of a prize pool that averages over USD 558,000 with the eventual champion claiming a top prize that averages over USD 106,000.
Guarantee: KRW 300 million (~USD 204K)
Date: Friday, October 2 to Saturday, October 3
Buy-in: KRW 1.5 million (~USD 1,000)
Defending APT Jeju 2025 Mini Main Event champion Wei Hang Chen
Regularly averaging fields of over 680 players and generating prize pools of close to USD 400,000, the Mini Main Event awards the eventual champion with an average top prize in the region of over USD 61,000 in addition to an APT Championship Main Event seat.
The record for largest-ever Mini Main Event was set during the APT Taipei 2025 where Hung Te Lee overcame a 1,760-entry field to land the lion’s share of the TWD 38 million (~USD 1.1 million) prize pool and bank the richest top prize this event has ever awarded – a sizable TWD 6.5 million (~USD 201,000).
Reigning APT Jeju 2025 Mini Main Event champion Wei Hang Chen triumphed over a 618-entry field to take the biggest slice of the KRW 519 million (~USD 370,800) prize pool back in October last year, walking away with a KRW 86.7 million (~USD 62,000) top prize.
Players start with 40,000 in chips and have three starting flights to choose from; Flight A comes with 30-minute levels, while Flights B & C come with 20-minute and 15-minute levels respectively. The top 14 percent of each flight will return for the Final Day and compete over 30-minute levels for the title, trophy and APT Championship Main Event seat.
Guarantee: KRW 700 million (~USD 476K)
Date: Saturday, October 3 to Sunday, October 4
Buy-in: KRW 5 million (~USD 3,400)
Vietnam’s Ngo Khoa Anh won the tour’s largest Korean-based APT High Roller during APT Jeju 2025
Serving as the grand finale of the festival’s high-stakes schedule, the iconic APT High Roller returns with a colossal KRW 700 million (~USD 478,000) guarantee and the legendary Rose Gold Lion Trophy on the line. Historically one of the most fiercely contested trophies on the tour, this two-day event consistently pulls the region's top-ranked pros and international talent.
Regularly attracting an average field of 228 entries, generating an average prize pool of over USD 722,000, and awarding an average top prize in the region of USD 147,000, former champions include DeepRun co-founder Phachara Wongwichit, Natural8 Ambassador Eric “Six Poker” Tsai, and Australia’s Daniel Neilson.
Defending APT Jeju 2025 champion Ngo Khoa Anh overcame the tour’s largest Korean-based iteration of the festival back in October last year, overcoming 305 entries to take the lion’s share of the KRW 1.3 billion (~USD 941,000) prize pool; the Vietnamese player banked a KRW 261.4 million (~USD 186,700) top prize.
Players will start their journey with a 40,000-chip stack, navigating a 40-minute level structure that rewards deep-stack patience and precision. Like its fellow elite tier events, the tournament will see registration close at the start of Day 2. The eventual champion will not only etch their name into South Korean poker history but will also claim the final added USD 10,000 APT Championship Main Event seat of the series.
Guarantee: KRW 150 million (~USD 102K)
Date: Saturday, October 3 to Sunday, October 4
Buy-in: KRW 1.2 million (~USD 820)
APT Jeju 2025 Ultra Stack champion Zhonghuan Dai
One of the highlights of the festival's closing stretch, the Ultra Stack returns with a hefty KRW 150 million (~USD 102,000) prize pool guarantee. As the festival transitions into its final major block of tournaments, this two-day marquee event is explicitly engineered for performance-driven players who want maximum room to manoeuvre.
Grinders will be treated to a starting stack of 100,000 and have the choice of three starting flights, all playing out on the Saturday; Flight A features 25-minute levels, Flight B runs 20-minute levels, and Flight C utilizes a fast-paced 15-minute turbo structure.
The tournament draws an average field of 560 entries, generates an average prize pool of over USD 267,000, and awards an average top prize of over USD 43,000, with defending APT Jeju 2025 champion Zhonghuan Dai defeating a 254-entry field to take the biggest portion of the KRW 179.2 million (~USD 128,000) prize pool and bank a KRW 35.8 million (~USD25,600) top prize back in October of last year.
Guarantee: KRW 125 million (~USD 85,000)
Date: Monday, October 5 to Tuesday, October 6
Buy-in: KRW 750,000 (~USD 510)
APT Jeju 2025 Micro Main Event champion Jeevan Lobo
With an increased buy-in and guarantee, and an additional day added, the Micro Main Event follows the same format as it’s two namesake events only with a much lower price point.
Defending champion Jeevan Lobo of India overcame a 112-entry field in a single-day Micro Main Event back during APT Jeju 2025 to take the lion’s share of the KRW 45.9 million (~USD 34,000) prize pool and bank a KRW 9.9 million top prize.
With the regular one-day version run at previous festivals averaging fields of 264 entries, generating an average prize pool of over USD 67,000, and awarding a top prize in the region of over USD 12,500, this new and improved two-day version and its KRW 125 million (~USD 85,000) prize pool guarantee offers players some great value with which to conclude their festival run.
Just like its Mini Main Event bigger brother, the tournament offers players three starting flights to choose from, all of which play out on Monday, October 5; Flight A comes with 25-minute levels, Flight B offers 20-minute levels, and the turbo Flight C sports 15-minute levels, with the top 14 percent of each flight making Day 2 and the paying positions.