Ma Kaihong

Day 2 of the APT Jeju 2026 Main Event has concluded inside the grand LES A Casino, and after a long day of play, 198 players remain in contention, all of them guaranteed a piece of the prize pool.

Registration stayed open until the start of Level 12, and a further 203 entries (125 unique and 78 re-entries) came in on Day 2 alone. That took the final field to 1,375 entries, well beyond the KRW 2.2 billion guarantee. The final prize pool stands at KRW 3.2 billion (~USD 2.36 million), and all 198 remaining players are guaranteed at least KRW 4,180,000 (~USD 3,120).

Leading the pack is China's Ma Kaihong, the only player to bag more than seven figures. Kaihong bagged 92,600 at the end of Flight A and returns for Day 3 with 1,135,000, more than ten times his Day 2 starting stack. China's Jiawei Wan sits second with 986,000, while Singapore's Kim Wah Chiu is just behind in third with 981,000.

APT Main Event Day 2 Top Ten Chip Counts

For the full list of Day 2 survivors, click here.

Day 2 Action

Rene von Reden

The four starting flights all converged on Day 2, and with registration still open, the early levels were a mix of returning big stacks and fresh 40,000 starting stacks. Rene von Reden won an early three-way pot against Meng Wu and Chun Yin Lau, and he went on to bag 160,000.

Fortune did not favour Nevan Chang today as it had yesterday, when he took down the Superstar Challenge for KRW 451,777,500 (~USD 337,150). The Taiwanese player was the first casualty of the day when his pocket threes were cracked by an ace on the river for Toby Joyce.

He re-entered and busted Manh Tuan Nguyen with king-high shortly after registration closed, but he couldn't make his second bullet count and failed to reach Day 3. Joyce, meanwhile, went on to bag a well-sized stack of 646,000, just missing the top ten.

Wang Zhujun

One of the most entertaining moments of the day came from Wang Zhujun. After four-betting and calling Chengcai Pan's five-bet shove, she held Big Slick against Pan's jacks and shouted "Letter A! Letter A! Letter A!" as the cards were dealt. The flop gave her an ace and a king, and she held on for a full double through Pan. Zhujun survived to bag 42,000, while Pan recovered to finish with 284,000.

Wen Jie Sun left an even bigger decision to chance. Facing a four-bet shove from The Hung Nguyen, he used around four time banks before appearing to flip a chip to make up his mind. He called, his pocket queens held against Nguyen's ace-king, and he bagged 380,000 at the end of the night.

Khoa Anh Ngo

Khoa Anh Ngo had luck on his side when his ace-jack was dominated by Yih Ming Hsu's ace-queen, but a ten on the river completed broadway for the Vietnamese pro. Tom Verbruggen flopped top set with pocket aces to send Yixiang Ding to the rail, and although he couldn't hold on to that stack, he still bagged 44,000.

The loudest reaction of the day came from Dajie Zhuo. He jammed with queen-jack with an open-ender on the flop and ran into Trung Quan Nguyen's pocket kings, but the eight on the turn gave him the straight, and his roar could be heard across the floor. Both players made it through, with Nguyen on 343,000 and Zhuo on 330,000.

Xiubo Li

It was a day to forget for Xiubo Li, who came into Day 2 as the overall chip leader. He started the day on the feature table and provided plenty of action, but left it having lost a chunk of his stack to Chen Peng after opening nine-eight suited and calling his opponent's all-in three-bet.

Li was back on the feature table as the money bubble approached, and with just four eliminations until the payouts were reached, he lost more than half of his stack to Harder after calling a three-bet with queen-eight into pocket kings. Down to just over 20 big blinds, he passed the rest of his chips across a few hands later, getting it in with nine-five suited on a queen-high monotone board into Harder's aces.

The Bubble

Changliang Sun (left)

In textbook APT style, the money bubble was not without its moments. In the first hand of hand-for-hand play, Changliang Sun shoved for 201,000 from the small blind with pocket kings after Jiawei Wan opened and Chuanshu Chen called. Chen let it go, but Wan called with ace-king, and the ace on the flop left Sun in big trouble. The ten on the turn gave him hope of a chop, and the jack on the river duly delivered it, with both players making Broadway. Sun ultimately bagged 213,000.

Xueying Zhao

Lei Yang was not so lucky. His pocket nines failed to overtake Xueying Zhao's pocket tens, and he was the only player to leave empty-handed.

Several short stacks survived the stone bubble. Jiahao Zhang doubled up with pocket aces against Daisuke Ogita's seven-five, and Junfeng Zou's pocket jacks held against queen-ten to keep him alive.

Francis Anderson (seated left) co-bubbled with Shurong Huang

The bubble eventually burst with a double elimination at two separate tables. Francis Anderson moved all in for his last 65,000 with king-queen and was called by Heli Zhang's nine-eight suited, and an eight on the flop did it for Zhang.

At the same time, Shurong Huang's pocket fours were up against Kaifan Wang's pocket sevens. Huang picked up an open-ender on the turn, but the river bricked. With both players eliminated at separate tables, Anderson and Huang split a min-cash worth KRW 4,180,000 (~USD 3,120).

Notables Making It Through

Daniel Neilson

Harder finished the day inside the top ten with 663,000, and he's joined in the deep end of the counts by APT Taipei 2024 Main Event winner Daisuke Ogita (536,000). Korea National Cup champion Lee Wee Liew continued his brilliant week, bagging 362,000, while Flight C chip leader Chang Li also made it through with 315,000.

Magnus Edengren (278,000), Scott Margereson (274,000), Khoa Anh Ngo (272,000), Dzmitry Urbanovich (213,000) and Daniel Neilson (202,000) all return with healthy stacks. Ryuta Nakai (187,000), Stanley Weng (116,000) and Anthony Kastelic (113,000) are also still in the hunt, as is APT Taipei 2026 Main Event champion Walter Lau, who survived with 57,000.

Nevan Chang failed to survive Day 2

Not everyone was as fortunate. Two-time APT Main Event champion Lester Edoc, Ren Lin, Nevan Chang and Kunal Patni were among those who fell short of the money.

Day 3 gets underway at 11:15 AM local time on October 1, with Day 3 playing 10 levels or to 48 Players (whichever comes first). Be sure to check back for continued coverage of the APT Jeju 2026 Main Event.

Action has stopped for the day as just 198 players remain in the event.

Action will resume at 11:15 am tomorrow where the remaining players will continue to battle into the later stages of the 2026 Jeju Main Event.

Francis Anderson Bubbles

After a handful of double-ups during hand-for-hand play, Francis Anderson and Shurong Huang found themselves all in and at risk at separate tables.

At the first table, Anderson moved all in for his las 65,000 from the small blind and was called by Heli Zhang in the big blind.

Francis Anderson: K Q

Heli Zhang: 9 8

Anderson held the lead, but the 8 A 5 flop paired Zhang's eight to pull him into the lead.

Neither the 2 turn nor A river bailed Anderson out and he was eliminated.

At the other table, Shurong Huang shoved all-in for 143,000 from cutoff and Kaifan Wang called on the button to put Huang at risk.

Shurong Huang: 4 4

Kaifan Wang: 7 7

Wang remained in the lead on the 5 6 9 flop, but the 3 turn gave Huang more outs to improve and survive the bubble with an open-ended straight draw.

However, his hopes were dashed when the Q fell on the river, co-eliminating him on the stone bubble.

Since Anderson and Huang were eliminated on separate tables, they split a min-cash worth KRW 4,180,000 (~USD 3,120).

Shurong Huang

Xiubo Li

Shortly after doubling up Christian Harder, Xiubo Li found himself in another, more fatal spot.

After a middle position open, Xiubo Li called from the cutoff. Christian Harder three-bet to 45,000 on the button and only Li called.

The pair saw the Q T 2 flop and both checked to the 9 turn.

With just four players until the money, Li didn't hesitate before betting out his remaining 79,000 stack. Harder snap called and Li was left to see his fate.

Xiubo Li: 9 5

Christian Harder: A A

There was only a couple of cards in the deck for Li to come back and after a long pause, the dealer peeled the 3 river, sending Li home.

He instantly stood and walked away from the table having gone from 500,000 chips to none in the matter of minutes, just before the money bubble.

Lei Yang open-jammed all-in for 77,000 from early position and action folded to Xue Ying Zhao who made the call. The rest of the table folded quickly and the cameras gathered for the action.

Lei Yang: 9 9

Xue Ying Zhao: T T

Yang was in deep trouble and needed help from the poker Gods.

Nothing came on the K Q 3 flop but he did have the hearts option if it came runner-runner. The A turn changed nothing and left Yang with just the two outs. The river bricked out with the 7 and Yang was sent to the rail on the soft bubble.

Jiahao Zhang open-shoved for 30,000 from middle position. Daisuke Ogita in the big blind, sitting behind a significant chip stack, made the duty call for a chance to eliminate.

Jiahao Zhang: A A

Daisuke Ogita: 7 5

The flop came K 9 6 giving Ogita more outs for a gutshot straight draw and Zhang a sweat.

The turn 4 further increased Ogita's outs with an open-ended straight draw.

Relieved, the 6 fell on the river making Zhang safe from elimination.

Chiangliang Sun hugging Dajie Zuo

First hand after hand for hand was announced, Jiawei Wan opened 12,000 from early position and Chuanshu Chen to his left called. Changliang Sun had other things in mind and shoved for 201,000 from the small blind. Wan called but Chen got out of the way, leaving both players to head to showdown.

Changliang Sun: K K

Jiawei Wan: A K

Sun was very happy with what he saw but the flop came A 7 Q . Sun let out a groan of frustration as the dealer continued with a T turn.

Sun was now cheering for a chop. Sure enough the J fell on the river resulting in a chop between Wan and Sun, who survived the bubble.

Xiubo Li

Xiubo Li limped from the small blind and Christian Harder three-bet from the big blind. Li didn't shy away form the action and he called, taking the players heads up to the flop.

The dealer fanned the 8 9 9 and Li bet 30,000. Harder called and the 7 was turned.

Li moved out 80,000 and Harder took his time before jamming for 205,000. Li waited for the count from the dealer before calling, and the hands were flipped for the table to see.

Christian Harder: K K

Xiubo Li: Q 8

Harder had top two pair and Li was behind with nines and eights. His only hope was to see an eight fall on the river, but the Q was placed, which wasn't enough.

Li was knocked down to just over 20 big blinds after starting the day as chip leader.

With 201 remaining and 199 getting paid, the tournament director has just announced that hand-for-hand play will commence until the money bubble has burst.

Weiyang Zhou

On the feature table in a hand just before the break, Denjin Xu raised to 10,000 on the button and Weiyang Zhou defended his big blind.

A 5 9 2 flop was checked by Zhou and Xu bet out 8,000. Zhou called and the 4 was turned.

Zhou checked, Xu bet 25,000 and Zhou stuck around to see the Q completed the board.

Another check came from Zhou and Xu fired out 127,000, putting himself all in.

Zhou, used a time bank card, lifted a stack of his chips, and made the call.

Denjin Xu: A 7

Weiyang Zhou: J 9

Xu stood from the table having been eliminated from the Main Event, as Zhou took the pot with just a pair of nines.