Shigeji Kusakabe

The APT Zodiac Classic Incheon smashed all records for a Korean held APT Zodiac Classic event, drawing the highest ever total number of players along with the biggest ever prize pool and the biggest ever first place prize awarded to the winner of a Korean held APT Zodiac Classic.

The event drew a total of 400 players and generated a total prize pool of KRW 1.036 billion smashing the KRW 250,000,000 guarantee.

Topping the record-breaking event was Japan’s Shigeji Kusakabe, who took home the title, the KRW 198,470,000 ($143,510) first-place prize, and an APT Championship ticket for the ATPC Main Event in November, worth TWD 350,000.

Kusakabe defeated Katsuki Yamashita in a short heads-up battle to secure his name in the APT history books. This win marks Kusakabe biggest live tournament win to date, smashing his previous highest place finish.

Final Table Full Results

A total of 156 players took their seats for Day 2, and the last 55 standing made the money with a minimum cash of KRW 5,010,000 ($3,600).

Japan’s Takashi Mizukami started the day with the largest stack, but unfortunately for Mizukami, he was unable to maintain his lead and finished in 35th place for KRW 6,040,000 ($4,350).

After over 12 hours of play, the field was reduced to a final table of eight players after a double knock-out leaving Jason Li & Haibo Yang as the final table bubble boys.

Yamashita started the final table with a commanding lead but saw his stack dwindle after some loose all-in plays doubling up the various short stacks at the table.

Katsuiki Yamashita

First to get eliminated from the final table was Hon Cheong Lee when his pocket queens ran into Yoshiki Kajiyama’s pocket kings for a massive cooler.

Next to go was Vietnam’s Quang Nguyen, who is fourth on Vietnam’s all-time money list, when his Ace-Ten couldn’t improve against Jie Zheng’s pocket Kings.

Quang Nguyen

Kwok Chun Yip was the next casualty to bite the dust in sixth spot, when his king-jack spiked a king against Kusakabe’s pocket sixes, only for Kusakabe’s to then hit a four flush. Koichi Imai quickly followed Yip out the door in fifth spot when his pocket tens lost to Kusakabe’s ace-five.

Yoshiki Kajiyama was next to bite the bullet in fourth place, running on fumes, when his aces were cracked by Yamashita’s "monster hand" of eight-five.

Jie Zheng was taken out in third by Kusakabe to take it to heads-up when his pocket eights ran into Kusakabe’s pocket Aces.

Jie Zheng

Kusakabe took a commanding near two-to-one advantage going into the heads-up battle with Yamashita and it was a short-lived affair with Yamashita never getting any momentum going.

The final hand saw Yamashita get his money in ahead with pocket nines against Kusakabe’s ace-king but Kusakabe spiked an ace on the turn to send Yamashita to the rail in second place and claim his first APT title along with the KRW 198,470,000 (~$143,510)) first-place prize and not forgetting the additional APT Championship ticket for the ATPC Main Event in November.

This concludes our coverage of the** APT Zodiac Classic Incheon** but stay tuned for further events to come in the APT Incheon Paradise City Series.

Katuske Yamashita

In the last few minutes of level 31, previous chipleader Katsuke Yamashita got the last of their ~5,500,000 chips into the middle, and without much hesitation Shigeji Kusakabe made the call, and they went to showdown for what would be the final time in the event:

Katsuke Yamashita: 9 9

Shigeji Kusakabe: A K

Statistically Yamashita's nines were ahead, but it was still anyone's guess as to who would come out on top. The cameras were called over and the dealer was instructed to run out the flop: J 3 4 .

An A on the turn spelled disaster for Yamashita, who was now trailing by a serious margin.

The T on the river officially ended the heads-up match, crowning Kusakabe victorious and sending Yamashita home in second. Nothing can be taken away from them however, as they're still cashing out for over $90,000.

And just like that, out of a field of 400, we are down to the final two players.

Shigeji Kusakabe and Katsuki Yamashita have battled their way through a fierce field of entrants and are now going head-to-head for the prestigious title of the 2025 APT Incheon Zodiac Classic Champion, KRW 198,470,000 ($143,510) and of course that ticket to the APTC in November. Here is how they are each looking, facing their last opponent of the event:

Jie Zheng

Jie Zheng, acting from the hijack, got the remainder of his 3,490,000 stack in the centre on a board of J J 4 T T . Shigeji Kusakabe in middle position was pondering on the call, and the decision to take this table to heads-up, or possibly lose the majority of his stack. Either way, he decided to go ahead and cards went on their backs:

Jie Zheng: 8 8

Shigeji Kusakabe: A A

Shigeji Kusakabe had out-pocket paired Zheng, and after a brief count of chips it was realised that he was covering him by around 1,000,000 chips, and thus Jie Zheng went home in bronze place for the 2025 Incheon Zodiac Challenge, and cashed for over $65,000.

The players are now on their last 15-minute break of the day and play will resume at 1:55 am local time.

Two more levels will be played and if no winner is decided the remaining players will return tomorrow to battle it out for the title.

Yoshiki Kajiyama

Yoshiki Kajiyama was forced all in by the ante after being left with just 5,000 chips.

Shigeji Kusakabe raised to 240,000 from the button and Katsuki Yamashita called from the small blind.

The flop came 7 T 6 and both players checked to see the K come on the turn. Yamashita bet out for 150,000 and Kusakabe called.

The river brought the 5 and again Kusakabe check-called Yamashita's bet of 250,000.

Yamashita tabled K J which had Kusakabe's K 9 crushed and he was pushed the pot whist Kajiyama was sent to the rail with his 9 3 .

Yoshiki Kajiyama raised to 300,000 from under the gun and action folded to Katsuki Yamashita who made the call from the big blind.

The dealer fanned out the flop of 5 J 8 and Yamashita checked to Kajiyama who bet out for 500,000. Yamashita check-raised all in and Kajiyama snap-called.

Katsuki Yamashita: 8 5

Yoshiki Kajiyama: A A

No help for Kajiyama on the 3 turn and when the 2 came on the river Yamashita had cracked his aces and left Kajiyama running on air with just one 5,000 chip remaining.

Koichi Imai

Koichi Imai got it all in preflop for around 700,000, seated in the big blind, with Shigeji Kusakabe (yet again) looking to bust him from under the gun, following Kusakabe's min-raise.

Koichi Imai: T T

Shigeji Kusakabe: A 5

Kusakabe looked like he was going to take yet another scalp during this hectic final table, and he did just that when the flop fanned out 6 2 A , with Imai unable to find a third ten on the remainder of the K 8 runout.

He was eliminated in fifth place and earns a little over $42,000 for his performance.

Kwok Chun Yip

Kwok Chun Yip raised to 500,000, leaving just a few thousand chips behind in the cutoff, before big blind Shigeji Kusakabe re-shoved to put him all in, and they put cards on their backs:

Kwok Chun Yip: K J

Shigeji Kusakabe: 6 6

A double was in sight for Yip as the 2 K 7 flop came along, provided he faded any further hearts to complete Kusakabe's flush.

The turn card, the 4 , did just that and sent him home in sixth. He'll collect over $32,000 for his efforts over the last two days, however.

Yoshiki Kajiyama raised to 200,000 from middle position only for Shigeji Kusakabe to three-bet to 550,000 from the button. Action folded back around to Kajiyama who four-bet jammed all in for 2,950,000. Kusakabe snap-called and he was at risk.

Shigeji Kusakabe: A A

Yoshiki Kajiyama: K K

No help for Kajiyama on the 6 Q J flop but when the 9 came on the turn he had additional straight outs.

No such luck when the river bricked out with the 5 and Kusakabe was pushed the pot for a massive double up.