Stephen Pang

Hong Kong’s Stephen Pang had to win the APT Incheon 2026 Main Event twice before he could finally call himself the champion.

Pang thought he had sealed the title when his flush beat Shoumin Zhang’s pocket fours during heads-up play, sparking an early celebration with his friends on the rail. A recount revealed that Zhang still had little more than one big blind remaining, and the Chinese player responded by doubling four consecutive times to bring the contest back to life.

There would be no second escape. Pang eventually finished the job to secure the 24K gold APT Main Event Lion Trophy and KRW 411,180,000 (~USD 293,700) following a three-handed ICM deal.

Zhang earned KRW 366,500,000 (~USD 261,785) as runner-up, while third-place finisher Yifu He secured KRW 257,000,000 (~USD 183,570).

All three also received seats to the APT Championship 2026 Main Event, valued at KRW 13,930,000 (~USD 10,000), after outlasting a record-breaking field of 1,393 entries at Paradise City Casino Resort.

APT Incheon Main Event Final Table Results

The top three finishers agreed to an ICM deal and continued to play for KRW 40,680,000 (~USD 29,060) and the trophy. Each also received an APTC 2026 Main Event ticket valued at KRW 13,930,000 (~USD 10,000).

Pang: “Lady Gaga Was Always There for Me”

Pang’s victory was the result of more than a year of preparation, much of which took place away from the live tournament tables.

“I’ve been preparing for this event for over a year, refining my strategies and fine-tuning my game by playing online poker against the best possible players,” Pang said. “I didn't play much live, so it's a completely different dynamic, but online games really helped with my Main Event preparation.”

That work gave Pang the confidence to target the final table as his first major milestone. Once he reached the closing stages, however, his ambitions quickly grew.

“I felt like I had a real chance to capture my beloved Lion Trophy,” he said.

Stephen Pang

Pang adopted a patient approach early at the final table, allowing the shorter stacks to battle while he protected his position. Once the field was reduced to five, he decided it was time to apply more pressure.

“There were a lot of strong players,” Pang explained. “A lot of chips were going back and forth, so I just played conservatively and let them battle each other and move up the pay jumps. Once there were five players left, I felt it was time to attack my opponents.”

One of the most important moments came when Pang’s pocket queens held against Kotani’s ace-king, eliminating the Japanese player in fourth and sending Pang into three-handed play with the lead.

“Winning that hand against the Japanese player gave me the chip lead over Shoumin Zhang,” he said. “That was the first time I felt I had a real chance.”

Pocket queens had already played an important role in Pang’s run after the same hand cracked Nozomi Ota’s pocket aces on Day 4. Pang affectionately referred to his lucky queens as “Lady Gaga,” who remained by his side until the title was secured.

Stephen Pang with his wife and friends

“Pocket queens were my lucky hand all tournament,” Pang said. “‘Lady Gaga’ was always there for me!”

Away from the table, Pang credited his friends and supporters with helping him through the long days. Their most valuable contribution came in a particularly practical form.

“There was no dinner break in this tournament, so I was starving,” he said. “My friends brought me sandwiches, which was the most direct form of support. On top of that, I had continuous messages on WhatsApp and WeChat from China and Hong Kong cheering me on. That positive energy really helped me fight through.”

Pang planned to begin the celebrations with his wife, Elizabeth, over a Korean dinner before continuing them once he returned home to Hong Kong.

As for his newly secured seat to the APT Championship Main Event in Taiwan, Pang’s intentions were simple.

“Always aim higher, right?” he said. “Bigger and bigger!”

Final Table Action

The final table began with Pang holding the chip lead, but the opening stages belonged to Tempei Kotani. The Japanese player found pocket aces against Phachara Wongwichit during the third hand of play before sending fellow countryman Ryo Fujita to the rail shortly afterwards.

Fujita three-bet almost his entire stack with pocket nines and Kotani called with ace-jack. A jack on the flop left Fujita chasing two outs, but neither arrived as he became the first finalist eliminated, collecting KRW 38,580,000 (~USD 27,560) for ninth place.

Ryo Fujita

Yifu He then won the first major pot of the day. Wongwichit flopped a set of nines against He’s nut-flush draw, with Takeru Endo also holding top pair. He moved all in, Wongwichit called, and Endo wisely stepped aside before the turn completed He’s flush. The board failed to pair on the river, allowing He to more than double while leaving Wongwichit among the shortest stacks.

Endo briefly dropped to the bottom of the counts after his pocket jacks lost a flip against Shinichiro Kano, but he found a double of his own against He on the next hand. His recovery did not last long.

Takeru Endo

Endo soon moved all in for 15 big blinds and ran pocket tens into Shoumin Zhang’s pocket jacks. The larger pair remained ahead throughout the runout, ending Endo’s first recorded APT cash in eighth place for KRW 50,130,000 (~USD 35,800). The payout was worth more than ten times his previous largest live score.

Wongwichit was the next player at risk, initially keeping his bid for a second Mega Lion alive when pocket nines held against Kazuki Koyama’s ace-jack. However, the eight-time APT champion could not repeat the escape a few hands later.

He opened from the button before Wongwichit moved all in from the small blind with ace-ten. Zhang woke up with ace-queen in the big blind and reshoved, forcing He out of the pot. Wongwichit found some chop possibilities on the turn, but the river brought no help and he departed in seventh for KRW 70,740,000 (~USD 50,530).

Phachara Wongwichit watches on

The result took Wongwichit agonizingly close to another career milestone. He needed sixth place or better to move beyond USD 3 million in recorded live tournament earnings, but fell one spot short.

Zhang had climbed to around 20,000,000 by that stage and continued applying pressure. He forced Koyama to fold the best hand after firing all three streets with ten-five, turning complete air into a successful river bluff against Koyama’s top pair.

Koyama recovered by doubling through Zhang, but it was Kano who next found himself at risk. Koyama opened before Kano shoved for 2,200,000 with king-queen, only to receive an immediate call from pocket aces. Kano flopped a flush draw and paired his king on the river, but neither was enough to overcome Koyama’s aces.

Shinichiro Kano

Kano collected KRW 92,440,000 (~USD 66,030) for sixth place, completing his third APT Main Event cash of 2026. After finishing 186th at APT Jeju Classic and 253rd at APT Taipei, his run in Incheon marked his second APT Main Event final table appearance and matched his fourth-place finish at APT Taipei 2025 as another major tour result.

Koyama had spent much of the final table battling with a short stack and survived one all-in against Zhang, but his run ended in fifth. He shoved for 3,100,000 from the button with pocket tens and ran directly into He’s pocket queens in the big blind.

Kazuki Koyama

No ten appeared on the board, sending Koyama to the rail with KRW 121,860,000 (~USD 87,040). The result was worth nearly 120 times the USD 730 he had previously recorded in live tournament earnings.

The remaining four players briefly paused to discuss a deal, but an agreement could not be reached and play continued. Kotani then put his stack to work, four-betting He off king-jack before becoming involved in the largest confrontation of the final table to that point.

Pang opened under the gun and Kotani three-bet from the button. Pang responded by moving all in with pocket queens, and Kotani called for around 10,000,000 holding ace-king.

The flop kept Pang’s queens ahead, although Kotani picked up a flush draw on the turn to go with his overcards. A blank river changed nothing, eliminating Kotani in fourth place for a career-best KRW 155,650,000 (~USD 111,180) and sending Pang back to the top of the counts.

Stephen Pang & Tempei Kotani

With Pang holding 25,200,000, Zhang sitting on 24,250,000, and He trailing with 6,250,000, the final three returned to the negotiating table and agreed an ICM deal.

He secured KRW 257,000,000 (~USD 183,570), Zhang locked up KRW 366,500,000 (~USD 261,785), and Pang guaranteed himself KRW 370,500,000 (~USD 264,640). The APT Gold Lion Trophy and a further KRW 40,680,000 (~USD 29,060) were left for the eventual champion.

Shortly after three-handed play resumed, He had all of his chips in with ace-deuce against the pocket eights of Zhang. An eight on the flop gave Zhang a set, which was more than enough to send He to the rail in third.

Yifu He

Pang Survives Zhang’s Four-Double Comeback

Zhang began heads-up play with a four-to-three chip lead and immediately extended his advantage after rivering trip nines in the opening hand.

Pang refused to let the gap grow too wide and picked off a river bluff during the second hand. He then used a pair of well-timed check-raises to move ahead for the first time, forcing Zhang to release the best hand on both occasions.

The Hong Kong player continued to edge clear, winning a large pot with trip tens before taking an almost two-to-one lead into the first heads-up break.

Zhang fought back and briefly levelled the stacks after correctly calling Pang’s turn check-raise with ace-high.

Shoumin Zhang

The most extraordinary hand of the final table came shortly afterwards. Zhang’s pocket fours were ahead when the chips went into the middle, but Pang held king-jack of clubs and completed his flush on the river.

Believing he had secured the title, Pang jumped from his seat and ran to celebrate with his friends on the rail.

There was just one problem: Zhang was not out.

A count confirmed that the Chinese player had survived with little more than a single big blind. What followed was a remarkable sequence of four consecutive double-ups.

Stephen Pang

Ace-ten first held against eight-four before Zhang paired his ten on the river to overcome Pang’s pocket sevens. Ten-five then outflopped king-nine, while queen-ten held against jack-nine to reduce Pang’s lead to three-to-one.

A fifth consecutive double-up appeared to be on the way when Zhang’s king-jack dominated Pang’s king-eight, but Broadway on the board forced the pair to chop the pot.

Pang regrouped and gradually pushed Zhang back down the counts, eventually opening a lead of more than five-to-one.

Zhang moved all in with king-ten and Pang called with pocket nines, putting the Chinese player at risk for the sixth time during heads-up play. This time there was no escape as Pang’s pair held to end Zhang’s remarkable comeback in second place.

Stephen Pang

Pang could finally celebrate for real, securing his second APT title, the 24K gold APT Main Event Lion Trophy, and the biggest score of his career.

Stephen Pang

It would have been a heads-up comeback for the ages if Shoumin Zhang would have spun up 700,000 in chips - just over one big blind - and he doubled four times while having to chop in the fifth attempt.

However, Hong Kong's Stephen Pang was not to be denied and joked that he "won the Main Event twice".

Stay tuned for a recap of today's action and the winner reactions of the new APT Incheon 2026 Main Event champion!

Final Table Result

the top three finishers agreed to an ICM deal and continued to play for KRW 40,680,000 (~USD 29,060) for the winner, each also receives an APTC 2026 Main Event ticket valued at KRW 13,930,000 (~USD 10,000)

Shoumin Zhang

Hand 149: Shoumin Zhang jammed the button for 8,700,000 and Stephen Pang called in the big blind.

Shoumin Zhang: K T

Stephen Pang: 9 9

The classic flip had Zhang at risk for the sixth time and he found no help on the J 8 3 flop.

After the 7 turn, some of his outs were gone and Pang celebrated already. It would not backfire as the 4 river ended the miracle comeback story of Zhang in second place.

According to the ICM deal of the final three players, he takes home KRW 366,500,000 (~USD 261,785) for his efforts.

Stephen Pang

Stephen Pang

Hand 147: Shoumin Zhang limped in with J 3 and then folded when Stephen Pang shoved 7 7 .

Hand 148: Zhang received a walk.

Hand 136: Stephen Pang jammed the J T on the button and Shoumin Zhang folded the K 8 in the big blind.

Hand 137: Zhang folded the 7 6 and Pang received a walk with the T 9 .

Hand 138: Pang jammed A 9 and Zhang folded the 5 3 .

Hand 139: Zhang's turn to shove the Q 2 went through, as Pang folded J 9 in the big blind.

Hand 140: Pang limped in with the Q 2 and then folded when Zhang jammed the Q T for 9,200,000.

Hand 141: Zhang folded the 8 3 and Pang received another walk with the 9 3 .

Hand 142: Pang glanced at the K Q and limped in this time, Zhang checked back the 7 6 to the Q T 4 flop. Zhang checked and folded to a bet of 2,000,000.

Hand 143: Zhang pondered about his next move with the Q 5 and folded, Pang got a walk with the 9 2 in the big blind.

Hand 144: Pang jammed K J on the button and Zhang let go of the T 2 .

Hand 145: Zhang jammed with the T 2 and Pang folded J 5 in the big blind.

Hand 146: Pang limped in with the J 6 this time and then folded to Zhang's shove with K 6 .

After the hand, the players went on a scheduled 15-minute break.

Hand 130: Stephen Pang limped T 6 on the button and Shoumin Zhang checked 8 7 in the big blind.

Both checked the 6 6 9 flop to the 4 turn, where Zhang check-called a bet of 2,000,000 to the 4 river. Zhang checked, Pang bet enough to put his opponent all-in, which earned a fold.

Hand 131: Zhang got dealt 7 2 on the button and gave a walk.

Hand 132: Pang limped T 5 and Zhang shoved 6,400,000 with 3 3 . Pang folded.

Hand 133: Zhang shoved Q 5 and got it through.

Hand 134: Pang limped J 8 and Zhang shoved T 8 . Pang folded.

Hand 135: Zhang shoved A 5 and took it down.

Hand 125: Shoumin Zhang jammed with the T T and Stephen Pang folded the Q 2 in the big blind.

Hand 126: Pang raised to 1,600,000 with the 9 7 and Zhang defended Q 6 to a A J 2 flop.

Zhang checked and Pang's bet of 1,500,000 won the pot.

Hand 127: Zhang folded the 7 6 and Pang received a walk with T 6 .

Hand 128: Pang jammed the A 7 and Zhang let go of J 6 .

Hand 129: Zhang jammed the button and Pang called in the big blind for 11 million effective.

Shoumin Zhang: K J

Stephen Pang: K 8

The A Q J flop vaulted Zhang into the lead for a possible fifth double. Nothing changed on the 9 turn but the T river gave both players broadway, which Pang celebrated vividly.

Shoumin Zhang

Hand 120: Shoumin Zhang was all-in for his last few chips looking for a double-up.

Shoumin Zhang: A T

Stephen Pang: 8 4

Zhang managed to win the pot as the Q Q Q 9 J board left his ace-high best.

Hand 121: In the next hand, Zhang was all-in again for his stack of 1,300,000.

Shoumin Zhang: T 6

Stephen Pang: 7 7

Pang had the pair and stayed ahead until the river on the A J 5 K T board as Zhang found a pair to keep himself alive.

Hand 122: Pang shoved the button and Zhang called off his stack of around 2,400,000.

Shoumin Zhang: T 5

Stephen Pang: K 9

Pang had the best of it, but not for long as the 5 3 8 flop paired Zhang. The 2 T runout left Zhang with two pair, and he doubled up for the third time in a row.

Hand 123: Zhang shoved Q 9 on the button and won the pot.

Hand 124: Pang moved all in on the button and Zhang called for his stack of 6,400,000.

Shoumin Zhang: Q T

Stephen Pang: J 9

Just like that, Zhang was the favorite to get back into it! The flop came 7 Q 9 , giving both players a pair, but Zhang held strong through the 8 2 runout to get back into contention.

Stephen Pang

Hand 119: Shoumin Zhang limped in with the 4 4 and Stephen Pang raised to 3,000,000 with the K J to pick up a call by Zhang.

The 6 3 2 flop saw Pang bet another 3,000,000 and Zhang called with his gutshot.

On the repeat trey 3 turn, Pang glanced over his shoulder to the tournament info screen and then made it 12,000,000 to go with fewer than that behind.

Zhang moved all-in and Pang called as both players turned over their cards for the first all-in and call during heads-up play.

Zhang needed a club, jack or king to survive with very close stack sizes.

The river was the Q and Pang jumped up in celebration. He pumped the fists and went to his friends on the rail but there was a plot twist to come.

When the stacks were counted, it turned out that Zhang actually had 750,000 chips more to stay in with a chip and a chair.

Stephen Pang

Hand 115: Shoumin Zhang limped 6 2 from the button and Stephen Pang checked 8 5 in the big blind.

On the A 4 9 flop, Pang check-raised to 2,000,000 after Zhang bet 700,000. Zhang folded.

Hand 116: Pang looked down at Q Q and made it 1,200,000 to go from the button. Zhang defended with 6 5 .

They saw a flop of 6 8 K , where Zhang checked and Pang bet 1,800,000. Zhang let his pair go.

Hand 117: Zhang picked up A J and raised to 1,500,000 on the button. Pang called with 6 4 and saw the 7 9 T flop.

Both checked to the T turn, where Pang checked and Zhang bet 1,800,000. Pang then made it 5,000,000 to go with just six-high, and Zhang called with ace-high.

A 5 on the river missed both players and they decided to check it down, which meant Zhang took it down with ace-high.

Hand 118: Pang raised to 1,200,000 with A Q and Pang defended 6 3 in the big blind to the K 7 5 flop. Once Zhang checked, Pang bet 1,500,000 and Zhang check-raised to 3,500,000 to win the pot uncontested.