Top Row - L-R: Tempei Kotani, Kazuki Koyama, Shoumin Zhang, Yifu He, Shinichiro Kano
Bottom Row - L-R: Ryo Fujita, Stephen Pang, Phachara Wongwichit, Takeru Endo

After five days of play, the record-breaking APT Incheon 2026 Main Event has reached its final table.

Only nine players remain from the 47 who returned to Paradise City Casino Resort for Day 4, with the field reduced to the final nine in a session that spanned eight levels of play.

The finalists are competing for the largest shares of the KRW 3,008,540,000 (~USD 2,148,960) prize pool generated by 1,393 entries. The tournament is officially the largest and richest international poker tournament ever held in mainland South Korea.

Each player is now guaranteed at least KRW 38,580,000 (~USD 27,560), while the eventual champion will receive the prestigious APT Gold Lion and the KRW 523,720,000 (~USD 374,085) top prize.

The top three finishers will also receive seats to the USD 10,000 APT Championship Main Event in Taiwan this November.

Hong Kong’s Stephen Pang leads the final nine after finishing Day 4 with 13,550,000. Pang won several of the day’s biggest pots and later eliminated Saifah Chanpanya in eleventh place on his way to establishing a commanding advantage.

Shoumin Zhang

China’s Shoumin Zhang is his closest challenger with 10,585,000. Zhang started Day 4 fifth in chips before steadily climbing the leaderboard and eventually eliminated Daming Kang on the final-table bubble.

Pang and Zhang are the only two players to enter the final day with eight-figure stacks.

Japan’s Tempei Kotani occupies third place with 6,935,000, giving him 43 big blinds for the start of the final table.

APT Incheon 2026 Main Event Final Table Chip Counts

Thailand’s Phachara Wongwichit is the most decorated player at the final table and returns fifth in chips with 5,610,000.

Wongwichit has recorded more than USD 2.9 million in live tournament earnings, won eight APT titles and reached 32 APT final tables. The APT Taipei 2023 High Roller champion can become the first player to win two APT Mega Lion trophies, while a sixth-place finish or better would take his recorded earnings beyond USD 3 million.

Japan’s Shinichiro Kano returns fourth with 6,190,000 and is making his second APT Main Event final table after finishing fourth at APT Taipei 2025.

Shinichiro Kano

Kano has also cashed in every APT Main Event staged so far in 2026, placing 186th at the APT Jeju Classic and 253rd at APT Taipei before reaching the final nine in Incheon.

Chip leader Pang is making his first APT Main Event cash. He claimed his maiden APT title in the Tick Tock BOOM! event at APT Taipei 2026, and an eighth-place finish or better will earn him a new career-best score.

Kotani is better known for his mixed-game results but has now reached the largest No Limit Hold’em final table of his career. His guaranteed payout is already more than four times his previous biggest recorded live cash.

Further down the counts, Kazuki Koyama has reached the final table in his first recorded APT cash. Even ninth-place money would be worth almost 38 times his previous recorded career earnings.

Pang Takes Control as Field Falls Quickly

The eliminations arrived quickly during the opening stages of Day 4 as the returning players attempted to build stacks capable of carrying them to the final table.

Within three hours, the field had been reduced from 47 to 23, with Pang and Zhang established at the top of the leaderboard.

Stephen Pang

Pang began his climb by doubling with pocket kings against Japan’s Yoko Sasaki, who held pocket threes.

His run continued when he moved all in with seven-six suited and made a flush to eliminate Thailand’s Sumate Aramkul.

Pang then won the largest pot played before the final three tables when his pocket queens cracked the pocket aces of Japan’s Nozomi Ota.

Zhang climbed the counts after catching China’s Peng Chen bluffing in a sizeable pot that ended Chen’s Main Event run.

Koyama took a less direct route to the final table. The Japanese player survived three consecutive all-ins before coming through a fourth all-in later in the day to keep his tournament alive.

Wongwichit and Kano Make Their Moves

Phachara Wongwichit

The pace began to slow as the field approached the final two tables, but there was still plenty of movement among the leading contenders.

Wongwichit pulled off one of the day’s biggest bluffs against Joe Fujitsuka. The Thai professional raised with ten-eight before calling a check-raise on the flop and another bet on the turn.

When Fujitsuka checked the river, Wongwichit made a sizeable bet without a made hand. Fujitsuka eventually folded his pair after using several time banks, allowing Wongwichit to take down the pot.

Joe Fujitsuka

Fujitsuka was eliminated shortly afterwards in 13th place. He moved all in for around 11 big blinds with ace-seven and was called by Wongwichit holding pocket eights.

The board failed to improve Fujitsuka, sending him to the payout desk for KRW 28,730,000 (~USD 20,520).

Wongwichit later attempted to eliminate Takeru Endo by moving all in from the small blind with jack-five. Endo called for around 13 big blinds with queen-jack and made a straight to keep his Main Event run alive.

Kano also won an important preflop battle against Yifu He. He raised with queen-seven before Kano three-bet with ace-queen. He responded with a four-bet, but released his cards when Kano moved all in.

Four Eliminations Set the Final Table

The final stretch began with 13 players remaining. Fujitsuka’s departure was followed by the elimination of Tharit Nanthana in 12th place.

Kotani opened from middle position before Nanthana moved all in from the small blind for around nine big blinds. Kotani called with jack-ten and was behind Nanthana’s queen-jack.

Tharit Nanthana

A ten on the turn moved Kotani ahead, while the river failed to rescue Nanthana. The Thai player collected KRW 28,730,000 (~USD 20,520).

With 11 players remaining, Pang raised from early position and Chanpanya defended his big blind. Chanpanya moved all in for around eight big blinds after flopping top pair and Pang called.

Both players held a jack, but Pang’s queen kicker left him ahead of Chanpanya’s jack-ten. The turn and river brought no help, eliminating Chanpanya in 11th place for KRW 32,230,000 (~USD 23,020).

Daming Kang

The tournament then reached its final-table bubble, with Kang holding one of the shortest stacks.

Kang moved all in for around 11 big blinds from the cutoff with king-queen and Zhang called from the big blind holding ace-queen.

The eight-four-four flop left Kang searching for help, while another four on the turn created several possible chop outs. A three completed the board, leaving Zhang’s ace kicker ahead and Kang on the sidelines.

Kang collected KRW 32,230,000 (~USD 23,020) for finishing tenth, while Zhang secured second place in the final-day chip counts.

Final Table Payouts

The top three finishers will also receive seats to the APT Championship Main Event in Taiwan this November, each valued at approximately USD 10,000.

The final nine return on Saturday, August 15, with play beginning at 11:15am KST. The action resumes with 30 minutes remaining in Level 32 and blinds of 80,000/160,000 with a 160,000 big blind ante.

Play will continue until the newest APT Main Event champion is crowned. The final table will also be streamed on the APT YouTube channel, allowing viewers to follow the race for the Gold Lion live from Incheon.

With just nine players remaining, play on Day 4 has come to an end with the final table of the APT Incheon Main Event set.

Stay tuned for a recap of the day's action to see how they got there.

Daming Kang

Daming Kang shoved 1,800,000 from the cutoff and Shoumin Zhang called from the big blind.

Daming Kang: K Q

Shoumin Zhang: A Q

Kang was in a bad spot and at risk of becoming the final table bubble boy if he didn't improve.

A flop of 8 4 4 didn't give anything for Kang to work with, but the 4 turn did bring a few chop outs as any eight would put a full house on board.

Unfortunately for Kang, the 3 river didn't help, and he headed to the payout desk in tenth.

Saifah Chanpanya

Stephen Pang raised to 320,000 from under the gun and Saifah Chanpanya defended his big blind.

The flop came J 6 7 and after Chanpanya checked, Pang fired 300,000. Chanpanya shoved 1,200,000, and Pang snapped it off.

Saifah Chanpanya: J T

Stephen Pang: Q J

It was an unfortunate flop for Chanpanya, who was out-kicked by Pang. The 2 turn removed a few outs for Chanpanya as Pang picked up a flush draw, and the 2 river meant the Thai player was out in 11th.

Shinichiro Kano raised to 320,000 and Takeru Endo defended the big blind. They checked the T 9 3 flop to the 5 turn on which Endo bet 310,000 and Kano called.

Endo then bet the Q river for 725,000 and Kano used three time banks before he folded.

Soon after that, Phachara Wongwichit opened to 325,000 and Endo jammed for 4,190,000 on the button to win the next pot.

Tharit Nanthana

Tempei Kotani opened to 320,000 from middle position and Tharit Nanthana in the small blind spent a time card, before applying maximum pressure, with an all-in shove for 1,415,000. Kotani started saying something in his native language before pushing two time cards forward. Only one was used, however, before he made the call.

Tharit Nanthana: Q J

Temoei Kotani: J T

Nathana was looking at a potential double up with queen-high when the flop dropped 6 8 5 .

Everything changed when the dealer peeled a T .

The 4 didn't help Nantahan get the lead back so he left the table quietly as Kotani scooped the pot.

Ryo Fujita

Ryo Fujita raised to 325,000 on the button and Kazuki Koyama called in the big blind.

They saw a flop of 9 J T and after Koyama checked, Fujita bet 300,000. Koyama quickly called to the 7 turn, which he checked. Fujita shoved 880,000, and Koyama wasted no time in calling.

Ryo Fujita: J 9

Kazuki Koyama: 9 7

Both players had two pair, but Fujita's was better and he just needed to fade an eight or seven on the river to double up. Koyama was hoping to find the seven, but the 5 wasn't what he wanted, meaning Fujita doubled up.

The action has resumed in Level 32 with new blinds of 80,000-160,000 and a big blind ante of 160,000. Day 4 is set to conclude once the nine-handed final table has been reached and the updated counts can be found below.

The tables have been switched for the live stream action.

Table 8

Table 9

The remaining twelve players are heading on a 15-minute break.

Daming Kang raised to 240,000 and was called by Shoumin Zhang in the small blind, Kazuki Koyama also came along in the big blind.

The flop came Q T 8 and Zhang led for 500,000 to win the pot uncontested.