APT Incheon 2026 Zodiac Classic Champion Masatoshi Minowa

The 2026 APT Incheon Zodiac Classic was another colossal event here at the record-breaking 2026 APT Incheon Series, pulling in 403 entrants (303 unique) & generating a massive total prize pool of KRW 1,044,576,000 (~USD 746,125), more than doubling the KRW 500 million guarantee.

Ending at the top of the event was Japan’s Masatoshi Minowa, who took home the title, the KRW 155,187,000 (~USD 110,850) first-place prize (after an ICM deal) and an APT Championship ticket for the ATPC Main Event in November, worth USD 10,000, not forgetting the coveted Zodiac Classic Trophy.

Minowa defeated China’s Xiao Zhang in a relatively short heads-up match, which took on a turbo format as the players had decided to reduce the tournament clock to ten-minute levels. The win is Minowa’s first major poker title and largest career cash to date.

ZODIAC CLASSIC FINAL TABLE RESULTS

Final Day Action

A total of 134 players took their seats for the final day, and the last 55 standing made the money, earning a minimum cash of KRW 5,050,000 (~USD 3,600).

Bubble Boy Yosuke Sekiya

The money bubble was a rapid affair, with hand-for-hand play lasting just one hand when Yosuke Sekiya was unfortunate enough to turn a set of jacks and run into Xinze Li’s flopped set of kings, to be sent home as the bubble boy.

Day 2 Chip Leader Kosaku Akashi

Japan’s Kosaku Akashi came into the day with the largest stack and was the only player to cross the 400,000 mark. Unfortunately, he went short-stacked after running into a massive cooler against Stephen Lieu and was eliminated shortly after.

Several notables were sent to the rail shortly after the bubble had burst, and the likes of Punnat Punsri, Dajie Zhuo, Stephan Hartjes & Daniel Lei will have to jump in one of the final upcoming events for their shot at an APT Incheon 2026 trophy.

Punnat Punsri

With eleven players remaining, they agreed to take an extended break for dinner, and upon returning, the action didn’t take long to heat up. Aussie John Perry was sent to the rail in 11th place. Shortly after Perry’s elimination, and following nearly 12 hours of play, the final table was set.

John Perry

Shun Kawakami was sent home as the final table bubble boy when his king-seven hit a seven on the flop but ran into Li’s pocket rockets and couldn’t improve, allowing Li to burst his second bubble of the day!

Final Table Bubble Boy Shun Kawakami

Vietnam’s Trung Hieu Tran entered as the final table chip leader with a commanding lead over the rest of the pack, led by Japan’s Shigeaki Okada.

Final Table Starting Stacks

Back Row L-R: Wei Zhu, Trung Hieu Tran, Renji Mao, Masatoshi Minowa, Yita Choong. Front Row L-R: Xiao Zhang, Haibo Yang, Shigeaki Okada, Xinze Li

Final Table Action

First to be eliminated from the final table was China’s Haibo Yang, who was unfortunate to see his jam with pocket queens called by Li’s ace-ten suited, which rivered a flush.

Next to go was China’s Wei Zhu, whose jam with pocket nines was snapped off by Zhang holding ace-jack, which flopped two pair. Zhu couldn’t find the redraw and he was sent packing in eighth place.

Sent to the rail in seventh was Japan’s Shigeaki Okada, who fell into Renji Mao’s perfectly laid trap with a set of fours, which left Okada drawing dead.

Yita Choong

Mao was the executioner again when he turned a flush against Yita Choong’s bottom pair and again had his opponent drawing dead on the turn. Choong was sent to the rail in sixth place.

After Choong’s elimination, play slowed down considerably and there was no bust-out at the final table for over two hours, until Li mis-timed a jam with king-seven and was snap-called by Zhang with ace-nine. Zhang flopped a pair and then turned two-pair to send Li packing in fifth spot.

Finishing just off the podium in fourth spot was Tran, sent home in a brutal fashion. All the money was in the middle pre-flop, with Tran’s pocket jacks ahead of Minowa's ace-king. Tran turned a set, but then Minowa somehow managed to river Broadway and send Tran to the rail in fourth.

Due to a hard 3:00am stop being in place here at Paradise City, when three players were left standing, an ICM deal was discussed and agreed.

Masatoshi Minowa: 6,925,000 in chips locked up KRW 148,187,000 (~USD 105,850) Xiao Zhang: 6,350,000 in chips locked up KRW 144,917,000 (~USD 103,510) Renji Mao: 2,850,000 in chips locked up KRW 118,242,000 (~USD 84,460)

ZODIAC CLASSIC FINAL THREE PLAYERS & ICM DEAL INFO

The trio left KRW 7,000,000 (~USD 5,000) plus the APTC 2026 Main Event seat up for grabs for the eventual winner, along with the trophy.

Renji Mao

Mao was sent home in third just after the deal was done, his jam with ace-six running into Zhang’s ace-queen and getting no help at all.

Heads-Up Play

The heads-up match between Minowa and Zhang started off with Zhang having a slight lead, but this soon changed as Minowa piled on the pressure and eventually took the lead.

After about ten hands of heads-up play it was all over when Zhang called off with ace-four, only to find Minowa holding ace-nine, leaving Zhang dominated. Zhang couldn’t improve and was sent to the rail in second place.

Masatoshi Minowa

This concludes our coverage of the 2026 APT Incheon Zodiac Classic Sponsored by Natural8.

Masatoshi Minowa

After a grueling 15-hour day, Japan's Masatoshi Minowa has bested the returning Day 2 field in the Zodiac Classic - Sponsored by Natural8 to claim his first-ever APT title and the KRW 155,187,000 (~USD 110,850) first-place prize after a three-way ICM deal with Xiao Zhang and Renji Mao.

The victory more than quadruples Minowa's live-tournament earnings and will surely be viewed as his breakout performance as a tournament competitor. In addition to the Mega Lion trophy and first-place prize, Minowa has earned a Main Event seat in the Asian Poker Tour Championship taking place in November (valued at ~USD 10,000).

Stay tuned for a recap of the final day.

APT Incheon Zodiac Classic Final Table Payouts

*Denotes three-way ICM deal

Xiao Zhang

Masatoshi Minowa limped from the button and Xiao Zhang raised to 850,000 from the big blind. Minowa three-bet all in and had Zhang covered, who snap-called.

Xiao Zhang: A 4

Masatoshi Minowa: A 9

Zhang was dominated but did have a slim chance of a chop if the cards fell his way.

Nothing changed on the 2 8 2 flop but it did open up the chop. The 7 turn changed nothing and when the J peeled off on the river Zhang was sent to the rail in second place.

Renji Mao

On the first hand back from break, Xiao Zhang opened to 400,000 on the button and Renji Mao moved all in from the small blind. Zhang said, "Snap call," after it was folded back to him and a showdown was held.

Renji Mao: A 6

Xiao Zhang: A Q

Mao found himself dominated, and the 9 2 3 4 7 runout kept him second best to be eliminated in third place.

The final three players have agreed to an ICM deal and will continue playing for the title and trophy.

Renji Mao will take home KRW 118,242,000, Zhang Xiao will secure KRW 144,917,000 and Masatoshi Minowa will lock up KRW 148,187,000.

The remaining three players are now on a 15-minute break.

Latest chip counts:

Trung Hieu Tran

Trung Hieu Tran opened to 320,000 on the button and Masatoshi Minowa shoved from the big blind. Tran immediately called all in for approximately 3,100,000 total and a showdown was held for a chip-leading pot.

Trung Hieu Tran: J J

Masatoshi Minowa: A K

The Q 2 7 flop kept Tran's jacks ahead, and the J turn improved him to a set, leaving Minowa drawing to a ten only for Broadway.

As fate would have it, the T appeared on the river -- filling Minowa's straight draw to eliminate Tran and soar into the chip lead.

Xinze Li

Action folded to Xinze Li in the small blind, who open-jammed all in for 1,700,000 and was snap-called by Xiao Zhang in the big blind, who had him covered.

Xinze Li: K 7

Xiao Zhang: A 9

Both players hit their kicker on the Q 9 7 flop but Li still needed a minor miracle to stay alive.

The A came on the turn and gave Zhang two pair leaving Li drawing to a seven and seven only to stay alive.

The river bricked out with the 3 and Li was sent to the rail in fifth place.

Trung Hieu Tran opened to 320,000 on the button and Masatoshi Minowa called in the big blind.

Minowa checked to Tran, who continued for 160,000 on the K Q 9 flop. Minowa then check-raised to 450,000 and Tran called.

The 2 fell on the turn and Minowa announced he was all in for approximately 1,200,000 total.

Tran went deep into the tank, but eventually landed on a fold and Minowa was sent the pot.

Xiao Zhang

Xiao Zhang opened to 250,000 from under the gun and was called by Masatoshi Minowa in the small blind for a heads-up pot.

Both players checked on the 6 9 7 flop and then Zhang called a 300,000 bet from Masatoshi on the K turn.

Minowa barreled for 500,000 after the T completed the board and Zhang used up a time bank before raising to 1,850,00 -- leaving himself just 50,000 behind.

Minowa raised to put Zhang all in and Zhang almost beat him into the pot with a call.

Minowa revealed K Q for a pair of kings, but it was no good against Zhang's Q J for the nut straight, awarding Zhang the double-up.