APT Championship 2026 Day 1; Daily Recap and Highlights

APT CHAMPIONSHIP 2026 SCHEDULE| OFFICIAL RESULTS | PLAYER LISTS | IMAGES | WINNERS

TAIPEI, TAIWAN, November 13, 2026– Welcome to APT Championship 2026! Over the next 17 days, we will be bringing you daily recaps, highlights, and all the biggest stories from the felt to satisfy your appetite for poker. Of course, nothing quite compares to experiencing the action in person, and with 17 days of non-stop poker ahead, there is still plenty of time to join us at Red Space 多元商務空間 in Taipei for the biggest festival on the Asian Poker Tour calendar.

Kicking things off is the festival's first Championship event, #1001 [Event 1] National Cup Championship, which got underway today. Featuring five starting flights spread across two days, the tournament will culminate in its Final Day on Sunday, November 15. Flights A and B have already concluded their action, setting the stage for an exciting weekend as players battle for a place in the finale. All the action from the Championship events will be covered on the live reporting page.

The side-event action was also quick to get going, with Event #1: NL - Hold'em - Heads Up (64 Cap) - Best of 3 among the opening day's attractions. Meanwhile, the high rollers had plenty to look forward to as Event #3: High Roller - The Opener got underway, with Day 1 of the two-day tournament adding another layer of excitement to the opening day's proceedings.

First Champions Crowned as High Roller Action Takes Off

The first side-event champion of APT Championship 2026 has been crowned, with Germany's Tolga Karakaya emerging victorious in Event #1: NL - Hold'em - Heads Up (64 Cap) - Best of 3, claiming the top prize of TWD 114,410 (~USD 3,160).

Tolga Karakaya claims the first title of the Championship series

Hong Kong's Ho Cheung Jonathan Yeung finished runner-up for TWD 71,000 (~USD 1,961), while Japan's Daiki Miyazawa and Taiwan's Lian An Jian rounded out the top four, each collecting TWD 38,500 (~USD 1,064). Here is the results and the bracket of matchups:

Meanwhile, Event #3: High Roller - The Opener saw South Korea's Gilsoo Kim emerge as the Day 1 chip leader, bagging an impressive 1,089,000 chips heading into the Final Day. Hot on his heels is Natural8 ambassador and Taiwanese poker pro Nevan Chang, who sits second with 843,000 chips, while the Netherlands' Tom Henricus Verbruggen rounds out the top three with 708,000 chips, putting himself firmly in contention for the title when play resumes

Gilsoo Kim takes the lead in the first two-day high roller side event of the series

Abe Yusuke Claims Third APT Title in Opening PLO Event

Abe Yusuke makes his biggest live score for his third APT title

Japan's Abe Yusuke made a flying start to his APT Championship 2026 campaign, taking down Event #2: PL Omaha High to claim his third APT title and a career-best live tournament score of TWD 284,989 (~USD 7,873).

The first Pot-Limit Omaha (PLO) event of the series attracted 78 entries, with Yusuke overcoming the field to add another trophy to his collection. Australia's Troy David Mcfarlane Mclean finished runner-up for TWD 202,500 (~USD 5,594), while Belarus' Chudapal Siarhei completed the podium in third place for TWD 132,600 (~USD 3,663).

PL OMAHA HIGH – FINAL TABLE RESULTS