With the action coming thick and fast out of Taiwan as the Asian Poker Tour (APT) Taipei Main Event gears up for Day 3 play, the tour has released a complete schedule for the upcoming APT Championship 2026.
From November 13-29, the APT will partner with the Chinese Texas Hold'em Poker Club to host the highly-anticipated conclusion to the tour's season.
The Asia Poker Arena and Red Space in Taipei, Taiwan will serve as the venues for the 17-day festival.
'Asia's Main Event'
The APT Championship 2026 has much to live up to.
In 2025, the festival soared to new heights as 28,265 total tournament entries and $34M in prize money awarded set a record for the largest Asian poker series of all time.
The APT Championship Main Event that year set numerous records of its own. With 671 entrants and a $6.2M prize pool, the tournament stands as the largest $10K buy-in held outside of Las Vegas, the largest ever staged in Asia, and the richest in APT history.
In Taipei to play it himself last November, poker legend Erik Seidel referred to it as 'Asia's Main Event'.
India's Nishant Sharma rose above the field in 2025, pulling off a wire-to-wire victory to claim the $1.1M top prize.
Riding the momentum
With plenty of momentum on its side, the APT looks to raise the bar this year. With $8M in total tournament guarantees and 23 Championship events on the schedule (an increase from last year's 20), the APT Championship 2026 holds promise for yet another record-breaking showing.
The APT Championship Main Event freezeout remains the crown jewel on the schedule, once again guaranteeing a $5M prize pool at the $10K buy-in level.
For high stakes players, a trio of big buy-ins awaits, including the $25K Super High Roller Championship, the $50K Superstar Championship, and the $15K High Roller Championship.
As with prior seasons, players can qualify for the APT Championship Main Event through tour events held in the lead up to Taipei, as well as online in Natural8 satellites.
While there's no shortage of tournaments for players to set their schedules to, the Championship events are worth highlighting – check them out below.
- Asia Gaming Industry Championship: Nov 12 – TWD 13,000/~USD 400 buy-in
- National Cup Championship (TWD 20,000,000 GTD): Nov 13-15 – TWD 16,000/~USD 500 buy-in
- Mystery Bounty Championship sponsored by Natural8 (TWD 15,000,000 GTD): Nov 15-16 – TWD 35,000/~USD 1,100 buy-in
- Ultra Stack Championship (TWD 25,000,000 GTD): Nov 16-18 – TWD 25,000/~USD 800 buy-in
- 7-Max Championship: Nov 16-17 – TWD 80,000/~USD 2,500 buy-in
- PLO Championship: Nov 17-18 – TWD 80,000/~USD 2,500 buy-in
- PLO High Roller Championship: Nov 18-19 – TWD 150,000/~USD 4,700 buy-in
- Natural8 Cup Championship (USD 1,000,000 GTD): Nov 18-21 – USD 3,000 buy-in
- Micro Main Event Championship: Nov 19-21 – TWD 16,000/~USD 500 buy-in
- Single Day High Roller Championship: Nov 19 – USD 10,000 buy-in
- Super High Roller Championship: Nov 20-22 – USD 25,000 buy-in
- Mixed Games Championship: Nov 20-21 – TWD 70,000/~USD 2,200 buy-in
- Women’s Championship: Nov 20-21 – TWD 35,000/~USD 1,100 buy-in
- Superstar Championship: Nov 22-23 – USD 50,000 buy-in
- APT Championship Main Event (USD 5,000,000 GTD): Nov 23-27 – USD 10,000 buy-in
- Mini Main Event Championship: Nov 24-26 – TWD 35,000/~USD 1,100 buy-in
- Ultra Stack Championship: Nov 25-26 – TWD 150,000/~USD 4,700 buy-in
- High Roller Championship: Nov 26-28 – USD 15,000 buy-in
- Teams Championship: Nov 26 – TWD 30,000/~USD 950 buy-in
- Freezeout Championship: Nov 27-28 – TWD 50,000/~USD 1,575 buy-in
- Mini High Roller Championship: Nov 27-29 – USD 7,500 buy-in
- Turbo Championship: Nov 28 – TWD 35,000/~USD 1,100 buy-in
- Trip Saver Championship (TWD 5,000,000 GTD): Nov 28-29 – TWD 35,000/~USD 1,100 buy-in
Following APT Taipei, which concludes this weekend, the tour will take in stops in Incheon and Jeju, South Korea, before returning to the Taiwanese capital for the end-of-season curtain-closer.
Stay up to speed with all the news from the Asian Poker Tour at PokerOrg.
