With the 2026 WSOP firmly in the rearview mirror, all eyes turn to the Asian Poker Tour, where 10 days of action are underway at APT Incheon 2026 – the third series of the 20-Year Anniversary season.
The first champions have already been crowned from a slate of 106 events, while the $1M-guaranteed Main Event kicks off on Sunday with the first of four starting flights.
Korea National Cup sets new record
The National Cup keeps breaking records. The Taipei edition set a new tour high in April, and the Korea National Cup has now set a new stop record, with 709 entries from 28 nations creating a $290,400 prize pool (more than double the guarantee).
Japan’s Tomoya Tsubouchi came into the final table with a monster chip stack – more than three times that of any other player – and he never relinquished his lead. He took out four of his eight opponents and won the trophy in style, eliminating the final two in a three-way all-in.
Speaking afterward, he said it was the trophy that mattered most and revealed it was only the second time he’d played a tournament outside Japan.
“Honestly, this trip was meant to be more like a Korean vacation with poker,” he said. “Winning has made me love poker even more, and now I want to travel overseas specifically to play, build on this experience, and continue improving.”
The final hand saw Phuong Ngoc Nguyen open from the button before Tsubouchi shoved from the small blind. Ian Rudolph called, Nguyen followed suit – and Tsubouchi was live.
- Ian Rudolph:
- Phuong Ngoc Nguyen:
- Tomoya Tsubouchi:
The 
flop kept Nguyen’s pocket sixes in front, but the 
turn and river completed a runner-runner straight for Tsubouchi and ensured the tournament wouldn’t see a single hand of heads-up play.
That was all part of Tsubouchi’s plan.
“When I won the three-way hand, rather than feeling a rush of excitement like, ‘I did it,’ it was more a feeling of relief,” he said. “I had managed to finish it without having to play heads-up, just as I had hoped.”
Tomoya Tsubouchi celebrates with friends after a dominant final table performance.Event #1: Korea National Cup results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tomoya Tsubouchi | Japan | $55,400 |
| 2 | Phuong Ngoc Nguyen | Austria | $33,835 |
| 3 | Ian Rudolph | USA | $24,180 |
| 4 | Ogura Ryushin | Japan | $18,305 |
| 5 | Naoki Yamashita | Japan | $14,570 |
| 6 | Koji Komatsu | Japan | $11,185 |
| 7 | Jin Yoojin | Japan | $8,085 |
| 8 | Ryusuke Kosugi | Japan | $5,520 |
| 9 | Chen Chaopeng | China | $4,380 |
Sorokin wins Event #3: Single Day High Roller
Russian pro Maxim Sorokin won his second APT title of the year, following his triumph in the Ultra Stack at the APT Jeju Classic in February.
American pro Kyung Min Lee was also chasing his second APT title of the year but had to settle for the runner-up spot. Japan's Waichiro Oka finished third but still recorded his best result on the tour.
Maxim Sorokin won his second APT title of the year in Event #3: Single Day High Roller.Event #3: Single Day High Roller results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maxim Sorokin | Russia | $23,126 |
| 2 | Kyung Min Lee | USA | $15,936 |
| 3 | Waichiro Oka | Japan | $10,156 |
| 4 | Wutikrai Phraikhieo | Thailand | $7,348 |
| 5 | Sho Miura | Japan | $5,936 |
Daniil Shalaev wins two titles in two days
It’s been a fast start in Incheon for Russian tour regular Daniil Shalaev, who has won two titles in as many days.
Shalaev won Event #2: PL Omaha 5 Card - Hi-Lo (Big O) on Friday before taking down Event #16: Turbo - NL Omaha Ultimate Hi-Lo - Cry Me A River on Saturday. The latter is a triple-board game where the lowest-value river card kills that board.
Saturday’s win means Shalaev now has nine APT titles in less than two years, having won his first at APT Manila 2024.
Daniil Shalaev has won two titles in two days at APT Incheon, taking his career total to nine. Don’t bet against him reaching double figures before the week is out.Champions crowned at APT Incheon 2026
- Event #1: Korea National Cup – Tomoya Tsubouchi (Japan): $55,400
- Event #2: PL Omaha 5 Card - Hi-Lo (Big O) – Daniil Shalaev (Russia): $4,361
- Event #3: Single Day High Roller – Maxim Sorokin (Russia): $23,126
- Event #4: Fixed Limit - Triple Draw Mix – Jeffrey Lo (Hong Kong): $5,532
- Event #5: Turbo - NL Omaha High – Ziwen Liu (China): $2,478
- Event #6: Turbo - High Roller – Hyuma Igarashi (Japan): $7,891
- Event #7: Hyper Turbo Home Games - Super Holdem – Kensuke Makino (Japan): $1,554
- Event #8: Hyper Turbo - NL - Single Draw Mix – Jutaro Hattori (Japan): $1,199
- Event #9: Super Hyper Turbo – Yi Wang (China): $3,462
- Event #11: Single Day High Roller – Khoa Anh Ngo (Vietnam): $37,550
- Event #12: Masters Omaha - PL Omaha High – Frank Zhang (USA): $9,538
- Event #13: Fixed Limit - Choose Your Own Adventure – Takumi Arai (Japan): $2,522
- Event #14: Women's Event – Yue Sun (China): $2,692
- Event #16: Turbo - NL Omaha Ultimate Hi-Lo - Cry Me A River – Daniil Shalaev (Russia): $2,788
- Event #19: Super Hyper Turbo - NLH – Nujuta Thongprasert (Thailand): $5,009
PokerOrg will be on the floor at Paradise City Casino when the Main Event gets underway on Sunday. We’ll bring you all the biggest moments from Asia's leading poker tournament series.
