APT has long established itself as one of Asia's most prestigious tours—not just for the number of stops and consistent production, but for attracting a mix of regional stars, traveling regs, and ambitious amateurs. The Jeju Classic 2026 epitomized this reputation with substantial guarantees and an extensive tournament schedule, headlined by the Main Event, boasting a 2,200,000,000 KRW guarantee.
Main Event by the Numbers
When a tournament is dubbed the biggest in the country, it's more than a marketing tag—it's a fact. The Main Event, with a 2,300,000 KRW (about $1,500) buy-in, drew a record-breaking 1,718 entries, creating a prize pool of 3,414,009,600 KRW ($2.3 million). These numbers wrote the event into history as the largest poker tournament ever played in Korea. You could even watch the Main Event via live stream, and we've included the final table recording below.
The largest shares were up for grabs in yesterday's final, as the remaining 9 players battled it out after four days of play. The final day initially favored Japan's Shintaro Sato, who entered as the active chipleader, pressuring opponents into difficult decisions while stacking up chips. Early eliminations reinforced his lead, even as the field shrank.
Canadian William Li, however, was a quiet force during this phase. He patiently picked his spots and climbed the pay jumps ladder. After eliminating the aggressive Romanian Christian Tabac, Li found himself in the final heads-up against Sato.
A Thrilling Battle for the Golden Lion
When heads-up play commenced, Sato held more than a 3:1 chip lead over Li. However, in the first hand, the tide shifted dramatically. On a flop of 4 h 6 h 9 h, Li hit two pair with 9 d 4 c. Sato, holding T s 9 c, called Li's all-in, leveling the playing field.
From then on, Li seemed to have control, steadily pushing to the forefront. The defining moment came when Sato attempted a massive bluff on the river 8 c 7 d 2 c 6 h 2 s, shoving with K d T h. Li called after deliberation with 5 d 4 h, securing his victory.
Eventually, William Li sealed the win, taking home nearly $400,000, along with the prestigious Main Event title. Shintaro Sato, as the runner-up, didn't leave empty-handed, pocketing roughly $222,000.
Final Table Results:
| Position | Player | Country | Amount | Amount in $ |
| 1 | William Li | Canada | 579,649,600 KRW | $395,936 |
| 2 | Shintaro Sato | Japan | 323,930,000 KRW | $221,264 |
| 3 | Christian Tabac | Romania | 226,520,000 KRW | $154,727 |
| 4 | Lei Zhang | China | 164,160,000 KRW | $112,131 |
| 5 | Zu You Wang | China | 130,790,000 KRW | $89,337 |
| 6 | Quang Minh Nguyen | Vietnam | 104,060,000 KRW | $71,079 |
| 7 | Arita Naohiro | Japan | 79,520,000 KRW | $54,317 |
| 8 | Haohui Ma | China | 56,120,000 KRW | $38,333 |
| 9 | Yuefeng Pan | China | 42,910,000 KRW | $29,310 |
For a detailed live report and photo gallery of the event, visit our partner SoMuchPoker here
