Before Ren Lin started his current showcase at APT in Jeju, he had already silenced critics dramatically: in January, he won the King’s Main Event 2026 with 191 entries, taking home $600,700 from a $2,681,700 prizepool — a victory amid fierce debates and scandals surrounding him, including cheating accusations in online poker (known as “ghosting”) and severe consequences on platforms and live series.
Super High Roller Title
The new APT chapter began with the most expensive Super High Roller ever held by APT in Korea. With a buy-in of around $15,000, the 115 entries created a prizepool of ₩1,589,587,500, and from the start of the final day, it was clear who was leading — Japan’s Ryuta Nakai. But Lin refused to accept that narrative. With only two big blinds left while three-handed, instead of heading to the rail, he began a comeback — patient, calm, with nerves of steel. An hour later, he was dictating the pace and, after a heads-up against Ryuta Nakai, he lifted the trophy along with a check for ₩396,317,500 ($275,220) plus a seat into the APT Championship Main Event worth approximately $10,000.
Final Table Results:
| Rank | Player Name | Country | Amount (Original) | Amount ($) |
| 1 | Ren Lin | China | ₩396,317,500 | $275,220 |
| 2 | Ryuta Nakai | Japan | ₩267,780,000 | $185,960 |
| 3 | Quang Dinh Do | Vietnam | ₩174,060,000 | $120,880 |
| 4 | Khoa Anh Ngo | Vietnam | ₩144,130,000 | $100,090 |
| 5 | Guoliang Wei | China | ₩116,250,000 | $80,730 |
| 6 | Ryan Plant | Ireland | ₩91,680,000 | $63,670 |
| 7 | Yosuke Miki | Japan | ₩70,100,000 | $48,680 |
| 8 | Kento Nasu | Japan | ₩52,770,000 | $36,650 |
| 9 | Paulius Plausinaitis | Lithuania | ₩39,380,000 | $27,350 |
Fairytale Ending, Part Two
Just when it seemed the story couldn't get any better, the second chapter unfolded. The Superstar Challenge, with a buy-in of ₩35,000,000, gathered 49 entries and a prizepool of ₩1,624,350,000. Lin led from Day 1, and in the final day, he did what was expected — loud rail, emotions at every flop, and Lin, who thrived under the pressure.
Hours passed and the player count dwindled, but Lin kept pushing forward. As you can guess, there was no scenario where Lin would finish second, or worse. Just under 48 hours after his previous win, he claimed yet another lion trophy and over $300,000 in winnings!
After the victory, Ren Lin appeared surprisingly calm — as if he had written his own script long ago. He explained that during the final day, he stuck to a simple 'mantra': even an average stack can suffice for a title if you truly believe it. According to him, confidence carried him through the moment he was down to around two big blinds. Then something changed: the cards started coming, he found his rhythm, and described the day as amazing. In a broader context, he admitted that years of ups and downs molded him — he has a strong resilience; when he hits rock bottom, he can rebound quickly, sleep it off and wake up full of positive energy.
Final Table Results:
| Rank | Player Name | Country | Amount (Original) | Amount ($) |
| 1 | Ren Lin | China | ₩465,270,000 | $323,100 |
| 2 | Quang Minh Nguyen | Vietnam | ₩342,920,000 | $238,140 |
| 3 | Fendy Kosasih | Indonesia | ₩229,420,000 | $159,320 |
| 4 | Khoa Anh Ngo | Vietnam | ₩173,070,000 | $120,190 |
| 5 | Lester Edoc | Philippines | ₩123,160,000 | $85,530 |
| 6 | Paulius Plausinaitis | Lithuania | ₩91,770,000 | $63,730 |
| 7 | Joseph Sanghyon Cheong | United States | ₩73,250,000 | $50,870 |
| 8 | Huu Dung Nguyen | Vietnam | ₩59,570,000 | $41,370 |
| 9 | Ryuta Nakai | Japan | ₩51,520,000 | $35,780 |
Sources - theasianpokertour, X, SoMuchPoker
