APT Crowns Back-to-Back Hong Kong Champs

The poker world watched with bated breath as Stephen Pang, a rising star from Hong Kong, clinched the coveted Asian Poker Tour (APT) Incheon Main Event title, navigating a final table fraught with tension, a significant three-handed deal, and a heads-up comeback that nearly defied belief. Pang's triumph, which netted him a career-best $293,700, not only solidified his place in the APT history books but also extended Hong Kong's impressive streak, marking the second consecutive APT Main Event champion from the region.

The dramatic conclusion saw Pang, in a moment of premature celebration, river a club flush against Shoumin Zhang, believing he had secured victory. His jubilant rush to the rail was cut short when chip counts revealed Zhang still held a sliver of hope – just over one big blind. What followed was a remarkable display of resilience from Zhang, who doubled up four times, shrinking Pang's commanding 78:1 chip lead to a precarious 3:1. Yet, Pang managed to staunch the bleeding, ultimately closing out the victory, albeit with a few extra heartbeats.

This monumental win, which included the prestigious 24K gold APT Main Event lion trophy, took place at the luxurious Paradise City Casino resort in Incheon, South Korea. For Pang, whose live tournament experience has been somewhat limited, the victory was a testament to his dedication. He credited his rigorous online preparation for his success, telling APT media, "I’ve been preparing for this event for over a year, refining my strategies and fine-tuning my game by playing online poker against the best possible players. I didn’t play much live, so it’s a completely different dynamic, but online games really helped with my main event preparation."

Pang now stands alongside fellow countryman Lau Chun Shing, who took down the 2026 APT Taipei Main Event just back in May, cementing Hong Kong's back-to-back dominance on the APT circuit. Beyond the significant prize money, Pang, Zhang, and third-place finisher Yifu He (an American who secured $183,570) each earned a coveted $10,000 seat to the APT Championship Main Event, scheduled for November in Taipei.

The APT Incheon Main Event itself was a record-setter for the region, drawing an impressive 1,393 total entries from 807 unique players. With a KRW 1,500,000,000 (~$1,785) buy-in, the tournament generated a colossal prize pool of $2,118,960, distributed among 207 in-the-money finishers. The field was stacked with talent, seeing notable pros like multi-time Triton Super High Roller champion Kiat Lee (152nd), Thailand’s all-time money leader Punnat Punsri (75th), and Irish World Series of Poker bracelet-winner Toby Joyce (41st) all make the money, though falling short of the final table.

Pang entered the final day as the chip leader, with Zhang close behind. The final table featured a strong Japanese contingent, with five players hailing from the country, including the most decorated player, Phachara Wongwichit. Wongwichit, boasting multiple APT trophies and over $2.6 million in career earnings, ultimately finished in seventh place, taking home $50,530. As play narrowed to three, Zhang temporarily seized the chip lead, but a crucial deal was struck, flattening the payouts before Yifu He, with multiple PokerGO Tour final table appearances and a Millionaire Maker final table under his belt, exited in third, pushing his career earnings past $1.8 million.

Then came the heads-up rollercoaster. Pang's initial, albeit premature, celebration after hitting a club flush on the river against Zhang's hand set the stage for one of the most nail-biting finishes in recent memory. His massive chip advantage dwindled rapidly as Zhang, with nothing to lose, clawed his way back with four consecutive double-ups. The tension was palpable as the gap closed, but Pang held his nerve. In the final hand, Zhang’s K♥10♣ faced off against Pang’s pocket nines. The jack-high board offered no direct help to Zhang, allowing Pang to finally exhale and claim his hard-fought victory.

Beyond the financial windfall and the trophy, Pang's win earned him a substantial 960 Card Player Player of the Year points, marking his first qualifying result of the year. Yifu He's third-place finish garnered him 640 POY points, propelling him just outside the top 100 in the CoinPoker-presented yearlong race. The APT circuit now looks ahead, with its next stop moving south to Jeju, South Korea, in late September, before culminating in the highly anticipated APT Championship in Taipei this November.

### Final Table Results

| Place | Player | Payout | POY Points | | :---- | :----- | :----- | :--------- | | 1 | Stephen Pang | $293,700 | 960 | | 2 | Shoumin Zhang | $261,785 | 800 | | 3 | Yifu He | $183,570 | 640 | | 4 | Tempei Kotani | $111,180 | 480 | | 5 | Kazuki Koyama | $87,040 | 400 | | 6 | Shinichiro Kano | $66,030 | 320 | | 7 | Phachara Wongwichit | $50,530 | 240 | | 8 | Takeru Endo | $35,800 | 160 | | 9 | Ryo Fujita | $27,560 | 120 |

*Photo credit: Asian Poker Tour*