Stephen Pang rivered a membership flush to seemingly defeat Shoumin Zhang to win the Asian Poker Tour Incheon most important occasion title. Pang ran to the rail and celebrated as if he gained, however after the chips had been counted down, Zhang was discovered to have simply over one massive blind. Zhang proceeded to double up 4 instances and pull again into competition, earlier than Pang prevented a exceptional comeback and closed out the victory.
Pang, who’s from Hong Kong, gained $293,700 and the APT Incheon most important occasion title in his largest profession stay event outcome. After a three-handed cope with Zhang, and third-place finisher, American Yifu He ($183,570), Pang survived a chaotic end to cross the end line and declare the 24K gold APT most important occasion lion trophy on the Paradise City Casino resort in Incheon, South Korea.
Despite restricted stay event expertise, Pang credited his on-line work for his success.
“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,” Pang instructed APT media following his victory. “I didn’t play much live, so it’s a completely different dynamic, but online games really helped with my main event preparation.”
Pang joins Lau Chun Shing, who gained the 2026 APT Taipei most important occasion again in May, to make it back-to-back winners from Hong Kong. Along with their money prizes, Pang, Zhang, and He additionally gained $10,000 seats to the APT Championship most important occasion in Taipei in November.
Path To Victory In Incheon
The largest APT most important ever held in Incheon drew 1,393 complete entrants, and 807 distinctive gamers. The KRW 1,500,000,000 buy-in (~$1,785) most important occasion generated a complete prize pool of two,966,540 ($2,118,960). That sum was shared by 207 in-the-money finishers.
Multi-time Triton Super High Roller champion Kiat Lee (152nd), Thailand’s all-time cash chief Punnat Punsri (seventy fifth), and Irish World Series of Poker bracelet-winner Toby Joyce (forty first) had been among the many notable gamers to achieve the cash, however fall in need of a remaining desk run.
Heading into the ultimate day of motion, Pang held a stable chip lead over the remainder of the sphere, with Zhang comfortably in second place. Japan was well-represented on the remaining desk, with 5 of the ultimate 9 gamers hailing from that nation. Phachara Wongichit, who has a number of APT trophies to his title and over $2.6 million in complete profession earnings, was essentially the most achieved participant on the remaining desk, and completed in seventh place ($50,530).
By the time the sphere reached three gamers, Zhang had taken over the chip lead, and He was a good distance behind. The trio made a deal to flatten out the final three payouts, and He fell shortly thereafter. The third-place finisher, who has a number of PokerGO Tour remaining desk appearances and made the ultimate desk of the Millionaire Maker, eclipsed $1.8 million in profession event earnings.
One Final Push
Pang’s rivered membership flush and in the end untimely celebration set Pang up for an in depth name with a devastating reversal of fortune. His 78:1 chip lead shrunk to three:1 after Zhang doubled up 4 instances, and clawed his means again into the image.
On the ultimate hand, Zhang’s Ok♥10♣ was stay towards Pang’s pocket nines. A coinflip win would permit Pang to tug even nearer. The jack-high board in the end supplied no direct assist, and Pang breathed a sigh of aid as he locked down a victory, for actual the second time round.
Along along with his first-place payout, the trophy, and the $10,000 seat, Pang earned 960 Card Player Player of the Year factors in his first qualifying outcome. Yifu He claimed 640 POY factors for third place. That elevated He to simply exterior the highest 100 within the yearlong race introduced by CoinPoker.
The subsequent APT cease strikes the tour south, again to Jeju, South Korea, in late September. The tour wraps up 2026 motion with the APT Championship in Taipei in 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 score: Asian Poker Tour
