APT Jeju Main Event prizepool blows past guarantee to $2.3M+
APT Jeju Main Event prizepool hits $2.3M+, 50% over guarantee, as a stacked final table chases $415K and records fall across the series.
The APT Jeju Main Event drew 1,375 entries and built a prizepool over $2.3 million, 50% past its guarantee, according to Poker.org. Eight players returned for the final table chasing $415,000, while the APT High Roller and Super High Roller events also set new series records this weekend.
- APT Jeju Main Event drew 1,375 entries for a prizepool over $2.3 million, Poker.org reports
- Top prize in the Main Event is $415,000, with $39,000 guaranteed at the final table
- The APT High Roller pulled 295 entries for a record $958,000 prizepool
- Thailand's Teeraphat Rangkatekarn won the Super High Roller for $265,000
- The APT Championship in Taipei runs November 13-29 with a $10,000 Main Event and $5 million guarantee
What happened at the APT Jeju Main Event?
The APT Jeju Main Event closed out its field this weekend with a prizepool well past expectations. Poker.org reports the $2,000 buy-in event drew 1,375 entries, pushing the total prizepool to more than $2.3 million, 50% above the original guarantee.
Eight players made it to the final table, each already guaranteed at least $39,000. The winner takes home $415,000, along with one of three seats into the $10,000 APT Championship Main Event in Taipei this November.
Chinese player Jiangfen Sun arrived at the final table with the chip lead, Poker.org notes, fresh off a runner-up finish earlier in the week in the Mystery Bounty Hunter event.
Who led the Main Event before the final table?
Through Day 4, China's Kaihong Ma held a commanding stack, according to Poker.org. He topped 3.1 million chips, more than 450,000 ahead of his nearest rival with 47 players left.
Players from China made up the majority of that group, holding 9 of the top 10 stacks. The United States, Vietnam, Singapore and Japan all still had players alive heading into the final two tables.
By the time the final eight sat down, the chip lead had changed hands to Sun. Irish player Joyce was the lone European left standing, bringing over $3.8 million in career earnings to the table.
Who made the APT Jeju Main Event final table?
The final table mixed seasoned pros with relative unknowns. Poker.org profiles Sun, Ng of Singapore, Ireland's Joyce, and China's Qiu, Tan, Xu, Chen and Wan as the eight who played down for the title.
Qiu made the Jeju final table a year ago too, finishing third for $181,000 in 2025. Chen and Wan, by contrast, arrived with only a handful of recorded results and modest career earnings between them.
A win for either would mark a jump in career earnings of well over a hundred times their prior best. That gap captures how open Main Event fields can be, even against players with deep résumés.
What else broke records at APT Jeju?
The Main Event wasn't the only tournament setting new marks. Poker.org reports the APT High Roller drew 295 entries for a $958,000 prizepool, the richest edition of that event the tour has ever run.
Thailand's Teeraphat Rangkatekarn took the Super High Roller for $265,000. The Superstar Challenge and the $2,200 9-Game High Roller also posted record fields and prizepools, with the 9-Game event alone drawing 119 entries and 84 unique players.
Spadepoker streamed both the Main Event final table and the High Roller final day live, giving fans outside Jeju a way to follow the action as it happened.
What's next for the Asian Poker Tour?
APT Jeju still has more than two dozen events left before it wraps on October 7, including a $550 Micro Main Event and a $3,000 high roller ultra stack, Poker.org reports.
After Jeju, the tour's focus shifts to Taipei for the APT Championship, running November 13-29. That series carries a $10,000 Main Event with a $5 million guarantee and over 200 other tournaments on the schedule.
What it means for players
Series like APT Jeju show how fast a guarantee can get smashed when fields run deep, and how a modest buy-in can turn into a life-changing score for players with almost no résumé. Anyone studying final table strategy or bankroll planning for a big series can brush up with our strategy hub, check hand rankings before a big pot, and use a tournament clock to run their own structured games at home.
Frequently asked
How big was the APT Jeju Main Event prizepool?
The prizepool topped $2.3 million, according to Poker.org, which is 50% more than the original guarantee. That came from 1,375 entries in the $2,000 buy-in event.
Who won the APT Jeju Super High Roller?
Thailand's Teeraphat Rangkatekarn won the Super High Roller for $265,000, Poker.org reports. The tournament awards the pewter lion trophy in the APT's mega lion series.
Where does the Asian Poker Tour go after Jeju?
The tour heads to Taipei for the APT Championship, running November 13-29. That series features a $10,000 Main Event with a $5 million guarantee, according to Poker.org.
Sources
- APT High Roller sets new record in Jeju as series enters home stretch — Poker.org
- Meet the APT Jeju Main Event final table — Poker.org
- With piles of chips, Kaihong Ma piles on the pressure at APT Jeju — Poker.org
- APT Jeju Main Event cruises past guarantee with $2.3M+ prizepool — Poker.org
- A heater for the ages as APT Jeju Super High Roller is won for $265K — Poker.org
- STREAM: High Roller Final Day | APT Jeju 2026 | Buy-in: $3700 — Spadepoker