Record Turnout at 2026 APT Incheon Main Event Doubles $1M Guarantee

By Mrinal Gujare

12 Aug 2026

Mrinal Gujare 12 Aug 2026

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1,393 entries set a new attendance record for APT Incheon Main Event.
Prize pool reached $2.15M, more than double the $1M guarantee.
Top prize is $374K, with top 3 earning APT Championship Taipei seats.

Image by APT

The 2026 APT Incheon Main Event attracted 1,393 entries at Paradise City Casino, generating a $2,148,960 prize pool. Exceeding its $1 million guarantee, the tournament offers a $374,085 top prize. The top three finishers also earn APT Championship Taipei seats.

The 2026 Asian Poker Tour (APT) Incheon Main Event at Paradise City Casino has set a new benchmark for poker in the region, generating a prize pool of $2,148,960.

The tournament shattered its original $1 million guarantee before action had even commenced in the third of four live opening flights, ultimately doubling the initial projection.

By the close of registration, the tournament logged 1,393 total entries, representing a near-10% increase over the previous turnout record of 1,281 set in 2025.

The performance officially makes the 2026 iteration the largest international poker tournament ever hosted in the city of Incheon.

Within South Korea, it stands as the second-largest APT Main Event in history, behind only the 1,718-entry field recorded at APT Jeju. Additionally, it marks the eighth-largest Main Event since the tour entered its new era in 2023.

Asian Poker Tour CEO Fred Leung highlighted the event's accomplishment within a competitive regional landscape.

"While record-breaking fields have become something we expect of ourselves on the Asian Poker Tour," Leung stated, "we’re very pleased to see the APT Incheon Main Event surpass last year’s record turnout."

"Particularly with so many overlapping poker festivals in Asia taking place after the conclusion of WSOP, the continued growth is a strong reflection of the confidence players have in the APT."

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The tournament featured a buy-in of roughly $1,765. By the conclusion of play at Paradise City Casino, 207 players had secured a minimum cash payout of $2,700.

The eventual champion will walk away with a first-place prize of $374,085 along with the golden APT Lion trophy.

Furthermore, added value awaits those deep in the final standings: the top three finishers will each earn a seat in the $5 million guaranteed APT Championship, scheduled to take place this November in Taipei.

News New Record Set