Chun Shing Lau

The penultimate day of the APT Taipei 2026 Main Event has concluded inside Red Space Arena in Taipei, with nine players emerging from a challenging day of poker. From the 46 who returned to their seats this morning, only the finalists remain, each now within striking distance of the TWD 16,640,100 (~USD 533,340) top prize and the coveted APT Gold Lion Trophy.

Leading the charge into the final day is Hong Kong's Chun Shing 'Walter' Lau, who bagged a commanding 33,275,000, more than a third of all chips in play.

Lau returned to his seat this morning in the middle of the pack with just 384,000, a relatively unknown face on the international circuit with limited recorded results. What followed was one of the most dominant individual performances of the tournament, eliminating multiple players throughout the day, including a stunning double knockout in the final hand of the night to set the final table and send the field straight from 11 to nine.

Final Table Chip Counts

Kazuma Ishihara

Japan's Kazuma Ishihara sits in second with 11,450,000, having been one of the most resilient players of Day 4. Ishihara doubled through Pei Shan Hsu earlier in the day before eliminating Netnapit Muksatean in 12th place, improving to a full house on the turn to knock out the last woman standing in the Main Event.

Australia's Joshua McCully bags in third with 8,125,000 and is arguably the tournament's luckiest survivor. McCully needed a two-outer on the river to stay alive against Keisuke Tajiri's pocket aces, spiking a king to make a full house.

He also boated up against Barry Craig and doubled through Mayuko Sawada when he flopped trips with ace-nine against her pocket queens. McCully enters the final day as a five-time APT title winner looking to add the biggest one yet.

Joshua McCully and Ren Lin

Also among the final nine is China's Ren Lin, who enters in ninth with 5,925,000. Lin has been on stellar form at APT events recently, winning back-to-back titles at the APT Jeju Classic and now has a chance to add an APT Main Event title to what has been a historic few months on tour.

Kristof Segers of Belgium, who won an APT title earlier in this very series, also makes the final table with 6,525,000, as does Thailand's Pakinai Lisawad, who entered Day 4 as the second chip leader with 4,750,000 and bags in sixth.

Day 4 Action

The 46 returning players were barely settled before the first hand of significance took place. Before cards were even in the air, the second random draw for an APT Championship 2026 Main Event seat, worth TWD 312,000 (~USD 10,000), got underway, with Table 74 selected.

A hand of Super Hold'em was dealt out, and it was The Netherlands' Joris Michl who won with top two pair to claim the ticket.

Joris Michl

Michl's luck ran out during the second level, however, when he got his chips in with ace-king but couldn't win the flip against his opponent's pocket tens. He exits with TWD 285,500 (~USD 9,150) and a guaranteed seat at the APTC Main Event this November.

Ari Engel was the first elimination of the day, falling into a trap set by Kwang Chung Tan. Engel raised all-in from the big blind with ace-six, only to find Tan had been slow-playing ace-king from the small blind. The board offered no help, and Engel's deep run came to an end.

Ari Engel was the first casualty of the day

As the field thinned towards the final table, a number of familiar faces made their exits. Joseph Cheong, who entered the day as one of the favourites and was hunting for his sixth APT title, departed in 35th place, unable to navigate his way to the business end.

Nguyen Le, Vietnam's number one on the all-time money list, also fell short in 36th. Mayuko Sawada, who had been one of the more active players throughout the tournament, exited in 33rd, while Nopparut Piyatassakorn, who had tangled with Michael Concepcion in a notable pot earlier in the day, departed in 34th.

Among the other notable departures were Tran The Anh (24th), Kwang Chung Tan (23rd), Hao Lin (17th) and Segers' earlier victim Chen Shao Ching, who fell at the hands of the Belgian's ace-ten in the early stages of the day.

Netnapit Muksatean was the last woman standing

Muksatean, the last woman standing, was eliminated in 12th place by Ishihara. She moved her last chips in with ace-four and ran into Ishihara's ace-queen, which flopped two pair and improved to a full house on the turn. Her tablemates stood to applaud her run as she made her exit.

The final hand of the night arrived in dramatic fashion. Haeil Jung raised, Jaejoong Kim three-bet shoved, and chip leader Lau four-bet to put both players at risk. Kim held jacks, Jung held queens, and Lau had ace-king.

The king on the flop all but sealed it; Lau scooped the entire pot, eliminating Kim in 11th and Jung in tenth simultaneously, and taking the field straight from 11 to the final nine.

Top (L-R), Miki Shiraishi, Ching En Chen, Pakinai Lisawad, Chia Lin Huang, Kristof Segers Bottom (L-R), Kazuma Ishihara, Tony Ren Lin, Chun Shing Lau, Joshua McCully

What's Next

The APT Taipei 2026 Main Event final table gets underway tomorrow at 11:15 AM local time at Red Space. The action will be streamed with a 30-minute delay on the APT Official YouTube Channel, with live updates continuing here throughout the day.

Final Table Payouts

With Lau holding more than a third of the chips in play, the others will need to find a way to chip through his commanding stack. Every decision from here carries life-changing consequences, with many of the players in the final table looking at career-defining cashes, with a minimum payout of TWD 1,376,500 (~USD 44,120) guaranteed for all remaining players.

With the elimination of Haeil Jung as the final table bubble boy, play has been paused with the final table of 9 returning tomorrow to play down to a Main Event champion.

Play will resume at 11:15 AM local time on May 2 with a delayed livestream on the APT Official YouTube Channel.

Stay tuned here for the day's recap.

Meanwhile, here are the final table chip counts:

Haeil Jung

Haeil Jung raised to 500,000 from under the gun before Jaejoong Kim three-bet shoved from the hijack with 4,700,000.

Button Chun Shing Lau then four-bet to 12,000,000, and Jung called off his remaining chips, sending all three to a showdown.

Jaejoong Kim: J J

Haeil Jung: Q Q

Chun Shing Lau: A K

A huge commotion broke out as the crowd gathered to see if the field would go from 11 to nine in one hand.

The 5 7 K flop immediately put the chip leader ahead with a pair of kings, and neither short stack could improve on the 2 3 runout, giving Lau a commanding lead and scoring a double knockout to set the final table.

Kim exits in 11th place for TWD 1,150,000 (~USD 36,860), and Jung departs in 10th for TWD 1,150,000 (~USD 36,860).

Jaejoong Kim

Ching En Chen raised to 1,600,000 under the gun with just 200,000 behind. Ren lin, from the small blind, used a time bank before making the call.

Lin checked on the J Q 4 flop and Chen committed his last 200,000. Lin called and the players went to showdown.

Ching En Chen: A T

Ren Lin: K T

Chen was ahead with ace-high, and just had to fade an ace or a non-club nine on the runout.

The T hit the turn to give both players a pair, and the K arrived on the river, improving Chen to the nuts, and he doubled-up.

Pakinai Lisawad

Ching En Chen limped from the small blind and Pakinai Lisawad checked his option from the big blind.

Both checked through the 5 3 8 flop to see the 9 arrive on the turn. Chen bet 425,000 and Lisawad called.

A 6 completed the board and Chen fired for 375,000. Lisawad paused briefly, and then raised to 2,000,000. Chen quickly called and was shown the nuts by Lisawad with T 7 .

The pot went to Lisawad, and Chen revealed a seven, showing he had a lower straight.

Netnapit Muskatean

Netnapit Muskatean was on the cutoff when she decided to risk her last 1,875,000 chips by pushing it all in.

Kazumi Ishihara made the call on the big blind.

Netnapit Muskatean: A 4

Kazumi Ishihara: A Q

Flop arrived 9 Q A to immediately give Ishihara a two pair.

The Q turn improve Ishihara to a full house, leaving Muskatean drawing dead along with her main event hopes.

The 5 river was a formality needed to ensure the hand ended, officially send Muskatean to the payout cage.

Muskatean was the last woman standing and the players on her table were gentlemen enough to stand and wish her a game well-played.

Justin Chu

Following the crippling from the aces of Ren Lin, Justin Chu was forced all in on the big blind for his last 325,000 chips.

125,000 went to the antes and 200,000 sat on his big blind.

Action fell to Chia Lin Huang on the button, who shoved a huge stack forward as a raise.

Netnapit Muksatean avoided confrontation from the small blind, leaving Chu and Huang to settle the hand.

Justin Chu: K 5

Chia Lin Huang: K J

Chu was dominated from the beginning. However, the board of 7 4 7 3 running to the turn showed promised for Chu adding a gutshot straight draw to his outs.

However, the river T provided no miracle, ending Chu's main event run.

Keisuke Tajiri

Button Keisuke Tajiri moved his 2,100,000-chip stack in from the button, and both blinds wanted to get involved.

Kristof Segers called from the small blind before Haeil Jung called off his 2,000,000 stack from the big blind, creating a three-way all-in.

Haeil Jung: J J

Keisuke Tajiri: Q 9

Kristof Segers: K J

Jung looked the favourite preflop and remained so on the A 6 2 flop.

The T turn left Tajiri drawing dead, and the 5 river secured the triple for Jung, eliminating Tajiri in 14th place for TWD 913,500 (~USD 29,280).

Ren Lin

With the big blind absent from the table, Jusitn Chu raised to 400,000 under the gun before Ren Lin three-bet to 950,000 on the button. Chu, with just two big blinds more than Lin, four-bet ripped it in. Lin took another look at his cards and then stuck in call for his stack of 4,350,000.

Ren Lin: A A

Justin Chu: A J

LIn was in the perfect spot to double up to almost ten million, and leave a dangerous player in Chu on fumes.

The 4 5 9 flop was no help for Chu, and the K on the turn left him drawing dead.

A 3 on the river was inconsequential, as Lin doubled up with aces, while Chu was left with crumbs.

Nishant Kumar

Nishant Kumar limped from the small blind before Chun Shing Lau raised to 4,000,000, effectively putting Kumar all-in. Kumar eventually called and the two tabled their hands.

Nishant Kumar: K Q

Chun Shing Lau: A 2

The 5 9 2 flop kept Lau ahead, pairing his deuce. Kumar was still looking for a king or queen to stay alive.

The 2 turn was not what he needed, improving Lau to trips, and he was out of his seat as the 4 river completed the board, sending him to the rail in 15th place for TWD 913,500 (~USD 29,280).