Yuxuan Deng

The Main Event money bubble has burst in Incheon!

A total of 419 survivors from the four starting flights returned to Paradise Resort today for Day 2 of the APT Incheon Main Event, all with one goal in mind — to reach the money. They were joined by an additional 216 late registrants, growing the field to 1,393 entries (807 unique) and making it both the largest and richest poker tournament ever held in Mainland Korea.

However, just 168 players from the Day 2 field (not including the 39 OnLive qualifiers) were able to secure a piece of the record-setting KRW 3,008,540,000 (~USD 2,148,960) prize pool, with Lifu Huang falling one spot shy of the money after a more-than-two-hour bubble period.

By the time the dust settled, China's Yuxuan Deng emerged as the chip leader after bagging up a commanding 1,052,000, becoming the only player to cross the seven-figure mark heading into Day 3.

Deng appears relatively new to the live tournament scene, with earnings totaling just under USD 60,000 across various tournaments in Asia and the United States dating back to 2020. With the money bubble now burst, Deng has secured his first-ever cash in an APT event and is poised to make a deep run with his massive stack.

End-of-Day 2 Top Ten Chip Counts

Among the Day 2 survivors are a handful former Mega Lion Winners, including Toby Joyce (433,000 - 2025 APTC High Roller champion), Phanlert Sukonthachartnant (397,000 - APT Taipei Poker Classic 2024 Super High Roller champion), Martin Sedlak (285,000 - APT Taipei Poker Classic 2024 High Roller champion), Jason Lau (148,000 - APT Phu Quoc 2024 High Roller champion), and Trung Quan Nguyen (99,000 - APT Taipei 2025 High Roller champion).

Toby Joyce

All of the remaining 207 players are now guaranteed a min-cash worth KRW 3,790,000 (~USD 2,700), which includes the 39 OnLive qualifiers who had already secured their seats into Day 3 in the money.

However, all eyes will surely be on the KRW 523,720,000 (~USD 374,085) top prize reserved for the eventual winner. Additionally, the top three finishers will receive a seat into the APTC Main Event, valued at USD 10,000 (~KRW 14,000,000).

Incheon Main Event Payouts

Day 2 Highlights

The road to the money was anything but straightforward, with several huge pots and dramatic double-ups along the way before the bubble finally burst.

In one of the more memorable hands of the day, Ivan Govorov, the 2025 APT Manila Classic Main Event winner, found himself all in with ace-ten of spades against Adom Issahakian's pocket kings. The flop gave Issahakian a set while leaving Govorov with a flush draw. Then the last remaining king fell on the turn, which completed Govorov's flush — but also gave Issahakian quad kings. Govorov was left with just one out to an unlikely Royal Flush, but the river brought no miracle and he was sent to the rail.

Ivan Govorov

There was also an incredible escape for Tomoki Matsuda, who four-bet all in with pocket queens only to run into Keith Ong's aces. Matsuda found a flush on the river to crack the aces and stay alive, then later doubled again during the bubble after picking off Takeru Endo's stone-cold bluff to earn his spot into Day 3.

Among the less fortunate who fell short of the money as play progressed include Kitty Kuo, Ren Lin, Josh McCully, Alen Bakovic, Daniel Smiljkovic, Jason Li, Joseph Cheong, and Daniel Neilson, who met his end after jamming with threes, only to run into Yoko Sasaki's pocket queens to fall a bit short of the bubble.

Daniel Neilson

As the field closed in on the money, it was decided that hand-for-hand play would commence with 210 players remaining, meaning three more players would need to be eliminated before the bubble burst.

It took nearly an hour and numerous double-ups before Miki Shiraishi became the first player to fall during hand-for-hand after getting all in with pocket queens preflop only to lose to the flopped wheel of Keisuke Kubota.

In possibly the largest single pot of the day, Atsushi Miyakoshi flopped a set of aces and called a massive turn shove from Jeffrey Lo, who held a pair and a flush draw. The river bricked out and Miyakoshi soared up the leaderboard to end with a top-three stack.

Atsushi Miyakoshi

A while later, another bad beat occurred resulting in an elimination when Shoumin Zhang's jack-seven made a runner-runner flush against Shuichi Akiba's king-nine to set up the stone bubble.

Following a few more double-ups, Huang became the 19th player all in during hand-for-hand play and was looking to crack Haohui Ma's pocket queens with ace-eight suited. Unfortuantely for him (and much to the delight of everyone else), the runout kept Ma in front -- ending the prolonged bubble period and securing everyone a spot in the money.

Lifu Huang Bubbles APT Incheon Main Event

It wasn't all bad news for Ma, however. As the stone bubble, Huang was given the chance to pull one of eight envelopes for a chance at a free APT Main Event ticket. Sure enough, Ma drew the right envelvope and was rewarded with a future freeroll.

Day 3 will get underway on Aug 13 at 11:15 a.m. local time with 45 minutes remaining on Level 19, which features 4,000/8,000 blinds with an 8,000 big blind ante. The returning Day 2 field will be joined by 39 OnLive qualifiers, who already earned their spot into Day 3 online. The plan for Day 3 is to play down to 48 players or 10 levels, whichever comes first.

With everyone now in the money, the focus has shifted to making a run at the final table! For all the latest, be sure to check back on the live reporting page here as the journey to crown the next APT Main Event champion continues.

For the Day 3 seat draw, click here.

For a full list of Day 2 survivors, click here.

The remaining 168 players from the Day 2 field are now bagging and tagging for the evening.

They will return tomorrow (Aug 13) along with the 39 OnLive qualifiers at 11:15 a.m. for Day 3.

Stay turned for a recap of Day 2.

Lifu Huang

Haohui Ma opened to 16,000 in hijack and Lifu Huang in the big blind shoved all-in for 113,000. Ma snap-called putting Huang at risk during the stone cold bubble.

Lifu Huang: A 8

Haohui Ma: Q Q

Ma was ahead with his queens when the flop came J 7 6 .

He started shaking his head when the K fell on the turn giving Huang more outs with a flush draw.

Huang started calling for a spade but the river 3 fell on the river ending his tournament run amidst the cheers of the whole field as he has burst the bubble.

For being the stone bubble, Huang got to pull from eight envelopes for his consolation prize. He pulled a free main event ticket making his run a freeroll.

Probable tournament chip leader Yuxuan Deng open-jammed all in from middle position and he had the table covered. It folded around to Kwang Chung Tan in the small blind, who called for his Main Event life.

Kwang Chung Tan: J J

Yuxuan Deng: 5 4

No drama for Tan on the Q 2 T flop and when the 8 peeled off on the turn, he was home and dry for the double-up.

The 7 sealed the deal on the river and Tan was pushed the pot for the double-up.

In a round without a single all-in and call, Keigo Kubo bet the 9 4 4 J Q river for 50,000 from under the gun.

Bin Duan called and then mucked when he was shown the A Q for queens up.

It folded around to Jian Ting Cai in the cutoff, who opened to 18,000, only for Yuma Tominaga, sat in the big blind, to three-bet to 60,000. Cai then four-bet all-in and had Tominaga covered, who snap-called for his tournament life.

Yuma Tominaga: Q Q

Jian Ting Cai: 5 5

A clean run out for Tominaga of A 4 4 T 2 and he was shipped the pot for a double-up.

Shoumin Zhang moved all in from the small blind to put Shuichi Akiba all in for his last 26,000 from the big blind. Akiba tanked for some time before convincing himself to call by slamming his stack into the middle.

Shuichi Akiba: K 9

Shoumin Zhang: J 7

Akiba held the lead with his king and remained ahead on the 4 T Q flop.

The A turn gave Zhang outs to both a straight and flush for a real sweat, and the 8 river completed Zhang's flush -- eliminating Akiba in dramatic fashion to set up the stone bubble.

Soichiro Maeda

There were three all-in and call at the same time on different tables.

The first showdown to run saw a preflop all-in over on table one between Zhaoyi Lin and Soichiro Maeda with the latter calling the shove by Lin on the button.

Soichiro Maeda: K K

Zhaoyi Lin: K Q

The board ran out J 9 9 A 8 and two hours after the bubble started, Maeda doubled.

Nattamon Kaweesorasak and Junya Uesugi

One table over, Thailand's Nattamon Kaweesorasak was all-in from the cutoff and called by Junya Uesugi on the button.

Nattamon Kaweesorasak: T T

Junya Uesugi: A K

The pair held on a board of 8 8 6 Q Q and Kaweesorasak survived, too.

Atsushi Miyakoshi

The third all-in to run at the same time came after a heads-up turn of A 9 2 6 when Atsushi Miyakoshi in the big blind checked. Jeffrey Lo on the button pushed all-in and Miyakoshi called for more than two times the pot.

When it was their turn to show the cards, it came as no surprise that Lo was behind which he had already jokingly admitted to.

Atsushi Miyakoshi: A A

Jeffrey Lo: 9 8

Lo needed a heart but the 2 river paired the board for Miyakoshi to double for massive 405,000.

After the hand, Lo asked if it was the stone cold bubble and then found out they were still two away from reaching the money.

"That changes a lot," he said. But the outcome of the hand cannot be changed anymore, as the pro from Hong Kong was left on a severe short stack after Miyakoshi scooped the biggest pot of the tournament so far.

Miki Shiraishi moved all in for his short stack from middle position and was called by Keisuke Kubota in the big blind to be put at risk.

Miki Shiraishi: Q Q

Keisuke Kubota: 5 2

Shiraishi looked poised to double with his ladies, but the A 4 3 flop gave Kubota an unlikely wheel to leave Shiraishi drawing to runner-runner.

The 6 turn left Shiraishi drawing dead, and the A river made his elimination official, leaving two more eliminations until the money bubble bursts.