The opening chapter of the APT 20th anniversary season delivered instant drama in Jeju. Ren Lin pulled off a remarkable comeback to win the APT Jeju Classic 2026 Super High Roller, setting the tone for the milestone series.
The event marked the largest APT Super High Roller ever held in South Korea. With a buy-in of $10,400, the tournament drew 115 entries and generated a prize pool exceeding $1.1 million. The field featured a deep mix of elite high-stakes regulars and established international tournament winners.
The defining moment came during three-handed play. Lin had lost his chip lead and was reduced to just two big blinds, seemingly on the brink of elimination. A sequence of timely double-ups shifted the momentum, allowing him to claw his way back into contention.
The tournament-turning hand unfolded against Ryuta Nakai. Lin moved all-in holding pocket queens and was called by Nakai’s pocket kings. What appeared to be the end instead became the turning point when a queen hit the flop, flipping the outcome and handing Lin the chip lead. The heads-up match concluded just four hands later.
With the victory, Ren Lin secured over $275,000 in prize money, claimed the Mega Lion trophy, and earned a seat in the season-ending APT Championship Main Event.
Action elsewhere at the APT Jeju Classic continued to build. The APT National Cup attracted 690 entries, with Junyu Huang overcoming a significant heads-up deficit to capture the title. The first women’s event of the series was won by Chao Tang, kicking off a daily schedule of women’s tournaments throughout the festival.
Attention now shifts toward the APT Main Event. The first starting flight recorded 421 entries, surpassing last year’s opening flight total. A total of 145 players have already advanced to Day 2, with additional flights set to add to the field in the coming days.