button in SafariRen Lin Wins Player of the Series as King Poker Cup Wraps Up in Jeju
The King Poker Cup has wrapped up another visit to South Korea, with the festival running in partnership and alongside the K Poker Cup at Les A Casino in Jeju.
There was plenty to unpack by the time the final cards were dealt. Yang Zhang successfully defended his King's Debut title, high-stakes regular Ye Wang won the $15,000 King's Main Event, and Ren Lin put together a seven-cash run to claim Player of the Series, along with claiming back-to-back NLH/PLO Mix titles.
The festival also attracted plenty of familiar names from the high-stakes circuit, with Bryn Kenney, Jesse Lonis, Punnat Punsri and Ryan Plant among the other winners.
Zhang Goes Back-to-Back in King's Debut
Yang Zhang clearly has the King's Debut figured out. The WSOP bracelet winner returned as defending champion after winning the January edition for $330,500 and promptly did it all over again, topping the 282-entry field to collect another $238,700.
The result was the third-largest cash of Zhang's career and continued what has already been his most productive year on the live felt. He has now recorded $898,099 in tournament cashes during 2026.
Zhang's victory came from one of the festival's biggest fields, with the $5,000 buy-in generating a $1,292,300 prize pool.
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yang Zhang | China | $238,700 |
| 2 | Unknown | Unknown | $235,000 |
| 3 | Lei Yu | China | $123,500 |
| 4 | Dylan Foster | Australia | $78,500 |
| 5 | Michael Zhang | England | $58,500 |
| 6 | Shaoshuai Li | China | $43,500 |
| 7 | Seunghyun Michael Nam | United States | $33,500 |
| 8 | Tung Wong | Hong Kong | $27,500 |
The victory added another chapter to an already remarkable résumé. Already a former K Poker Cup Main Event champion and recently off his triumph in the King Poker Cup K4: KING'S T.O.R.S.E. (2-7 Triple Draw, Omaha Hi-Lo, Razz, Stud, and Stud Hi-Lo), Zhang continued his outstanding run at the series with yet another title.
Wang Takes the King's Main Event Crown
The centerpiece $15,000 King's Main Event drew 180 entries and generated a $2,527,200 prize pool, with Ye Wang eventually emerging with the title and $587,200 top prize.
Wang defeated poker vlogger Eric Tsai heads-up, with Tsai collecting $360,000 for his runner-up finish.
The victory also moved Wang further up China's all-time money list according to The Hendon Mob. The high-stakes regular now has around $13.6 million in recorded live tournament earnings, putting him fifth among Chinese players.
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ye Wang | China | $587,200 |
| 2 | Eric Tsai | Taiwan | $360,000 |
| 3 | Ryuta Nakai | Japan | $242,000 |
| 4 | Rodrigo Selouan | Brazil | $182,000 |
| 5 | Defeng Chen | China | $142,000 |
| 6 | Unknown Player | Lithuania | $113,000 |
| 7 | Renji Mao | China | $91,000 |
| 8 | Haohui Ma | China | $74,000 |
Ren Lin's Seven Cashes Secure Player of the Series
While Wang walked away with the Main Event title, few players enjoyed the festival quite as much as Ren Lin.
Lin cashed seven times across the King Poker Cup, a run that saw him cross $20 million in recorded live tournament earnings and ultimately secure the Player of the Series crown. Along with the title, Lin received an exclusive Gold Ring and a $10,000 wallet deposit.
His series began with an 11th-place finish in the $100,000 King's Charity Super High Roller for $200,000. Bryn Kenney won that event, with the victory taking poker's all-time money leader beyond $90 million in career tournament earnings.
Lin then picked up three more cashes over the opening week of August. He finished 33rd in the King's Debut, took 10th in the $8,000 Royal Ascent and earned $26,100 after taking bronze in the $5,000 Throne Clash.
Another deep run followed in the Main Event, where Lin finished 14th from 180 entries for $44,000.
But it was the final stretch that propelled him to the Player of the Series title. Lin then won the $10,000 NLH/PLO Mix after overcoming a 44-entry field, defeating David Coleman heads-up for $134,540.
The final table wasn't short on recognizable names either. Toby Joyce finished fifth and Danny Tang came seventh, while Tom Dwan collected $15,000 for eighth.
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ren Lin | China | $134,540 |
| 2 | David Coleman | United States | $89,800 |
| 3 | Hy | China | $59,900 |
| 4 | Lun Loon | Malaysia | $41,600 |
| 5 | Toby Joyce | Ireland | $30,100 |
| 6 | Bin Duan | China | $22,800 |
| 7 | Daniel Tang | Hong Kong | $18,100 |
| 8 | Tom Dwan | United States | $15,000 |
For Dwan, the result followed a sixth-place finish in the Charity Super High Roller and marked his first recorded tournament cashes since 2024.
Lin nearly added another trophy immediately afterwards. He reached heads-up in the $30,000 Final Coronation before falling one spot short, with his runner-up finish worth $394,500. Bao Qiang Ho took the title and $608,600 from the 75-entry event.
It continues a strong relationship between Lin and the King Poker Cup. He won the King's Main Event during the January festival for $600,700, and returned seven months later to leave Jeju as Player of the Series.
Ren Lin's King Poker Cup Cashes
| Date | Event | Place | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul. 28, 2026 | $100,000 NLH - King's Charity Super High Roller | 11 | $200,000 |
| Aug. 1, 2026 | $5,000 NLH - King's Debut | 33 | $10,000 |
| Aug. 3, 2026 | $8,000 NLH - Royal Ascent | 10 | $20,400 |
| Aug. 4, 2026 | $5,000 NLH - Throne Clash | 3 | $26,100 |
| Aug. 6, 2026 | $15,000 NLH - The King's Main Event | 14 | $44,000 |
| Aug. 8, 2026 | $10,000 NLH / PLO Mix | 1 | $134,540 |
| Aug. 9, 2026 | $30,000 NLH - Final Coronation | 2 | $394,500 |
Lonis and Punsri Among Other Winners in Jeju
Plenty of other notable players found their way into the winner's circle.
Jesse Lonis took down the $5,000 Throne Clash, defeating a 38-entry field for $46,200, while Ryan Plant earned $160,000 and an $80,000 bonus after winning the $10,000 Crown Hunt.
Punnat Punsri closed out his festival with victory in the $30,000 Single Day High Roller. The Thai high-stakes regular topped 23 entries to collect $262,640.
Lun Loon recorded one of the largest wins outside the Main Event and Final Coronation, taking down the $8,000 Royal Ascent for $273,380.
King Poker Cup Jeju Results
| Event | Entries | Prize Pool | Winner | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $5,000 King's Debut | 282 | $1,292,300 | Yang Zhang | $238,700 |
| $8,000 Royal Ascent | 146 | $1,088,980 | Lun Loon | $273,380 |
| $3,000 King's T.O.R.S.E Mix | 21 | $57,330 | Zhang Lante | $20,000 |
| $2,000 King's Big O | 26 | $46,900 | Zongjin Sui | $8,700 |
| $3,000 King's PLO | 16 | $43,680 | Zhi Zhang | $18,210 |
| $5,000 Throne Clash | 38 | $174,135 | Jesse Lonis | $46,200 |
| $10,000 Crown Hunt | 95 | $604,200 | Ryan Plant | $160,000 |
| $15,000 The King's Main Event | 180 | $2,527,200 | Ye Wang | $587,200 |
| $10,000 Big Bounty | 22 | $95,920 | Lei Yu | $39,020 |
| $10,000 NLH / PLO Mix | 44 | $411,840 | Ren Lin | $134,540 |
| $30,000 Final Coronation | 75 | $2,106,000 | Bao Qiang Ho | $608,600 |
| $30,000 Single Day High Roller | 23 | $645,840 | Punnat Punsri | $262,640 |
