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The 2026 Asian Poker Tour (APT) is nearing a thrilling conclusion with the APT Championship 2026 rapidly approaching. Running from November 13-29 in partnership with the Chinese Texas Hold'em Poker Club, the APT Championship 2026 boasts more than 200 tournaments, including 23 APT Championship events, and a massive Main Event carrying a $5 million guarantee. The APT Championship 2026 is not to be missed.
The Red Space Taipei, which hosted the record-breaking 2025 APT Championship, is again gearing up to welcome thousands of poker players from far and wide.
During the 2025 APT Championship, more than 28,000 tournament entries and over $34 million in prize money were awarded as the festival set a record for the largest and richest festival in APT history. Now, the APT is pulling out all of the stops to make the 2026 edition even more special.
23 Championship Events
Taking down any of the 209 events adorning the 2026 APT Championship schedule will represent an incredible achievement, but there are 23 Championship Events that carry even more prestige.
The first Championship Event, the Asia Gaming Industry Championship, is only open to casino employees and poker industry persons, and the TWD 35,000 ($1,100) Women's Championship is only open to female poker players, but the other 21 are open to anyone who is prepared to buy in or win their seat from the plentiful satellites running throughout the 2026 APT Championship.
As you can see in the expandable table below, the Championship Events cover a wide variety of formats and disciplines, including Pot-Limit Omaha (TWD 70,000/US$2,200), 7-Max No-Limit Hold'em (TWD85,000/US$2,700), several High Rollers, a Mixed Game Championship (TWD70,000/US$2,200), a Teams Championship (TWD35,000/US$1,100), a US$3,000 buy-in Natural8 Cup Championship with US$1 million guaranteed, and the show-stopping US$5 million guaranteed APT Championship Main Event.
If no TWD buy-in is shown, the event is bought into with USD
$5 Million Guaranteed APT Championship Main Event
Without a doubt, the tournament everyone heading to Taiwan this November wants to win is the APT Championship Main Event. Unless you win your way into this mammoth-sized tournament, you'll pay US$10,000 to enter and will be battling across five days in an attempt to secure the lion's share of a US$5 million guaranteed prize pool.
Everyone starts their quest for 2026 APT Championship Main Event glory with 50,000 chips. Day 1 lasts eight levels, each lasting 75 minutes, giving players plenty of room to maneuver.
Day 2 is scheduled to play another eight 75-minute levels, or to the money, depending on how close the money bubble is.
If you thought 75-minute levels were excellent, reach Day 3, and you'll play to a 90-minute clock! The extended clock means only six levels are set to be played on the third day.
Day 4, the penultimate day of the $10,000 Main Event, is scheduled to play another six 90-minute levels, or, at the tournament director's discretion, until the final table is reached.
The final day, on November 27, continues until a worthy champion emerges victoriously.
Last year, India's Nishant Sharma left 670 opponents in his wake as he captured the 2025 APT Championship Main Event title. The Indian overcame the challenges from some top poker talent at the final table, including Martin Finger, Matas Cimbolas, Dominik Nitsche, and Alexandru Papazian, before defeating the Philippines' John Costiniano heads-up. Sharma banked the equivalent of $1,181,559 for his impressive victory.
20 Women's Events in 17 Days
The APT has a reputation for promoting women in poker, with several women-only events during its regular stops. There are no fewer than 20 women-only tournaments on the 2026 APT Championship schedule, which is the highest concentration of women's events that PokerNews has ever seen at any poker festival globally.
A TWD35,000 (US$1,100) Women's Championship is the highlight of those 20 ladies' events. France's Rosalie Petit is the reigning champion. She found herself heads-up against Taiwan's Yu Lun Huang from a field of 109 entrants, where she struck a deal. Petit collected the $24,322 and the all-important trophy, with Huang securing $24,221 for her efforts.
Love Mixed Games? The 2026 APT Championship Has You Covered
Did you notice that Asian players more than held their own in non-hold'em events during the 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas? That is because mixed games are immensely popular in Asia, and the APT recognizes this.
Sixty non-hold'em events are waiting for players to get their teeth into during the 17-day Tapai festival. Whether you prefer making Badugis, fancy yourself as a Bomb Pot Stud expert, or love playing Triple Draw, it is highly likely that the 2026 APT Championship has a mixed game event for you.
With so many mixed games to choose from, it is difficult to select any for special attention. That said, the PLO Championship and Mixed Game Championship, both of which cost TWD70,000 (US$2,200) to enter, are the most likely to attract some of poker's most recognizable names.
High Rollers Assemble!
There are also 26 high roller events scheduled, with seven of those being given the Championship Event treatment. Buy-ins for the high rollers start at TWD25,000 (US$800) for Hyper Turbo High Roller events and max out at US$50,000 for the Superstar Championship.
South Korea's Calvin Lee won the Superstar Championship at the 2025 APT Championship. Thirty-nine entrants created a $1,835,809 prize pool, and Lee claimed a top prize worth $597,556 after defeating Australia's Daniel Neilson ($415,811) heads-up.
The 2026 APT Championship has all of the hallmarks of being one of the most spectacular live poker festivals of the year. Are you heading to Taiwan this November?
