William Li’s trip to Jeju, South Korea turned into a career-defining journey, culminating in a landmark victory at the 2026 APT Jeju Classic Main Event.
The Red Deer, Alberta native captured the title and $394,162, multiplying his previous career-best live score more than tenfold. Remarkably, Li had only just set that prior record days earlier, finishing third in a preliminary event at the same festival for $38,651—well ahead of his former top cash of $9,325.
Hoisting the APT’s iconic gold lion trophy, Li reflected on the perseverance that led to his breakthrough.
“This trophy represents a lot to me,” Li said. “Over the past two years, I’ve played many tournaments. There were happy moments and frustrating ones, ups and downs along the way.”
A Record-Breaking Field
Li’s personal milestone coincided with a historic achievement for the Asian Poker Tour. The $1,595 buy-in main event attracted 1,718 entries, setting a new record for the largest live tournament field ever in South Korea. The mark surpassed the previous APT Jeju record of 1,693 entries, set just months earlier in October 2025.
For his victory, Li earned 1,080 Card Player Player of the Year points, vaulting him to seventh place in the season-long standings presented by CoinPoker.
The Road to the Title
Li’s path to the championship spanned five demanding days. He bagged a top stack on Day 1A but stumbled on Day 2, finishing with fewer chips than he started. Undeterred, he steadily navigated the field to reach the final table.
Among the final nine, Li began in the middle of the pack with 20 big blinds. The lineup featured an international mix: four players from China, two from Japan—including chip leader Shintaro Sato—along with Li representing Canada, plus competitors from Romania and Vietnam.
Sato dominated early, amassing nearly half the chips in play by five-handed action. Li’s surge began when his pocket eights held against Zu Wang’s A♣4♥, eliminating Wang in fifth place ($88,937).
Four-handed play nearly spelled disaster. Li moved in with A♣9♠ against Cristian Tabac Mihai’s A♠8♠ and fell behind when an eight hit the flop. A dramatic river nine restored his lead, delivering a crucial double-up. A pivotal fold of pocket queens later cost Li a sizable pot, as Sato’s pocket jacks bested Zhang Lei’s tens, sending Lei out in fourth ($111,629).
Despite setbacks, momentum swung back in Li’s favor. Sato eliminated Mihai in third when Q♠3♣ cracked A♥K♦, setting up a heads-up duel with Li facing more than a 3:1 chip deficit.
Turning the Tide
The comeback began immediately. Li doubled on the first hand of heads-up play, then followed with a fearless hero call that shifted control. In the final hand, with stacks shallow, Li’s ace-high held up to secure the title.
In addition to the six-figure payday and 1,080 POY points, Li also locked up a seat in the APT Championship Main Event this November.
2026 APT Jeju Classic Main Event Final Results
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William Li – $394,162 (1,080 POY points)
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Shintaro Sato – $220,272 (900 points)
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Cristian Tabac Mihai – $154,034 (720 points)
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Zhang Lei – $111,629 (540 points)
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Zu Wang – $88,937 (450 points)
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Quang Nguyen – $70,761 (360 points)
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Naohiro Arita – $54,074 (270 points)
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Haohui Ma – $38,162 (180 points)
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Yuefeng Pan – $29,179 (90 points)
More Highlights From Jeju
The ten-day festival featured nearly 100 events and plenty of standout performances. Ren Lin added two more titles to his 2026 tally, strengthening his early Player of the Year campaign despite lingering controversy. Five-time WSOP bracelet winner John Juanda also claimed a trophy, winning Event 63, a turbo high roller.
In the $2,500 Zodiac Classic, China’s Siyu Ji topped a 426-entry field for a career-best $172,027 and 1,080 POY points. Meanwhile, Guang Zhou defeated Triton regular Yuzhu Wang heads-up in a $3,120 event, earning $165,400 and 720 POY points.
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