China’s Xixiang Luo has won what the Asian Poker Tour says is the largest international poker tournament ever to play out in Korea, defeating a field of 1,089 players to claim the APT Jeju Main Event.
Held at Jeju Shinhwa Resort, the event was also the richest APT event ever held in Korea.
In an all-Chinese heads-up clash, Luo eventually outlasted his compatriot Jianfeng Sun to secure the KRW429.3 million (US$316,550) first prize and move to 10th on China’s All-Time Money List with lifetime live winnings of over US$3 million.
“I’ve been running bad for the past two months, but this APT series has been quite successful,” Luo said.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been this serious, but 10 years ago I said I would win a main event championship within 40 years. Ten years have passed, and I’ve completed the task 30 years ahead of schedule. Yes!”
The APT last visited South Korea in September 2023 when it held its APT Incheon series at Paradise City.