Stephen Pang experienced one of the strangest tournament victories of the year after celebrating what he thought was an APT Incheon Main Event win, only to discover that his opponent still had chips left.
Pang had already celebrated with his rail, picked up the trophy and started his winner’s interview when tournament officials delivered the unexpected news.
Shoumin Zhang wasn’t out.
He still had around one big blind left, meaning Pang had to return to the table and try to win the tournament all over again.
It eventually ended with Pang as the champion, but not before Zhang threatened to turn the premature celebration into an extraordinary comeback.
Stephen Pang Thought He Had Won the APT Main Event
The confusion came during heads-up play at the 2026 APT Incheon Main Event in South Korea.
Pang and Zhang had around 28 million chips each when a huge pot developed with blinds of 400,000/800,000.
Zhang eventually moved all in and Pang called, with the river completing Pang’s flush and apparently eliminating his opponent.
Pang understandably thought it was over.
He jumped from his seat and celebrated with friends on the rail as the venue acknowledged him as the new champion. Pang then returned to the table and began what was supposed to be his winner’s interview.
There was just one problem.
Tournament staff had completed the chip count and discovered Zhang still had approximately 700,000 remaining.
APT Tournament Director Tyler Willse interrupted the interview to explain that the Main Event wasn’t actually finished.
One Big Blind Suddenly Became a Real Threat
With Zhang left with barely a big blind and Pang controlling almost every chip in play, completing the victory looked like little more than a formality.
Poker had other ideas.
Zhang doubled.
Then he doubled again.
And again.
And then a fourth time.
Suddenly, a player who had been one card away from elimination had climbed back to approximately 14 million chips against Pang’s 42 million.
What had initially looked like an amusing technicality had turned into a genuine heads-up contest.
Zhang survived 30 hands after being reduced to a single big blind, forcing Pang to remain composed after already experiencing the emotions of believing he had won the tournament.
Pang Finally Wins It for Real
The remarkable comeback eventually ran out of momentum.
With blinds reaching 500,000/1 million, Zhang moved all in for 8.7 million holding king-ten. Pang made the call with pocket nines.
This time there would be no recount and no interrupted winner’s interview.
Pang’s pocket pair survived the board to eliminate Zhang and officially end the tournament.
The Hong Kong player could finally celebrate his second APT title and the biggest tournament score of his career.
Pang later joked that he had effectively “won the Main Event twice.”
Stephen Pang Collects $293,700
The bizarre ending came at the conclusion of the biggest APT Incheon Main Event ever held.
The tournament attracted 1,393 entries, generating a prize pool worth approximately $2.15 million.
Pang entered the nine-player final table as chip leader and eventually reached the final three alongside Zhang and American player Yifu He.
The trio agreed to an ICM deal before playing on for an additional KRW 40.68 million and the APT Gold Lion trophy.
Pang ultimately collected KRW 411.18 million, approximately $293,700, while Zhang received around $261,785 for second place. He finished third for approximately $183,570.
All three also secured seats worth around $10,000 for the 2026 APT Championship Main Event.
A Main Event Finish Pang Won’t Forget
Winning a major poker tournament normally produces one defining moment when the final card falls and the champion realizes the tournament is over.
Pang got to experience that moment twice.
The first celebration came too soon. The second arrived only after Zhang had transformed a single remaining big blind into a comeback that briefly threatened to produce an even more remarkable ending.
For Pang, though, the result ultimately remained the same.
The trophy really was his.
