Rangkatekarn Overcomes 5-to-1 Lead Reversal to Win APT Jeju Super High Roller
Teeraphat Rangkatekarn led entering the final day of the APT Jeju Super High Roller but lost the lead to Calvin Lee during heads-up play. He ultimately reclaimed the chip lead to earn KRW 355,667,500 and an APT Championship Main Event seat.
Author: PokerSlate · Gemini-assisted translation · Editor: PokerSlate primary AI reviewer
Published:
Updated:
Reviewed:
Thailand's Teeraphat Rangkatekarn won the 2026 APT Jeju Super High Roller, defeating Calvin Lee heads-up to earn KRW 355,667,500. He entered heads-up play with a commanding chip lead, surrendered the lead temporarily, and ultimately rallied to capture the title.
The tournament took place September 26–27 at LES A Casino on Jeju Island with a KRW 15,000,000 buy-in. Recaps from the official APT site, Poker.org live reporting, and SoMuchPoker results coverage detail his path to victory.
99 Entries, 26 Players Return for Final Day
The event drew 67 unique players and 99 total entries including re-entries, building a KRW 1,368,427,500 prize pool. The top 13 places made the money, with min-payouts set at KRW 27,780,000.
Rangkatekarn entered the 26-player final day as chip leader. Poker.org reported he finished Day 1 with roughly 3.4 million chips, compared to Calvin Lee's 1.9 million. Rangkatekarn maintained his lead through the final table, holding over 60% of total chips in play by four-handed play.
Suited A-Q Eliminates Harder, Sets Up Heads-Up Lead
Christian Harder's third-place elimination set the stage for heads-up play. Harder held pocket Aces against Rangkatekarn's suited A-Q, holding the preflop advantage until a turn card completed Rangkatekarn's flush. Harder exited in third place with KRW 164,640,000.
That elimination gave Rangkatekarn 20 million chips heading into heads-up play against Lee's 4 million—a 5-to-1 chip lead. Having led for much of the tournament, Rangkatekarn stood one opponent away from the title.
Lee Mounts Comeback, Shifting Match Momentum
Lee did not exit quietly. He doubled up with pocket Queens, completed a river flush in a subsequent hand, and briefly overtook Rangkatekarn for the chip lead. The initial 5-to-1 chip lead proved insufficient for a quick victory, forcing Rangkatekarn to rebuild his stack.
Official APT reports confirm Rangkatekarn regained control to secure the win. Lee earned KRW 249,330,000 as runner-up. The back-and-forth heads-up match highlights that despite leading most of the event, Rangkatekarn faced significant pressure before clinching the title.
Main Event Seat Added to Championship Victory
In addition to the KRW 355,667,500 top prize and trophy, Rangkatekarn received a seat valued at $10,000 to the APT Championship Main Event. Official recaps noted this victory as his largest career live tournament cash.
The tournament concluded with Rangkatekarn taking first, Lee taking second, and Harder taking third. The victory secured both the Jeju title and entry into the upcoming APT Championship Main Event.
Local reading context
This article focuses on the Super High Roller event held September 26–27; the APT Jeju Main Event is a separate tournament. The champion's payout is listed in KRW, while the added APT Championship seat value is listed in official USD figures.
Source report dates: 2026-09-27 / 2026-09-28
Original sources and verification
- SoMuchPoker
Verifies Super High Roller winner, payout, entry count, and Main Event progress snapshot at time of reporting.
Verified:
- Asian Poker Tour
Official tournament recap: buy-in, prize pool, payouts, four-handed stacks, key eliminations, and heads-up reversal.
Verified:
- Poker.org
Live coverage: tournament dates, Day 1 chip leader, final table, and heads-up progression.
Verified: