China's Jianfeng Sun won the APT Jeju 2026 Main Event on October 3. Yet Singapore's Steve Pei Yao Ng, the runner-up, received the larger reported cash payout. A heads-up deal explains the apparent reversal.

The title and the final payouts

APT's October 3 final-day report lists these results after the agreement:

  • Champion Jianfeng Sun: KRW 427,565,000.
  • Runner-up Steve Pei Yao Ng: KRW 449,115,000.
  • Third-place Kwang Chung Tan: KRW 225,180,000.

The report says the final two negotiated a deal and left KRW 23,600,000, the title and trophy to play for. Sun won the title after overcoming Ng's heads-up chip lead. The Main Event drew 1,375 entries and generated a KRW 3,207,600,000 prize pool.

Why the earlier first prize no longer matches

Before the deal, the published first and second payouts were KRW 556,340,000 and KRW 320,340,000. Together they total KRW 876,680,000. The reported post-deal payouts also total KRW 876,680,000. The difference is the distribution, not a newly created pool.

At our October 4 check, the event results page still displayed the original top-two amounts without names. This article uses the organizer's dated final report for the named, post-deal results rather than treating that older payout listing as the final settlement.

DIP view

Finishing position and money received answer different questions. A champion is decided at the table, while an approved deal can alter how prize money is allocated. Do not assume that the largest reported payout identifies the winner, or that a negotiated payout tells us a player's net profit.

For readers comparing this result with earlier coverage, check three things: the report date, whether a deal is mentioned, and whether amounts are original scheduled prizes or final reported payouts. We do not infer the deal's calculation method or private financial arrangements from the totals alone.

The cover is an original conceptual illustration of heads-up play and a prize agreement, not a photograph or reconstruction of this final. The official final report is linked below.

Play within a predetermined budget, include travel and entry costs, and never treat a tournament headline as a promise of income.