APL 2026 Combines Zodiac Showdowns With Red Envelope Rewards
From February 8 to March 1, 2026, GGPoker presents the APL 2026 series, featuring 27 Zodiac-themed tournaments alongside the popular Red Envelope promotion, adding extra rewards and excitement to the daily tournament action.
January 2026 came out swinging. Following a packed Winter Giveaway Series and GGMillion$ Week, GGPoker opened the year with major tournament volume and consistently busy tables across the lobby. Instead of easing off, the industry leader doubled down by rolling out Ocean Rewards, a fully redesigned rakeback and loyalty system that immediately reset expectations for what comes next.
While New Year festival action has already wrapped up across much of Europe and the wider poker world, the celebration continues elsewhere. In China, the Year of the Red Horse HongBao takes center stage—and GGPoker is marking the occasion with Red Envelope cash drops and the return of the much-loved Ace Poker League.
Daily rewards, festive flair, and one of Asia’s most iconic online poker tournament series keep the momentum rolling well beyond the usual holiday window.
Year of the Red Horse HongBao
The “Year of the Red Horse HongBao” refers to a Chinese New Year–themed reward inspired by zodiac symbolism. Combining the Horse’s association with energy and success, the color red’s link to luck and prosperity, and the tradition of HongBao red envelopes, it represents a festive bonus or promotional gift designed to convey good fortune and positive momentum.
From February 8 to February 28, GGPoker is marking the Lunar New Year with the $5M Year of the Red Horse HongBao, where the Red Envelope Promo rewards play with free cash every day—simply log in, play, and collect.
The Return of the APL Series
From February 8 to March 1, the APL Championship runs on GGPoker, delivering 27 Trophy Events as part of Asia’s biggest Lunar New Year poker celebration. Organized by the Ace Poker League, the longest-running poker series in the region, the championship combines large-scale tournament action with festive rewards.
Players competing in Trophy Events can unlock a Limited Dragon Avatar, while the Red Envelope promotion distributes up to ¥5 million in free cash drops throughout the series. The APL Championship blends traditional Lunar New Year flair with one of the most prestigious tournament schedules in Asian online poker.
The Ace Poker League continues to cement its legacy across Asia by turning the Lunar New Year into a full-scale poker celebration. Spanning three epic weeks, the series blends holiday atmosphere with elite tournament action, making it one of the most anticipated stretches on the regional calendar.
Backed by a massive ¥250,000,000 guaranteed, the APL stands as the largest poker series in Asia, headlined by a ¥25,000,000 guaranteed Main Event that sets the benchmark for prestige and scale. Adding a cultural twist, players can also embrace the Lunar New Year theme by unlocking unique Zodiac avatars, combining tradition, competition, and high-stakes ambition into one standout festival.
Trophy Schedule of the APL on GGPoker
| Date | Day | UTC | CST | Event | Buy-In | GTD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-08 | Sun | 13:00 | 21:00 | #1: APL 2026 Tip-Off | ¥250 | ¥1,500,000 |
| 2026-02-08 | Sun | 13:05 | 21:05 | #2: King of the Zodiac High Roller [2-Day Event] | ¥5,000 | ¥3,000,000 |
| 2026-02-09 | Mon | 13:00 | 21:00 | #3: Zodiac Rat Opener | ¥550 | ¥1,000,000 |
| 2026-02-10 | Tue | 13:00 | 21:00 | #4: Zodiac Ox Bounty [Big Bounties] | ¥330 | ¥1,000,000 |
| 2026-02-11 | Wed | 13:00 | 21:00 | #5: Zodiac Tiger Grand Deepstack | ¥1,100 | ¥1,500,000 |
| 2026-02-12 | Thu | 13:00 | 21:00 | #6: Zodiac Rabbit Luck Eights Bounty | ¥888 | ¥1,500,000 |
| 2026-02-13 | Fri | 13:00 | 21:00 | #7: Zodiac Dragon High Roller Bounty | ¥8,000 | ¥3,000,000 |
| 2026-02-14 | Sat | 13:00 | 21:00 | #8: Zodiac Snake Venom Bounty [6-Max] | ¥660 | ¥1,000,000 |
| 2026-02-15 | Sun | 13:00 | 21:00 | #9: Zodiac Goat Super High Roller [2-Day Event] | ¥20,260 | ¥5,000,000 |
| 2026-02-15 | Sun | 13:05 | 21:05 | #10: APL Winter Championship [Day 2] | ¥888 | ¥10,000,000 |
| 2026-02-16 | Mon | 13:00 | 21:00 | #11: Zodiac Horse Deepstack Bounty | ¥250 | ¥1,000,000 |
| 2026-02-17 | Tue | 13:00 | 21:00 | #12: Zodiac Monkey King Wukong Bounty | ¥2,200 | ¥2,500,000 |
| 2026-02-17 | Tue | 13:05 | 21:05 | #13: Zodiac Happy New Year Celebration | ¥550 | ¥1,000,000 |
| 2026-02-18 | Wed | 13:00 | 21:00 | #14: Zodiac Rooster Double Stack [2-Stack] | ¥1,100 | ¥1,000,000 |
| 2026-02-19 | Thu | 13:00 | 21:00 | #15: Zodiac Dog Bounty [Turbo] | ¥550 | ¥1,000,000 |
| 2026-02-20 | Fri | 13:00 | 21:00 | #16: King of the Zodiac PLO-NL High Roller | ¥8,000 | ¥1,000,000 |
| 2026-02-21 | Sat | 13:00 | 21:00 | #17: Zodiac Pig Winter Feast Bounty [Hyper] | ¥888 | ¥1,000,000 |
| 2026-02-22 | Sun | 13:00 | 21:00 | #18: APL Mini Main [2-Day Event] | ¥388 | ¥2,000,000 |
| 2026-02-22 | Sun | 13:05 | 21:05 | #19: APL Lunar Mystery Bounty [Day 2] | ¥1,100 | ¥10,000,000 |
| 2026-02-23 | Mon | 13:00 | 21:00 | #20: Sanya Bay Shooting Star Bounty | ¥330 | ¥1,000,000 |
| 2026-02-24 | Tue | 13:00 | 21:00 | #21: Kunming Mountain Monster Stack [6-Max] | ¥660 | ¥1,000,000 |
| 2026-02-25 | Wed | 13:00 | 21:00 | #22: Shenzhen Skyscraper Bounty | ¥3,300 | ¥2,500,000 |
| 2026-02-26 | Thu | 13:00 | 21:00 | #23: Chengdu Giant Panda Giant Stack | ¥1,100 | ¥1,500,000 |
| 2026-02-27 | Fri | 13:00 | 21:00 | #24: Xi'an Silk Road Bounty | ¥888 | ¥1,500,000 |
| 2026-02-28 | Sat | 13:00 | 21:00 | #25: Shanghai Masters of Poker [6-Max] | ¥5,000 | ¥2,500,000 |
| 2026-03-01 | Sun | 13:00 | 21:00 | #26: Beijing Mystery Bounty Millions [2-Day Event] | ¥10,000 | ¥6,000,000 |
| 2026-03-01 | Sun | 13:05 | 21:05 | #27: APL Red Horse Main Event [Day 2] | ¥2,026 | ¥25,000,000 |
QuickFacts by PokerStrategy:
- Series duration: February 8 to March 1, 2026
- Total number of events: 27
- Daily start time: 13:00 UTC, with selected Day 2 events at 13:05 UTC
- Buy-in range: ¥250 to ¥20,260
- Lowest buy-in events: ¥250 Zodiac events
- Highest buy-in event: Zodiac Goat Super High Roller (¥20,260)
- Largest guaranteed prize pool: ¥25,000,000
- Other top guarantees: Multiple events with ¥10,000,000 and ¥6,000,000 GTDs
- Number of two-day events: 6
- High Roller events included: Several High Roller and Super High Roller formats
- Game formats offered: Deepstack, Bounty, Mystery Bounty, Turbo, Hyper, 6-Max, PLO-NL, and Double Stack
- Branding focus: Zodiac-themed events combined with APL flagship tournaments
