After an intense and grueling bubble period in the APT Manila Classic Main Event, 175 players have locked up a payday and secured their spots in Day 3. This event has officially made history as the largest-ever APT Main Event in the Philippines, reinforcing the tour’s continued growth in the region.

Leading the field is Taiwan's Po-Shuo Huang, who finished Day 2 with an impressive 1,168,000 chips — the only player to bag a seven-figure stack. Not far behind is Javier Zarco, who accumulated 959,000, with the Spaniard playing a pivotal role in bursting the bubble after eliminating Kenneth Anthony.

Nobuaki Sasaki rounds out the top three, benefiting from a dream scenario when his pocket aces held up against the pocket kings of Raju Jaruplavath in one of the biggest hands of the day.

The day began with 377 returning survivors from the opening flights, joined by 56 late entries who took advantage of the last chance to buy in before registration closed. David Erquiaga wasted no time making his presence felt, quickly rising among the chip leaders after eliminating Shinya Maeda in Level 13. Erquiaga capitalized on his early momentum and bagged a top ten stack of 680,000.

However, several former Main Event champions weren’t as fortunate, as Punnat Punsri, Lester Edoc, Henrick Tollofsen, Christopher Mateo, and John Tech all failed to make the money. Three past champions are still in contention, with Mike Takayama (577,000), Moses Saquing (124,000), and Yohn Paredes (71,000) carrying the torch forward.

China’s Zhen Chen, who has been making waves in the poker world, closed out Day 2 with 165,000 chips. Chen added another trophy to his collection just yesterday, winning the Baby Superstar Challenge for PHP 4,327,600.

Samuel Mullur, currently third on Austria's All-Time Money List, secured the fourth-largest stack of 834,000. Mullur, who captured a WSOP bracelet in December 2023 by conquering the GGMillion$ High Roller for $2,736,300 — his career-best score—now sets his sights on adding another prestigious title. Despite his global accolades, an Asian trophy still eludes him, and what better way to start his collection than by claiming an award-winning Gold Lion to adorn his mantle?

Despite his gut-wrenching cooler against aces, Jaruplavath, champion of the Philippines National Cup, still managed to survive the day with 169,000 chips. Another notable mention is APT commentator Stephen Lai, who navigated the field smoothly and bagged a respectable 333,000 heading into Day 3.

as play resumes, 29 online qualifiers will merge with the live field, adding a fresh dynamic to the competition. Some notable names among them include Adalsteinn Karlsson (428,000), Abraham Ceesvin (353,000), Joshua Mccully (321,000), Marc Rivera (242,000), and Asa Smith (135,00).

Vietnamese poker vlogger Ngoc Huyen Quach, aka “Gemmy” maintained her position as the top stacked female player, fighting through with 226,000 in chips, with five other women still in contention for Day 3: Thailand’s Nattamon Kaweesorasak (206,000), Natural8 Ambassador Hua-Wei Lin (203,000), Thailand’s Wipawadee Kanaraksapong (179,000), Japan’s Seina Asagiri (117,000), and China’s Cai Xin Wong (59,000).

All remaining players are guaranteed a payout of PHP 94,000 (~$1,615), but it’s the PHP 11,069,680 (~$190,201) top prize that remains the ultimate goal. With the biggest APT Main Event field in Philippine history now down to its final contenders, who will rise to the occasion and claim poker glory?

The surviving 175 players have all earned themselves a payday and are currently bagging up their chips.

Stay tuned for a recap of the day's action!

Kenneth Anthony was forced all in from the big blind, while Javier Zarco and Cheng Zhou battled for a side pot from the button and small blind, respectively.

Zarco opened the button to 20,000 and Cheng called from the small blind.

On a flop of 4♠ A♠ T♦ , Cheng check-called a bet of 16,000 to see the K♥ drop on the turn. After Cheng checked, Zarco bet 80,000, which got Zhou to fold.

Kenneth Anthony: J♥ 7♠

Javier Zarco: A♦ T♥

Anthony needed a queen to complete Broadway and extend the bubble, but the 7♣ river didn’t cooperate, sealing his fate as the bubble boy.

It wasn’t all bad news for Anthony, though — he walked away with a PHP 25,000 Mini Main Event ticket as a consolation prize for bubbling.

The remaining players are currently bagging their chips and will come back tomorrow at 11am for Day 3. Congratulations to everyone making the money. Stay tuned, a full recap of today's action will follow here shortly.

Hand-for-hand play continues with 176 players still in contention in the Main Event.

Ivan Govorov just claimed a sizable pot, though not without a few nerves along the way.

The action was picked up on the turn with roughly 250,000 in the middle on a Q♦ 8♦ T♠ Q♠ board. Govorov, in the cutoff, fired out 115,000, and Takumi Monden called from the button.

The 2♠ landed on the river, and with about 260,000 behind, Govorov used both hands to push forward a bet of 235,000. However, as he moved his chips forward, his trembling hands sent his stacks tumbling into the pot, prompting the dealer and floor staff to quickly restack them.

Monden remained silent throughout the commotion, and once the bet size was confirmed, he tossed in a call.

Govorov then revealed 9♠ 6♠ for a flush, and Monden quietly mucked as Govorov raked in the pot.

Hiroya Iwamoto raised the button to 12,000 and Somasekhar Sanampuri defended from the big blind.

On the flop of 2♣ 5♣ 2♥ Sanampuri checked it to Iwamoto, who continued with a bet of 10,000. Sanampuri then put in a raise to 25,000 and Iwamoto dropped in a call.

The 6♥ fell on the turn, where Sanampuri check-called a bet of 40,000 from Iwamoto.

The river brought an 8♦ and it went check-check.

Sanampuri tabled A♦ 5♥ for a pair of fives, but it was no match for the superior pair of eights from Iwamoto’s K♣ 8♣. .

Alari Kunnapuu shoved all in from late position and Nattawut Kwunsong called to put his opponent at risk.

Nattawut Kwunsong: 6♣ 6♦

Alari Kunnapuu: K♠ K♥

Kunnapuu picked up a lead with pocket kings against Kwunsong’s pocket sixes. On the flop of T♦ A♣ J♦ , Kwunsong received a backdoor diamond flush.

The turn showed the A♠ , leaving Kwunsong drawing very thin.

The 7♣ hit on the river, sealing a double up to Kunnapuu.

After a raise from Tsz Chung Yip from late position, Edwin Marzan went all in for 316,000. Yip called off his last 123,000 chips to put himself at risk on the direct bubble.

Edwin Marzan: Q♥ Q♦

Tsz Chung Yip: K♥ K♠

Yip was ahead with his pocket kings against Marzan’s pocket queens. The flop came T♦ 2♦ J♠ , giving Marzan a backdoor diamond flush draw. The turn showed an A♦ , putting Yip’s tournament at stake as one more diamond could send him the title of bubble boy. Fortunately for Yip a board-paring A♥ landed on the river, securing him a much-needed double-up.

Almost every remaining player is silently thanking Jayden Zalac after he eliminated Zhiqiang Liu, leaving the field just one spot away from the money.

Zalac opened to 12,000 from the cutoff, only for Liu to fire back with a massive three-bet to 81,000 from the big blind. Undeterred, Zalac moved all in for around 300,000. Liu, after burning through all three of his time banks, eventually flicked in the call for his tournament life, sitting on roughly 280,000.

Zhiqiang Liu: 9♣ 9♦

Jayden Zalac: A♦ K♦

Liu pumped his fist, celebrating what he believed was a good call, but with five cards to come, the deck still had the final say.

The 8♠ 2♣ J♠ flop was a safe one for Liu, but the K♥ on the turn flipped the script, leaving him with just two outs to survive. Needing a miracle nine, he instead found the 7♦ on the river, sealing his fate and sending him to the rail just short of the money.

With his dwindling stack Janca found a suitable hand to go with just three players off the money. Chuning Tan called him and put the Lithuanian at risk.

Andrius Janca: K♦ K♠

Chuning Tan: 6♣ 7♣

The flop came out very unfortunate for Jance as it came 7♥ 6♦ 2♥ .

Janca was in big trouble, and neither the T♥ on the turn nor the 4♦ on the river could save him.

We pick the action up on the turn where Stephen Lai bet 30,000 and got called by Yohei Kitazato next to him on the button.

On the river, the board read A♥ K♥ Q♦ 5♦ 5♠ and Lai went for a bet of 50,000. Kitazato decided to be a non-believer and call.

He could not beat Lai’s A♠ K♦ .

With 178 players remaining, the Main Event is now hand-for-hand until three more players are eliminated.

Daniel Smiljkovic opened from middle-position and got two callers, Yusuke Arima in the small-blind and Le Guennec in the big-blind.

The flop came down 8♥ 5♦ 5♥ and all three players checked.

The turn was a third 5♣ and Arima made a 19,000 bet, only Le called and they went heads-up to the river.

The river was the Q♠ . Arima checked but was put in a difficult situation when Guennec bet 37,000.

Eventually, he decided on a call, but quickly regretted that decision, as Guennec tabled 7♥ 5♠ for quads. Arima showed J♠ J♥ .

Unlucky for the Japanese player who will now have to fight to make the money.

as players returned from the break, most were focused on cruising into the money. Nobuaki Sasaki, however, had other plans, surging toward a seven-figure stack after a massive clash with Raju Jaruplavath.

Jaruplavath opened from middle position to 16,000, and Sasaki responded with a three-bet to 45,000 from the hijack. When the action folded back to Jaruplavath, he wasted no time four-betting to 150,000. Sasaki tanked, burning through two time banks before announcing he was all in for 461,000. Jaruplavath gave a shrug and said, "I call."

Nobuaki Sasaki: A♠ A♥

Raju Jaruplavath: K♣ K♥

A dream scenario for Sasaki — and a nightmare for Jaruplavath — just nine eliminations away from the money. Jaruplavath still had chips behind, but if he couldn’t find a Cowboy to lasso his way out of the situation, his stack would be in ruins.

There was an audible gasp from Jaruplavath when the 4♠ Q♣ 5♥ flop brought some paint, but it wasn’t the picture he wanted to see. The A♦ on the turn sealed the deal, locking up the pot for Sasaki and leaving Jaruplavath visibly deflated. A meaningless 3♣ fell on the river, and Sasaki raked in a mountain of chips.

Jaruplavath, now left with just 140,000, immediately shoved the very next hand. He found no callers but was still clearly rattled by the costly cooler.

It's another 15-minute break time now with only 187 players remaining in the tournament.

Won You raised to 11,000 from under the gun was called by Mc Mantos on the button and Javier Martinez from the big blind.

Three player saw a flop of 8♣ 8♠ Q♥ . Martinez checked it to You, who made a continuation-bet of 10,000, which both Mantos and Martinez called.

The J♠ hit on the turn, where Martinez and You checked over. Mantos fired out 35,000. Only Marinez dropped in a call this time.

The river showed 5♣ . Martinez check-called to another barrel of 55,000 from Mantos.

Mantos immediately tossed his cards into the muck and Martinez collected the sizable pot without showing his hand.

The action was picked up when a flop rolled off 7♥ 3♠ 8♠ with 32,500 chips in the pot.

Javier Martinez bet 10,000 from under the gun and Jesse Rivera called on the button to see the 5♥ fall on the turn, where Martinez shoved all in for around 350,000 and Rivera called off his last 46,000 chips.

Javier Martinez: K♥ T♥

Jesse Rivera: 7♣ 5♣

Rivera was ahead with a flopped pair of sevens but still needed to fade some out to stay alive. The runout came T♦ , blooming Rivera’s one pair into two pair and leaving Martinez’s rivered pair of tens useless.

Nobuaki Sasaki just brought the field one step closer to the money by eliminating Mun Leong Cheong.

Raju Jaruplavath had opened from early position to 10,000 and Sasaki three-bet the hijack to 28,000. Cheong then shoved for around 40,000 from the big blind, and only Sasaki called.

Mun Leong Cheong: A♠ K♠

Nobuaki Sasaki: J♥ J♠

Cheong picked up a plethora of outs on the 8♠ T♠ T♥ flop as he improved to a flush draw.

However, it was a case of 'too many outs' as the 3♣ turn and 5♣ river both bricked out, ending Cheong's run.

Jayden Zalac raised to 60,000 from the small blind and Cai Xin Wong from the big blind went all in for 61,500.

Jayden Zalac: A♥ K♦

Cai Xin Wong: Q♣ Q♠

Wong held the lead with her ladies on the flop of 4♠ 7♣ 7♠ but still needed to fade an ace or king to stay alive in the tournament.

The runout came down clean 6♠ 4♦ , securing Wong a much-needed double up.

Dmitri Urban opened from late-position and Niklas Warlich defended his big-blind.

The flop came down T♥ T♠ 2♥ and Urban continued with a 7,000 bet. To this Warlich responded with a raise to 22,000. Urban did not believe him and put in a three-bet to 37,000, while acting like he only meant to call. Warlich was having none of this and moved all-in for 109,000 total.

Urban had to fold his hand, showing the A♠ . Warlich tabled K♥ 9♥ .

Filipino Benhur Ybarsabal opened from early-position and got one call from Alexander Ugay.

The flop came down 5♦ 2♠ 2♥ and the Filipino continued with a 10,000 bet which was quickly called by Ugay.

The turn brought the 9♠ and Ybarsabal slowed down and checked. Ugay tried to use this to his advantage by betting 13,000. However, to this Ybarsabal responded with an all-in, totalling 138,000.

Ugay quickly folded, acknowledging Ybarsabal's play.

Both Niklas Warlich and Dmitrii Urban had their stacks in the middle preflop with around 200,000 each.

Dmitrii Urban: A♥ K♦

Niklas Warlich: Q♠ Q♣

The stacks hadn't been counted as the dealer was instructed to the run the board first. Despite Warlich flopping a full house on the 8♦ 8♠ 8♥ flop, it was Urban who picked up an extra out as any eight would give him the best hand.

Unfortunately for him, the J♦ turn and 4♠ river offered no lifeline.

To make matters worse, once the stacks were counted, Urban was covered by a sliver and was left with no chips — just a one-way ticket to the rail.

Lawrence Wong opened from late-position to 10,000 and was three-bet to 20,000 by the big-blind Kam Lee from Hong Kong. Wong made the call.

Both players saw the A♠ K♠ 6♥ flop. Lee continued with a bet of 20,000 which Wong quickly called.

On the turn appeared the 9♦ and it was now time for Lee to slow down and check. Wong on the other hand took over and applied pressure with a bet of 45,000.

Lee had to surrender his hand.

as Level 16 kicks off, there are 200 players remain in the Main Event. With 175 spots paid, just 25 eliminations — around three tables — stand between the field and the end of Day 2.

Some of the recent bustouts include Marco Espela, Nopparat Kongjai, Kwonhwan Mun, and Joris Michl.

The floor have just announced that shot clocks will soon be introduced.

Marco Almerez raised to 8,000 from early position and was called by Ish Agarwal from the cutoff. Thomas Lee the put in a raise to 30,000 on the button. Only Agarwal dropped in a call.

On the flop of 4♦ 8♣ 7♣ the action went check-check.

The K♦ hit on the turn, where Agarwal checked to Lee, who fired out 60,000, which Agarwal called.

The river brought a 5♠ . Agarwal checked and Lee shoved all in for 245,000 sending his opponent into the tank.

After over three minutes Agarwal eventually tossed his cards into the muck.

Kwonhwan Mun limped in from the cutoff and was called by the small blind. Dylan Foster then put in a raise to 26,000 from the big bind, and only Mun dropped in a call.

The two checked through the flop of K♦ J♦ Q♠ to the 3♠ turn, where Foster checked to Mun, who fired 15,000. Foster made the call.

The 4♣ came on the river and it went check-check.

Foster tabled a flopped pair of jacks with A♠ J♣ , making Mun muck his cards.

We got to the table on the turn where the Thai national Prommin Talordpong bet 35,000 out of the small-blind against Euryd Rivera in middle-position. In the pot were around 65,000 and Rivera made the call.

On the river, the board showed 9♣ 8♥ 7♠ 8♦ K♥ and Talordpong quickly moved all-in, covering Rivera's 65,000 stack. The Filipino thought about for a few seconds before deciding on a call. Talordpong tabled over A♣ 8♣ which was enough to bust Rivera.

Niklas Warlich raised to 8,000 from middle position and was called by Czar Marcos from the cutoff.

Both player checked through the flop of Q♥ 8♦ 9♠ to see the K♦ fall on the turn. The action went check-check again.

An 8♣ landed on the river, where Warlich bet 5,000, and Marcos put in a raise to 15,000, which Warlich snap-called.

Marcos tabled trip eights with A♥ 8♥ and Warlich threw his cards to the muck.

Dylan Foster has around 700,000 chips in front of him and is contesting for the chip lead after being on the right side of a cooler against Takuya Inoue.

Before the break, Foster opened from under the gun to 6,500 and Inoue three-bet the cutoff to 19,000. When it got back to Foster, he called.

The duo saw a flop of T♦ Q♥ J♦ where Foster checked, Inoue bet 22,000, and Foster called.

An A♥ on the turn put a second flush draw on the board and both players decided to check to see the Q♦ drop on the river. Foster riffled his chips for a while then carved out a bet of 68,000. Inoue had 111,000 remaining in his stack and committed them all after around a minute, and Foster snap-called.

Foster then revealed a boat with A♠ Q♠ , and Inoue showed a smaller full house with J♠ J♣ .

It's a good thing Inoue is wearing a jacket because that was an absolute cooler!

Since the break, Foster has continued his trend of stacking chips as he three-bet Kwonhwan Mun's open from the small blind. On the 5♣ 3♣ 5♥ flop, Foster fired a continuation-bet of 21,000, which got the job done as Mun quickly relented to the pressure.

Akash Malik made it 9,500 to go from the hijack and was called by Alexander Ugay from the cutoff.

Both players checked through the flop of 8♣ 7♣ 5♦ to see a 4♣ fall on the turn, where Malik fired 8,500 and Ugay stuck around.

The river brought the board-pairing 5♠ .

Malik made a chunky bet of 17,500 and successfully collected the pot.

Richard Marquez raised to 8,000 from under the gun and Egidijus Digrys defended from the big blind.

A flop rolled off K♥ 3♥ 2♦ , bringing flush and straight draw possibilities. Digrys checked to Marquez, who continued for 4,000. Digrys made the call.

An A♥ fall on the turn, where Digrys checked over again and Marquez sent a bet of 8,000. After tanking for a long time, Digrys eventually threw his cards into the muck.

Anthony Kastelic opened from early-position and only the two blinds called along. The flop was 7♠ 5♥ 4♠ , but the low board did not scare Kastelic as he continued his betting lead with a 6,000 bet. Once again, both blinds called. The 4♥ on the turn paired the board, and when checked to Kastelic he kept firing. This time his 20,000 bet was enough to make his opponents fold.

We picked the action up on the turn, where Tsz Chan's 18,000 bet got raised to 60,000 by the Alexander Ugay in the big-blind.

Chan made the call and by the river the board read 7♣ 7♥ 5♥ 3♣ 4♦ .

Ugay moved all-in for 225,000 on the river. This put Chan in a very difficult situation. He slightly covered Chan, and for multiple minutes he tried to figure out whether the Russian player might have been bluffing.

In the end, however, he decided on a fold. The river scared him he said.

With only around 40,000 in his stack, Jess Dalipe decided on a limp from early-position. Andrew Nguyen made it 10,500 from late-position and Dalipe called. The flop came out A♦ K♦ 8♦ . Dalipe checked and Nguyen went for a 5,000 continuation bet. Dalipe responded with an all-in, totaling only 31,000. Nguyen made the call.

Jess Dalipe: K♠ Q♦

Andrew Nguyen: A♠ A♣

Dalipe needed a diamond to stay alive. However, the 2♥ turn and 3♥ river busted his Main Event dreams shortly before the bubble.

With 230 players remaining and 175 spots paid, the Main Event is nearing the bubble.

Among those who fell short of the money are Kunal Patni, Henrik Tollefsen, Thanisorn Saelor, and Vamerdino Magsakay, who were all recently eliminated.

The average stack is currently around 210,000, which is hovering just above the 50-big-blind mark.

Stephen Lai just took down a three-bet pot to boost his stack to around the 300,000 mark.

Lithuania's Edgaras Kausinis opened from under the gun to 9,000 and Lai three-bet to 22,000 in the hijack. When the action got back to Kausinis, he called.

The flop fell 8♦ 6♠ Q♥ and after Kausinis tapped the table, Lai put out a tiny bet of 6,000. That was enough to get the job done as Kausinis released his cards.

Poker is easy, sometimes!

The remaining 243 players have been sent on a 15-minute break.

Joris Michl made it 6,000 to go from late position and received three callers: Nattawut Kwunsong from the hijack, Leon De from the cutoff, and Ngoc Quach from the big blind.

Four players saw a flop of 9♥ 4♠ Q♥ and all checked through.

The 4♦ hit on the turn, where Quach fired out 13,000 and this was followed by a string of folds from all other male players.

William Teoh opened to 6,000 from early position and Kwonhwan called from the cutoff. Daichi Hiruma then shoved for 75,000 from the button, which gave Teoh a decision. It took around three minutes of deliberation before Teoh decided to call with a slightly covering stack. Mun folded.

Daichi Hiruma: 4♦ 4♣

William Teoh: A♣ J♣

Teoh would still have 15,000 behind if he were to lose this flip, but it was Hiruma who need his fours to sail to victory. A flop of 9♥ 9♦ 5♠ kept things interesting as Teoh picked up some counterfeit outs as any five would see him take the lead.

The 3♥ on the turn favored Hiruma, and his Sailboats held up when the T♠ filled out the board.

Kwonhwan Mun came through Flight C as the chip leader with 288,000 in his stack and has almost doubled that so far on Day 2.

In the latest hand he played, Min Sung Lee opened the button to 6,000 and Mun defended his big blind.

They went to a flop of 8♣ 7♥ 4♣ , which both checked to the board-pairing 8♥ turn. Mun bet 5,000, and Lee called.

A 3♦ completed the board and again Mun went with a sizing of 5,000. After a short time, Lee reluctantly tossed in a chip to call.

Mun then showed 9♣ 7♠ for a pair of sevens, and Lee's K♥ 4♥ went into the bin.

Kunal Patni made it 6,000 to go from the hijack and Napparat Kongjai three-bet to 25,000 from the small blind, to which Patni shoved all in for around 210,000. Kongjai then called off his last 82,500 chips and put himself at risk.

Kunal Patni: A♥ Q♥

Nopparat Kongjai: 9♠ 9♥

It was a classic coin flip. Kongjai was far ahead on the flop of T♦ 8♣ 8♦ , leaving Patni a small chance to win.

The runout came down 3♣ 2♠ , sealing the double up for Kongjai.

Tsz Him Chan limped in from the small blind and Benhur Ybarsabal checked over from the big blind.

Both player checked through the flop of 9♥ T♦ K♦ , bringing flush and straight draw possibilities.

The 6♣ dropped on the turn, where Chan checked to Ybarsabal, who made a bet of 5,0000. Chan called.

The river showed a 5♦ , and the two checked to a free showdown.

Chan flipped 6♦ 3♣ for a pair of sixes, and it was enough to make his opponent fold.

Ish Agarwal open from early-position only got called by Chaiwat Lewchalermwongs, who defended his big-blind. No action was seen until the river when Agarwal bet 9,000 on 3♠ 3♥ 4♥ T♠ A♥ . Lewchalermwongs, who so far showed no interest in winning this hand, suddenly went for the ultimate play by going all-in with his 62,000. Agarwal could only surrender the pot. Interesting line by the Thai national after checking three times postflop.

Hiroya Iwamoto raised to 6,000 from under the gun and received four callers: Somasekhar Sanampuri from late positon, John Tech from the hijack, Olivier Serrie on the button and Hyundong Lee from the big blind.

Only flop of 5♣ J♣ J♠ , Lee checked it to Iwamoto, who continued with a bet of 8,000, which both Tech called Hyundong made the call. Three players saw the 7♥ fall on the turn, where Iwamoto fired out 15,000 and Tech put in a raise to 39,000. Lee got out of the way and Iwamoto called.

The 5♥ landed river. Iwamato checked over and Tech fired out 75,000, leaving only 2,000 chips behind. After some consideration, Iwamoto tossed his cards into the muck.

Finn Penderak opened from late-position and got called by Zhen Chen next to him on the button, and Jihwan Oh from the big-blind.

On A♥ T♠ 2♦ it got checked around to the button who bet out 4,500. The big-blind Oh responded with a raise to 10,500. Now the original open raiser sprang it action and check-raised to 20,500. The button got out of the way, but Oh made the call.

However, this was the end of betting action as both players checked K♦ turn and T♥ river.

Oh tabled A♣ 2♥ , while Penderak showed A♠ 9♠ . Both players chopped the pot.

Short-stacked Takumi Hashimoto shoved for just over 30,000 from early position and Lester Edoc dropped in his last 20,000 from the next seat.

Lester Edoc A♦ 8♥

Takumi Hashimoto: A♥ T♥

Edoc's situation went from bad to worse when the T♠ 2♠ 6♥ flop paired Hashimoto's ten. A K♥ on the turn had Edoc on his feet, with the meaningless 4♣ filling out the board.

Thomas Lee opened from middle-position and got three-bet by Ivan Govorov from the big-blind. The Canadian made the call and they went heads-up to the flop of T♥ 9♠ 4♣ . The Russian aggressor continued with a bet of 17,000. Lee did not go anywhere and called.

The turn brought the J♦ and Govorov again fired out a hefty bet of 50,000. Once again Lee made the call.

The river came the 8♦ , and this time Govorov decided to check. Lee did the same and both players opened their cards.

Govorov showed 5♠ 3♠ which could not beat Lee's A♣ J♣

There were already around 60,000 chips in the pot on a board of 4♦ 8♦ 4♠ T♣ when Yuji Tsuboi fired out 40,000 from early position. Local player Mark Dela Cruz was in middle position and after mulling it over, he called.

A Q♠ dropped on the river and the action quickly checked to showdown. Tsuboi flipped a pair of nines with 9♦ 9♠ , but Dela Cruz held the winner with J♠ J♣ to scoop the pot.

Former Main Event champion Yohn Paredes is seated at the same table and is going along well with around 180,000 in his stack.

as Level 14 gets underway, there are still 282 players in their seats.

Some of the notable bustouts from the last level include Kevin Hasler, Christopher Mateo, Abhinav Iyer, James Mendoza, Punnat Punsri, and John Costiniano.

Geno Gendrano limped in from under the gun only to be jammed by Hua-Wei Lin for 33,500 from the small blind, which Gendrano snap-called to put his opponent at risk.

Geno Gendrano: K♠ T♠

Hua-Wei Lin: A♣ 6♠

Lin was ahead on the 4♥ A♥ 9♣ flop, improving her to top pair of aces. The K♥ fell on the turn, pairing with Gendrano’s king, but it was still no match for Lin’s top pair. The dealer sent a bricky 5♦ on the river, shipping a life-saving double-up to Lin.

Son Jun Kim raised from under the gun to 5,000, and Akash Malik three-bet to 13,000 from the hijack. Kim dropped in a call.

On the flop of J♥ T♠ 3♣ Kim checked it to Malik, who continued with another bet of 22,000.

Kim called to see the 3♥ fall on the turn, where Kim shoved all in for 120,500 and Malik snap-called off his 52,000 to put himself at risk.

Son Jun Kim: 6♠ 6♥

Akash Malik: A♣ A♥

Malik picked up the lead with pocket aces and left Kim with a slim chance to win.

The dealer dealt the 8♥ river sending a much-needed double up to Malik.

Ivan Govorov opened to 5,000 from under the gun and Georges Chehade three-bet to 26,000 from the big blind. Govorov then four-bet which resulted in Chehade getting his stack of around 100,000 into the middle.

Georges Chehade: A♠ K♥

Ivan Govorov: J♦ J♥

It was a classic coin flip and one that Chehade needed to win as he was the at-risk player. However, it was Govorov who took an almost insurmountable lead as the J♠ 3♥ 5♦ flop gave him top set. Only running cards could save Chehade, but he was left drawing dead when the 9♣ turn hit the felt.

A 3♠ river improved Govorov to a full house, and Chehade heading to the exit empty-handed.

Egidijus Digrys raised to 5,500 from early position and Geoffrey Tomes called on the button.

The flop came down T♥ 2♦ A♠ , and both checked through to see the 3♣ fall on the turn. It went check-check again.

The river showed the 5♥ .

Digrys changed his strategy here and bet 15,000 and Tomes made the call.

Digrys tabled the top pair of aces with A♦ 7♦ to best Tomes’ J♥ J♠ .

Chayathon Wongpipatchai raised to 5,500 from early position and Lawrence Wong called from the hijack.

Both players saw a flop of 2♣ 5♦ 9♣ . Wongpipatchai checked it to Wong, who led out for 12,000. Wongpipatchai made the call.

The turn was the 4♥ , Wongpipatchai checked again and Wong fired out 45,000, sending Wongpipatchai into the tank.

Wongpipatchai counted his remaining 38,000 chips and thought for a long time.

Eventually he open-mucked his A♦ K♠ forfeiting the pot.

David Erquiaga is shooting up the counts and is approaching the half-million mark. The overnight chip leader, Tomoki Terashima, has lost a chunk of his stack and has around 220,000 now.

Elsewhere, Mike Takayama and Thanisorn Saelor are also moving up the ranks!

Rundulf Gonzales opened from early-position and got a call in middle-position before Matthew Wakeman three-bet in-position to 22,000. The action did not stop here, as Leon Sturm came in hot out of the big-blind and moved all-in for 113,000. The original opener quickly moved all-in himself. Wakeman had to throw his hand into the much and Sturm's tournament dreams were on the line.

Leon Sturm: T♠ T♣

Rundulf Gonzales: K♦ K♠

The A♥ 9♠ 6♥ flop came out safe for Gonzales, but the T♦ came out of nowhere on the turn, giving Sturm trips. However, the K♥ river did the same to Gonzales, busting Sturm before the money. What a roller coaster ride of emotions this runout had been.

Craig Landry limped in from the small blind and Yongkyun Kim checked from the big blind.

Both saw a flop of A♣ 4♦ 5♣ and checked through to the A♥ turn, where Landry led out for 2,500 and Kim put in a raise to 7,500. Landry dropped in a call.

The river showed T♦ . Landry check-called after Kim sent out a chunky bet of 11,500.

Kim tabled trip aces with A♦ 9♠ , leaving his opponent no choice but to muck the hand.

We joined the action on the turn where in-position player John Costiniano bet 12,500 into a pot of around 19,500. The Russian player Ivan Govorov continued to defend his big-blind.

By the river the board read A♥ T♥ 3♣ T♦ 9♦ . The big-blind checked and Costiniano fired once more, this time for 30,000. Govorov needed a couple of minutes, but in the end decided on a call.

Costiniano tabled Q♥ 7♥ for a missed flush draw. Govorov called with 4♠ 4♣ . Nice call by the Russian.

We only picked the up on the river where Dave 'Spade' Erquiaga was put in a tough spot by his Japanese opponent Shinya Maeda.

The board read T♠ 9♣ 2♥ 7♥ 5♠ and Spade's bet 22,000 into a pot of around 85,000 and got shoved on for 110,000 more. After a couple of minutes of tanking, Erquiaga decided on a call.

Shinya Maeda: Q♣ 8♣

Dave Spade: A♠ T♥

Great call by Dave who is sitting now in prime position approaching the bubble.

The final numbers are in! The Main Event drew an impressive 1,202 entries, creating a massive prize pool of PHP 61,681,680 (~$1,059,823).

A total of 175 players will secure a payout, with the minimum cash set at PHP 94,000 (~$1,615). However, the real prize everyone is chasing is the staggering PHP 11,069,680 (~$190,201) reserved for the champion.

APT's own Gregory "Greg Goes All In" Liow is quietly going about his business in the Main Event and is up to around 120,000 after a hand at the start of Level 13.

With just over 20,000 chips in the pot on a 6♦ K♣ Q♦ J♠ board, Liow knuckled the table out of the big blind and Jayson Cooper checked back from the hijack.

A K♥ paired the board on the river and after pausing for a few moments, Liow grabbed a handful of chips and fired out 19,000. Cooper didn't seem too interested and after rechecking his cards, he folded pretty quickly.

Liow started the day with 67,000 and is making steady progress through Day 2.

Players are having the first 15-minute break. Now there are only 335 players remaining in the field.

Chit Chuan Lim raised on the button to 4,500 and Yu-Chien Kung defended from the big blind.

Both saw a flop or A♣ 3♦ 3♦ and checked through to the T♥ turn, where Kung checked to Lim, who fired out 5,000. Kung called

The river brought the K♦ . Kung checked over again and Lim sent another bet of 7,500, which was enough to secure the pot.

A flop filled out Q♠ T♦ 6♣ with around 11,000 chips in the middle when Nattawut Kwunsong checked over from the big blind. Lars Kamphues then sent a bet of 3,000 from the cutoff and Kwunsong called.

The turn showed an A♣ . Kwunsong checked to Kamphues again, who fired out 16,000. Kwunsong stuck around to see the 3♣ fall on the river, where Kwunsong sent another chunky bet of 30,000. Kamphues called.

Kwunsong tabled K♦ T♦ for a flopped pair of tens, but it was no match for a set of queens from Kamphues’s Q♥ Q♣ .

Dmitrii Urban made it 4,000 to go from the hijack with Niklas Warlich and Chia-Ying Lin calling from the blinds.

Three players saw a flop of 2♦ K♦ 4♥ . The blinds checked to Urban, who continued with another bet of 4,000, to which only Warlich made the call.

The turn revealed a 4♠ and it went check-check.

The 8♠ landed on the river, where both players checked to a free showdown.

Warlich tabled two pair with 6♣ 6♥ to overcome the two pair from Urban’s 3♣ 3♦ .

The Asian Poker Tour (APT) continues to dominate the Philippines' poker scene with two massive events: APT Manila 2024 and the ongoing APT Manila Classic 2025. Both festivals have set new benchmarks, drawing players from around the world and generating staggering prize pools. While APT Manila 2024 shattered records, the APT Manila Classic has now set the record for the tour's largest Main Event field size in the Philippines, marking a historic milestone.

Growth in Participation

The Main Event remains the centerpiece of both series, with both events setting records across multiple categories, further solidifying APT’s status as the premier poker tour in the region.

APT Manila 2024: The event saw a record-breaking 1,081 entries, forming a prize pool of PHP 100 million (~USD 1.7 million). USA’s Daniel Lee emerged victorious, claiming the 24K gold lion APT Main Event trophy and PHP 15,060,000 (~USD 256,020).

• Flight A: 249 entries, 82 survivors
• Flight B: 257 entries, 110 survivors
• Flight C: 210 entries, 107 survivors
• Flight D: 161 entries, 74 survivors
• Total: 1,081 entries, including 157 qualifiers, and 47 Day 2 entries

APT Manila Classic 2025: Not only has this event already surpassed last year’s participation, but it has now become the largest Main Event in APT Philippines history. With 1,202 entries, APT Manila Classic 2025 has shattered the previous record of 1,081 by an impressive 11.2%.

• Flight A: 218 entries, 67 survivors
• Flight B: 270 entries, 105 survivors
• Flight C: 266 entries, 119 survivors
• Flight D: 190 entries, 88 survivors
• Total: 1,202 entries, including 202 qualifiers, and 56 Day 2 entries.

This milestone achievement is a testament to APT’s explosive growth in the region, proving that the demand for world-class poker tournaments continues to rise. The increase in participation from 2024 to 2025 solidifies the APT Manila Classic as a premier destination for poker players across the globe. This isn’t just growth — it’s a resounding statement that poker in the Philippines is stronger than ever.

Field Strength and Diversity

Both series have drawn significant international participation, with APT Manila 2024 hosting players from 53 countries. The APT Manila Classic 2025 is continuing the trend, with early data showing high turnout from key markets such as Japan, Germany, and the Philippines. This growing diversity underlines APT’s global appeal and its increasing reputation among elite poker professionals and amateurs alike.

Momentum and Future Expectations

APT Manila 2024 set a precedent with a record PHP 349,691,602 (~USD 5.94 million) prize pool. While the total for APT Manila Classic 2025 is yet to be finalized, early indicators suggest another highly competitive and lucrative series. With growing participation in Main Event flights and high-stakes tournaments, the trend remains upward for APT events in the Philippines.

This series has already beaten last year’s Main Event in total entries, proving that the excitement and demand for live poker remain stronger than ever. APT Manila Classic 2025 is not just another successful event — it is a defining moment for APT in the Philippines. With the series hitting the halfway point today, one thing is certain: APT Manila Classic 2025 has made history, and the question now is, how much further can this year’s numbers climb?

The action was picked up on the turn with a board showing A♥ Q♦ T♠ 9♠ and 25,000 chips in the middle. Hakamada Esuike from the big blind went all in for around 34,000 and Chia-Ying Lin also shoved from late position for around 79,000.

Hakamada Eisuke: 9♣ 9♥

Chia-Ying Lin: K♠ J♦

Lin dominated the lead with a Broadway straight, leaving Eisuke a small chance to win. The bricky 7♦ fell on the river, finishing Eisuke’s tournament run early in Day 2.

We picked the action up on the turn where Euryd Rivera had raised Nazariy's 7,000 bet to 21,000. The pot was around 14,000 and the board read A♣ 6♥ 4♥ 5♣ .

Nazariy called and the river was the Q♠ .

Rivera checked and Nazariy bet 22,000. After some thinking time did the Filipino Rivera let his hand go.

The intense preflop action started with an open by Tetsuya Tsujisaka in middle-position. Yi Chen made a call in late-position, before Thai national Suparerk Totsaponvisad moved all-in from the small-blind for around 60,000. His fellow countryman Wutikrai Phraikhieo next to him in the big-blind quickly came over top, jamming his 148,000 himself. The original open raise briefly thought about if he should get involved, but decided it was enough action for now.

Suparerk Totsaponvisad: Q♥ Q♦

Wutikrai Phraikhieo: A♦ K♣

Considering the circumstances, Totsaponvisad was thrilled to be in a classic flip situation.

The flop came out promising, 9♠ 8♦ 3♣ , and it looked like Totsaponvisad's Queens would hold.

However, the K♦ on the turn and A♠ on the river sealed his fate and he hit the rail.

David "Spade" Erquiaga has added around fifty percent to his stack in the early goings, with a chunk of those chips coming from his compatriot Jeoffrey Sibal.

The action was picked up on a board of J♠ T♣ T♥ J♦ and with around 45,000 in the pot, Erquiaga fired out 24,000 from the hijack. Sibal was on the button and after thinking it over for some time, he dropped in the call.

A 3♣ landed on the river and Erquiaga didn't need to think for too long before he shoved, which put Sibal to the test for his remaining stack of around 100,000. It wasn't an easy decision for Sibal as he went through the motions, and at one point looked as if he was about to toss in a chip to call. However, after thinking it over a little more, he removed his chips from the top of his cards and made the fold.

Jaegol Cho opened from middle-position and got called by Filipino poker legend Mike Takayama on the button. Sung Yun in the big-blind also called.

On K♥ 6♥ 3♦ Cho continued with a bet of 4,500. Only Takayama called.

The turn was 5♥ . The potential flush made both players slow down and check.

The river Q♣ once again went without action and Cho opened K♣ T♣ for a winning top pair.

A total of 433 players took their seats as Day 2 got underway, but after just one level, the field has already dwindled to around 390.

For everyone still in the hunt, the mission is clear — reach the money. With a total of 1,202 entries, only 175 players will walk away with a payday, making every hand and decision more crucial as the day progresses.

Sangmin Lee raised to 4,000 from the small blind and Mc Mantos defended from the big blind.

Both read a flop of 2♣ Q♠ 4♠ , and Lee continued for 3,400.

Mantos dropped in a call to see the 3♦ fall on the turn and they both checked through.

An 8♠ hit on the river. Lee checked over and Mantos fired out 12,500. After thinking for a while, Lee put in a raise to 25,000. Mantos called.

Lee tabled J♠ T♠ for a flush, leaving Mantos no choice but to muck the hand.

A flop came Q♣ 8♥ 6♦ with around 8,000 chips in the middle, and Frederick Hernandez checked from the small blind. Danilo Velasevic bet 4,000 from the big blind and Hernandez called.

The 7♣ hit on the turn and it went check-check. The river brought an A♥ . Hernandez checked it to Velasevic who fired out 11,200 and successfully collected the pot.

Victor Dai was staring elimination in the face, but like a true secret agent, he had one last trick up his sleeve.

He moved all in from the cutoff for just over 14,100, and Chayathon Wongpipatchai wasted no time three-betting to 30,000 from the button to isolate. The blinds stepped aside, leaving the two players to battle for survival.

Victor Dai: A♥ 9♦

Chayathon Wongpipatchai: A♠ Q♥

With Wongpipatchai holding the dominant ace, Dai’s tournament life was hanging by a thread. Things only got worse on the 2♠ 5♠ 4♠ flop, which gave Wongpipatchai the nut flush draw. The 6♠ turn seemed to seal the deal, completing his flush and prompting Dai to stand up, ready to make his exit — his poker license to thrill about to be revoked.

But just when it looked like his mission was over, the dealer burned and turned the 3♠ , putting a straight flush on the board in the most dramatic way possible.

Nobody saw it coming, but in poker — just like in espionage — you should never count out a man with one last card to play. Against all odds, Dai lives to fight another hand.

Dimitrii Urban made it 2,300 to go on the button and Shuma Kimura defended form the big blind.

On the flop of T♣ Q♦ 9♥ , Kimura checked over and Urban continued for 4,200, which Kimura dropped in a call to see the A♦ turn. Kimura checked to Urban again, who fired out 8,000. Kimura stuck around.

A 4♥ hit on the river, where the action went check-check. Kimura showed J♣ 5♠ for a bluff while Urban tabled a turned top pair of aces with A♠ 7♠ , which shipped the pot to his way.

Cheng Yen Lo limped in from the small blind and Kunal Patni checked from the big blind.

A flop came down 2♠ 4♦ 3♠ . Yen checked it to Patni, who sent a bet of 2,000, which was enough to make his opponent muck the hand.

Patni was friendly enough to show 7♠ 4♠ for a flopped pair of fours when returning the cards back to the dealer.

Senan Inoue opened from the middle-position and got three-bet to 9,500 by Ricardas Lukauskas in late-position.

The Japanese player called and the flop came down K♦ T♦ 7♣ . Both players elected to check.

The turn was another T♥ and Inoue led out for 10,000. This was enough to make Lukauskas fold.

Good start for Inoue who will try to continue his strong run from Day 1.

Kaito Hashimoto opened from middle-position and Chi Lam defended his big-blind. On 7♥ 3♥ 8♦ Lam decided to take stab, but his 5,000 got called by Hashimoto. The turn brought the 2♣ , Lam checked and his Japanese opponent did so himself.

The river was the 5♥ and Lam checked once again. Now Hashimoto turned up the heat with an all-in for Lam's effective 24,500. Lam folded.

Joris Michl opened the button to 3,600 and Joseph Sia called from the small blind.

Both player saw a flop roll off 7♠ Q♦ Q♣ . Sia checked it Michl, who made a continuation-bet of 3,200, which Michl made the call to see the 4♦ turn, where the action went check-check.

The 5♦ fell on the river. Sia changed his strategy here and fired our 13,500, which Michl put in a raise to 53,000 and successfully secure the pot.

Chong-Hwa Kim opened up from early position to 3,200 and then Ran Yi shoved the button for 28,200. When it got back to Kim, he seemed to play with his phone a little before he eventually flicked in the call.

Ran Yi: A♣ 7♣

Chong-Hwa Kim: K♠ J♠

Yi was in the lead, but wouldn't have liked seeing the T♥ K♥ 5♠ flop as Kim paired his king. A 7♥ on the turn did bring around a few extra outs, but the 6♣ river was a brick, and Yi was sent for an early shower.

After the hand, Kim was warned that he cannot use his phone while he is involved in a hand.

Play has begun, and cards are in the air for Day 2 of the APT Main Event. Registration is closed and players are now competing for a share of the prize. Good luck!

A full APT Main Event Payout List will be updated shortly.

The stage is set for Day 2 of APT Manila Classic Main Event, where 377 survivors from the four starting flights will converge at the Crowne Plaza and battle for a share of the PHP 60,000,000 guaranteed prize pool. With 1,146 entries recorded across all starting flights, the number is expected to rise as registration remains open until the start of play.

The action kicks off at 11:00 AM local time. Blinds begin at 800/1,600 with a big blind ante of 1,600. A 15-minute break is scheduled every two levels, and contestants will play through 60-minute levels until making it into the money.

Leading the pack in Day 2 is Japan’s Tomoki Terashima, who amassed an impressive stack of 347,300 after navigating through Flight A. Close behind is Austria’s Matthias Lipp. He bagged up 345,000 chips, less than two big blinds gap from the chip leader. Lithuania’s Andrius Janca also crossed the three-hundred mark, securing 338,000 chips and the third spot on the chipboard.

Other notable APT titleholders advancing to Day 2 include Joshua Chargualaf (252,900), David Erquiaga (205,800), Henrik Tollefsen (202,200), Marco Espela (201,900), Thanisom Saelor (200,500). Kunal Patni (184,500), fresh off his Mystery Bounty Hunter victory, and Mike Takayama (173,600) are also among the contenders.

Stay tuned for comprehensive coverage of the Main Event Day 2 and discover who will outlast and advance to Day 3.