Vamerdino Magsakay

Vamerdino Magsakay is a Filipino professional poker player who focuses on tournaments both live and online.

Magsakay’s first breakthrough in the poker tournament scene was in May 2014, placing 5th at the No Limit Hold’em Head Hunter event of the Asian Poker Tour (APT) Manila for $2,840. Two months after, he copped $2,656 for a third place finish at the Manila Cup of the Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT).

The succeeding five years saw steady production from Magsakay but nowhere near the level of success he achieved in 2019.

In April of that year, he finished third at the Main Event of the APT Manila for $45,161, his first five-figure payday. Building off the momentum and bankroll boost, Magsakay went on to win $17,951 for finishing 5th at the Championship Event of APT Vietnam, his first tournament cash outside of the Philippines. In under a month, he mustered another huge win by finishing 3rd at the APPT Manila for $30,588.

The lockdowns caused by the global health pandemic in early 2020 brought a grinding halt to Magsakay’s run. The forced hibernation, however, seemed to have only created an appetite that needed sating in the Filipino pro.

He appeared to be everywhere in 2022 posting victories, at varying degrees, in each and every month of the year with the biggest and most impressive coming in July. Magsakay toppled the competition at the Main Event of the APT Summer Festival in Hanoi Vietnam. The victory netted him his best live cash to day, a purse amounting to $84,854.

In November 2022, Magsakay also won the Main Event of the RVS Cup 6 GRT in Pasig, Philippines for $33,133. He is a Metro Team Pro.

Thoughts on WSOP 2025

I actually came into the series with a mix of excitement and pressure it was only my second time at the WSOP, and I played everyday for almost 2 months I usually feel most comfortable in the $1K to $5K range because the fields are still tough.

The biggest struggle for me early on was adapting to the sheer size of the fields. You have to be patient for so long before a real spot comes. But the joy came from the grind itself, thinking about my family to stay focus and motivated, meeting players from all over the world, playing in the best environment for poker, and of course, ending it with that $200K score made it all worth it.

In Asia, the fields are usually smaller, and you see familiar faces more often, so you can build reads quickly. At the WSOP, with massive fields, you need a tighter and more disciplined approach early on. I focused on preserving chips, avoiding big confrontations without strong equity, and really picking my spots. There’s no need to force the action on Day 1 when the blinds are small it’s about surviving and setting yourself up for later.

I started by sticking to my plan playing solid and avoiding unnecessary variance early. Then I won a few key pots where I was able to apply pressure on opponents who didn’t want to risk their tournament life.

There was one big hand, I just trusted my instincts. I called pocket Six in Day 1 and I put him on lower pair(44) before I called it. That gave me momentum, and from there, I kept my foot on the gas when I sensed weakness.

Magsakay Finished 4th At 2025 WSOP 5K NLH 8-Handed

With Baker on my left, I knew I couldn’t open too wide because he’s an aggressive, very capable player who would make my life tough. The plan was to pick good spots, especially against the shorter stacks, and avoid clashing unnecessarily with Baker unless I had a strong hand or a great read.

That bust-out hand gave me the confidence boost I needed to stick to my strategy. I knew who Baker was for sure he’s a well known player. The others I didn’t know as personally, but at the WSOP, you just assume everyone’s good until proven otherwise.

Once we got four-handed, it was about adjusting to each player’s tendencies, even if they’re strong pros. That’s where experience from playing tough Asian fields also helped me. I’m used to reading different playing styles quickly. WSOP competition is extremely deep. Even in the lower buy-ins, you’ll face strong players mixed in with recreational players from all over the world. In Asia, you see more familiar faces and maybe a bit less variance in styles, but in Vegas, you need to constantly adapt. Every table is a new puzzle.

I love math a lot and it’s always part of my decision. Whether it’s preflop, on the flop, or on the river, I’m constantly calculating pot odds, implied odds, and stack-to-pot ratios and I will add my experience, live read and tell in every decision. 100% focus, patience, discipline, and stamina – both mental and physical. I am playing for multiple days, so I need to stay sharp the entire time.

Also important is the ability to adapt because what works at one table might not work at the next. And of course, I need to run well at key moments. Every bracelet winner has that one lucky break.

WSOP is everything they say it is. The atmosphere, the history, the level of competition it’s special. When you sit down and see the WSOP logo on the felt, it reminds you why you put in all the work. I learned a lot. I need to play my “A-game” all the time, especially in deep fields. I also picked up a lot about managing stack sizes in different structures and adjusting to players from different regions.

Every event felt like a crash course in adaptability. The WSOP is a must for any serious poker player, and after this year’s run, I’m hungrier than ever to go back and chase that bracelet.