APPT Main Event (80,000 PHP)

After twelve intense levels of Day 2 action, the 2025 APPT Manila Main Event closed at Okada Manila with just 20 players left from the 232 that returned to the felt. Leading the charge was a familiar force in the series, Justin Ong, who championed the PokerStars Red Dragon several days ago. Backed by a big stack all day, Ong sealed the top spot in the closing hands by scooping a massive double up with the nuts, dethroning chip leader Youngtaek Lim in the process. Ong bagged 4,040,000 (80 bb).

Hot on his heels was another well-known name, 2024 APPT Cambodia champion Christopher Mateo, with 3,950,000 (79 bb). Mateo began Day 2 at the top of the counts and held the lead for the opening two levels before Lim surged ahead with a blistering run. Lim ended the day with 3,135,000 (62 bb), good for third in the chip ranks.

Day 2 was action packed from the get-go with nonstop shoves and busts leading to the fall of Finn Penderak on the bubble within the first hour. With the money secured, a continuous stream of eliminations followed among them was the defending champion Xiong Cheng in 128th place and 2025 APPT Cambodia champion Hai Ha Tran in 50th place.

The 2025 APPT Manila Main Event drew 1,246 entries at ₱80,000 apiece to build a massive ₱87,020,640 prize pool, the second largest in the tour’s history in the Philippines. Payouts began at 163rd place, but the lion’s share is still on the table, with ₱14,800,000 reserved for the eventual champion.

Stay tuned for the action when it resumes on August 4 at 1pm. For now, that's a wrap for Day 2. Somuchpoker will return for the final day to bring you fresh updates as it unfolds.

Big hand went down at the feature table with Justin Ong cracking Yountaek Lim's stack to dethrone him. The hand opened with a min-raise from Lim with 9♦ 7♦ , big blind Justin Ong defended with a re-raise of 300,000 holding K♣ Q♦ . Lim called.

When the flop came down 8♠ J♠ T♥ , Lim quickly improved to a straight while Ong had open ended for the higher straight. Ong continued to represent strength for 180,000, Lim raised to 400,000, Ong flatted. The turn 9♥ was the money card for Ong. He shoved 1,345,000. After one time bank spent, Lim called and saw he was drawing dead.

Ong shipped a massive double up to take the lead.

In an attempt to recover his lost chips, William Teoh three-bet all in after Raj Bagaria raised and. got called. Upon revealing, it was a flip with Teoh made with T♦ T♠ and Bagaria with A♦ Q♣ . The dealer quickly spread an ace on the board as it ran through 8♠ A♣ 9♠ 3♣ 8♦ to eliminate Teoh in 22nd place.

Juan Guevara is all in with A♦ 7♦ and needs some help on the board to get past Raj Bagaria's T♠ T♥ . Help comes as the board runs a dramatic 7♣ 9♣ 3♦ 4♣ 7♠ .

Christopher Mateo looked down at T♠ T♥ and raised 105,000. Next to act Justin Ong with 8♥ 6♥ three-bet 240,000. Jeongwon Seo peeked and saw J♥ J♣ and four-bet all in for 860,000. Mateo and Ong folded.

Hogyun Kang three-bet shoved with A♥ J♥ and ran smack into Benhur Ybarsabal's A♠ A♣ . No miracles found the felt K♦ 3♠ 4♠ K♣ T♥ for Kang to fall in 23rd place.

William Teoh defended his big blind, calling Raj Bagaria's late position raise. When the dealer spread a flop 2♠ 9♥ 8♠ , Teoh attempted to steal for 150,000 but Bagaria pounced back with a raise of 350,000. Teoh tank-called bringing them to the turn 4♠ . Again Teoh led out and bet 750,000, Bagaria announced all in for 845,000, Teoh snap-called.

Teoh showed K♠ T♣ which was drawing dead to Bagaria's A♠ A♣ then slammed the felt in frustration.

The players have entered the last level of play. Currently 23 players remaining.

Edgar Asehan is back with a good stack having doubled up at the previous level on a flip and then eliminated David Wang in this round. It was also a flip with Wang holding 3♦ 3♥ against Asehan's A♣ Q♥ . The board ran 2♥ Q♠ 5♦ T♦ J♠ .

From under the gun, Somashekhar Nahadeva opened with A♠ 6♠ and got re-raised by Man Lok Chan with 8♠ 8♥ . After action folded around back to Nahadeva, he made the call and they were off to the flop K♠ 3♦ 4♠ . Nahadeva check-called the aggressor Chan's 100,000 bet. On the turn Q♥ , Nahadeva checked the nuts again and the trap was successful as Chan shoved. Nahadeva snap-called. Upon revealing their cards, Chan was drawing dead.

Cezar Quiambao was dealt the nuts in the hole but at the runout his A♦ A♥ fell hard to Kim Enriquez's Q♠ 8♠ on a board 9♠ 8♥ 8♣ 6♦ K♠ .

Double take at the featured table with Youngtaek Lim going mano a mano with Yeongjun Jang in two showdowns. The first was a double up for Jang who open shoved K♥ Q♠ and lucked out against Lim's A♦ K♣ on a board 9♠ J♠ 3♣ 8♥ T♥ .

The next hand, Jang had K♥ K♣ and four-bet shoved 1,050,000. Lim snapped with A♣ A♥ . The board threw blanks 3♠ 8♠ 2♣ Q♠ 8♦ to end Jang's run in 27th place.

Juan Espinar Barracin pushed with A♥ K♦ and got called by Man Lok Chan with T♦ T♥ . With the board running 3♦ 5♣ 2♦ J♠ J♦ , Barracin was eliminated in 29th place.

Down to 6 bb, Alex Chong put it all on the line with Q♠ Q♦ and was in great shape against caller Juan Guevara that is until the board ran 7♥ K♥ J♥ 9♣ 4♠ for a set to Guevara, knocking out Chong in 30th place.

Raj Bagaria open shoves 615,000 with 7♣ 7♦ and is snap-called by Benhur Ybarsabal with T♣ T♦ . Accepting his fate, Bagaria gets up then is stunned in place when the flop runs 7♥ 2♠ K♠ to overtake with a set. The turn A♥ and river 8♦ keep Bagaria ahead to sit back down.

Since the previous level where William Teoh dropped significantly below 10 bb, he has clawed his way back up with winning showdowns. His latest was a double up against Carmelo Tutay with A♣ 3♥ staying ahead of K♠ T♠ on a board 7♦ Q♠ 4♣ 5♦ 5♥ .

Several hands later, Teoh proceeded to clean out Tutay in 28th place with K♦ 7♣ one card flush besting A♠ Q♣ on a board 3♦ 4♦ 8♦ 4♥ 5♦ .

Vamerdino Magsakay with K♦ 5♦ opened from hijack, Kim Enriquez with 9♣ 9♥ called from the button, then small blind Yuanning Wu woke up with A♠ K♥ and three-bet 180,000. Both players called. Yu continued 110,000 at the flop 7♠ J♠ 5♥ and only Enriquez took interest to head to the turn 8♦ . This time Yu slowed down and checked, Enriquez did the same. Then it was back to betting for Yu on the river A♣ for 260,000. Enriquez surrendered his hand.

With Q♣ 5♣ in the hole, cutoff Katsuhito Kawai raised 65,000 from cutoff and big blind Cezar Quiambao defended with T♦ 7♥ . Kawai continued for 55,000 at the flop T♠ 3♣ 4♥ but after he was called again, Kawai slowed down on the turn A♦ checking back for a free river 3♠ . Quiambao checked once more, Kawai bet 95,000, Quiambao did as before and called and won the pot with two pair.

Following that hand, Kawai continued to grind and found success in two consecutive pots. The second one he three-bet 155,000 with A♥ Q♣, Andoni Sanchez went all in pushing out initial raiser Vamerdino Magsakay from the hand. Sanchez had J♥ J♦ for a flip. The board ran 8♣ 3♣ 9♣ K♣ K♥ for a flush to Kawai as Sanchez went bust.

Action folds to the small blind Joseph Talamayan who has Doyle Brunson T♦ 2♦ and raises, big blind David Wang calls and off to the flop 4♥ T♠ 6♦ . With top pair, Talamayan continues for 75,000 and Wang calls again. Talamayan slows on the turn 4♦ as both check it to the river 5♦ . Talamayan comes out firing again for 150,000, Wang calls, and sees the winning flush.

To think that early in the day Oliver Lirio struggled with a short stack until two timely double ups put him back in good health. He has continued to run well and now on pace with the leaders having just delivered a huge knockout blow to Sergei Korzhenko.

Lirio: T♣ T♦

Korzhenko: A♣ Q♠

Board: 5♣ T♠ Q♦ 6♣ 2♦

When the river came down, Benhur Ybarsabal spiked the two outer to send Ryan Ming Hong out very disappointed. It was all in on a turn board Q♥ 6♥ 7♦ 6♣ with Hong betting, Ybarsabal raised, then jam from Hong that was called.

Hong: 7♥ 6♦

Ybarsabal: Q♣ T♣

Hong was ahead with trips and was looking good for the double up until the river Q♦ foiled his plans with higher trips for Ybarsabal who roared in excitement.

From early position.k, Juan Guevara made it 50,000 to go and the blinds called. Action ignited at the flop 3♦ 5♥ 2♣ with Guevara c-betting 85,000 that Oliver Lirio folded to while big blind Youngtaek Lim check-raised 200,000. Guevara called and they went to the turn A♥ .

Lim continued for 250,000, Guevara called again to bring the 5♣ on the river where Lim went all in for around 2.5M. Guevara tank-folded.

Liao Po Hsun opened with A♠ A♥ then called Sergei Korzhenko's K♣ J♣ jam for 375,000. Aces looked good at the flop 4♦ 9♥ 4♣ , slight scare on the turn T♦ with a gutshot for the Russian which landed on the river Q♥ .

David Erquiaga picked up a 220,000 pot after his 120,000 turn bet on a board A♦ 5♦ A♠ 8♦ was uncalled by Alex Chong.

Following that hand, he engaged in a preflop battle against Man Lok Chan who opened 50,000 from the button, Erquiaga three-bet from the big blind 250,000, Chan four-bet all in and Erquiaga snap-called showing A♥ Q♠ . Chan was behind A♠ 4♦ .

When the flop ran A♦ K♦ 3♦ , Chan had a chance with a flush possibility but instead the turn gave him 4♠ and another on the river 4♥ for runner runner trips.

Kohei Suzuki has been sitting on a short stack and has been surviving despite the heavyweights all around him. He picked up a double up against Christopher Mateo to stay in the running though still short. With his K♦ T♦ up against caller Mateo's K♠ 6♦ . When the board ran A♥ 2♠ Q♥ 9♣ A♣ , Mateo says "chop" and Suzuki laughed answering "no chop" as he shipped it in.

Christopher Mateo's swings seem to have settled for the moment as he has reclaimed some of the towers he lost along the way. His latest score was knocking out Maiki Nishi who went all in for 87,000 backed by Q♣ T♠ . Mateo called with A♠ 5♦ . The board ran 9♦ 9♥ 4♠ K♠ 8♦ for the ace to prevail.

Catching the action with around 190,000 in the pot and a full board of T♥ 2♦ Q♣ 8♣ 9♣ , Cezar Quiambao bets 130,000 and gets called by Carlo Calingasan. Quiambao wasn't stealing as he shows J♠ T♣ straight.

With no action before him, Raj Bagaria limps on the small blind and Mike Calunsod checks. At the flop 8♦ T♠ 5♦ , Bagaria checked again, then called Calunsod's 20,000 bet. Chips went splashing on the turn 2♥ with Calunsod betting 70,000, Bagaria raised 250,000, Calunsod shoved, and Bagaria snap-called.

Calunsod had T♥ 9♥ top pair and was drawing dead to Bagaria's 2♠ 2♣ set.

Catching the action as the dealer is sending all of Hai Ha Tran's chips to the already massive stacked Youngtaek Lim. It was a no brainer all in preflop with Tran's 4♥ 4♦ losing the flop against Lim's A♣ Q♦ on a board 8♦ A♥ 9♦ 5♠ 7♣ .

Only two APPT decorated champions left in the field, Yuanning Wu and Christopher Mateo.

Yuanning Wu has delivered the hatchet on numerous players today but could not do the same to Hogyun Kang. With 267,000 behind, Kang was all in holding A♣ 8♥ and got past the champ who had K♦ Q♥ on a board J♦ 8♠ K♥ A♠ 2♣ .

Painful way to go for Jayden Zalac who had pocket Kings and went pound for pound preflop aginst Yuanning Wu until he was pushed all in. Wu had Ace-King. The board was unkind to Zalac with an Ace turning up to go bust as the 2023 champion catapulted over 2M.

Unfortunate moment for Bongcheol Choi to get A♦ Q♣ and lay out a four-bet shove as David Wang has A♠ A♥ and snap-called. The board paired up Choi's queen but was still behind at the runout.

Pavel Zuev's has been nursing his short stack of 235,000 and finally got it in with A♠ 4♥ on the button only to run into big blind Edgar Asehan's cowboys. A bit of hope came for Zuev on a flop Q♠ 3♦ 2♣ , then a runner runner 4♦ 4♠ wasn't exactly what he was looking for but a win nonetheless to ship a double and sit back down.

Preflop action opened with a min-raise from John Niko Costiniano that was called by Liao Po Hsun. When action moved to Cezar Quiambao, he shoved 178,000. Costiniano called then folded to Liao's 878,000 shove.

Quiambao: A♥ J♥

Liao: K♣ K♠

With the board running 7♣ T♦ 9♦ 6♥ 8♥ , the board cracked Liao's kings and Quiambao's jack played for the higher straight for a triple up.

Before Yuanning Wu brought the axe down on Rusty Co and Seungmin Yu, the two went head to with Yu all in for 82,000 and Co calling from the big blind. Co was ahead A♠ 6♠ while Yu had K♣ 9♠ . The board favored Yu, running 4♦ J♥ K♥ 5♠ 9♥ to double through.

On the very next hand, it was a three-way showdown with the 2023 APPT Manila champion Wu holding a commanding pocket Aces. Co had pocket Tens and Yu with pocket Sevens. No bad beat arrived to end Co's run in 65th place and Yu out 64th.

Chase Cokaliong was dealt K♠ K♥ in early position and raised 32,000. William Teoh had J♠ 8♠ and played it. With no other callers, the flop came A♥ 5♥ 7♥ where they both checked then Cokaliong bet 32,000 again on the turn 6♣ . Teoh shoved his straight draw. Cokalino tanked for a minute then risked his 208,000 stack.

At showdown, Cokaliong was ahead it held through the river 8♦ to ship it in.

Yeongjun Jung raises from cutoff and at big blind is the leader Youngtaek Lim who defends to play the flop. When the board runs T♥ 8♦ K♣ 3♥ , Lim check-calls 20,000 and 80,000. Lim checks again on the river 9♣ where Jang slides out two towers of yellows amounting to 200,000. Lim counts it out and it's cheap compared to his stack and calls. Jang snap-folds.

Carmelo Tutay catapulted to the top of the counts after a massive double up off Ki Seok Kang. The hand opened with a 24,000 raise from Kang that Tutay and big blind Raj Bagaria called.

At the flop 4♦ J♥ Q♥ , action was checked to Tutay, he bet 63,000 which got Bagaria to fold while Kang continued to the turn 6♠ . Again Tutay barreled 130,000 and Kang check-called once more. The board completed with J♠ on the river. Kang checked a third time, Tutay shoved, Kang tanked for three-time banks then called.

Tutay flipped open Q♦ J♦ full house, Kang was far behind with Q♣ 6♣ .

Catching the action on the river 2♦ 9♠ 5♣ 3♠ T♦ and 220,000 weighing down the middle, Ryota Ishida shoved 195,000 and Vamerdino Magsakay called. Ishida had Q♣ J♦ bluff, Magsakay shipped with a sick A♣ K♥ . What a call!