APPT Championship (165,000 PHP)

When the final card was felted, Minwoong Jeong could not believe it. He had just defeated Craig Jones to win the APPT Manila Championship Main Event. In shock and overjoyed, Jeong expressed,

"I am so happy! I am not a good player, just very lucky. It is not about winning the money, it is about pride. Poker is very challenging but I love poker. I have been trying to win for eight years and I was going to stop. Now, I don't know, I am so happy."

A medical doctor by profession, Jeong admitted he was running on fumes after juggling long hours at the emergency room while battling through the APPT Main Event. Yet none of that showed on stage as he bulldozed through the final table.

According to the champion, his toughest challengers were Aditya Agarwal and Eng Loong Choi — both aggressive players who forced him to adjust his game. Despite coming in with a commanding stack, their relentless style prompted Jeong to shift gears and adopt a more passive approach.

That patience paid off. At four-handed, Jeong landed a decisive cooler — A♦ A♥ over Q♦ Q♣ — to eliminate Agarwal and surge even farther ahead to a 6:1 chip lead. After Jones sent Choi to the rail in 3rd place, Jeong entered heads-up play with a 4:1 advantage. It took just nine hands for him to close it out, capturing his first-ever APPT shard trophy and the ₱11,850,000 (~$202K) top prize.

Taking place at the newly renovated Coral Lounge in Okada Manila, Philippines, the 2025 APPT Manila Championship Main Event drew 384 entries with the top 55 players earning a cut of the ₱60,000,000 (~$1,080,000) prize pool. Only six players returned on the final day. Jeong entered with nearly half of the chips in play and finished the job in just 59 deals.

The final deal of the APPT Championship came at Hand #59 as Craig Jones was eliminated in 2nd place. Before the shoves, Jones raised on the button then called Minwoong Jeong's three-bet shove. Craig was ahead at the showdown with Q♠ J♥ and was in good shape for a double up against T♦ 9♠ however it was short-lived.

The board favored the leader, granting him a pair at the flop 9♥ 2♣ 2♠ and it held at the runout 2♥ turn and river A♣ . Truly a valiant effort by Jones to earn him his biggest live tournament career payout of ₱7,405,000.

Hand #51: Minwoong Jeong takes down the first heads up pot. He starts off with a button raise to 350,000 and Craig Jones defends. When the flop comes T♦ 4♥ T♥ , Jeong continues for 275,000 then is unfazed after Jones check-raises 650,000 and calls. On the 2♠ turn, Jones checks again then folds to Jeong's 700,000 bet.

Hand #52-53: Minwwong Jeong wins the next two without a board.

Hand #54: Craig Jones answers back with a jam on his big blind and Minwoong Jeong folds.

Hand #55: Craig Jones limps and gets to see a flop after Minwoong Jeong checks. Both check it to the turn 7♣ T♥ 2♠ 9♥ where Jeong lays out 225,000, and wins the pot with Jones tossing his cards in the muck.

Hand #56-58: Minwoong Jeong raises and Craig Jones folds then the next two hands Jones shoves and wins without a challenge.

We are now heads up between Minwoong Jeong and Craig Jones! One of these fine poker warriors will soon become the newest APPT Championship Main Event champion and scoop up the ₱11,850,000 top prize and shard trophy. Good luck to both!

Though Choi was slightly ahead with a pair, it quickly vanished at the flop 3♥ A♠ K♣ and further down on the turn 3♠ . With the river completing the board with 3♦ , Jones's higher full house earned him a spot at heads up for the title against Minwoong Jeong.

Hand #37: Minwwong Jeong gets a walk.

Hand #38: Minwoong Jeong raises 360,000 then c-bets 300,000 at the flop T♥ 8♠ A♣ , Eng Loong Choi folds.

Hand #39: Craig Jones checks his big blind then raises from 150,000 to 600,000 at the flop 9♠ 3♦ J♠ to deny small blind Eng Loong Choi the pot.

Hand #40: Minwoong Jeong walks.

Hand #41: Small blind Minwoong Jeong limps then folds to Eng Loong Choi's 425,000 defend.

Hand #42-44: Minwoong Jeong wins the next three hands.

Hand #45: Eng Loong Choi limps then folds after Craig Jones shoves on the big blind.

Hand #46-48: Minwoong Jeong wins the next two without a challenge.

Hand #49: Eng Loong Choi puts a stop to Minwoong Jeong's rush with a raise to 1,100,000 at small blind. Jeong gives up his forced bet.

Hand #34: Minwoong Jeong continues the momentum and raises on the small blind but Eng Loong Choi isn't letting him have his chips easy and calls the 250,000. More chips come out on the flop 4♣ 3♣ 8♥ with a bet of 325,000 from Jeong that Choi answers with a raise to 1,100,000. Jeong tank-calls then they both check the turn 3♥ then after Jeong checks the river 5♠ , Choi fires 1,700,000. Jeong tanks for a time-bank then hero-calls.

Choi's T♠ 6♦ bluff is caught red-handed as Jeong ships a massive pot with K♦ 8♣ .

Hand #35: Big blind Craig Jones takes down the pot on a flop bet.

Hand #31: Minwoong Jeong makes it 325,000, big blind Aditya Agarwal gives him action, and they head down the streets. Both proceed to check it to the river K♣ 5♣ 2♣ 8♦ Q♥ where Agarwal bets 450,000 which he then loses to Jeong with Q♦ 4♦ behind K♥ T♥ .

Hand #32: Minwoong Jeong raises 325,000 and gets no callers.

Hand #33: Aditya Agarwal loses another pot to Minwoong Jeong. He opened 250,000 from utg and Jeong defended on the big blind. Agarwal barrels 200,000 at the flop 8♥ A♠ 6♣ then checks back on the turn T♥ . The river 5♠ is to Jeong's liking with a lead bet of 5♠ which Agarwal passes up and folds.

Hand #30: Craig Jones shoves at the start of the new level and sweats it as small blind Minwoong Jeong snap-calls. Jones is ahead A♣ K♣ with Jeong showing A♦ J♦ . The board comes 8♠ Q♠ 6♣ 3♣ 6♠ to ensure Jones's victory for a full boost.

Hand #26-29: Craig Jones and Aditya get a walk then Minwoong Jeong wins the last two hands.

Van Sang Nguyen peeked at A♥ K♠ and three-bet shoved 1,630,000. Initial raiser Eng Loong Choi called and was behind A♣ Q♥ . Looking good for a double up, especially with a flop of T♥ 6♠ 8♥ for an 82% chance at winning the hand, the turn crushed his hopes dropping a Q♦ to improve Choi. With the river 3♣ , it was the end for Vietnam's bid at a title as Nguyen fell in 5th place.

Hand #13: Eng Loong Choi raises 225,000 on the button with T♣ T♠ and big blind Aditya Agarwal with A♦ 9♦ defends. Both players check to the river 8♣ 8♠ 6♦ 6♠ 4♦ where Agarwal slides out 250,000, Choi calls and wins the pot with a higher two pair.

Hand #14: Eng Loong Choi opens and steals the blinds and ante.

Hand #15: Adity Agarwal min-raises and big blind Minwoong Jeong defends. When the board runs Q♠ 3♣ 4♠ T♦ , Agarwal barrels 150,000 and 700,000, Jeong folds to the turn bet.

Hand #16: Limped pot is checked down by the blinds - A♣ 8♦ 8♥ 2♣ J♥ - both have a queen to split it up.

Hand #17: Eng Loong Choi defends his small blind with a repop to 1,200,000 and raiser Aditya Agarwal gives up his 200,000 raise.

Hand #18: Eng Loong Choi continues the aggression with a 200,000 raise, small blind Van Sang Nguyen three-bets 650,000, Choi answers with a shove that Nguyen quickly folds to.

Hand #19: Aditya Agarwal shoves at small blind and Craig Jones folds his big blind.

Hand #20: Craig Jones on the small blind mimics Aditya Agarwal's previous hand action with a shove and steals big blind Minwoong Jeong's forced bet.

Hand #21: Minwoong Jeong raises 350,000 on the small blind and Eng Loong Choi let's him have his big blind.

Hand #22: Minwoong Jeong takes down the pot again with an uncalled raise from button position.

Hand #23: Minwoong Jeong attempts for a third consecutive pot by raising 225,000 but this time Aditya Agarwal defends the big blind. Jeong c-bets 225,000 on a flop A♠ 9♠ 5♠ and Agarwal check-calls. The 6♠ felts the turn and this time Agarwal leads 450,000 which is good enough to steal the pot.

Hand #24: Aditya Agarwal pushed at small blind, stealing Craig Jones's big blind.

Hand #8: Aditya Agarwal gets a walk.

Hand #9: Minwoong Jeong gets a walk.

Hand #10-11: Van Sang Nguyen open shoves and wins the blinds and ante. Next hand, he opens for 200,000 and it's three-way to the flop with both blinds topping up. When the flop felts Q♣ 9♣ J♦ , he jams 1,140,000 and Jeong calls.

Nguyen's A♣ 7♣ draw is slightly behind with a win-rate of 45% against Jeong's K♦ Q♦ top pair. The turn 8♣ flips the lead and with the river 8♥ , Nguyen smiles for a happy double up.

Hand #12: Craig Jones opens 275,000 and no one calls.

Hand #7: Waris Soontorn became the first casualty of the final table falling on 6th place to Eng Loong Choi. He open-shoved with 9♠ 9♦ and Choi called from the small blind with K♣ Q♦ . The board favored the Malaysian as it landed 8♥ A♠ K♥ 6♦ J♠ .

Hand #6: Eng Loong Choi gives up his 200,000 to massive chip leader Minwoong Jeong's three-bet shove.

Hand #1: Aditya Agarwal opens 160,000 from under the gun, Minwoong Jeong counters 325,000 on the button, Agarwal shoves, Jeong snap-folds.

Hand #2: Van Sang Nguyen shoves on the small blind and takes Aditya Agarwal's big blind.

Hand #3: Eng Loong Choi shoves on the button and steals the blinds and ante.

Hand #4: Van Sang Nguyen opens from cutoff and wins the blinds and ante.

Hand #5: Minwoong Jeong gets a walk.

The hunt for the 2025 APPT Championship Main Event winer is underway! Good luck to all!

After four intense days that drew 384 entries, the 2025 APPT Championship is down to the Final 6 players. The crowning moment unfolds at the newly renovated Coral Lounge inside world-class Okada Manila, where the tournament boasts the richest PokerStars guarantee of ₱60 Million (~$1M) ever put forth in the Philippines.

The money flowed starting at 55th place in Day 2, and today, the biggest payouts are at stake. All remaining contenders are already assured ₱2,409,000 (~US$ 41,000), while everyone has their eyes set on the ₱11,850,000 (~US$ 202,000) top prize and the APPT Championship shard trophy.

Leading the pack - and by a wide margin - is Korea’s Minwoong Jeong, who returns with nearly half of all chips in play, equivalent to a commanding 121 big blinds. No matter the outcome, Jeong is guaranteed his largest career tournament cash, but should he go the distance, it would mark his first-ever live title.

Looking to challenge him is India’s Aditya Agarwal, the most decorated player in the lineup. The two-time WSOP bracelet winner enters second in chips with 42 big blinds and brings a wealth of experience with a long list of titles and deep runs under his belt.

In pursuit as well is Britain’s Craig Jones with 25 big blinds, coming off an 8th-place finish at the APPT Open, and Malaysia’s Eng Loong Choi with 23 big blinds, who recently placed 5th at the PokerStars Red Dragon final table.

Rounding out the lineup are Vietnam’s Van Sang Nguyen and Thailand’s Waris Soontorn, both returning short-stacked with 14 and 13 big blinds, respectively. Nguyen, one of his country’s toughest competitors, is no stranger to comebacks. At Day 2, he was near the bottom of the counts as the bubble approached, and surged to chip leader at Day 3 after scoring a dramatic double knockout.

All six players are set to make their final push toward APPT glory starting at 1PM. Somuchpoker is onsite to bring you all the action until the newest champion is crowned.