After a heavy preflop betting war, Michael Gabby Concepcion got his 68,500 stack into the middle, with Billy Alfonso making the call.
Michael Gabby Concepcion: Q♥ Q♦
Billy Alfonso: A♣ Q♣
Concepcion's pocket queens were ahead but had to dodge both an ace and Alfonso's flush draw.
The board ran out 9♠3♦ 2♠8♥ J♥ allowing Concepcion's queens to hold for a full double up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
MG Michael Gabby Concepcion | 140,000(70 BB) | 110,000 |
BA Billy Alfonso | 24,000(12 BB) | -154,500 |
Marc RiveraWith around 30,000 already in the middle and the board reading T♦ 8♣ 2♥ 8♠K♥, three players saw the river.
Marc Rivera led out for 15,000, prompting Wooseong Lee to raise to 45,000. The cutoff quickly folded, leaving the decision back on Rivera.
After nearly two minutes in the tank, Rivera also released his hand, allowing Lee to take down the pot without showdown.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
WL Wooseong Lee | 171,000(114 BB) | 141,000 |
MR Marc Rivera | 123,000(82 BB) | 93,000 |

The numbers are in!
PokerStars Red Dragon Day 1B has officially closed with 286 entries. By the end of the day, only 43 players will advance to Day 2 and lock up a minimum cash.
The PHP 15,000,000 (~USD 245,000) guaranteed prize pool has already been surpassed and now sits at more than PHP 20,000,000 (~USD 325,000), with even more expected as Day 1C, the final starting flight, is now underway.
The field currently stands at 110 players, with plenty of poker still to be played before it is reduced to the 43 Day 2 qualifiers.
Sandeep Mirchandani| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
SM Sandeep Mirchandani | 248,000(165 BB) | -53,900 |
JO Jason Ong | 213,500(142 BB) | 65,200 |
WY William Ysmael | 180,000(120 BB) | 150,000 |
BA Billy Alfonso | 178,500(119 BB) | 148,500 |
FE Feras Elnatsha | 170,500(114 BB) | 140,500 |
TT Tetsuya Tsujisaka | 163,000(109 BB) | -88,400 |
KM Kwun Man Wong | 163,000(109 BB) | 133,000 |
EN Eundong Noh | 157,000(105 BB) | 127,000 |
AR Andrew Rodgers | 154,500(103 BB) | 124,500 |
HL Homin Lee | 147,000(98 BB) | 117,000 |
RT Reynaldo Tuason | 146,000(97 BB) | 116,000 |
JB Javier Becerril | 140,500(94 BB) | 16,900 |
MC Marciel Cerbito | 138,000(92 BB) | -4,300 |
MR Maxwell Rosete | 137,000(91 BB) | 107,000 |
JD Jose Drilon | 134,000(89 BB) | 89,000 |
ML Minchul Lee | 124,500(83 BB) | 94,500 |
Andrei KostitsynWith around 15,000 already in the middle, the board read J♣ 7♣ 6♥ 5♣ 7♥.
Gary Thompson checked from the big blind before Andrei Kostitsyn fired a 6,300 river bet. Thompson responded with a raise to 27,000, putting Kostitsyn to the test.
After spending some time in the tank, Kostitsyn elected to fold, conceding the pot to Thompson.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
GT Gary Thompson | 91,300(76 BB) | 61,300 |
AK Andrei Kostitsyn | 68,200(57 BB) | 38,200 |
Sandeep MirchandaniSandeep Mirchandani was already all in for 85,800, with Nichols Manalo facing a decision on the J♥ T♠8♦ 5♠board. Renniel Galvez was also all in, creating a massive three-way pot.
After taking some time, Manalo elected to fold, leaving Mirchandani and Galvez to showdown.
Renniel Galvez: 5♣ 5♥
Sandeep Mirchandani: J♣ T♥
Galvez looked poised to scoop the pot after turning a set against Mirchandani's top two pair. But the Jâ™ river completely flipped the script, giving Mirchandani a higher full house.
Galvez could only stare at the board and let out a sigh before making his exit, while Mirchandani dragged a pot worth over 300,000 chips to move into the chip lead.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
SM Sandeep Mirchandani | 301,900(252 BB) | 271,900 |
NM Nichols Manalo | 151,200(126 BB) | 121,200 |
RG Renniel Galvez | busted | -30,000 |
Miyoung ChoFolded to the small blind, Graham Cowan raised to 2,500. In the big blind, Miyoung Cho, who had just taken a fresh seat, moved all in for 28,800. Cowan took a moment before making the call.
Miyoung Cho: A♦ 2♣
Graham Cowan: Jâ™ 7â™
The T♦ 9♦ 6♠flop gave Cowan additional outs with a straight draw. The 7♣ turn paired his seven to move him into the lead, leaving Cho needing an ace on the river.
The T♥ river wasn't the card Cho was looking for, ending the fresh entry's run shortly after taking a seat.
Graham Cowan| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
GC Graham Cowan | 108,200(90 BB) | 78,200 |
MC Miyoung Cho | busted | -30,000 |
Vinay BoobIndia's Vinay Boob arrived at APPT Manila 2026 today and immediately took his seat in PokerStars Red Dragon Day 1B.
Early in the session, Boob accidentally folded out of turn. Tournament staff were called to the table and assessed him a one small blind chip penalty under the new penalty system. After the ruling was explained, Boob responded, "I didn't know that rule. Just give me a warning." However, the ruling stood.
For players who may still be unfamiliar with the updated procedures, APPT Manila 2026 has officially adopted the chip penalty system introduced following last month's TDA Summit.
Under the new format, the traditional hand penalty has been replaced by chip deductions for certain infractions. For minor violations, such as acting out of turn, players receive a chip penalty instead of being forced to miss hands.
A one-hand penalty is equivalent to the current small blind, while a one-round penalty is equal to 2.5 times the current big blind. The exact penalty remains at the discretion of the tournament staff, depending on the severity of the violation.
The deducted chips are removed from play and taken out of the tournament.
One positive aspect of the new system is that, after paying the minimum penalty of one small blind, players remain eligible to continue playing the hand instead of automatically sitting out as under the previous rules.
It's a good reminder for everyone in the field to stay familiar with the tournament rules and avoid giving away chips unnecessarily.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
VB Vinay Boob | 43,300(36 BB) | 20,300 |
Lloyd LocsinFrom early position, Marciel Cerbito opened to 2,500 and was called by Benhur Ybarsabal on his left, along with Lloyd Locsin in the big blind.
The T♥ T♦ 5♥ flop checked to Ybarsabal, who fired 3,500. Only Locsin continued.
Both players checked the J♥ turn.
When the 9♣ completed the board, Locsin led out for 4,500. Ybarsabal took some time to consider his decision before eventually releasing his hand, sending the pot to Locsin.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
MC Marciel Cerbito | 142,300(119 BB) | 112,300 |
LL Lloyd Locsin | 81,200(68 BB) | 51,200 |
BY Benhur Ybarsabal | 24,100(20 BB) | -5,900 |
Tetsuya Tsujisaka| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
TT Tetsuya Tsujisaka | 251,400(251 BB) | 221,400 |
RA Roman Altynikov | 188,900(189 BB) | 158,900 |
PO Phenix Oesterstroem | 171,700(172 BB) | 64,700 |
JO Jason Ong | 148,300(148 BB) | 118,300 |
JR Jesus Rivera | 138,400(138 BB) | 60,400 |
LD Leonardo Drago | 131,200(131 BB) | 101,200 |
JB Javier Becerril | 123,600(124 BB) | 112,600 |
SY Seung Yong Yi | 122,100(122 BB) | 48,100 |
NI Naoaki Ishihara | 121,800(122 BB) | 91,800 |
Isaac HechanovaLess than 12 hours after finishing runner-up in the APPT National, Isaac Hechanova is already back in action, taking his seat for another shot at an APPT title.
Meanwhile, newly crowned APPT National champion Rafael Medel is taking a well-earned rest after his marathon victory. However, with Day 1C still to come, the Filipino still has another opportunity to chase a second APPT Shard Trophy later in the series.
Read all about last night's Day 2 action, final table, and Medel's incredible comeback in the APPT National recap on Somuchpoker.
Jessie LeonarezJessie Leonarez opened to 2,300 from under the gun and found two callers in cutoff Seungmook Jung and big blind Adrian Jayme.
Jayme checked when the dealer fanned the 5♦ 2♥ 9♣ flop; Leonarez placed a 4,000 continuation-bet, and both players returned their cards to the dealer.
In the next hand, cutoff Rene Mar David raised to 2,000 and big blind Leonarez defended.
Leonarez check-called David's 2,000 bet following the K♥ 6♥ Q♣ flop. On the Q♦ turn, Leonarez checked once again. David upped the bet to 4,500, and after a long think and a couple of glances back at his cards, Leonarez opted not to make the call, flashing the K♣ as he mucked.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
JL Jessie Leonarez | 54,000(54 BB) | 24,000 |
SJ Seungmook Jung | 39,000(39 BB) | 9,000 |
RM Rene Mar David | 26,000(26 BB) | -4,000 |
AJ Adrian Jayme | 16,500(17 BB) | -13,500 |
Keng Yong TanHijack Keng Yong Tan raised to 2,000 before facing a three-bet shove of 7,800 from next-to-act Subeom Son. Big blind Leon Steward briefly considered the call before folding, and Tan stuck in the call.
Subeom Son: A♦ J♣
Keng Yong Tan: A♣ 3♣
Son had Tan dominated and was looking poised for a double. The 2♦ 3♥ 2♣ flop, however, had other ideas, as Son seemingly accepted his fate and knocked the table.
The Korean found no help on the 9♣ 7♥ runout and hit the rail.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
KY Keng Yong Tan | 24,000(24 BB) | -2,500 |
SS Subeom Son | busted | -9,000 |

Day 1B of the PokerStars Red Dragon has now recorded over 200 entries, and with it, the PHP 15,000,000 guarantee has officially been breached!
The prize pool currently sits at PHP 15,638,400, with a couple more hours of late registration still to come, plus a fresh Day 1C flight kicking off at 7:00 PM tonight.
Tournament directors believe the total prize pool could climb as high as PHP 25,000,000 by the time registration closes across all flights.
Jesus RiveraButton Tomoatsu Mikami opened to 2,000 before folding to Leon Steward's 6,000 three-bet, with Steward flicking over A♠Q♥ as he collected the pot.
The next hand saw small blind Jesus Rivera collect the big blind after a 2,200 raise, showing A♦ K♥.
Subeom Son then raised to 2,200 and collected the blinds.
Rivera then raised to 2,000 from the cutoff and only button Anacleto Quijana made the call.
Both checked the 5♠J♥ 8♦ flop to the 2♦ turn, where Rivera check-folded to Quijana's 3,000 bet.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
JR Jesus Rivera | 78,000(98 BB) | 48,000 |
LS Leon Steward | 71,000(89 BB) | 41,000 |
AB Andrew Bauman | 64,000(80 BB) | 34,000 |
TM Tomoatsu Mikami | 41,000(51 BB) | 11,000 |
AQ Anacleto Quijano | 33,000(41 BB) | 3,000 |
KY Keng Yong Tan | 26,500(33 BB) | -3,500 |
JL John Lundie | 19,000(24 BB) | -11,000 |
SS Subeom Son | 9,000(11 BB) | -21,000 |
Ayan BiswasButton Ayan Biswas raised to 1,300 and compatriot Ashish Anilkumar joined him to the flop from the small blind.
The dealer fanned 7♦ 7♠5♦ and Anilkumar check-called Biswas' 2,500 bet.
Both checked the 5♥ turn to the K♥ river, where Anilkumar led for a pot-sized 10,000. Biswas tanked for a little while before taking the plunge and putting in the call, looking relieved to see Anilkumar turn over Q♦ 3♦ for air, leaving his pocket tens, T♣ T♥, good for the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
AB Ayan Biswas | 39,000(65 BB) | 9,000 |
AA Ashish Anilkumar | 7,000(12 BB) | -23,000 |
Tony PhaysithPlayers in the field currently boasting a stack of more than 100,000 chips.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
TP Tony Phaysith | 148,000(247 BB) | 118,000 |
SK Seongjin Kim | 140,000(233 BB) | 105,000 |
JO Justin Ong | 110,000(183 BB) | 80,000 |
PO Phenix Oesterstroem | 107,000(178 BB) | 12,000 |
Rakesh LalwaniSumay Mishra opened to 1,300 from under the gun and received calls from Rakesh Lalwani a couple of seats over, plus cutoff Junichi Murakami.
All three opted to check when the dealer fanned the 5♠2♦ 2♣ flop.
On the 3♦ turn, Mishra checked and Lalwani flicked 3,000 into the middle. Murakami quickly folded, with Mishra folding not long after.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
SM Sumay Mishra | 97,000(162 BB) | 67,000 |
RL Rakesh Lalwani | 52,000(87 BB) | 21,000 |
JM Junichi Murakami | 17,000(28 BB) | -13,000 |
Yohn ParedesThe preflop action wasn't caught completely, but small blind Xiaohua Fu had three-bet to 6,000 before Yohn Paredes four-bet shoved his 20,400-chip stack. The original raiser got out of the way and Fu put in the call.
Yohn Paredes: K♦ K♥
Xiaohua Fu: A♦ Q♦
Fu didn't look too happy, more so on the 4♥ 3♦ 9♣ flop. However, the mood shifted on the A♥ turn, with Paredes almost jumping out of his seat with frustration, ready to leave the table.
He was quickly back in his seat on the Kâ™ river, exclaiming about the wild runout. Fu could only sit back in silence.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
YP Yohn Paredes | 43,000(86 BB) | 26,800 |
XF Xiaohua Fu | 42,000(84 BB) | 12,000 |
Seung Yong Yi| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
SY Seung Yong Yi | 74,000(148 BB) | 44,000 |
JD Jose Drilon | 45,000(90 BB) | 15,000 |
SP Seunghee Park | 41,000(82 BB) | 11,000 |
MV Melchor Vasquez | 26,000(52 BB) | -4,000 |
MT Marlon Tran | 24,000(48 BB) | -6,000 |
VB Vinay Boob | 23,000(46 BB) | -7,000 |
ME Marco Espela | 22,000(44 BB) | -8,000 |
ML Manuel Ledesma | 21,000(42 BB) | -9,000 |
Phenix OesterstroemHiroya Kurushima raised to 600 from the cutoff and big blind Alex Zamfir defended, before check-calling Kurushima's 1,000 continuation-bet on the J♠T♦ 8♦ flop.
Both checked the remainder of the J♦ 7♦ runout, where Kurushima tabled 8♣ 7♣, besting Zamfir's A♥ Q♠.
The next hand saw Junwoo Lee raise to 900 from under the gun and Phenix Oesterstroem defend the big blind. Oesterstroem check-folded when Lee fired 700 on the 9♦ K♦ 6♦ flop.
Eui Jo Hwang then limped from under the gun before Patrick Furlong raised to 900 from the cutoff, with big blind Lee and Hwang both calling.
Lee and Hwang both check-called when Furlong fired 1,500 on the 6♠A♥ 3♥ flop. Only Hwang stuck around when Furlong barrelled again for 2,500 on the A♦ turn.
Both opted to check the 3♠river, where Furlong flicked over 9♦ 9♥, good for the pot as Hwang showed K♥ J♥.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
PO Phenix Oesterstroem | 95,000(238 BB) | 65,000 |
JL Junwoo Lee | 63,000(158 BB) | 33,000 |
PF Patrick Furlong | 34,000(85 BB) | 4,000 |
EJ Eui Jo Hwang | 21,500(54 BB) | -8,500 |
AZ Alex Zamfir | 16,800(42 BB) | -13,200 |
HK Hiroya Kurushima | 16,000(40 BB) | -14,000 |
Seongjin KimSeongjin Kim opened to 700 from early position before calling Javier Becerril's 2,200 three-bet from the hijack.
The dealer fanned the 3♣ 3♠K♦ flop and Kim checked; Becerril fired 1,100 and Kim stuck around.
On the Aâ™ turn, Kim checked once more before calling Becerril's 2,200 bet.
The 6♠landed on the river and Kim checked a third time; Becerril upped it to 4,000, and not long after, Kim moved all in for 12,500. The Spaniard didn't take too long before putting in the call, only to look sick as Kim flicked over K♠8♠, having backdoored a flush. Becerril turned over A♦ 9♦.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
SK Seongjin Kim | 35,000(117 BB) | 5,000 |
JB Javier Becerril | 11,000(37 BB) | -19,000 |
| Player | Chips |
|---|---|
JD James Dela Cruz | 30,000(100 BB) |
JO Justin Ong | 30,000(100 BB) |
PP Panagiotis Petrou | 30,000(100 BB) |
KK Kunwoo Kim | 30,000(100 BB) |
SS Siddarth Singhvi | 30,000(100 BB) |
JY Jingzhong Yao | 30,000(100 BB) |
Sashank BadrinathSashank Badrinath raised to 500 from middle position and received calls from cutoff Pradeep Singh, button Ross Burrows, and small blind Siyuan Liu.
The action checked to Burrows on the 6♣ 4♥ 4♣ flop, where he fired 500, prompting folds from Liu and Singh.
Both Badrinath and Burrows checked the 4♠turn to the A♣ river, where the Indian player led for 3,000, resulting in an instant fold from Burrows.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
SB Sashank Badrinath | 35,000(175 BB) | 5,000 |
RS Ross Samuel Burrows | 32,000(160 BB) | 2,000 |
PS Pradeep Singh | 27,500(138 BB) | -2,500 |
SL Siyuan Liu | 20,500(103 BB) | -9,500 |
Rakesh LalwaniRakesh Lalwani raised to 400 from middle position before calling cutoff Vamerdino Magsakay's 900 three-bet.
Lalwani check-called Magsakay's 700 bet following the 3♥ 9♣ K♦ flop but check-folded when the Filipino upped it to 3,500 on the 3♣ turn.
A couple of hands later, button Kim Enriquez raised to 500 and received calls from blinds Sherwin Sia and Lalwani.
Sia check-folded and Lalwani check-called Enriquez's 800 continuation bet on the Q♠T♣ 2♦ flop.
On the 6♣ turn, Lalwani check-called once more, this time for 1,600, before leading for 5,200 on the Q♦ river. Enriquez tossed his cards back to the dealer.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
VM Vamerdino Magsakay | 32,000(160 BB) | 2,000 |
RL Rakesh Lalwani | 31,000(155 BB) | 1,000 |
KE Kim Enriquez | 29,000(145 BB) | -1,000 |
| Player | Chips |
|---|---|
WB Wendell Barte | 30,000(150 BB) |
AA Anant Acharya | 30,000(150 BB) |
JB Javier Becerril | 30,000(150 BB) |
CC Carlo Calingasan | 30,000(150 BB) |
FE Feras Elnatsha | 30,000(150 BB) |
KE Kim Enriquez | 30,000(150 BB) |
SK Seongjin Kim | 30,000(150 BB) |
JL Jaeil Lee | 30,000(150 BB) |
SL Siyuan Liu | 30,000(150 BB) |
PO Phenix Oesterstroem | 30,000(150 BB) |
SP Seunghee Park | 30,000(150 BB) |
JR Jesus Rivera | 30,000(150 BB) |

Day 1B of the PokerStars Red Dragon gets underway today at 12:00 PM local time at Cove Manila, Okada Manila, as the search for more players to lock up a seat in Day 2 continues.
Day 1A wrapped with 155 entries, a new record for the opening flight, with 23 players advancing to the money. Indonesia's Fendy Kosasih led the way, bagging the top stack of 421,000 to close out the day.
Like yesterday, registration for Day 1B will remain open until 7:25 PM local time, with the flight playing down to the money before the two starting days combine for Day 2.