Philippines, Metro Manila
![United States of America [USA]](/flags/4x3/us.svg "United States of America [USA]"){kind=small}
The Arena of Champions GOP Manila 2026: Results & Winner
The Arena of Champions – GOP Manila 2026 concluded its run from August 21 to August 30, 2026 at the City of Dreams Manila in Manila, Philippines.
Festival: | The Arena of Champions – GOP Manila 2026 |
|---|---|
Dates: | August 21 to August 30, 2026 |
Venue: | City of Dreams Manila, Manila, Philippines |
Main Event Winner: | Dakota Anderson – $102,125 |
The Arena of Champions – GOP Manila 2026 Results & Highlights
The marquee 82,500 PHP buy-in Main Event attracted 383 entries, contributing to a massive festival-wide prize pool of $1,604,215 across 114 scheduled events. American player Dakota Anderson captured the title, overcoming a three-to-one heads-up deficit against local standout Lester Edoc to claim the black and gold Gauntlet trophy along with a career-best payday of $102,125. Edoc earned $71,460 for his runner-up finish, while Filipino pro Marc Rivera rounded out the top three with $46,280. Throughout the ten-day series, 1,940 entries representing 32 different countries battled at the tables. Lester Edoc achieved a remarkable run by winning his second trophy of the festival in the High Roller event for a PHP 2,400,000 payout, Bonifacio Mondalo Jr. took down the Opening Event, and Martijn Gerrits claimed the Player of the Series title after securing multiple final tables. The schedule featured prominent No Limit Hold'em flights alongside Pot Limit Omaha and Open-Face Chinese tournaments.
Champions
Here are the trophy winners and champions from the festival:
Poker & Travel Guide: Philippines
For players planning future trips to explore local gaming options, our comprehensive Philippines poker guide serves as an essential starting point. Convenient travel connections, favorable gaming regulations, and proximity to Ninoy Aquino International Airport make Manila an ideal destination for international players.
The Venue: City of Dreams Manila
The City of Dreams Manila integrated luxury resort is located in the heart of Entertainment City in Manila, Philippines. Known for its world-class hospitality and amenities, the festival cash games and tournament action were hosted inside the Soul Poker Club. For cash game stakes, rake structures, and resort accommodation details, visit our official City of Dreams Manila venue guide.
About the Editor
Jessy is Somuchpoker's Technical Editor and Data Specialist, managing the live poker event database and publishing festival schedules for the site. A background in programming and data architecture shapes how he builds and maintains this database, with an emphasis on speed and accuracy.
