Main Event (45,000 PHP)

With the turn A♥ and river Q♦ , Enriquez's top pair earned him a full boost while Kyte plunged to 7.5 bb.

Jon Kyte chipped up a bit with two small pots going his way. The first one saw him limp from the button, Graham Cowan checked, and the flop ran Q♥ K♣ K♥ . Kyte jumped out with bet of 100,000 and won the pot.

Next hand, utg Alexis Lim raised 210,000, button Kyte re-raised 1,500,000, Lim tossed his hand in the muck.

From the small blind, chip leader Alexis Lim raised 225,000, big blind Jon Kyte answered with a shove of 2,000,000, Lim tanked for well over a minute then folded.

Ju Won Chung may have been denied on a split but still chipped up by picking up a couple of pots shortly after. The first hand, Chung shoved and won the blinds and ante. The next, he faced a raise of 160,000 from Jon Kyte that was called by Graham Cowan. Chung three-bet 450,000 and shipped the pot with no callers.

First hand of the new level and Ju Won Chung shows muscle. Defending his big blind against cutoff raiser Jon Kyte, Chung check-raises the flop 5♠ A♥ 6♠ from 150,000 to make it 350,000 to see the turn. Kyte doesn't take the offer.

At Hand #75, Graham Cowan picked up a sizable pot against Jon Kyte. Cowan kicked off the hand with a min-raise from hijack and big blind Kyte defended. When the cards ran 5♦ A♥ J♥ , Cowan pumped the pot another 135,000 and Kyte did the same with a check-call. On the turn J♣ , Kyte attempted to take control with a 280,000 lead out bet however, Cowan answered with a shove that pushed Kyte out of the pot.

Chip leader Kim Enriquez has become the first to reach 4M in chips. Sending him there was a hand against Jon Kyte who raised 120,000 from hijack. Enriquez defended his big blind to see a flop K♠ K♦ 9♥ . Kyte continued for 60,000, Enriquez check-called, then both checked the turn 8♣ and river 7♦ . Enriquez claimed the pot with 6♣ 9♣ two pair.

Enriquez also won the next hand with an uncalled raise from the small blind position.

After two levels, the field was trimmed to 6 players. Entering the new level with Kim Enriquez in the lead.

After numerous small pots moved around the felt, Florencio Campomanes announced all in for his last 8 bb and was called by Jo Kyte. Campomanes needed plenty of help with K♠ 4♠ dominated by Kyte's A♥ A♠ . That help came on the river when the board ran 3♠ 6♣ 2♦ K♥ K♣ simultaneously giving everyone a shock.

Graham Cowan continues to exert his presence with another pile of chips added to his stack. From utg, he opened 105,000 and was called by the blinds Jon Kyte and Florencio Campomanes. All three checked to the turn 9♣ Q♣ 2♠ 4♥ . Campomanes took a stab for 150,000 and only Cowan gave action to head to the river A♣ . This slowed Campomanes to a check, Cowan banged out 315,000, Campomanes tossed his hand in the muck.

Two hands after sending John Carlo Sayo to the rail, hijack Jon Kyte opened 100,000 only to be challenged with a three-bet of 300,000 by button Graham Cowan. Kyte made the call and the flop was dealt 9♠ 6♣ 2♥ . Cowan continued for 250,000 and won the pot uncontested.

Since his fiery start, Jon Kyte has been on a downswing to drop to nearly half of his opening stack. His latest loss was against Alexis Lim who defended from the big blind with A♠ 5♥ . When the board completed Q♦ K♠ 5♠ J♠ 8♣ , Lim check-called 150,000 and 250,000 for his bottom pair nut draw, then both checked the river. Bottom pair was good enough.

On Hand #25 and #26, Florencio Campomanes picked up back to back pots, both of them against Jon Kyte. First hand, utg Kyte raised 85,000, utg+1 Campomanes' re-raised 300,000, everyone folded including Kyte.

Next hand, utg Campomanes opened 80,000 and Kyte defended his big blind. Campomanes continued the aggression on the flop A♦ 6♠ 2♥ with a 105,000 bet, Kyte check-called. On the turn 3♦ , Campomanes barreled a larger 325,000, and after a minute, he won the pot with Kyte folding.

After losing a showdown, Jon Kyte loses a little more against Graham Cowan. From the big blind, Cowan called Kyte's 85,000 raise then check-called another 75,000 on the flop 6♠ 9♠ 3♠ . By the turn K♠ and river 5♠ , Cowan took control with bets of 75,000 and 175,000, Kyte folded on the river.

Entering the final table as the top dogs, Jon Kyte and Kim Enriquez face-off. From mid position, Kyte opens his usual 85,000, Enriquez defends his big blind. Same action on the flop 6♥ J♦ 7♣ with Kyte initiating with a 125,000 bet and Enriquez defending. Both check the turn 4♥ . On the river 6♠ , Enriquez leads out 250,000 to send Kyte tanking for one time bank. Kyte gives it up.

Small pot for Jon Kyte on Hand #8 who gets the first walk of the day then a much larger pot for the leader on Hand #9.

From hijack, Kim Enriquez opens 80,000 and is called by the blinds Kyte and Florencio Campomanes. All three check the flop T♦ 8♥ 5♦ and head to the turn K♣ . No more checking as Kyte leads out 180,000. He finds no callers to win the pot easy.

On Hand #10, Kyte bumps it up to 80,000 from the button and big blind Graham Cowan defends but not before tanking for two time banks. At the flop 7♥ 9♦ 2♠ , Kyte continues for 175,000, Cowan gives up his hand.

Chip leader Jon Kyte initiated the action on the next three hands. On Hand #5 he opened 85,000 and for the second time, he claimed the blinds and antes.

Immediately after, he opened 85,000 again on Hand #6, Florencio Campomanes shoved 515,000, Kyte folded.

Continuing to pressure the competition, on Hand #7, Kyte opened 85,000 for the third time, cutoff Ju Won Chong answered with a 200,000 re-raise, Kyte called, and the flop came T♥ Q♠ A♠ . Kyte checks, Chung shoved, Kyte surrendered his hand.

First hand of the day sees action fold to the button and chip leader Jon Kyte. He shoves and successfully steals the blinds and antes.

The 2025 PokerStars LIVE season opener Manila Megastack 21 is on its final day at world-class Okada Manila in the Philippines. Excitement is at its peak with the newest Main Event champion set to be crowned today. Only 9 players remain out of the 467 entries.

Leading the charge is Norwegian pro Jon Kyte with a stack of 80 bb. Kyte boasts a resume filled with titles and cashes all over Europe including final table finishes at numerous EPT Main Events. He also has two WSOP Circuit rings and just missed a bracelet last year. Kyte is already guaranteed his first cash on Asian soil, and if he takes it to the limit, he will become the second Manila Megastack Norwegian champion following MM 18 winner Henrik Tollefsen.

On the local side, six Filipinos dominate the lineup, thus assuring a crowd of spectators cheering on their favorites. At the top of that list is Kim Enriquez with a stack of 75 bb. Wedged in the lower end is the highly decorated Florencio Campomanes with 15 bb.

The finalists are secured a payout of PHP 365,000 (~$6,280). The biggest slice of PHP 3,900,000 (~$67,090) is up for grabs. Cards start at 1pm. Blinds begin at 20,000-40,000 ante 40,000 with increases every 60 minutes.

Somuchpoker is onsite to bring you all the action.