Kickoff (16,500 PHP)

All three Kickoff qualifiers have come and gone, with the final heat bringing an additional 89 entries onto the tally, pushing the final count to 283. A total of PHP 3,985,885 (~USD 68,195) in prizes await the 43 Day 1 survivors geared to return to the scene at 12 noon, each already guaranteed a minimum payout of PHP 26,500 (~USD 455). The PHP 765,000 (~USD 13,110) top prize however, remains at the heart of the action as the race for a spadie continues to intensify.

Only 13 runners survived this evening's battle, with two falling right on bubble time. Leading the pack is USA's Christopher Richards, stacking an impressive 494,000 chip count onto Day 2. Richards was among those who delivered the bubble elimination, earning enough chips to inch over Roland Ferrer's 431,000 stack. Both Richards and Ferrer tower over the Day 2 counts, surpassing previous chip leaders Peter Chung (395,000) and Ilia Timofeev (377,000).

Other players to keep an eye on include Graham Cowan (261,000), Alvir Inocentes (174,000), and Hernan Villa (130,000).

Action resumes this Wednesday, January 22nd, where only one off the list will rise to claim the victory. Stay tuned for updates as SMP brings you all the latest directly off the floor!

Kickoff

Date/s: January 20-22, 2025

Buy-in: PHP 16,500 (~USD 285)

Guarantee: PHP 3,000,000 (~USD 51,290)

Entries: 283

Prize pool: PHP 3,985,885 (~USD 68,195)

ITM: 43 places

Flight A: 66 entries, 10 qualified

Flight B: 128 entries, 20 qualified

Flight C: 89 entries, 13 qualified

Day 2/ Final: Wednesday, January 22

Nichols Manalo raised all-in on the button for his last 65,000 and was called by Brenton Buttigieg right on the big blind.

At risk right on bubble time, Manaho headed out shortly after missing board 5♥ T♣ 4♠ 2♣ 7♥ .

Christopher Richards opened 25,000 utg and was met with two all-ins - Kiril Gelev (42,000) and Hogyun Kang (115,000). Richards put in the final call, making it a three way showdown.

Up against two aces, Kang's snowmen bound for the muck shortly after board 6♣ Q♣ K♥ Q♠ 4♠ sealed his fate as the stone cold bubble.

Action is right on bubble time with hand-for-hand currently in play. One more elimination is due before the flight wraps up, bringing 14 survivors onto Day 2.

Younghwan Sung raised all-in on the button for 85,000 and saw Graham Cowan rise to the challenge.

Sung a huge favorite to win, instead bowed out after board 5♠ T♦ K♥ 5♥ Q♦ landed Cowan a better two pair to take it down.

Button limped in, followed by a raise to 33,000 form Hernan Villa. Jeoffrey Sibal on the big blind, pushed all-in for 63,000, leaving Villa priced in to call.

Villa dominated, forked over another chunk off his stack as board 5♠ 3♦ J♠ J♥ 9♠ left him high and dry.

Jundy Walker pushed for his remaining 105,000 on the button and was called by Hernan Villa on the big blind.

At risk, Walker managed to hang on, having spiked trip aces on board A♦ 6♦ 5♣ K♣ A♣ to take the win.

Masakazu Miyamoto open shoved his last 64,000 on the hijack and was looked up by Brenton Buttigieg right on the big blind.

Miyamoto in no sweat, cruised to victory on board K♦ Q♣ 3♥ A♥ J♣ , earning him the much needed double up.

Hogyun Kang completed his big blind vs Roland Ferrer's utg open, and read a flop of K♦ K♣ 3♦ . Both players checked to turn 8♦ , where Kang led 20,000. Ferrer called behind, and arrived at showdown shortly after river T♠ collected no more bets.

Ferrer revealed A♦ A♣ for the win.

Action folded to Nazariy Fedyk on the small blind, pushing him to shove his last 71,000 in. Jundy Walker called behind, and found himself in for a race for nearly all his chips.

Board Q♠ 7♦ 3♥ 6♦ 4♠ ran in favor of Walker, earning him the pot with top pair to knock Fedyk out.

Following an open and a call, Graham Cowan squeezed all-in on the big blind and saw initial raiser Christopher Richards happily oblige for his lesser 88,000.

A cooler situation, Richards' rockets held through on board T♠ 7♠ T♥ 6♠ 7♥ , costing Cowan half his stack.

Button limped in, followed by a raise to 18,000 from Roland Ferrer. Jeffrey Ponce on the big blind, along with the button continued to flop K♠ 4♦ 3♣ . Ferrer led 18,000 and called 100,000 more after Ponce responded with an all-in.

Jeffrey Ponce K♦ 9♦

Roland Ferrer A♥ A♣

Ponce in trouble with top pair, headed out shortly after failing to improve on either turn 3♠ or river T♠ .

Xia Qi pushed his last 68,000 in utg, and was looked up by Younghwan Sung right on the big blind.

Board 6♥ 8♠ T♥ 6♣ 7♥ ran dry for both, leaving Sung's ace-high good for the bust.

Masakazu Miyamoto opened to 15,000, called behind by Hogyun Kang. On board A♥ 4♠ J♦ A♣ , Miyamoto double barreled 13,000 and 19,000, with Kang calling both streets. Miyamoto slowed down on river 6♣ and Kang checked back, revealing two pair K♥ J♠ , good against Miyamoto's 3♦ 3♥ .

A blind vs blind battle brewed 24,000 in the middle before flop 9♣ Q♣ 6♦ landed on the felt. Jeoffrey Sibal led 10,000 and called 38,500 more following an all-in from Younghwan Sung right behind.

Younghwan Sung 6♣ 2♣

Jeoffrey Sibal T♠ 8♠

Both with draws, Sung's flush draw hit right on the turn T♣ , earning him the pot just as river 9♥ completed the board.

Hogyun Kang opened 10,000 utg+1, called behind by Jeffrey Ponce along with the big blind. Action on flop 6♠ T♣ 2♥ was checked to Ponce, who bet 13,000. Kang check called, revealing turn 9♣ . No more bets went in all the way through river A♣ , where Kang showed J♥ 9♥ for the win.

Emmanuel Derecho defended his big blind vs Brenton Buttigieg's hijack open, and check called 10,000 on flop T♦ 8♠ 2♦ . On turn 6♣ , Buttigieg fired another 15,000 yet folded after Derecho check raised all-in.

Feng Ji Chua stuffed his last 46,000 on the cutoff and was called by Nazariy Fedyk on the button.

Crushed against the cowboys, board 6♦ 8♦ 5♣ 6♦ T♥ failed to save Chua from the brink of elimination, leaving him out of the games entirely.

Renniel Galvez opened 10,000 on the hijack and called 46,000 more following an all-in from Hochung Song.

Song in rough shape, managed to hang on after board 8♦ 7♣ 4♠ T♠ 8♠ ran ten-high, giving him two pair for another chance at the title.

With 26,000 centered on flop 7♦ T♦ 7♠ , Jeoffrey Sibal check jammed his last 35,500 out the big blind and was challenged by inital raiser Nazariy Fedyk.

Jeoffrey Sibal 9♥ 7♥

Nazariy Fedyk A♣ Q♣

Drawing only to a runner runner, Fedyk booked the loss as runout A♦ 5♣ completed the board, shipping Sibal the win with trip sevens.

With a pot of 22,000 in the middle on flop 7♠ 8♦ T♦ , Jundy Walker led all-in off the big blind for 34,000, and was challenged by Hernan Villa right behind.

Jundy Walker K♦ T♣

Hernan Villa A♠ 9♠

Walker at risk, secured the double up as his top pair held all the way through turn 9♣ and river 3♦ .

Luqman Alghanim opened utg+1 and called off for his entire 59,500 after Hernan Jaybee Villa moved all-in behind.

Drawing slim, Alghanim headed out shortly after board J♦ 3♠ 4♣ 4♥ 5♠ felted no aces.

Facing an early open and a call, Hernan Jaybee Villa squeezed all-in on the button for 24,500 and was called by both opponents - Feng Ji Chua and Luqman Alghanim.

Action on flop T♠ 9♥ J♠ saw Chua bet 11,000, called by Alghanim for a side pot. Both checked turn 2♣ through to river J♦ , where Chua fired a final 21,000. Alghanim made the call with two pair Q♠ T♣ , no good against Chua's trip jacks Q♣ J♥ .

Villa revealed K♥ Q♥ for the main pot, and picked up the win with a straight.

Nazariy Fedyk opened 7,000 on the button and was joined by both players on the blinds onto flop Q♣ 6♣ 3♠ . Fedyk continued for 12,000, followed by an all-in for 34,500 on turn T♥ .

Jundy Walker check called both streets with top pair Q♥ J♦ , and found himself in terrible shape against Fedyk's overpair A♦ A♣ . River 8♥ made no difference, shipping Fedyk the pot.

Manuel Geronimo opened 6,000 utg, joined behind by Nichols Manalo along with the big blind. Geronimo continued for 8,000 on flop 2♣ J♦ A♥ , followed by another 15,000 on turn 3♣ . Manalo called the initial street yet let it go after Geronimo proceeded with aggression.

Anju Abrol stuffed 43,000 utg and was called behind by Brenton Buttigieg.

Abrol in great shape for a win, unfortunately came crashing down after board 6♠ A♥ K♠ 6♣ J♥ paired up Buttigieg's king to steal the win.

With 44,500 in the middle centered around board 4♣ A♦ K♦ 8♣ K♣ , river action saw Graham Cowan bet a final 20,000 on the button. Emmanuel Derecho check called, and mucked after Cowan revealed two pair A♣ 3♣ .

A three way limp pot dealt a flop of Q♦ 4♣ T♣ . Action checked round to turn 5♠ m where Yoshiki Nakamura fired 5,000 on the button. Tracy Crisostomo called from the big blind, yet let it go after Nakamura pulled a final 21,000 on river T♦ .

Sham Wing Sheuk pushed all-in for his last 28,500 on the hijack, and was called by Jeffrey Ponce right behind for a flip.

Ponce quickly landed the advantage on board K♦ Ws 7♦ 3♥ J♠ , sending Sham's pocket pair flying towards the muck.

Tamon Nakamura open shoved 23,500 on utg+1 and was called behind by Graham Cowan.

In for a flip, Cowan's overcards paired up on board 3♣ A♦ A♥ K♣ 2♠ , busting Nakamura in the process.

Preflop action brewed 36,000 in the middle with three players vying for the pot. Action on flop 9♠ 6♥ J♥ was checked to Jason Tian, who bet all-in for 22,500. Nazariy Fedyk looked him up with top pair J♠ T♥ and found himself crushed against Tian's A♦ A♣ .

Runout 2♥ T♣ however, turned the tables in favor of Fedyk, earning him the pot with two pair.

With 23,000 in pot across board T♠ 8♥ 4♠ , William Jones shot out a bet of 11,500 and saw Nichols Manalo shove behind for 10,0000 more. Jones called for his straight draw J♠ 9♣ and was up against Manalo's top pair A♦ T♥ .

Runout 5♥ 8♦ bricked for Jones, shipping Manalo the full double up.

Renniel Galvez on the small blind, limp called Waki Yasuhiro's all-in for 31,000, putting the latter at risk.

Galvez ahead, ran two pair on board 3♣ 7♠ 6♦ T♦ A♥ , busting Yasuhiro from the Kickoff games entirely.

That's it for the Kickoff games! The final numbers are in with registration across the final flight officially closed. Today's Flight C added 89 more entries, bumping the total count to 283. Guarantee has been breached, with the prize pool listed at PHP 3,000,000 (~USD 51,290).

Action will close once the field is down to 15% at 14 players.

Kickoff

Date/s: January 20-22, 2025

Buy-in: PHP 16,500 (~USD 285)

Guarantee: PHP 3,000,000 (~USD 51,290)

Entries: 283

Prize pool: PHP 3,985,885 (~USD 68,195)

ITM: 44 places

Flight A: 66 entries, 10 qualified

Flight B: 128 entries, 20 qualified

Flight C: 89 entries, 14 ITM

Day 2/ Final: Wednesday, January 22

The final flight for Manila Megastack 21's opening highlight - Kickoff, runs on the felt this evening, bringing PHP 3,000,000 (~USD 51,290) in guarantees on the table.

Games start right at 18:00 sharp with the last chance to qualify, Flight C, running faster-paced 20 minutes on the clock. Each entry buys players a starting stack of 30,000, 150x the opening blinds. On top of the prizes to be won, a 2025 APPT Manila Main Event Package, valued at PHP 125,000 (~USD 2,140), will be at stake, awarding more value for the eventual winner. All heats are due to wrap up once ITM at 15% of the field is reached, with the combined survivors geared to return to the scene this Wednesday, January 22nd, for the Day 2 battle.

Registration remains open through Level 10 @21:40. Stay tuned for updates as SMP brings you all the latest directly off the floor!

Kickoff

Date/s: January 20-22, 2025

Buy-in: PHP 16,500 (~USD 285)

Guarantee: PHP 3,000,000 (~USD 51,290)

Starting stack: 30,000

Flight A: 66 entries, 10 qualified

Flight B: 128 entries, 20 qualified

Flight C Turbo: Tuesday, January 21

Day 2/ Final: Wednesday, January 22