Kickoff (16,500 PHP)

After two days, 34 levels and beating a field of 338 players, Romania's Ionut Dragomir emerged on top of this PHP 4,760,527 ($83,049) prize pool tournament, taking home PHP 843,527 ($14,705) and an APPT Manila Main Event Package worth PHP 125,000.

"I'm really happy to win my first trophy and I'm really excited to play here in Manila, it's my first time in Asia. I just came here 2 months ago and I had a feeling that I can take a trophy home to my family in Romania. I started very bad in the other events but this one was one shot, one opportunity and I hit it."

When asked about his take on the scene here in Manila he said:

"My first impression when I started playing two months ago I felt that the field is like soft-ish, I felt comfortable but later on I said "okay" maybe it's soft during the first stages coz then in the later stages I saw how they're playing and they are pretty strong and very tight even if it's a small pot which I don't see in Europe very often. So this is the biggest adjustment for me because I see them play tighter than usual."

Making the very even final table as 5th in chips with the bigger stacks to his left, he had his work cut out for him.

"I stuck to my normal play. I waited for the other players to move and read how they are playing at the final table. I have to admit that I had a good run earlier that got me to second in the chips or maybe chip leader and you know I feel it's a good shot to win a trophy."

On his way to the heads up he busted Masakazu Miyamoto in 8th with A♦ K♥ against A♠ 3♦ and Lemmor Patulot in 4th with T♣ 6♣ against K♣ J♦ before entering the heads up as a slight underdog.

The 27th hand heads up took a decisive turn just 10 hands before the end when he switched to top position after winning a pre-flop all-in against John Costiniano with A♦ 7♦ against K♣ 9♣ then finished him off with a similar A♣ 8♦ against K♦ Q♣ to hoist the trophy.

When asked if he felt any danger in the heads-up he said:

"No, Poker is one flip away from a bust or a double up and I was lucky enough to win at the right moment, even when I was behind."

That concludes the live coverage for today. Well done everyone and the live updates will be back when the Main Event begins on the 20th of March.

Manila Megastack 22 Kick-off

Dates: March 14-16, 2025

Buy-in: PHP 16,500 ($ 288)

Guarantee: PHP 3,000,000 ($ 52,336)

Entries: 338

Prize Pool: PHP 4,760,527 ($ 83,049)

ITM: 51

Digging for six outs, John Costiniano watches the dealer flip over 7♦ 5♣ 4♦ T♥ 7♥ before getting up and congratulating his opponent.

Hand #81: John Costiniano limps and we see the flop 5♦ 3♥ A♠ where Ionut Dragomir check-folds to a 300,000 bet.

Hand #82: Ionut limps, the flop comes A♦ 6♠ 8♠ and John check-calls a 450,000 bet to see the turn 2♥ . John check-calls again, this time for 1,000,000 and the board completes 3♦ . Two checks have Ionut flip over the winner T♥ 8♥ against Johns 8♣ 4♠

Hand #79: John Costiniano limp-folds to a jam.

Hand #80: Ionut Dragomir limp-folds to a 750,000 raise.

Hand #76: Ionut Dragomir limps and we see the flop 8♣ T♦ K♥ where a 225,000 bet from Ionut ends the hand.

Hand #77: John limps and takes it down with a 250,000 bet on the flop K♠ Q♥ 7♦ .

Hand #78: Another limp from Ionut treats us with the flop T♣ K♠ A♠ where Ionuts's 275,000 lead gets called, the turn falls 3♦ and gets checked to the river 4♥ . John forks out a 750,000 bet to scoop the pot.

Hand #70: John Costiniano walks.

Hand #71: John limps and we see the flop A♥ T♠ 7♣ where John leads 200,000, Ionut calls, the turn comes 7♠ and gets checked to the river J♥ with Ionut leading 500,000 to scoop the pot.

Hand #67: John Costiniano opens 400,000 and Ionut Dragomir defends to lay eyes on the flop 7♣ 2♥ 5♥ that gets taken down by a 350,000 c-bet from John.

Hand #68: Ionut raises to 400,000 and folds when faced with a 1,000,000 three-bet.

Hand # 69: Another 400,000 open from John takes Ionut to the flop 6♠ 9♠ 7♠ that gets checked to the turn T♦ where Ionut leads 300,000 and gets called. The river 2♣ has both player check, with John coming out on top.

Hand #66: Ionut Dragomir raises to 330,000, John Costiniano pumps it to 1,000,000 and Ionut calls to see the flop A♦ 8♥ A♣ where a 320,000 continuation gets called to reveal the turn 6♥ . John slows down to a check, Ionut bets 650,000 after using a time bank and the board completes 4♣ . John checks again with trips A♠ 2♣ , but Ionut doesn't bit and checks back before throwing it in the muck.

Hand #62: Ionut Dragomir opens 330,000 and John Costiniano defends for the flop K♣ 5♠ 9♥ where a 250,000 c-bet and a call is all the action we get until the river 4♠ and 3♥ with John turning over the winner 6♠ 5♦ .

Hand #59: John Costiniano opens 330,000 and Ionut Dragomir defends to look at 3♠ 9♦ 7♦ where a 350,000 c-bet takes it down for John.

Hand #60: John walks.

Hand #61: John limps, Ionut ups it to 525,000 and a call reveals the flop J♦ 4♦ 8♣ where a 600,000 c-bet from Ionut gets the job done.

Everything is looking peachy for his rockets on J♣ 3♦ 7♦ 8♦ before turning pear shaped once again when the river hits K♣ for a massive upset, sending another local 6-digit live earner to the rail.

Hand #52: John Costiniano takes the blinds with 320,000 raise from under the gun.

Hand #53: Costiniano gets small blind Ionut Dragomir off of a 475,000 open with a jam.

Hand #54: Dragomir collects the blinds with raise to 330,000 from the button.

Hand #48: Under the gun John Costiniano makes it 240,000 and takes big blind Ionut Dragomir to the flop J♠ 7♦ 5♣ where a 165,000 c-bet gets peeled to the turn Q♦ . Costiniano fires a second barrel of 450,000, but surrenders the pot against a 1,725,000 jam from Dragomir, losing two time banks in the process.

No help on the river A♠ and Jannodin Riga packs up his belongings.

Hand #40: John Costiniano raises to 265,000 from the button and Keijiro Shimojo defends big to see the flop 8♠ 3♥ 2♠ where he check-folds to Costiniano's 260,000 c-bet.

Hand #41: Elmer Kalaquian walks.

Hand #37: Keijiro Shimojo picks up the blinds with a 250,000 open from the cutoff.

Hand #38: Shimojo opens 250,000 from the hijack and takes big blind John Costiniano to the flop A♦ K♣ 2♥ that gets checked to the turn 5♦ where a delayed c-bet of 225,000 gets the job done for Shimojo.

Hand #25: Ionut Dragomir jams his big blind to pick up Lemmor Patulot's 225,000 open from the hijack.

Hand #26: With the action folded to Ionut Dragomir in the small blind he limps and John Costiniano opts for a check to the flop 5♣ K♦ Q♦ where Dragomir leads 125,000, gets called to the turn 8♠ and sees his second barrel of 250,000 called again. The river J♠ has Dragomir check-fold to Costiniano's 650,000 bet.

Hand #15: Under the gun Keijiro Shimojo opens 160,000, but lays it down when faced with a 425,000 re-raise from Ionut Dragomir in the cutoff.

Hand #16: John Costiniano makes it 160,000 from the button and big blind Keijiro Shimojo defends to see the flop 7♣ 9♥ 6♥ that gets checked to the turn 7♥ where Shimojo leads 100,000, Costiniano calls and the board completes J♦ . Two more checks reveal Costiniano as the winner with king-high K♣ T♦ against Q♦ 2♦ .

Chong is looking good until the turn A♠ 8♣ 8♥ Q♠ but the river J♥ ends his run, probably having higher hopes when he punched his final table ticket.

With Keijiro Shimojo in a commanding lead, trying to win his second Manila Megastack Kickoff Event in just a few months and Ichiro Uesugi as the shortest stack the rest of the contenders are on equal footing.

Things are looking rather peachy for the Korean when the dealer flips over 9♥ Q♠ 4♥ Q♦ before going pear shaped on the river 9♦ that sends him home as the final table bubble.

The board 7♠ 5♠ J♥ J♠ 9♣ changes nothing and the No.30 knocks out the No.4 on the Philippine's all time money list.

Button Jester Intia declares all-in for 199,000 with A♠ 3♠ and big blind John Niko Costiniano quickly fills up with T♠ T♥ . No help for Jester on 8♦ Q♠ 6♣ 6♦ J♥ , sending the APPT Manila 15 Main Event runner-up to the rail.