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

Hand #55: Under the gun Ionut Dragomir opens 330,000, small blind Lemmor Patulot shoves 910,000 with K♣ J♦ and Dragomir becomes a customer due to the numbers and not some love affair with T♣ 6♣ . Those numbers prove correct, when the board runs 4♣ T♠ 3♥ A♣ 8♣ , knocking out local grinder Lemmor Patulot in the process.

Hand #39: Under the gun Keijiro Shimojo limps and Lemmor Patulot opts to check his big blind to lay eyes on the flop 3♦ 5♥ 4♠ , Shimojo's 120,000 bet gets check-called and the turn falls 6♠ . Patulot takes over the reins with a 345,000 jam that takes down the pot.

Hand #7: Lemmor Patulot jams 695,000 from under the gun to scoop.

Hand #8-9: Ionut Dragomir's min-raises from the cutoff and hijack pick up the blinds.

Hand #10: John Costiniano min-opens the cutoff to take the blinds as well.

Hand #1: Lemmor Patulot opens his small blind to 140,000 and Keijiro Shimojo defends to see the flop 6♥ 2♦ K♦ where a 105,000 c-bet finds a float to reveal the turn J♦ . Patulot fires a second barrel of 250,000 and Shimojo min-raises to 500,000 that sends his opponent in the tank for two time banks before laying it down.

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.

Ionut Dragomir limps his small blind, big blind Lemmor Patulot pumps it to 120,000 and a call takes us to the flop 6♥ T♦ A♥ where Patulot's 80,000 c-bet gets called. The turn J♦ is rejected to complete the board J♠ with two more checks and Dragomir comes out on top with A♠ 4♥ .

When the action folds to Keijiro Shimojo on the button, 125,000 go into the middle, big blind Lemmor Patulot ups it to 340,000 and Shimojo four-bets to 800,000. Spending some time deliberating, Patulot decides to fold, handing the dealer a time bank in the process.

Patulot's ladies hold after A♥ J♣ T♣ K♥ 6♣ hit the felt, taking him back to over 2M.

Hijack Keijiro Shimojo opens 60,000 and takes big blind Lemmor Patulot to the flop 6♥ A♠ Q♥ where a small 30,000 c-bet gets called to the turn 5♣ . Shimojo's 75,000 second barrel gets check-raised to 220,000 and another call completes the board 4♠ with Patulot leading 400,000 holding two pair A♣ 6♦ who then calls Shimojo's 555,000 jam and surrenders the pot against his opponents 7♥ 8♥ nut straight, catapulting the Japanese back into the lead of the tournament.

The river A♣ is none of them and this massive pot goes to the chip leader who is the first to break 2M.

The turn 7♥ and river 5♣ keep the Flight B winner ahead, taking him to over 1M in chips.

Manila Megastack 20 Double Stack Champ Masakazu Miyamoto opens 22,000 from +2 and takes hijack Lemmor Patulot to the flop 9♣ Q♦ 8♠ where a 19,000 c-bet gets called to the turn 5♥ with another barrel of 53,000 and a call complete the board T♦ . Miyamoto switches to a check, Patulot bets 100,000 with A♠ 9♠ , but has to surrender the pot to Miyamoto's set 9♦ 9♥ .