The Manila Megastack once again proved its strong following as the Warm-Up event kicked off with an eager field of 117 entries. With a PHP 12,500 (~US$ 220) buy-in, the event generated a PHP 1,248,390 prize pool, setting the stage for an exciting opening day.
With seven Filipinos in the final lineup, it was no surprise to see a homegrown champion rise to the occasion. Edgar Asehan made his presence felt early, knocking out Alvir Inocentes in 8th place before taking a more patient approach as the field thinned. Edilberto Gopez, Michael Bueza, and Kawai Katsuhito took charge, eliminating several contenders. Katsuhito’s deep run ended in 4th place after his 5♣ 5♥ fell to Bueza’s 6♥ 6♣.
At three-handed, Asehan seized control by raising all in on a board A♦ K♦ J♦ 7♠ to claim a crucial three-way pot. This gave him the edge which he kept intact to the finish line. Asehan eliminated Bueza with K♣ Q♠ over A♣ 2♥ on a board K♠ 8♥ 2♠ 8♦ Q♠ , then finished off Gopez with Q♥ 6♠ top pair over J♥ 9♠ with the shoves on the turn that completed 2♠ T♥ Q♦ J♣ 5♥ .
Asehan cleared a cool PHP 299,390 (~US$ 5,220) along with his career seventh PokerStars spadie.
Top Payouts
| # | Payout | Player |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $5,220 299,390 PHP | EA Edgar Asehan ![Philippines [PHL]](/assets/images/flags/4x3/ph.svg "Philippines [PHL]"){kind=small} Philippines |
| 2 | $3,260 187,000 PHP | EG Edilberto Gopez Philippines |
| 3 | $2,325 133,500 PHP | MB Michael Bueza Philippines |
| 4 | $1,795 103,000 PHP | KK Katsuhito Kawai ![Japan [JPN]](/assets/images/flags/4x3/jp.svg "Japan [JPN]"){kind=small} Japan |
| 5 | $1,375 79,000 PHP | WW William Wright ![United States of America [USA]](/assets/images/flags/4x3/us.svg "United States of America [USA]"){kind=small} United States of America |
| 6 | $1,065 61,000 PHP | NM Nichols Manalo Philippines |
| 7 | $835 48,000 PHP | RM Rene Mar David Philippines |
| 8 | $695 40,000 PHP | AI Alvir Inocentes Philippines |
| 9 | $585 33,500 PHP | JR Jun Rodolfo Philippines |