Mystery Bounty (20,000 PHP)

South Korea’s Jimin Lim claimed the top spot at the Manila Megastack 23 Mystery Bounty event, rising above a field of 290 entries to take home PHP 751,880 (~USD 12,825). The total prize pool of nearly PHP 6,000,000 almost tripled the PHP 2,000,000 guarantee, making Lim’s victory all the more impressive.

Lim built his momentum through the final table, collecting multiple bounties along the way. His total haul included 9 bounties worth PHP 143,000, in addition to a PHP 45,000 Main Event seat, taking place on Thursday, December 4th.

The win marks a major milestone for Lim, who previously held just $3,660 in live earnings, with a best cash of $1,332. With this victory, he has quadrupled his lifetime earnings and claimed his first major title in front of a strong regional field.

Speaking through his girlfriend, Lim was clearly excited, celebrating his first big victory.

“This is the first time for me, so I’m really excited,” he said.

He revealed he'd only been playing at these stakes for around a year.

“Just one year. This is my first win,” he explained.

This was his second time entering a PokerStars event.

“No, this is the second time I tried. I played before, but this is the first time I’m winning."

Looking back, he recalled his first attempt at the Manila Megastack 21 in January.

“That was Manila Megastack 21? Earlier this year, January."

Day 2 got underway with 44 players returning to chase both the pay jumps and a bounty ladder packed with top-heavy prizes. With the field thinned and the largest envelope worth PHP 215,000, as well as two PHP 45,000 Main Event seats up for grabs, the pressure rose immediately as stacks began to fly.

The first knockout of the day saw Rajasekar Govindan’s pocket nines flop a set against Kheng Chen Ng’s ace-eight. The set held through the board, giving Govindan the opening bounty and sending Ng to the rail for a min-cash. Govindan then dispatched Homin Lee when his ace-queen paired on the flop, leaving Lee's pocket tens drawing thin, ultimately adding another bounty to Govindan's stack. Govindan eventually bowed out in 24th place a short while later.

After just a few levels, the field had already thinned to three tables, with chips flying as players chased the top bounties still up for grabs.

Along the way the likes of Barrientos Lino (40th), Mark Remnant (33rd), Noel Llamedo (28th), Alvir Inocentes (25th) and Ethan Ang (21st) were some of the casualties, unable to make a push for some of the big prizes.

The final table was set after Yohn Paredes eliminated Hidekazu Tanaka in 10th place; Paredes’ pocket sevens held up against Tanaka’s ten-three, bringing the remaining players down to the last nine.

The final table opened with Abhishek Ramesh exiting in ninth after his pocket fours were beaten by Justin Ong's ace-ten, who paired on an ace-high flop. Ong’s own run ended in eighth after a series of pots left him short, with Lim ultimately finishing him off, though he collected a small bounty on the way out.

Paredes was eliminated in seventh when Lim completed a flush, however after collecting the largest bounty worth PHP 215,000 (~USD 3,670) earlier, he'll certainly still be happy with this run.

Daire Burke fell in sixth, losing two key confrontations to Paul Elliott, whose pocket tens held in the decisive hand to eliminate him and solidify his final table position.

Ryan Martinez fell in fifth when his queens couldn’t hold against Lim’s eights, who'd flopped a set, giving Lim a key boost to his stack in the later stages of play.

Seunghee Park exited in fourth after Henri Girard turned a higher full house to overcome Park’s monster flop, leaving him drawing dead.

Girard himself was eliminated in third when his paired five couldn’t beat Lim’s pocket eights, setting up a heads-up showdown between Lim and Elliott.

Heads-up action began cautiously, with both Lim and Elliott feeling each other out. Elliott took the first initiative, shoving his remaining 2,045,000 with Big Slick and surviving a call from Lim who held queen-jack, securing a double-up when the board ran low. Lim responded by moving all in shortly after, but Elliott’s ace-queen held through the flop and turn, giving him the lead.

Lim fought back over the next several hands, winning four consecutive pots to retake the lead. The match came to a decisive conclusion when Elliott shoved, after previously doubling to 3,350,000, and Lim snap-called with pocket jacks. Elliott’s king-eight failed to improve, and the board ran low once more, leaving Lim’s jacks holding, officially securing him the Mystery Bounty Title.

After nine hours of play, Jimin Lim emerged as the Mystery Bounty champion, claiming PHP 751,880 (~US$ 12,825) along with nine bounty envelopes.

Stay tuned for the full recap and highlights of the tournament.

After scoring a clean double up, Paul Elliott shoved again for 3,350,000. Jimin Lim looked at his hand and snap called.

Paul Elliott: K♥ 8♠

Jimin Lim: J♣ J♦

Elliott needed to pair his king to stay alive, but the board 7♥ 4♦ 2♣ 4♥ 6♥ brought no help. Lim’s jacks held from start to finish, eliminating Elliott in second place and securing the Mystery Bounty championship.

Jimin Lim won four consecutive pots and moved back into the lead over Paul Elliott as the heads up battle continued.

Button Jimin Lim moved all in and Paul Elliott made the call for his tournament life.

Paul Elliott: A♣ Q♣

Jimin Lim: K♠ 9♥

Lim called for a king, but the Q♥ 6♥ J♣ flop instead paired Elliott’s queen and pushed him well into the lead. Lim then asked for a ten to find a way back, but the 3♦ 5♠ runout changed nothing. Elliott secured a much-needed double, while Lim was left short.

Paul Elliott shoved his remaining 2,045,000 and Jimin Lim looked down at his cards before making the call.

Paul Elliott: A♦ T♣

Jimin Lim: Q♥ J♥

Elliott was behind but held two live cards. He managed to fade both a queen and a jack across the runout 8♦ 2♥ 5♣ 9♦ 6♠ , securing a full double up. With the pot pushed his way, the chip counts were once again almost even, setting up a tight heads up showdown.

Jimin Lim raised to 600,000 and Paul Elliott made the call. Lim fired a 500,000 continuation bet on the flop Q♠ 9♦ 6♥ , and Elliott check called. Both players checked the turn Q♣ and went to the river 4♠ .

Elliott checked again but folded after Lim fired 1,500,000. The gap widened to roughly three to one as Lim continued to extend his lead.

After a run of small, cautious pots, Mystery Bounty finalists Jimin Lim and Paul Elliott now sit almost level in chips. In the latest hand, Elliott fired 200,000 on the turn of a Q♠ 8♣ K♥ 2♦ board and took it down without contest, edging the stacks back to even.

Only two players remain in the Mystery Bounty event, with Jimin Lim and Paul Elliott outlasting a 290-entry field to reach heads-up for the title.

Button Henri Girard shoved for 1,010,000 and was called by small blind Jimin Lim. Big blind Paul Elliott looked tempted but ultimately let it go.

Henri Girard: A♥ 5♦

Jimin Lim: 8♥ 8♠

Girard paired his five on the 5♣ J♦ Q♦ flop, but Lim’s eights held firm through the 2♥ 6♠ runout, ending Girard’s run in third place and sending Lim and Elliott into heads-up play.

From the small blind, Jimin Lim opens to 240,000 and big blind Paul Elliott makes the call. Lim fires a 250,000 continuation bet on the flop A♥ Q♣ 2♦ , which Elliott calls without hesitation.

On the turn 8♦ , Lim slows down and checks, then calls Elliott’s bet of 150,000. Both players check the river 4♣ and go to showdown.

Lim reveals A♠ 6♦ top pair, but Elliott turns over Q♥ 8♥ two pair to win the pot and move into the chip lead with three players remaining.

After getting his revenge on Seunghee Park earlier, Henri Girard once again looks him up, calling Park’s shove for 570,000.

Seunghee Park: 2♦ 2♣

Henri Girard: A♥ 9♣

It is a flip, and Park smashes the flop J♣ J♠ J♥ with a full house. However, the board does not change Girard’s outs. The turn A♦ shifts everything as Girard makes a higher full house with his ace kicker, leaving Park drawing dead.

The river 7♣ is a formality, and Park exits the tournament in 4th place.

Seunghee Park limped from the small blind and Henri Girard checked his option.

Park checked the 2♣ 4♠ 5♦ flop, and Girard shoved his short stack. Park made the call:

Henri Girard: 4♦ 5♠

Seunghee Park: A♦ J♥

Girard had flopped two pair and improved to a full house on the K♥ 4♥ runout, securing a much-needed double through Park, who was left short.

UTG Henri Girard opens to 200,000 and big blind Seunghee Park shoves for 615,000. Girard snap calls.

Seunghee Park: 8♥ 6♥

Henri Girard: A♣ 2♥

Park pairs his six on the flop K♥ Q♣ 6♦ to jump ahead. The turn K♠ and river K♣ bring no change, allowing Park to secure a much needed double up and stay in the hunt.

Jimin Lee raised to 375,000 then called off big blind Ryan Martinez's shove for 1,000,000:

Ryan Martinez: Q♦ Q♣

Jimin Lee: 8♠ 8♦

Martinez looked good for a double, only having to fade two outs from Lee.

Unfortunately, the 7♠ 8♥ 3♠ flop had other ideas, vaulting Lee ahead. Martinez found no help on the 9♠ 4♦ runout, sending him to the rail in 5th place.

After losing a big pot to Paul Elliot, Daire Burke once again finds himself all in against the same opponent.

Elliot opens the action and calls Burke’s shove for 750,000.

Daire Burke: 7♣ 7♦

Paul Elliot: T♣ T♣

Elliot dominates the matchup, leaving Burke with only two outs to survive. The board 8♠ 2♦ 5♣ Q♥ K♣ runs clean, sealing Burke’s elimination in 6th place as Elliot strengthens his final table run.

Cutoff Paul Elliott raised to 130,000 from middle position, then called when small blind and covering stack Daire Burke shoved:

Paul Elliott: A♣ K♠

Daire Burke: 5♠ 5♣

Elliott surged ahead on the 8♣ 7♠ A♦ flop, and stayed their on the remainder of the 8♠ Q♦ runout, leaving Burke short.

UTG Henri Girard opens to 100,000 and Jimin Lim calls on his left. In the big blind, Yohn Paredes shoves for 115,000. Both Girard and Lim call, creating a three way pot.

Girard and Lim check the flop 8♣ 6♣ 6♠ and go to the turn 5♣ , where Lim fires 100,000. Girard quickly folds, sending the action to showdown.

Yohn Paredes: K♣ 9♠

Jimin Lim: T♣ 9♣

Lim completes his flush on the turn, while Paredes needs a club to survive. The river 3♦ brings no help, eliminating Paredes in 7th place.

Despite the exit, Paredes still scores a major win after pulling the biggest bounty of the tournament earlier worth PHP 215,000.

Hand 1

Button Paul Elliott opened to 110,000 and Daire Burke defended his big blind.

Both players checked the K♥ 3♠ 5♥ flop. On the K♣ turn, Burke led for 75,000, which was enough to make Elliott release his hand.

Hand 2

Seunghee Park received a walk.

Hand 3

Park shoved from the small blind, and big blind Yohn Paredes folded.

Hand 4

Burke raised to 100,000 from the cutoff and was called by big blind Henri Girard.

Girard check-called Burke’s 80,000 continuation-bet on the A♣ 4♥ K♠ flop, and did so again on the A♠ turn for 275,000.

Girard checked a third time on the J♥ river. Burke used a timebank before announcing he was all in, drawing an immediate fold from Girard.

"I know you didn't like that jack, and you didn't have ace-king," Burke said, as he showed 4♦ 4♠.

After winning a small pot, Daire Burke opens from the cutoff. Both small blind Yohn Paredes and big blind Henri Girard defend. All three players check the flop K♠ 6♠ 3♥ and head to the turn 5♥ . Paredes leads out for 110,000 and Girard makes the call as Burke steps aside.

Paredes slows down on the river 9♣ and checks, then instantly folds when Girard moves all in.

Girard proudly asks Paredes to pick a card. Paredes reveals his hand Q♥ 7♥ , showing a missed flush draw and a complete bluff.

Short-stacked Justin Ong shoved from under the gun without looking, and was called by small blind Jimin Lim, who had peeked at his cards:

Justin Ong: 6♣ 4♥

Jimin Lim: Q♥ J♣

"Low cards!" Ong asked, and got a partial nod on the 2♥ Q♣ 4♣ flop.

"Did I hit?" he continued, as the 3♦ opened up a straight draw, but the 8♥ river sealed his fate, boosting Lim’s stack in the process.

Ong later collected his bounty envelope for PHP 7,000.

Justin Ong shoves his remaining 460,000 and gets one caller in Ryan Martinez, who puts in his last 300,000.

Ryan Martinez: A♥ A♦

Justin Ong: A♣ J♥

There is no sweat at all for Martinez as he flops A♠ 7♠ 5♣ a set, leaving Ong drawing dead immediately. The turn 7♥ and river 2♦ are just formalities as Martinez doubles through and Ong is left short.

On the very next hand, Ong open shoves from early position and manages to score a double up to stay alive.

Button Paul Elliott moved all in for 560,000, with small blind Justin Ong shoving behind him and big blind Ryan Martinez calling, sending them three-ways to showdown:

Paul Elliott: K♦ J♣

Ryan Martinez: Q♥ Q♣

Justin Ong: 7♥ 7♠

Elliott looked strong as the dealer fanned the K♥ J♦ 2♣ flop, fending off Martinez’s and Ong’s outs on the A♥ 2♦ runout, despite Ong’s pleas for a seven. Elliott scooped a full triple, with Martinez taking the tiny side pot.

"Back from the dead!" Elliott exclaimed, now sitting on a much healthier stack.

Facing a raise, button Justin Ong 3 bets to 500,000. On his left, Abhishek Ramesh shoves for 140,000. The initial raiser folds, leaving the two players heads up.

Abhishek Ramesh: 4♦ 4♣

Justin Ong: A♥ T♥

It is a flip, but Ong pairs his ace on the flop A♦ K♣ Q♣ , leaving Ramesh with only two outs to survive. The turn K♥ and river 6♥ bring no help, and Ramesh is eliminated in 9th place as Ong scores the first knockout of the final table.

Hijack Justin Ong raised to 60,000 and received a sole call from Seunghee Park in the big blind.

Park check-called Ong's 60,000 bet following the 8♠ 3♥ 2♥ flop.

Park checked for a second time once the 2♠ turn hit the felt, before ultimately folding after Ong upped it to 125,000.

Players are now playing 15 hands per level, marking a new format for the final table. Instead of progressing by time, each level will advance based on the number of hands played, introducing a fresh pace and structure to the endgame.

Henri Girard:

• PHP 56,000

Paul Elliott:

• PHP 96,000
• PHP 7,000

Daire Burke:

• PHP 6,000

Yohn Paredes lands the biggest bounty of the event worth PHP 215,000. Moments after eliminating Hidekazu Tanaka in 10th place, Paredes steps up to the bounty chest while the tournament director prepares the final table.

He draws two envelopes. The first reveal sends the table into a stir as he pulls the top bounty of PHP 215,000. His second envelope adds another PHP 9,000, giving him a massive boost before the final table begins.

Button Yohn Paredes opens to 60,000 and big blind Hidekazu Tanaka, down to just 50,000, makes the call.

Hidekazu Tanaka: T♦ 3♥

Yohn Paredes: 7♣ 7♦

Tanaka needs to find a ten to stay alive, but the board A♣ 4♥ K♣ 6♣ 4♠ brings no help. Paredes scores the knockout, eliminating Tanaka in 10th place.

The final table of the Mystery Bounty is now set.

Paul Elliott raised to 50,000 from the cutoff and called small blind Ryan Martinez’s three-bet shove to 205,000:

Ryan Martinez: A♣ K♥

Paul Elliott: A♠ A♦

Martinez looked set to bubble the final table, but the T♥ Q♠ 6♠ flop gave him a gutshot.

“No jack!” Elliott pleaded.

The 7♥ kept Elliott’s aces ahead for one more street, but the dreaded J♠ landed on the river, completing Martinez’s straight and earning him a double through Elliott.

Small blind Yohn Paredes moved all in for around 290,000 after early position Ryan Martinez raised to 50,000. Martinez called:

Yohn Paredes: A♦ K♣

Ryan Martinez: A♠ J♠

The T♥ 3♣ 7♣ 4♠ 5♠ runout kept Paredes’ Big Slick ahead, earning him a crucial double through Martinez.

A massive three way all in breaks out on Table 39.

UTG Naoki Nakada open shoves for 140,000. From the hijack, Manuel Sadornil moves all in for 250,000. In the small blind, Paul Elliott pushes all of his chips forward, covering both opponents.

Naoki Nakada: 9♠ 9♣

Manuel Sadornil: 7♣ 7♦

Paul Elliott: A♥ K♣

The flop T♦ 6♠ 5♣ comes clean for Nakada as he looks poised for a crucial triple up. The turn 3♣ is also safe, but the river K♥ flips the script completely as Elliott pairs his king to take the lead and eliminate both Nakada and Sadornil in one blow.

Elliott shouts in excitement as the river hits, dragging in a massive pot. One more elimination will set the final table.

Dean Chihoon moved all in from early position for 50,000. Hijack Manuel Sadornil re-shoved behind him for around 300,000, and once the other players got out of the way, they tabled their cards:

Dean Chihoon: A♥ T♥

Manuel Sadornil: Q♥ 4♥

Chihoon would have had the edge if a heart-heavy board came along, but Sadornil seemed unusually confident.

"I never lose with this hand in my life, never."

The 4♦ 4♣ 5♥ flop immediately left Chihoon drawing thin.

"See! I never lose with it," Sadornil added, rubbing salt in the wound.

The T♣ turn offered a tiny glimmer of hope, but the 2♥ river sealed Chihoon’s elimination in 13th place.

Action folds to the small blind and Jimin Lim raises to 45,000. On his left, Dakota Anderson shoves for 240,000. Lim snap calls and tables his hand.

Dakota Anderson: K♣ J♥

Jimin Lim: A♦ Q♦

Anderson is behind but still has live cards. The flop A♥ T♣ 3♠ gives Lim top pair while Anderson picks up a gut shot to stay alive. The turn 5♥ bricks and so does the river 6♣ , sealing Anderson’s elimination. Lim takes the pot and adds another bounty to his haul.

Cutoff Koichi Nozaki open shoves for 176,000. On his left, Henri Girard makes the call. From the small blind, Justin Ong announces a huge all in, and Girard quickly folds, leaving Ong and Nozaki heads up.

Koichi Nozaki: K♠ Q♦

Justin Ong: 2♠ 2♥

The table erupts in disbelief when Ong tables pocket deuces, with several players calling the move crazy. The flop 2♣ 8♣ T♣ instantly vindicates him as he hits a set, and the turn 7♠ locks it up, leaving Nozaki drawing dead. The river T♦ is a formality as Ong secures a bounty and adds momentum to his run.

Current chip leader Seunghee Park draws two bounty envelopes, and one of them turns out to be the second biggest bounty worth PHP 135,000. His other pull adds another PHP 16,000, giving him an impressive boost as the bounty hunt continues.

Cutoff Feng Ji Chua raised to 35,000, only to call when small blind Abhishek Ramesh moved all in for 111,000:

Abhishek Ramesh: 8♥ 8♣

Feng Ji Chua: A♥ J♠

Ramesh looked strong on the 3♠ 5♥ 7♠ flop, but the 4♦ turn opened straight possibilities for both.

The 6♦ river gave a straight on the board, but giving Ramesh the higher straight and thus securing a double through Chua.

Justin Ong has done well to climb back from just 59,000 a few levels ago, now sitting comfortably around the average stack.

In an exchange at Table 41, after Henri Girard raised to 35,000, Ong asked if Girard would call a no-look shove. Girard seemed locked in and didn’t respond at first, prompting Ong to ask again. Eventually, Girard lifted his headphones.

"Yeah. Snap-call," he said.

Ong then moved all in for 405,000. Girard paused, asked for a count, and tossed his timebanks forward for the dealer to peel.

"Not fair. You said you'd snap-call," Ong joked.

Girard finally folded, and Ong flashed 6♠ 5♠.

The first break has now concluded, and a lot of the players have pulled their Mystery Bounty Envelopes. The standout, however, was Daire Burke, who'd collected an astonishing six bounties within the first stages of play.

Here's what he's received for his efforts:

• PHP 45,000 Main Event Seat
• PHP 30,000
• PHP 9,000
• PHP 8,000
• PHP 7,000
• PHP 7,000

Players can now pull their Bounties at any time in the event going forward.

The players are now on their first break of the day. During the pause, they’ll begin pulling their Mystery Bounty envelopes, and the staff will run a chip race for the 1,000-denomination chips.

Once the action folded around, button Justin Ong made a “no look all-in” with his 59,000 short stack and was called by big blind Dean Chihoon:

Justin Ong: A♣ 8♦

Dean Chihoon: 6♥ 2♣

Ong seemed genuinely surprised as he peeled his cards one by one and saw an ace staring back at him.

Chihoon lost a hefty chunk of his stack as the 4♥ A♥ Q♣ 8♣ 3♣ runout improved Ong to two pair.

UTG +1 Kazuo Yamamoto open shoves for 78,000. From the hijack, Daire Burke reshoves to isolate, and everyone else folds.

Kazuo Yamamoto: A♥ 4♠

Daire Burke: J♣ J♥

Burke stays ahead on the flop 7♣ 5♣ 3♥ , but Yamamoto picks up extra outs as he turns a gut shot draw. The turn 6♠ completes the straight for Yamamoto, seemingly sealing the hand.

However, the river 4♥ brings a straight to the board, and what looked like a clean double up turns into an unexpected chop as both players split the pot.

Seunghee Park rises to the top after winning a big pot against Justin Ong. Park entered Day 2 as the overall chip leader, and he continues to prove why as he strengthens his position in the field.

Folded to the button, Nikolai Guliaev shoves for 161,000. In the big blind, Daire Burke makes the call, looking to add another bounty to the four he already holds.

Nikolai Guliaev: K♣ K♠

Daire Burke: A♣ 8♥

Guliaev’s cowboys hold firm on a clean board Q♥ 9♠ 5♠ 2♥ 2♠ , giving him a much needed double up against the massive chip leader.

Sheung Chau Chan open-shoved from under the gun for 48,000 and was called by button Ryan Martinez. Big blind Alvir Inocentes re-shoved, and Martinez called it off:

Sheung Chau Chan: K♦ 8♣

Alvir Inocentes: A♥ J♣

Ryan Martinez: A♣ K♣

Martinez looked set for a double knockout, but Chan had other ideas once the 5♥ Q♠ 8♦ flop appeared.

"Great card for me!"

The T♥ 3♥ turn and river secured the triple for Chan. Martinez, already sitting on a healthy stack, collected Inocentes’ bounty along with the side pot.

Facing a raise, Feng Ji Chua 3 bets to 100,000 from the small blind. On his left, Yuan Tai Hsu responds with a 4 bet shove for 257,000. The initial raiser tanks but eventually folds, and Chua snap calls for his remaining 198,000.

Feng Ji Chua: Q♦ Q♠

Yuan Tai Hsu: A♣ K♠

It is a classic flip for Chua’s tournament life, but his queens hold on a clean runout 7♠ 3♥ 2♦ 9♦ 4♦ , giving him the double up. Hsu is left with only 59,000 and a short road ahead.

Hijack Dean Chihoon opens to 20,000 and calls the 3 bet shove of Koichi Nozaki for 70,000.

Koichi Nozaki: K♠ Q♣

Dean Chihoon: K♦ 9♥

Although dominated, Chihoon finds one of his three outs on the flop J♠ 9♠ 6♦ to take the lead. The advantage does not last long. Nozaki hits his three outer on the turn Q♠ to move back in front, leaving Chihoon with just two outs to survive. The river A♣ bricks and Nozaki scores the double up.

Daire Burke min-raised from under the gun and was called by Dakota Anderson two seats over. Cutoff Yutaka Fukuyama then three-bet shoved for 153,000, and Burke made the lone call:

Yutaka Fukuyama: A♣ K♠

Daire Burke: 9♠ 8♠

"You saved me by calling," Anderson said to Burke. "I would've called, I had ace-jack."

Burke couldn’t have asked for a better flop, with the 9♣ 7♦ 5♣ giving him top pair and a gutshot.

Nothing changed on the 3♣ 8♦ runout, only improving Burke to two pair, sending Fukuyama to the rail as he added to his already towering stack.

A massive three way all in erupts on Table 38.

UTG Ionut Dragomir open shoves for around 120,000. From the hijack, Thedric Chen reshoves for 520,000, looking to isolate and claim Dragomir’s bounty. In the big blind, Daire Burke wakes up with the strongest starting hand in poker and snap calls.

Ionut Dragomir: T♣ T♥

Thedric Chen: K♦ 6♦

Daire Burke: A♥ A♦

The table reacts in awe as the cards are revealed, and Chen can only stare at the dealer, hoping to find a miracle runout. Nothing arrives at the board J♦ 8♥ 4♠ 7♣ Q♦ . Burke’s aces hold firm, knocking out both Dragomir and Chen in one swoop.

Chen watches in disbelief as the dealer carefully counts the stacks and confirms that Burke covers him. Chen heads to the payout desk with one bounty, while Burke drags in a massive pot that reshapes the leaderboard.

Mark Remnant raised to 16,000 from early position and picked up a call from big blind Feng Ji Chua.

The 8♦ 9♥ 4♦ flop hit the felt and Chua checked. Remnant put out 18,000, then called off his stack when Chua moved all in:

Mark Remnant: A♣ A♥

Feng Ji Chua: 8♥ 4♥

Remnant was in trouble against Chua’s flopped two pair and found no help on the 3♠ 7♣ runout, sending him to the rail.

Action folds to the hijack and Kenji Inoue open shoves for 118,000. On the button, Thedric Chen makes the call.

Kenji Inoue: A♠ K♦

Thedric Chen: 9♠ 9♥

It is a classic flip, but the board 8♥ 4♠ 5♦ 7♣ Q♦ runs clean for Chen, allowing his nines to hold and secure his first bounty of the day as Inoue is eliminated.

Homin Lee got his short stack in against Rajasekar Govindan and the two went to showdown:

Homin Lee: T♥ T♦

Rajasekar Govindan: A♣ Q♠

Lee was in rough shape after the dealer fanned the Q♥ 6♦ 5♦ flop, and he found no help on the J♠ K♣ runout.

Govindan collected the bounty and added to his growing stack.

Yohn Paredes opened to 15,000 from under the gun and faced a 35,000 three-bet from Paul Elliott next to act. When the action came back to Paredes, he moved all in and Elliott snap-called.

Paul Elliott: A♦ A♣

Yohn Paredes: A♠ A♥

The board ran out 2♦ 5♥ 5♣ 9♠ 2♣ and the two chopped it up.

"That's three all-ins and no joy for me," Paredes said.

Dean Chihoon opened to 12,000 from early position and called small blind Takumi Hashimoto’s three-bet shove for 34,000.

Takumi Hashimoto: T♣ T♦

Dean Chihoon: A♣ T♠

Hashimoto faded the straight draw on the 2♠ 3♥ 4♠ flop and his tens held through the runout for a full double through Chihoon.

On the very next hand, Ryan Martinez raised to 15,000 from the hijack and called small blind Seiya Kawada’s three-bet shove for 35,000.

Seiya Kawada: A♣ A♦

Ryan Martinez: 9♥ 9♦

Martinez found himself up against Kawada’s aces, and the A♥ in the window only strengthened the lead. The 3♣ 4♦ T♣ 8♣ runout changed nothing.

Another all in and a call emerge at Table 40 as Yutaka Fukuyama 3 bet shoves for 102,000 on the button. The initial raiser, Jaeho Bae, places a single chip forward to signal the call.

Yutaka Fukuyama: 3♦ 3♠

Jaeho Bae: A♦ K♦

It is a classic flip for Fukuyama’s tournament life, but the flop 7♦ 6♣ 3♣ brings him a set, leaving Bae almost drawing dead and needing a runner runner flush. The turn K♣ pairs Bae, but there is no sweat for Fukuyama as he has already secured the double up. The river T♠ is a mere formality as Fukuyama climbs back into contention.

The first hand of the day is dealt and the first casualty arrives immediately. UTG +1 Rajasekar Govindan opens to 14,000 and small blind Kheng Chen Ng responds with a 3 bet shove for 42,000. Govindan snap calls.

Kheng Chen Ng: A♣ 8♥

Rajasekar Govindan: 9♣ 9♠

Ng needs an ace, but the flop Q♠ 9♦ 2♣ brings a middle set for Govindan, leaving Ng almost drawing dead. The turn 3♠ locks it up, and although the river A♠ produces the ace he was looking for, it is too late. Govindan’s set holds, he scores the first bounty of the day, and now has a chance to draw the biggest bounty.

The chase for the top bounty and the Mystery Bounty trophy now begins.

Across two flights of the Mystery Bounty event, a total of 290 entries were recorded, with 44 players advancing to the money and returning today at 12 pm local time for Day 2. With a buy in of only PHP 20,000 (~US$ 340) and an initial guarantee of PHP 2,000,000 (~US$ 34,100), the prize pool soared to more than double, reaching PHP 4,950,880 (~US$ 84,400).

Since this is a Mystery Bounty format, every remaining player has a real chance to pull the biggest bounty worth PHP 215,000 (~US$ 3,600). Drawing the top envelope is nearly equivalent to finishing fifth in the tournament. Still, all eyes remain on the top prize of PHP 751,880 (~US$ 12,800), which will be awarded today when a champion is crowned. All qualifiers are guaranteed a minimum cash of PHP 23,000 (~US$ 390), and the smallest bounty available is PHP 6,000 (~US$ 100).

Seunghee Park tops Flight B and enters Day 2 as the overall chip leader with 499,000 (84 BB), followed closely by Ryan Martinez, who led Flight A with 439,000 (74 BB). Other notables include APPT Manila Main Event Champion and PokerStars Red Dragon Champion Justin Ong, who missed qualification in Flight A but secured his spot through Flight B with 265,000 (45 BB).

The Day 2 field features players from all across the Asia Pacific region, as well as competitors from other parts of the world who have come to experience world class poker at PokerStars Live Manila, located inside the luxurious Okada Manila.

Play will resume at Level 17 with blinds at 3,000/6,000.

Bounty List

₱215,000 - 1

₱135,000 - 1

₱96,000 - 1

₱73,000 - 1

₱56,000 - 1

₱44,000 - 1

₱35,000 - 1

₱30,000 - 1

₱25,000 - 1

₱21,000 - 2

₱18,000 - 2

₱16,000 - 2

₱14,000 - 2

₱12,000 - 3

₱11,000 - 3

₱9,000 - 4

₱8,000 - 4

₱7,000 - 8

₱6,000 - 5

₱45,000 Main Event Ticket - 2

Stay tuned as Somuchpoker brings you full coverage of today’s action.