Warm-up (12,500 PHP)

After five hours of play, the final table was reached. They are all guaranteed a minimum ₱62,610 with the champion pocketing ten times that amount, a total of ₱560,000 plus a seat worth ₱80,0000 to APPT Manila.

Aslan Vainio just missed the final table falling in 10th place. Vainio shoved holding A♥ 3♥ on the small blind that slammed into big blind Jiego Erquiaga's Q♣ Q♦ . The board further favored Erquiaga as it ran Q♥ 6♠ T♣ 6♣ 5♠ . Erquiaga doubled up while Vainio plunged to just 30,000.

On the next hand, Vainio went all in with A♣ T♣ and proceeded to fall to Martin Gonzales' 6♣ 4♦ on a board 7♥ Q♣ 6♦ T♥ 4♥ .

Marc Gagne has 4♦ 4♥ and min-raise from utg. Martin Gonzales defends the big blind for a flop 7♦ 4♠ T♣ . Gagne bets 65,000 for his set and Gonzales check-calls. They check the turn 7♣ then Gagne fires 185,000 on the river A♥ . Gonzales doesn't bite.

Martin Gonzales finds a spot to double up his short 9 bb stack. Looking down at A♦ J♣ , he three-bets alll in and Jiego Erquiaga calls with A♠ 7♠ . Though not needed, Gonzales flops a pair and goes on to double up on a board T♠ J♠ A♣ Q♣ 2♥ .

Intense action between Aslan Vainio and Martin Gonzales as the battle on a board Q♦ T♥ 4♥ T♠ with 200,000 in the pot. Gonzales bets pot, Vainio answers with a check-raise all in for 375,000. Gonzales tanks using up two time banks then gives up his hand.

Action folds to the blinds, Jiego Erquiaga raises 50,000 and Martin Gonzales defends. Erquiaga checks the flop Q♦ 3♦ 7♥ leading to Gonzales firing a small bet of 25,000, Erquiaga calls. Action is the same on the turn J♥ with Erquiaga check-calling a larger 80,000 bet. On the river 9♦ , Gonzales barrels a third time for 180,000, Erquiaga uses two-time banks before folding while showing K♠ 7♠ . Gonzales returns the gesture and shows 8♦ 2♣ bluff.

Christian Lortie is far ahead of the pack with over a million in chips. His latest win was against Martin Gonzales. Both players built a pot of 100,000 preflop then fueled in more on the flop 3♥ 5♣ Q♥ with Lortie's 25,000 bet called. They opted to pass on the turn 7♦ and river 3♦ . Lortie's 4♦ 4♠ with Gonzales missing with Ace-Jack.

The PokerStars LIVE Manila Super Series 21 low-stakes festival is off to a booming start at Okada Manila, Philippines. For the second consecutive edition, the Kick Off event guaranteed ₱2M, and like previous, it was crushed. Yesterday’s opening day fielded a combined 283 entries across two flights, and with buy-in at an affordable ₱12,500 (~$215), the prize pool ballooned to ₱3,019,610 (~$51,690).

Entering today’s final stage are 43 flight survivors that have already locked in a piece of the pot but the real battle lies ahead with the spadie and ₱560,000 (~$9,570) in cold hard cash up for grabs. The champion also receives an APPT Manila Main Event seat worth ₱80,000.

At the helm is PokerStars regular, Christian Lortie-Cloutier who brings in a towering 540,000 (90 bb) stack. The Canadian pro is well-positioned for a deep run but will face some stiff competition with fearless players such as Dmitrii Belikov and Joseph Talamayan at the table.

Former Warm-Up champion David Erquiaga will also be one to watch as he shakes up the felt with a formidable 456,000 (76 bb). While he has position over the other big stacks at his table, Royly Oracion (401,000) and Richard Marquez (316,000), locking horns is a high possibility.

Cards start flying at 12pm local time. Players will have some room to gauge the competition with blinds increasing at a slower 30 min pace. Blinds kick off at Level 17: 3000-6000 ante 6000.

For all the action, stay tuned to Somuchpoker as we bring you fresh updates as it unfolds.