APL Manila: Ireland’s John Gallagher leads the charge heading into Day 2 of the PHP 21M (~USD 384K) Main Event

Three full days of Ace Poker League Manila Main Event action filled the air at 2Ace Poker Manila, Philippines with hundreds of players looking to catch a piece of the pie. This year’s festivities signify a huge leap for the brand as the headlining Main Event boasts a generous PHP 20,000,000 (~USD 361,280) guarantee. More than quadruple of its 2018 offering, the prize pool was breached just yesterday and lists an eye-catching PHP 4,193,790 (~USD 75,860) prize up top.

Action resumes tomorrow on Level 15: 2,000/ 4,000 ante 4,000 at 12 noon with a total of 58 qualifiers returning to the felt for a spot into the final games. Running alongside the Day 2 festivities are two PHP 3M (~USD 54K) guaranteed Mini Main flights slated for 1:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Main Event Day 1C & Day 1D Turbo Recap

Following the completion of four starting flights on schedule, a total of 366 entries were recorded, generating a massive prize pool of PHP 21,249,790 (~USD 384,400). Only 58 players are set to continue through with each guaranteed a minimum payout of PHP 95,000 (~USD 1,720). Tomorrow’s games will play down to the final table at nine players where a champion will be crowned on Sunday, December 3rd.

Day 1C chip leader John Gallagher tops the overall count with 477,000 (119 BB) in chips, followed closely by Day 1A chip leader Jeong Seong Hun with 450,000 (111 BB). Gallagher ran hot from the first level through the end and stacked the highest chip count consistently the entire day. The Irish runner banked pot after pot by hitting nut flushes on several occasions, running quads, and making hero calls at the right times. Joining Gallagher on the list is defending APL Main Event champion Lester Edoc with 112,000 (28 BB) along with Philippines’ #1 live tournament top earner Marc Rivera with 177,500 (44 BB).

The last flight on schedule Day 1D Turbo, racked up a bigger 96 entry field and saw 14 runners advance through, led by APL Manila Event #3: Pot Limit Omaha Hi champion Terry Gonzaga. It took 19 levels of play before the day wrapped up with the majority, being seasoned regulars looking to secure their last chance to qualify. Among those successful were APT Main Event champion Renniel Galvez, Milpoker pro Darren Yu, and Metro Team pro Euryd Rivera.

Top Ten Chip Counts

APL Manila Main Event Day 2 Chip Counts
APL Manila Main Event Live Updates

APL Main Event Review

Date/s: November 29 – December 3, 2023
Buy-in: PHP 30,000 (~USD 540)/
PHP 60,000 (~USD 1,080)/
PHP 100,000 (~USD 1,800)
Guarantee: PHP 20,000,000 (~USD 361,280)
Prize pool: PHP 21,249,790 (~USD 384,400)
Entries: 366
ITM: 58 players

Pre-Event 1: 21 entries, 2 qualified
Pre-Event 2: 13 entries, 1 qualified

Day 1A – 57 entries, 9 qualified
Day 1B – 126 entries, 19 qualified
Day 1C – 53 entries, 13 qualified
Day 1D Turbo – 96 entries, 14 qualified

Day 2 – Saturday, December 2, 2023
Final Day – Sunday, December 3, 2023

Festival Articles

APL Manila: China’s Jacky Ho stacks high in Main Event Day 1B; Last chance to qualify today
APL Manila: South Korea’s Jeong Seong Hun tops Main Event Day 1A; Three more flights remain on schedule
APL Manila: PHP 20,000,000 (~USD 361,280) guaranteed Main Event kicks off first of four flights today
APL Manila: South Korea’s Kang Myeonghwa leads APL Tip Off survivors into Final Day; Kwon Taekwon and Terry Gonzaga claim first two trophies
APL Manila: 23 qualifiers move on to PHP 2M (~USD 36K) GTD Tip Off Final Day; One more flight to go
APL returns to the Philippines! ₱25 Million in guarantees from November 27 to December 3
APL returns to international stage starting with Manila, Philippines in one week