APPT Manila Championship Highlights: Repeat Victory for Leo Kamiya At APPT Open; Christian Cloutier, Dean Caing Among Winners

The second annual APPT Manila Championship is in full swing at the newly renovated Coral Lounge inside world-class Okada Manila, Philippines. Action kicked off on October 16, and after five days of games, five spadies had been claimed along with the first APPT shard trophy. With games running through October 27, there’s still plenty of action and fortune up for grabs. Here’s how the first wave of winners stacked up.

APPT Open: Leo Kamiya Goes Back-to-Back

Australia’s Leo Kamiya did the unthinkable – defending his title at the ₱20M GTD APPT Open for an incredible back-to-back victory. Outlasting a field of 362 entries, Kamiya entered the final table as chip leader then defeated Norway’s Birger Larsen at heads-up to become the first-ever two-time APPT Open champion. He pocketed an ICM deal payout of ₱3,230,000, hoisted the series’ first APPT shard trophy, and won a seat to the upcoming APPT Championship Main Event.

#8 Day 2 (60,000 PHP)

Defending Champion Leo Kamiya Leads Final 9

Day 2 of the APPT Open wrapped up with Australia's Leo Kamiya bagging the largest stack worth 103 bb of the final 9 players. This places him in a great position coming final day to secure back-to-back APPT Open titles! Last July, Kamiya won this event at the 2025 APPT Manila. At his heels was Maxwell Rosete who ended just 5 big blinds behind with 98 bb.

Total Prize USD

$344,000

Total Prize

₱20,000,000

Guaranteed

₱20,000,000

#	Payout	Player
1	₱3,900,000 $67,075
2	₱2,430,000 $41,790
3	₱1,725,000 $29,665
4	₱1,340,000 $23,045
5	₱1,030,000 $17,715
6	₱790,000 $13,585
7	₱610,000 $10,490
8	₱500,000 $8,600
9	₱420,000 $7,225

Check the 53 Payouts & Results ...

Christian Lortie-Cloutier Wins Spadie #9 at Okada Kick Off

The festival opener – Okada Kick Off – drew 525 across three entry flights with many new faces in the crowd. However, when it came down to the wire, PokerStars LIVE regulars dominated the final table with Canada’s Christian Lortie-Cloutier locking up the win after his commanding performance. On top of the cash winnings, the top three players also won a seat to the ₱165,000 APPT Championship Main Event.

#2 Okada Kickoff (20,000 PHP)

Christian Lortie-Cloutier Wins Okada Kick Off

PokerStars LIVE Manila regular Christian Lortie-Cloutier added another spadie to his collection after outlasting the final 76 players of the Okada Kick Off at Day 2. Cloutier defeated Marco Espela for the trophy in a lopsided heads up match. The event drew 525 total entries across three flights to balloon the prize pool to ₱8,962,500.

Total Prize USD

$154,237

Total Prize

₱8,962,800

Guaranteed

₱8,000,000

Entries

525

ITM

76

#	Payout	Player
1	₱1,650,000 $28,445	CL Christian Lortie Canada
2	₱1,020,000 $17,585	ME Marco Espela Philippines
3	₱720,000 $12,410	VC Vincent Chauve France
4	₱570,000 $9,825	KH Kieran Harding Germany
5	₱440,000 $7,585	MY Mc Yeldarb Mantos Philippines
6	₱335,000 $5,775	MG Michael Gabby Concepcion Philippines
7	₱260,000 $4,480	CM Christopher Mateo Philippines
8	₱200,000 $3,450	EA Edgar Asehan Philippines
9	₱153,800 $2,650	HC Hanchul Choi Korea (Republic of)

Check the 76 Payouts & Results ...

Poker Neophyte Dean Caing In Shock After Early Bird Special Victory

#1 Early Bird Special (Value Added ₱60,000 APPT Open Seat) (2,500 PHP)

"Oh My God, I Won!"

That was poker newbie Dean Caing’s reaction upon winning the Early Bird Special. Playing poker for only three months, Caing made the most of his single bullet. At four-handed play, he scored maximum value with a full house, then entered heads-up slightly ahead of Jonathan Henderson. It didn’t take long for the chips to go in - Caing’s A♠ T♣ outdrew Henderson’s A♣ 9♦ by rivering a straight on a 9♥ 6♦ 8♠ A♦ 7♣ board to seal his first-ever live poker victory.

"I've been watching YouTube and some videos, I didn't really understand the game, but wow I can't believe it. Oh my god, I won!"

Caing immediately called his family to share the good news. Caing topped the 148-entry field, turning his ₱2,500 buy-in into a sweet ₱76,332. In addition to the cash, the ecstatic champ hoisted his first-ever PokerStars spadie, one he will surely treasure, and won a seat to the APPT Open worth ₱60,000.

Total Prize USD

$5,429

Total Prize

₱315,832

Entries

148

ITM

20

#	Payout	Player
1	₱76,332 $1,315	DC Dean Caing Philippines
2	₱49,000 $845	JH Jonathan Henderson New Zealand
3	₱35,000 $600	KK Kevin Kenkelen United States of America
4	₱26,500 $455	YK Yoav Ktorza Israel
5	₱20,500 $355	ZW Zhun Wang (2) China
6	₱15,500 $265	JT Jun Takada Japan
7	₱12,000 $205	JG Jung Gi Hong Korea (Republic of)
8	₱10,000 $170	TY Teodoro Ybanez Philippines
9	₱8,500 $145	AA Antonio Abesamis Philippines

Check the 20 Payouts & Results ...

Other APPT Manila Championship Winners

#20 Sunday Million (15,000 PHP)

First PS Spadie For John Daenzel David

It was a bustling Sunday Million with 171 entries lighting up the Coral Lounge in pursuit of a weekend trophy. The event drew a strong mix of APPT newcomers, regulars, and returning foreigners.

In the end, it was Canada’s John Daenzel David who outlasted the field to claim victory. In just a few hours, David transformed his ₱15,000 buy-in into an impressive ₱513,484 payday, a 34x return on investment, and hoisted his first ever PS spadie.

Total Prize USD

$37,655

Total Prize

₱2,189,484

Entries

171

ITM

23

#	Payout	Player
1	₱513,484 $8,830	JD John Daenzel David Canada
2	₱320,000 $5,505	LN Le Ngoc Khanh Viet Nam
3	₱228,500 $3,930	KS Kin Shung Luu Netherlands
4	₱176,000 $3,025	JC John Clyde Tan Philippines
5	₱135,500 $2,330	GB Gary Bellchambers United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
6	₱104,000 $1,790	JN John Niko Costiniano Philippines
7	₱84,500 $1,455	KK Kjetil Kemi Norway
8	₱70,500 $1,210	ES Emmanuel Segismundo Philippines
9	₱58,500 $1,005	SM Sandeep Mirchandani Hong Kong

Check the 23 Payouts & Results ...

#14 Megastack (10,000 PHP)

Rusty Co Wins First Spadie At Megastack

Weekend warriors poured into the Coral Lounge on Saturday, October 18 for the ₱10K Megastack, drawing 166 entries and building a seven-figure PHP prize pool. Rising above the packed field were local players Rusty Co and Jester Intia. After a deal, Co went on to claim his first PokerStars spadie and a payout of ₱285,976 (~US$ 4,930) - an impressive return for a single day’s grind.

Total Prize USD

$24,426

Total Prize

₱1,416,976

Entries

166

ITM

23

#	Payout	Player
1	₱285,976 $4,930	RC Rusty Co Philippines
2	₱251,000 $4,325	JI Jester Intia Philippines
3	₱148,000 $2,550	DL Daniel Lengyel Hungary
4	₱114,000 $1,965	KF Kenta Fujii Japan
5	₱87,500 $1,510	EK Elmer Kalaquian Philippines
6	₱67,500 $1,165	KH Kenji Hattori Japan
7	₱55,000 $950	ED Edwin Dela Cruz Philippines
8	₱45,500 $785	PG Pavel Gruzdov Russian Federation
9	₱38,000 $655	HM Hiroki Moriuchi Japan

Check the 23 Payouts & Results ...

#24 SuperStack (20,000 PHP)

Second Series Trophy For David Erquiaga

On opening day of the APPT Manila Championship, Filipino pro David Erquiaga wasted no time adding another PokerStars spadie to his growing collection by taking down the Turbo event. Then, just three days later, on Sunday, October 19, he did it again. He conquered the Sunday Superstack, outlasting a field of 84 entries to become the first two-time champion of the series.

Total Prize USD

$24,665

Total Prize

₱1,434,048

Entries

84

ITM

11

#	Payout	Player
1	₱403,048 $6,930	DE David Erquiaga Philippines
2	₱261,000 $4,490	JS Jaemoon Seok Korea (Republic of)
3	₱186,000 $3,200	MO Masaki Ozeki Japan
4	₱143,000 $2,460	AB Apollo Bangero Philippines
5	₱110,000 $1,890	JM Joseph Magnotti United States of America
6	₱88,000 $1,515	NI Naoaki Ishihara Japan
7	₱70,000 $1,205	KH Kenji Hattori Japan
8	₱56,000 $965	TW Tomohisa Watanabe Japan
9	₱45,000 $775	JC Jan Christian Albea Philippines

Check the 11 Payouts & Results ...

Links:

APPT MANILA CHAMPIONSHIP
RESULTS
LIVE REPORTS
PHOTOS

APPT Championship (Main Event)

The crown jewel of the festival is coming up! In just two days is the APPT Championship (Main Event), boasting a massive ₱60 Million guaranteed prize pool – equivalent to over US$ 1 million. This alone sets a new record for this event, surpassing last year’s payout.

• Dates: October 23-27, 2025
• Buy-in: ₱165,000 (~US$ 2,900)
• Guarantee: ₱60,000,000 (~US$ 1,080,000)
• Day 1A: October 23, 2025
• Day 1B: October 24, 2025
• Day 2: October 25, 2025
• Day 3: October 26, 2026
• Final Table: October 27, 2025

Daily Structure

• Day 1 plays 11 levels (60 mins per level)
• Late registration open for one final level at the start of Day 2
• Day 2 plays 10 levels (60 mins per level)
• Day 3 plays to the Final Table or TD discretion
• Final 9 – transition to a specified number of hands per level structure where a pre-determined number of hands will be played rather than a fixed time duration per level

Livestream Channels

The best way to stay on top of the action is through the official livestream. This year’s APPT Manila Championship will broadcast the Main Event Day 2, Day 3, and Final 6 on October 25, 26, and 27, available on PokerStars YouTube and Twitch channels. Streaming times will be announced soon so stay tuned!

• October 25 – APPT Championship Main Event Day 2
• October 26 – APPT Championship Main Event Day 3
• October 27 – APPT Championship Main Event Final 6

PokerStars App

When the festival is underway, players can keep informed on all of the events via the PokerStars APP. Players can also use the app to register to events.

• Download the app (scan qr code below)
• Create a profile (for first time users, tap upper right corner)
• Verify your identity
• Once approved, tap upper right corner to view your PokerStars Membership Card Number and QR Code
• Use the QR Code to register
• Visit the Okada Rewards Counter to sign-up for a casino membership card

PokerStars LIVE Manila – Cash Games

For the second year in a row, the PokerStars LIVE room at Okada Manila was awarded the Best Poker Room IR by IAG .  At APPT Manila Championship, it isn’t just tournaments on offer. For players interested in cash games, the room offers both No Limit Hold’em and Pot Limit Omaha.

Limits:

₱25/50: Buy-in ₱1,000 – ₱5,000
₱50/100: Buy-in ₱5,000 – ₱30,000
₱100/200: Buy-in ₱10,000 – ₱100,000
₱100/200/500: Buy-in ₱20,000 – ₱200,000
₱200/500/1,000: Buy-in ₱50,000 – ₱500,000
₱500/1,000: Buy-in ₱50,000 with no max

• The rake is 10%, capped at varying amounts depending on the table limits.
• For short-handed tables (5 players or fewer), the rake is 5%​.

Okada Manila

Spanning 30 hectares of pure luxury, Okada Manila stands as the Philippines’ premier integrated resort — a Forbes Five-Star destination with 1,001 luxury rooms and suites, ranging from the spacious Deluxe Rooms to the opulent Villa Collection – some of the most lavish accommodations. There are also 25 restaurants scattered throughout the facility. For entertainment, guests can marvel at The Fountain, a stunning spectacle of light and water choreography, or dance the night away at Cove Manila, the world’s largest indoor beach club and nightclub.

Newcomer Tips

Travel is also made easy. Many nationalities enjoy visa-free entry, with lengths of stay varying by country, so be sure to confirm with your local embassy. Most recently, players from Taiwan and India were added to the list. Taiwanese nationals enjoy 14 days visa-free, while Indian nationals with valid visas from the U.S., Japan, Australia, Canada, Schengen, Singapore, or the U.K. can extend up to 30 days.

For those flying in, Okada Manila is just 15-25 minutes from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). You must present an eTravel form which is best accomplished electronically online, or even through the eGOVPH App prior to arrival. To get to the venue, rideshare apps such as Grab, InDrive, or JoyRide offer more reliable service and better rates compared to airport taxis.