APT Manila Classic 2025 Concludes; Yohei Kitazato Wins High Roller
The APT Manila Classic 2025 at the Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria has officially concluded this past Sunday, February 16, and it was a fitting end with another big turnout in the APT High Roller. Ultimately, Japan’s Yohei Kitazato came out on top to continue his hot start into the new year.
Yohei Kitazato Wins APT Manila Classic – APT High Roller
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Fresh off winning a High Roller Event at Poker Dream 15 Malaysia less than a month ago, Yohei Kitazato repeated the same feat in the PHP 200,000 (~USD 3,437) APT High Roller high-stakes contest. The 127 entries included some well-known heavyweights such as Scott Margereson, Seungmook Jung, Vlada Stojanovic, John Matsuda and Thanisorn Saelor, all of which secured a portion of the PHP 21,945,600 (~$380,370) prize pool with 17 spots paid.
Other APT Manila Classic Highlights
On the final two days, it was still quite an international crowd with poker enthusiasts from the Philippines, Japan, and Thailand shining the most.
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Aj Cris Acdal earned the most notable victory in Event #82 Double Stack, which produced a prize pool of PHP 6,459,264 (~USD 111,526) for 378 entries. Acdal defeated Denis Semerenko in heads-up and claimed a top prize of PHP 1,251,264 (~USD 21,604).
Ma Arlene Rivera won the last Women’s Event of the series and Gary Guerrero came out on top of a PHP 35,000 (~USD 602) Turbo High Roller for a payday of PHP 425,120 ( ~USD 7,340). Last but not least, Eurdy Rivera had the best of it in Event #84 PL Omaha High. South Korea’s Minseok Kim took down the Mini Main Event. The very last tournament on the schedule was the PHP 25,000 (~USD 430) Hyper Turbo High Roller won by Hong Kong’s Edward Yam for his second series win.
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South Korea's Minseok Kim took down the multi-day PHP 25,000 (~USD 430) Mini Main Event in a field of 608 entries to earn the biggest slice of the PHP 13,132,800 (~USD 225,000) prize pool. His top prize was worth a mighty PHP 2,525,800 (~USD 43,610). Fellow countryman and 2023 WPT Prime Taiwan champ Seong Uk Huh won a Last Chance High Roller on the final day for a payday of PHP 1,398,600 (~USD 24,148).
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The very last tournament on the schedule was a PHP 25,000 (~USD 430) Hyper Turbo High Roller and Hong Kong's Edward Yam became the next two-time trophy winner of the series in a field of 38 entries. Japan's Sosuke Hatano finished runner-up. Yam banked PHP 304,800 (~USD 5,263), which should cover the expenses for more hand luggage on the plane.
Lebanon’s Oliver Bithell, Serbia’s Danilo Radonjic and Raymi Thorn from Sweden were some of the late winners from abroad to round up a very successful series for the Asian Poker Tour with several records for the history books.
A closer look at the festival stats, big winners and record figures will be published in the next couple of days. The brand is now already focusing their efforts on the next stop, which will be APT Taipei from April 25 to May 4, 2025 in partnership with the CTP Asia Poker Arena in Taipei City.
For all of the results and live reports, be sure to head to the links provided below.
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