Edilberto Gopez Leads 24 Survivors After Manila Megastack 24 Main Event Day 1a

Day 1a of the Manila Megastack 24 Main Event concluded inside the PokerStars Live poker room at Okada Manila with 24 players successfully advancing from a field of 157 entries. After a full day of action that stretched late into the evening, it was Edilberto Gopez who finished at the top of the leaderboard, bagging 438,000 chips to lead the returning pack into the next stage of the tournament.

Gopez enters Day 2 in a familiar position. The Filipino pro captured the Manila Megastack 23 Main Event title inside the same venue last year, securing a career-best PHP 5,750,000 (~USD 98,000) payday after navigating one of the toughest fields of the festival. That victory marked the biggest score of his career and further cemented his reputation as one of Manila’s most consistent grinders. With more than 30 cashes across PokerStars LIVE, APPT, APL, and other local series, Gopez has long been comfortable competing on home soil. If Day 1a is any indication, the defending champion looks ready to mount another serious run.

Early Action and Rising Stacks

Play began at 12:00 PM local time with players receiving 30,000 starting chips and competing through 40-minute blind levels. The field gradually grew throughout the afternoon before registration officially closed at 157 entries, setting the target of two dozen players who would reach the money and advance to Day 2.

Several well-known names were spotted early in the day, including APPT champion Justin Ong , Indonesian high roller Fendy Kosasih , and rising Filipino grinder Rene Mar “Revo” David . Ong was among the early chip leaders after tripling the starting stack within the opening levels, while China’s Ruiqi Song later took control of the leaderboard as the field moved into the middle stages of play.

Defending champion Gopez also began quietly building momentum. One of his key pots came when he eliminated Seunghee Park , a hand that helped push him toward the large stack he would eventually carry into the bagging stage.

Bubble Reached Late in the Evening

As the tournament approached the final levels of the night, the remaining field tightened with the money bubble approaching.

Lithuania’s Aurimas Brazinskis was the unfortunate soft bubble after busting in 25th place, prompting the tournament staff to initiate hand-for-hand play with just one elimination remaining before the money.

The official bubble burst shortly afterward when Edwards Lawford moved all in and was called by Isaac Hechanova, who held pocket aces. The rockets held up on a clean runout, sending Lawford to the rail and confirming the remaining 24 players were officially in the money and moving on to Day 2.

The pot also pushed Hechanova up to 306,000, placing him firmly among the larger stacks advancing to the final day.

Puskadija, Challa and Matsuda Among Top Stacks

While Gopez ended the flight with a clear lead, several players finished close behind.

Croatia’s Marko Puskadija bagged 422,000 to secure second place on the leaderboard after steadily accumulating chips through the middle stages of play. Hareesh Challa closed with 329,000, while Japan’s John Matsuda finished with 324,000 after maintaining one of the stronger stacks throughout the later levels.

Poland’s Lukasz Jankowski also surged into the upper tier after recovering from earlier setbacks with a crucial double late in the evening, allowing him to finish the night with 299,000.

Looking Ahead at Manila Megastack 24

All 24 survivors have secured a payout and will return for the Day 2 Final on Sunday, March 8.

The action continues tomorrow with Day 1b kicking off at 12:00 PM, featuring the same structure of 30,000 starting chips and 40-minute blind levels. Like the opening flight, play will continue until the money is reached before the remaining players bag their stacks for Day 2.

Stay tuned to Somuchpoker for continued coverage of the Manila Megastack 24 Main Event as the remaining flights unfold. For the latest moments and video content straight from the tournament floor at Okada Manila, be sure to check out our stories on Instagram and Facebook.