After around 12 hours of play, Day 8 of GOP Manila 2026 saw the Main Event play down to the final 12 contenders inside the Grand Ballroom at City of Dreams Manila .

The remaining contenders have locked up a minimum cash of PHP 433,200 (~USD 7,015) from the PHP 30 million guarantee. They’ll all have their eyes on the top prize of PHP 6,304,500 (~USD 102,125), and the iconic black and gold Gauntlet trophy, however. Six side events also wrapped up, crowning new champions to round out the day.

Edoc Bags Eight-Figure Stack Heading into Final

After 12 levels of 60 minutes each, the 54 survivors from an entry field of 383 runners in the PHP 30,000,000 Guaranteed Main Event were whittled down to the final 12 players. All remaining contenders have secured a piece of the prize pool, but a pair of well-known Filipino poker pros sit atop the leaderboard heading into the final day.

When play concluded at midnight, Lester Edoc bagged the overall chip lead with 10,885,000, closely followed by Marc Rivera with 9,020,000. Rivera accumulated his massive stack through a series of eliminations, including sending his own nephew, Nikolas Rivera , to the payout desk on the final three tables during a dramatic hand on the penultimate day.

Dutch player Joris Michl repeatedly weathered the aggressive onslaught of Flight C chip leader Viet An Nguyen , who dominated early on Day 2, before soaring to third place with 7,140,000 chips (71 big blinds) for the final day.

Final 12 Chip Counts:

Rank	Player	Country	Chip Count	Big Blinds
1	Lester Edoc	Philippines	10,885,000	109
2	Marc Rivera	Philippines	9,020,000	90
3	Joris Michl	Netherlands	7,140,000	71
4	Dakota Anderson	United States	5,620,000	56
5	John Matsuda	Philippines	3,280,000	33
6	Dmitrii Belikov	Russia	2,325,000	23
7	Joven Huerto	Philippines	2,105,000	21
8	Aleksei Zhukov	Russia	1,715,000	17
9	Manoj Pentakota	India	1,395,000	14
10	Thanh Cao Nguyen	Vietnam	1,350,000	14
11	Mc Yeldarb Mantos	Philippines	925,000	9
12	Sangjin An	South Korea	580,000	6

Ryan Ming Hong Takes Down Single Day High Roller

High-stakes competition unfolded in Event #64 Single Day High Roller (PHP 198,000), where 13 entries generated a PHP 2,246,400 (~$36,390) prize pool. Australia ‘s Ryan Ming Hong outlasted the three paid spots to claim the title and top prize of PHP 1,123,200 (~$18,195). This was his third trophy of the series. Indonesia ‘s Steven placed second for PHP 673,900 (~$10,915), while Emmanuel Derecho from Australia took third for PHP 449,300 (~$7,280).

#64 Single Day High Roller (198,000 PHP)

Total Prize USD

$36,390

Total Prize

2.2M PHP

Entries

ITM

#	Payout	Player	SPI
1	₱1,123,200 $18,195	RM Ryan Ming Hong Australia	508.14
2	₱673,920 $10,915	S Steven Indonesia	359.31
3	₱449,280 $7,280	ED Emmanuel Derecho Australia	293.38

Martijn Gerrits Triumphs in Mixed Game Titan Stack

Mixed game specialists gathered for Event #63 GOP Mixed Game – Titan Stack (PHP 33,000), drawing 10 entries for a PHP 288,000 (~$4,665) prize pool. Dutchman Martijn Gerrits won PHP 180,000 (~$2,915) after defeating fellow countryman Tony Khoang in an all- Netherlands heads-up battle, with Khoang taking home PHP 108,000 (~$1,750).

#63 GOP Mixed Game - Titan Stack (33,000 PHP)

Total Prize USD

$4,665

Total Prize

288K PHP

Entries

ITM

#	Payout	Player	SPI
1	₱180,000 $2,915	MG Martijn Gerrits Netherlands	245.25
2	₱108,000 $1,750	TK Tony Khoang Netherlands	173.42

David Wang Claims Turbo High Roller Victory

Late-night high-stakes play concluded in Event #66 Turbo – High Roller (PHP 99,000), where a field of 4 entries generated a PHP 345,600 (~$5,600) prize pool. Australia ‘s David Wang came out on top, securing the winner-take-all top payout of PHP 345,600 (~$5,600).

#66 Turbo - High Roller (99,000 PHP)

Total Prize USD

$5,600

Total Prize

345.6K PHP

Entries

ITM

#	Payout	Player	SPI
1	₱345,600 $5,600	DW David Wang Australia	223.74

Jimi Hyvonen Secures Big Bet Dealer’s Choice Win

In Event #65 GOP Big Bet Dealer’s Choice – Turbo (PHP 19,800), 10 entries created a PHP 172,800 (~$2,800) prize pool. Finland ‘s Jimi Hyvonen captured the top spot for PHP 108,000 (~$1,750), while Canada ‘s Dongwoo Ko finished runner-up for PHP 64,800 (~$1,050).

#65 GOP Big Bet Dealer's Choice - Turbo (19,800 PHP)

Total Prize USD

$2,800

Total Prize

172.8K PHP

Entries

ITM

#	Payout	Player	SPI
1	₱108,000 $1,750	JH Jimi Hyvonen Finland	206.88
2	₱64,800 $1,050	DK Dongwoo Ko Canada	146.29

Trophies Elsewhere on Day 8

Two additional fast-paced events awarded trophies on Day 8. Japan ‘s Itsuki Chiba won Event #67 Hyper Turbo (PHP 16,500) for PHP 62,900 (~$1,020) after overcoming Poland ‘s Lukasz Jankowski (PHP 37,900 / ~$610). Meanwhile, Norway ‘s Camilla Samsing conquered Event #68 NL Big O – Hyper Turbo (PHP 13,200) to collect PHP 91,900 (~$1,490), edging out Finland ‘s Jimi Hyvonen (PHP 55,200 / ~$895) and China ‘s Mohan Zhang (PHP 37,000 / ~$600).