The final non-turbo flight of the Manila Megastack 24 Main Event has just wrapped up inside the Okada Manila PokerStars LIVE Poker room, after a dramatic conclusion to a jam-packed day of poker. Whilst the final flight of the Main Event, flight D, is still running, it’s China’s Ziqiang Shi who holds the largest stack of the event so far going into tomorrow’s Day 2, with a substantial 753,000.

Taking the silver position from today’s 12-hour session is South Korea’s Seoha Lee , who navigated a massive field of 316 entries to bag 480,000. Philippines’ Chase Cokaliong rounds out the podium, securing the third spot with 453,000.

The event, which features a PHP 45,000 buy-in for a PHP 20,000,000 guarantee, saw its target soundly shattered during play today. With registration now closed for the turbo Flight D, the total prize pool has climbed to over PHP 33,000,000. With the pressure mounting as the field played down to the top 47 survivors, the atmosphere remained tense throughout the day.

Top 10 Chip Counts

Place	Player	Country	Chip Count
1	Ziqiang Shi	China	753,000
2	Seoha Lee	South Korea	480,000
3	Chase Cokaliong	Philippines	453,000
4	Juhyung Son	South Korea	437,000
5	Kyungsun Jung	South Korea	412,000
6	Jeong Minwoong	South Korea	401,000
7	Jessie Leonarez	Philippines	347,000
8	Rogelio Villarin	Philippines	346,000
9	Justin Ong	Philippines	317,000
10	Saqing Moses	Philippines	296,000

The Day’s Action and Conclusion

The momentum for Shi was undeniable throughout the latter stages of the flight. Shi solidified his grip on the chip lead by knocking out Emmanuel Segismundo before delivering a massive double-elimination of Juden Francisco and Ono Shintaro . Meanwhile, Cokaliong utilized a high-aggression strategy during the bubble, successfully shoving with Big Slick to pick up blinds, followed by a raise with ace-ten suited that forced folds from his opponents, maintaining the apt strategy that served him throughout the day.

The evening concluded with a dramatic bubble hand. Ryo Miyata, holding pocket aces, found himself in a desperate collision against Emmanuel Derecho ’s pocket kings. A king on the flop turned the tables, eliminating Miyata as the flight’s bubble boy and confirming the 47 survivors who would advance to the final day.

Notable Contenders

While the top of the leaderboard consists of some new faces, several seasoned veterans also successfully navigated the field well. Among those advancing is Justin Ong , who sits in ninth place with 317,000 chips. Ong is a recognized force in the region, holding a prestigious APPT championship title to his name. Other players securing their bags for Day 2 included Tom Verbruggen (222,000), Lawford Edwards (144,000), and Sung Choun Joo (76,000).

Looking Ahead to the Manila Megastack 24 Main Event Finale

With the dust settled on Flight C, the remaining players now look toward the Day 2 Final, which resumes tomorrow, Sunday, March 8, at 12:00 PM local time. For highlight reels and further updates on the action, you can check the Somuchpoker Instagram and Facebook pages. Official full chip counts for the Flight C survivors are available on the homepage.