Marvin Cerbito Takes Down Manila Megastack 24 Main Event
When the final card hit the felt at the Manila Megastack 24 Main Event , it was the Philippines’ own Marvin Cerbito who stood above the rest, outlasting a massive field to secure the title.
In a final table defined by high stakes and intense pressure, Cerbito remained composed, eventually overcoming Russia’s Gleb Ershov in a rapid-fire heads-up battle to claim the top prize of PHP 5,750,000 (~USD 99,880), the iconic PokerStars ‘Spadie’ trophy, and a coveted APPT Manila Championship package.
The event saw a staggering field of 848 entries battle for a share of the prize pool. For Cerbito, the victory is a significant career milestone, adding to his already impressive resume as a consistent performer on the regional circuit. Known for his tactical discipline, Cerbito navigated the field with a mixture of patience and well-timed aggression, proving why he is a force to be reckoned with in the Metro Manila poker scene.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize (PHP) | Prize (~USD) | Additional Package |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marvin Cerbito | Philippines | ₱5,750,000 | $99,880 | ₱210,000 APPT Championship Package |
| 2 | Gleb Ershov | Russia | ₱3,600,000 | $62,535 | ₱150,000 APPT Manila Main Event Package |
| 3 | Jean Paul Berdejo | Peru | ₱2,570,000 | $44,640 | ₱150,000 APPT Manila Main Event Package |
| 4 | Leo Kamiya | Australia | ₱1,980,000 | $34,395 | ₱9,000 APPT Super Qualifier Ticket |
| 5 | Jayvon Carreon | Philippines | ₱1,525,000 | $26,490 | ₱9,000 APPT Super Qualifier Ticket |
| 6 | Jianyi Ni | China | ₱1,170,000 | $20,325 | ₱9,000 APPT Super Qualifier Ticket |
| 7 | Renniel Galvez | Philippines | ₱900,000 | $15,635 | ₱9,000 APPT Super Qualifier Ticket |
| 8 | Christopher Mateo | Philippines | ₱690,000 | $11,985 | ₱9,000 APPT Super Qualifier Ticket |
| 9 | Jonathan Looi Tek Wye | Malaysia | ₱528,680 | $9,185 | ₱9,000 APPT Super Qualifier Ticket |
You can find the full list of payouts here
Cerbito Reflects on the Victory
For Cerbito, this win was the culmination of steady momentum and the reward for years of dedicated play. “Winning always feels great, but not all wins are the same,” Cerbito reflected. “This felt different; it was a challenging accomplishment that brought a sense of relief and immense pride to be recognized as a champion here.”
Cerbito’s path to the title was far from easy. He noted that the key to his success was extreme discipline. “I stuck to playing only strong hands and tried to avoid unnecessary showdowns against the big stacks early on,” he explained. As he began to accumulate chips, he shifted gears, employing “timely aggression” to pressure shorter stacks. His ability to adapt under pressure—and his patience in waiting for the right spots—ultimately propelled him to the winner’s circle.
Final Table Action
In a finale that moved at a blistering pace, the action began immediately when Jonathan Wye found himself short-stacked and shoved his final chips from the button with ace-three. Cerbito, holding ace-king in the small blind, made the easy call. The board offered no salvation for Wye, and he was the first to depart in ninth place.
Not long after, Christopher Mateo found himself in a heart-breaking clash against the eventual champion. With a queen-high flop, Cerbito shoved his covering stack with ace-queen, and Mateo snapped it off with pocket kings. Mateo looked primed for a double until a late ace hit the river, sending him to the rail in eighth place and further propelling Cerbito’s momentum.
The pace did not slow down as Renniel Galvez shoved his remaining stack with pocket eights, only to be out-drawn by Jean Paul Berdejo , who made a straight on the turn. Shortly thereafter, Jianyi Ni made his stand with ace-deuce suited, but he could not overcome Ershov’s pocket tens, ending his run in sixth place.
The field continued to thin as Jayvon Carreon pushed his chips into the middle with pocket fours, hoping to double through the table leader. Cerbito, however, was waiting with pocket queens, and the board provided no help for Carreon, who finished in fifth. Shortly after, Leo Kamiya moved his stack in with pocket tens, but fell victim to Berdejo’s queen-jack after a jack appeared on the flop, sending Kamiya out in fourth.
As the final three players took a scheduled break, the conversation turned toward a potential ICM deal to lock up their respective portions of the prize pool. Despite the lengthy negotiations, the three finalists could not reach an agreement, and they returned to the felt with the original payouts still firmly in play.
The impact of the failed negotiations was felt immediately. In the very first hand back from the break, a pivotal clash broke out, with Berdejo three-bet jamming pocket eights, only to find Cerbito holding pocket kings. A king on the turn left Berdejo drawing dead, confirming his third-place finish and setting the stage for the final showdown.
The heads-up battle between Cerbito and Ershov proved to be a short, sharp affair. With a flop showing a six, four, and three, the two players engaged in a check-raise exchange that saw Ershov move all in. Cerbito wasted no time making the call with pocket jacks. Ershov held a six-five for a pair and an open-ender, but the turn and river failed to improve his hand, crowning Cerbito as the Manila Megastack 24 Main Event champion, to the delight of the surrounding spectators.
