APPT Manila Championship Highlights: Minwoong Jeong Reigns At APPT Championship For ₱11.85M (~$202K)

PokerStars LIVE wrapped up its second annual Asia Pacific Poker Tour – APPT Manila Championship at the newly renovated Coral Lounge inside the world-class Okada Manila. The twelve day festival, held from October 16 to 27, drew a powerhouse field of contenders from across Asia and beyond with contingents from Korea, Japan, India, Vietnam, and Russia all joining the strong local force, along with international players based in Thailand.

In numbers, a total of ₱225,328,848 (~$3,827,000) was paid out across the board and 58 champions crowned with the Philippines lifting the most trophies at 17 followed by Japan with 10 and Korea with 7. 

Stealing the headlines was Korea’s Minwoong Jeong, who steamrolled through the APPT Championship final table to seize the title — a triumph that has been eight years in the making. Among the list of other champions included Alex Chong, Jaesung Lee, Edgar Asehan, Fendy Kosasih, Emmanuel Segismundo, and Minseok Kim. Read about their victories and other festival highlights down below.

Minwoong Jeong Unstoppable At APPT Championship For Career-First Title

An emotional victory for Korea’s Minwoong Jeong at the festival’s crown jewel — APPT Championship ₱60M GTD. From the first shuffle of the final day to the last card dealt, Jeong was in complete command, sitting on a mountain of chips that no one was able to topple.

I am so happy! I am not a good player, just very lucky. It is not about winning the money, it is about pride. Poker is very challenging but I love poker. I have been trying to win for eight years and I was going to stop. Now, I don’t know, I am so happy.

Luck or not, Jeong’s journey to the top was far from easy. He had to navigate a minefield of 384 entries, majority of which were regional heavyweights and international pros. After a swingy Day 2, his momentum built late in Day 3, when he knocked out Daniel Lei in 9th place – a turning point that put him firmly in control. From there, Jeong gripped tight. He closed out the heat eliminating Ronald Haverkamp in 7th place to bag up nearly half of the chips in play heading into the finale.

Armed with a commanding lead, Jeong returned and utterly dismantled the final 6 round in a quick 59 hands. He eliminated his most feared contender, Aditya Agarwal in 4th place then outdrew Craig Jones at heads up to emerge as the tour’s newest champion.

#50 APPT Championship (165,000 PHP)

Minwoong Jeong Dominates To Victory At APPT Championship

Korea’s Minwoong Jeong entered the final six of the 2025 APPT Championship with nearly half of the total chips in play and proceeded to ship it, winning 27 out of just 59 hands tabled. On the final stretch, he rolled through Craig Jones to capture his first-ever live title.

"I have been trying to win for eight years and I was going to stop. Now, I don't know. I am so happy."

Jeong hoisted the APPT shard trophy and the first prize payout of ₱11,850,000 (~$202K).

Read up on the action via the Live Reports.

Total Prize USD

$1,080,000

Total Prize

₱600,000,000

Guaranteed

₱60,000,000

Entries

384

ITM

55

#	Payout	Player
1	₱11,850,000 $202,070	MJ Minwoong Jeong Korea (Republic of)
2	₱7,405,000 $126,270	CD Craig Daniel Jones United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
3	₱5,290,000 $90,205	EL Eng Loong Choi Malaysia
4	₱4,071,000 $69,420	AA Aditya Agarwal India
5	₱3,132,000 $53,405	VS Van Sang Nguyen Viet Nam
6	₱2,409,000 $41,080	WS Waris Soontorn Thailand
7	₱1,853,000 $31,600	RH Ronald Haverkamp Netherlands
8	₱1,528,000 $26,055	CN Cao Ngoc Anh Viet Nam
9	₱1,276,000 $21,760	DL Daniel Lei United States of America

Check the 55 Payouts & Results ...

Livestream Channels

To relive the APPT Championship, tune in to PokerStars YouTube and Twitch. Start time is 15:00 GMT / 16:00 CET/ 11:00 EDT

• October 28 – APPT Championship Main Event Day 2
• October 29 – APPT Championship Main Event Day 3
• October 30 – APPT Championship Main Event Final 6

Other APPT Highlights

In addition to Jeong, the 2025 APPT Manila Championship crowned numerous other first time series winners, among them were Korea’s Jaesung Lee, Minseok Kim, Hong Kong cash game player Tak Sin Alex Chong, Indonesia’s Fendy Kosasih, who went on to win two series titles.

Fendy Kosasih: From High Roller Warm Up To APPT High Roller Champion

#75 APPT High Roller (300,000 PHP)

Fendy Kosasih Wins Second Title At APPT High Roller

Prior to the APPT Manila Championship, Indonesia’s Fendy Kosasih was a relatively newcomer on the live circuit, holding just one career cash. By the end of the twelve-day series, his name was on everyone’s radar. Kosasih went on an incredible run, collecting six total cashes, including two High Roller victories — the High Roller Warm-Up on opening day and the APPT High Roller on closing day.

In the final duel, Kosasih outlasted Japan’s Kaoru Kishimoto, who was also chasing his second title of the series. The victory secured Kosasih a career-best payout of ₱4,159,600 (~$70,870) and pushed his total festival earnings to ₱5.7 Million (~$97,000).

Total Prize USD

$225,376

Total Prize

₱13,269,600

Guaranteed

₱10,000,000

Entries

48

ITM

7

#	Payout	Player
1	₱4,159,600 $70,930	FK Fendy Kosasih Indonesia
2	₱2,760,000 $47,065	KK Kaoru Kishimoto Japan
3	₱1,860,000 $31,715	MG Markus Garberg Norway
4	₱1,410,000 $24,045	SK Seiji Kikuoka Japan
5	₱1,090,000 $18,585	DW David Wang Australia
6	₱870,000 $14,835	FC Florencio Campomanes Philippines
7	₱670,000 $11,425	JZ Jayden Zalac Australia

Jaesung Lee Wins APPT National

#36 APPT National (35,000 PHP)

Jaesung Lee Wins APPT National

Korea's Jaesung Lee went from the top of the APPT National Flight C to champion! Attracting a total of 511 entries, at heads-up, Lee and eventual runner-up Edwin Dela Cruz struck an ICM deal then played for the shard trophy. In the end, Lee went the distance to capture his first ever title outside of home turf.

Total Prize USD

$268,530

Total Prize

₱15,613,605

Guaranteed

₱10,000,000

Entries

511

ITM

76

#	Payout	Player
1	₱2,652,000 $45,500	JL Jaesung Lee Korea (Republic of)
2	₱1,932,605 $33,160	ED Edwin Dela Cruz Philippines
3	₱1,260,000 $21,670	MC Michael Cheng Philippines
4	₱970,000 $16,685	FP Finn Penderak Germany
5	₱740,000 $12,725	HT Henrik Tollefsen Norway
6	₱570,000 $9,805	SP Seunghee Park Korea (Republic of)
7	₱440,000 $7,565	DY Daiki Yoshikawa Japan
8	₱340,000 $5,850	AT Alexandru Tudor Romania
9	₱280,000 $4,815	TP Thitiwat Phattanaworasit Thailand

Check the 76 Payouts & Results ...

Cash Game Player Alex Chong Clinches PokerStars Red Dragon Title

#22 PokerStars Red Dragon (70,000 PHP)

Alex Chong Conquers The PokerStars Red Dragon!

After a commanding run at three-handed, Hong Kong's Alex Chong carried his momentum into heads-up play against Vietnam’s Cao Ngoc Anh, where it took just three blistering hands to seal the deal. The final blow came when Chong rivered a flush to crack Cao’s pair, clinching the iconic Red Dragon trophy, the ₱3.95 million top prize.

"What's it been? 15 years? 20 years? I finally won!"

A♠ an avid cash game player, Chong is a rare sight on the tournament floor, marking this as his first-ever live tournament victory.

Total Prize USD

$357,340

Total Prize

₱20,777,400

Guaranteed

₱20,000,000

Entries

340

ITM

51

#	Payout	Player
1	₱3,950,000 $67,935	TS Tak Sin Alex Chong Hong Kong
2	₱2,450,000 $42,135	NA Ngoc Anh Cao Viet Nam
3	₱1,750,000 $30,095	SP Song Peng Lee Singapore
4	₱1,350,000 $23,220	FL Frank Lillis Ireland
5	₱1,050,000 $18,060	EL Eng Loong Choi Malaysia
6	₱800,000 $13,760	GC Graham Cowan Australia
7	₱630,000 $10,835	KK Kjetil Kemi Norway
8	₱520,000 $8,945	HK Hogyun Kang Korea (Republic of)
9	₱432,400 $7,435	SJ Seunghyuk Jung Korea (Republic of)

Check the 51 Payouts & Results ...

Minseok Kim Wins APPT Mini Championship

#73 APPT Mini Championship (35,000 PHP)

Total Prize USD

$114,105

Total Prize

₱6,691,545

Guaranteed

₱3,000,000

Entries

219

ITM

31

#	Payout	Player
1	₱1,348,545 $22,995	KM Kim Minseok Korea (Republic of)
2	₱844,000 $14,390	KE Kim Enriquez Philippines
3	₱603,000 $10,280	LN Le Ngoc Khanh Viet Nam
4	₱464,000 $7,910	PG Pavel Gruzdov Russian Federation
5	₱357,000 $6,090	YO Yusuke Okazawa Japan
6	₱279,000 $4,760	TD Turner David Neal United States of America
7	₱232,000 $3,955	NY Naoki Yashiro Japan
8	₱193,000 $3,290	KW Katsutoshi Watanabe Japan
9	₱168,000 $2,865	DB Daniel Benor Israel

Check the 31 Payouts & Results ...

Locals Making Noise

International players weren’t the only ones up on the throne. Filipino players also earned the spotlight at several events.

Edgar Asehan Wins APPT Super High Roller

#43 APPT Super High Roller (500,000 PHP)

Edgar Asehan Wins APPT Super High For First Shard Trophy

With a big rail cheering him on, Filipino pro Edgar Asehan made them proud, defeating Miyoung Cho at heads-up for the APPT Super High Roller title. Asehan emerged victorious over a field of 32 heavy-hitters to hoist his first-ever shard trophy and a career-high payout of ₱5,070,000 (~$87K).

Total Prize USD

$258,915

Total Prize

₱15,054,400

Guaranteed

₱10,000,000

Entries

32

ITM

6

#	Payout	Player
1	₱5,070,000 $87,195	EA Edgar Asehan Philippines
2	₱3,310,000 $56,925	MC Miyoung Cho Korea (Republic of)
3	₱2,280,000 $39,215	LD Leonardo Drago Italy
4	₱1,690,000 $29,065	FC Florencio Campomanes Philippines
5	₱1,320,000 $22,700	JZ Jayden Zalac Australia
6	₱1,054,400 $18,135	KK Kaoru Kishimoto Japan

Emmanuel Segismundo Dominates Mystery Bounty

At the Mystery Bounty, Filipino pro Emmanuel Segismundo claimed the throne and much much more. Segismundo outlasted the 624 entry field and collected a staggering 13 bounties, including the biggest catch of the day worth ₱600,000. In total, he walked away ₱2,881,000 richer – ₱1,900,000 (1st prize) and ₱981,000 (bounties). 

#51 Mystery Bounty (30,000 PHP)

Total Prize USD

$227,070

Total Prize

₱13,316,160

Guaranteed

₱10,000,000

Entries

624

ITM

94

#	Payout	Player
1	₱1,900,000 $32,400	ES Emmanuel Segismundo Philippines
2	₱1,190,000 $20,290	TV Tanapoom Viboonlarp Thailand
3	₱850,000 $14,495	AT Alessandro Taranto Italy
4	₱650,000 $11,085	KN Khant Naing Myanmar
5	₱503,000 $8,575	KS Kristiana Stauere Latvia
6	₱387,000 $6,600	DF Darren Floyd Ireland
7	₱297,000 $5,065	SH Seung Hyun Han Korea (Republic of)
8	₱229,000 $3,905	KY Kunlong Yu China
9	₱175,160 $2,985	KN Kotaro Nakayama Japan

Check the 94 Payouts & Results ...

Benhur Ybarsabal Wins Mini High Roller

#37 Mini High Roller (90,000 PHP)

Rising Star Benhur Ybarsabal Wins First Spadie At Mini High Roller

Local player Benhur Ybarsabal captured his career-first PS spadie after outlasting the 68-entry field of the Mini High Roller that included some of the country's most decorated players. This year has been a particularly successful year for Ybarsabal with numerous final table berths and deep runs in the local circuit and at the APPT. Last July, he finished 10th at the APPT Manila Main Event and 6th at the APPT Open. Now, he has gone the distance to secure his fourth seven-figure PHP payout of the year.

Total Prize USD

$91,890

Total Prize

₱5,342,760

Entries

68

ITM

9

#	Payout	Player
1	₱1,602,760 $27,500	BY Benhur Ybarsabal Philippines
2	₱1,042,000 $17,900	FC Florencio Campomanes Philippines
3	₱740,000 $12,700	LL Leo Lombardozzi France
4	₱569,000 $9,760	FK Fendy Kosasih Indonesia
5	₱438,000 $7,515	MT Mike Takayama Philippines
6	₱337,000 $5,780	JF Joshua Figuerres Philippines
7	₱259,000 $4,444	CM Christopher Mateo Philippines
8	₱200,000 $3,430	GT Gary Thompson Ireland
9	₱155,000 $2,670	MC Miyoung Cho Korea (Republic of)

Florencio Campomanes Most Final Table Cashes

Florencio Campomanes may not have walked away with a title but he did get close numerous times with four final table cashes earned. In total, he collected ₱3,927,000 (~$66,700). 

• 3rd – High Roller Warm-Up
• 2nd – Mini High Roller
• 4th – APPT Super High Roller
• 6th – APPT High Roller

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Up Next: Manila Megastack 23 – ₱27 Million GTD

Up next for the brand is the 23rd edition of the highly popular Manila Megastack taking place at the PokerStars LIVE hub in Okada Manila, awarded the Best Poker Room IR by IAG . Across the twelve days, running from November 27 to December 8, the festival features 69 events and over ₱27 Million (~$450,000) guarantees. 

Manila Megastack 23 – Schedule

Okada Manila

Spanning 30 hectares of pure luxury, Okada Manila stands as the Philippines’ premier integrated resort — a Forbes Five-Star destination with 1,001 luxury rooms and suites, ranging from the spacious Deluxe Rooms to the opulent Villa Collection – some of the most lavish accommodations. There are also 25 restaurants scattered throughout the facility. For entertainment, guests can marvel at The Fountain, a stunning spectacle of light and water choreography, or dance the night away at Cove Manila, the world’s largest indoor beach club and nightclub.