Early Highlights: Okada Manila Millions Smashes Guarantees At PokerStars LIVE Manila

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Updated: 2026.05.04

The Okada Manila Millions at PokerStars Live , held inside Okada Manila , is officially halfway through, and the crowds have been even bigger than anyone expected. Running from April 29 to May 10, this series has become a favorite because it offers low buy-ins and packed rooms, and this year is no different. With over PHP 15 million (~USD 243,000) in total prizes guaranteed for the whole festival, the early events have already blown past their goals.

Shinho Choi Tops Massive Micro Millions Field

The Okada Micro Millions was the biggest story of the opening days. It had a PHP 1M guarantee, but with a massive 1,033 entries, the prize pool exploded to PHP 3,967,960 (~USD 64,395). South Korea’s Shinho Choi was the one to navigate that huge crowd, taking home PHP 700,000 (~USD 11,360). Along with the cash, he also won a package to the Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) Manila 2026 this July.

#4 Okada Micro Millions (4,500 PHP)

Total Prize USD

$64,395

Total Prize

₱3,967,960

Guaranteed

₱1,000,000

Entries

1,033

ITM

124

#	Payout	Player	SPI
1	₱700,000 $11,360	SC Shinho Choi South Korea	1,274.39
2	₱460,000 $7,465	EW Eiji Watanabe Japan	901.13
3	₱275,000 $4,465	IT Ivan Tabucal Philippines	735.77
4	₱200,000 $3,245	HS Hiroyuki Sasaki Japan	637.19
5	₱135,000 $2,190	AS Azamat Shafiev Russia	569.92
6	₱100,000 $1,625	JP Jiankeng Pan China	520.27
7	₱85,000 $1,380	RJ Rick Jason Ambata Philippines	481.67
8	₱73,000 $1,185	MK Minsu Kim South Korea	450.56
9	₱62,960 $1,020	KK Ka Kei Tsang Hong Kong	424.80

Check the 124 Payouts & Results ...

Takumi Iwanade Wins Warm-up PKO

Japan got its first trophy early when Takumi Iwanade won the Warm-up PKO . The tournament drew 330 entries and crushed its PHP 1M guarantee, ending with a total prize pool of PHP 2,112,660 (~USD 34,285). Iwanade walked away with PHP 147,000 (~USD 2,385) for the win after a deal was made at the final table.

#1 Warm-up PKO (7,500 PHP)

Total Prize USD

$34,285

Total Prize

₱2,112,660

Guaranteed

₱1,000,000

Entries

330

ITM

#	Payout	Player	SPI
1	₱147,000 $2,385	TI Takumi Iwanade Japan	853.99
2	₱162,000 $2,630	JT Jansen Tiu Philippines	603.86
3	₱183,000 $2,970	JP Junwoo Park South Korea	493.05
4	₱221,660 $3,595	SM Sumay Mishra India	427.00
5	₱204,000 $3,310	YW Yuta Watanabe Japan	381.92
6	₱71,000 $1,150	SL Seyoon Lim South Korea	348.64
7	₱56,000 $910	JC Jan Christian Albea Philippines	322.78
8	₱47,000 $765	RG Raymundo Gomez Philippines	301.93
9	₱40,000 $650	SN Stephen Nathan United Kingdom	284.66

Check the 40 Payouts & Results ...

Ryo Takeuchi Claims Saturday Superstack Title

Japan’s winning streak continued in the Saturday Superstack . With 374 entries, the prize pool hit PHP 3,990,580 (~USD 64,765), which was almost double the original PHP 2M guarantee. Ryo Takeuchi was the last player standing, securing a first-place prize of PHP 820,000 (~USD 13,310).

#11 Saturday Super Stack (12,500 PHP)

Total Prize USD

$64,765

Total Prize

₱3,990,580

Guaranteed

₱2,000,000

Entries

374

ITM

#	Payout	Player	SPI
1	₱820,000 $13,310	RT Ryo Takeuchi Japan	1,077.93
2	₱510,000 $8,275	ML Mark Lorca Philippines	762.21
3	₱330,000 $5,355	GC Gene Chan Canada	622.35
4	₱260,000 $4,220	AC Anthony Castro Philippines	538.97
5	₱193,000 $3,130	JM James Moriles Philippines	482.07
6	₱155,000 $2,515	AG Aksshat Gulati India	440.06
7	₱120,000 $1,945	MT Maribel Tyrer Philippines	407.42
8	₱100,000 $1,625	MD Muhammad Darmawan Indonesia	381.11
9	₱84,080 $1,365	JB Jonathan Blake United States of America	359.31

Check the 45 Payouts & Results ...

Rick Jason Ambata Keeps Sunday Million Trophy at Home

Local fans had a lot to cheer for when Rick Jason Ambata stepped up to defend the home turf in the Sunday Million . The event saw 229 entries and a prize pool of PHP 2,434,430 (~USD 39,510). Ambata ensured the trophy stayed in the Philippines, taking home PHP 509,430 (~USD 8,265) for his victory.

#16 Sunday Million (12,500 PHP)

Total Prize USD

$39,510

Total Prize

₱2,434,430

Guaranteed

₱1,000,000

Entries

229

ITM

#	Payout	Player	SPI
1	₱509,430 $8,265	RJ Rick Jason Ambata Philippines	842.45
2	₱348,000 $5,650	MA Martin Astorga Philippines	595.70
3	₱224,000 $3,635	SN Stephen Nathan United Kingdom	486.39
4	₱179,000 $2,905	SR Shaun Roberts United Kingdom	421.22
5	₱141,000 $2,290	CM Clyde Morales Philippines	376.75
6	₱112,000 $1,820	RM Ryu Matsumoto Japan	343.93
7	₱89,000 $1,445	TY Takaya Yoshida Japan	318.41
8	₱73,000 $1,185	HL Homin Lee South Korea	297.85
9	₱59,000 $960	WH Wayne Ha Canada	280.82

Check the 27 Payouts & Results ...

Okada Manila Millions Main Event Starts This Wednesday

The hype has been building toward this: the Okada Millions Main Event officially kicks off this Wednesday, May 6. It’s the one everyone has been waiting for, offering a huge PHP 6,000,000 (~USD 97,270) guarantee for a very affordable PHP 8,000 (~USD 130) buy-in.

Expectations are incredibly high for this one. Since the early events have been breaking their guarantees with ease and pulling in massive crowds, the Main Event is expected to see huge numbers. To fit everyone in, there are 7 different starting flights to choose from, starting Wednesday with Day 1A at noon. Every flight plays until the money is reached, so you’ll know exactly where you stand before the day is over.

Main Event Schedule

Date	Time	Event	Status / Registration	Levels
May 6 (Wed)	12:00	Day 1A	Reg Closed @ 16:30	25 min
	17:00	Day 1B	Reg Closed @ 20:40	20 min
May 7 (Thu)	12:00	Day 1C	Reg Closed @ 16:30	25 min
	17:00	Day 1D	Reg Closed @ 20:40	20 min
May 8 (Fri)	12:00	Day 1E	Reg Closed @ 16:30	25 min
	17:00	Day 1F	Reg Closed @ 20:40	20 min
	21:00	Day 1G (Turbo)	Reg Closed @ 23:50	15 min
May 9 (Sat)	13:00	Day 2	Play Down to Final Table	30 min
May 10 (Sun)	13:00	Final 9	Play Down to Champion	30 min

All Day 1 flights will play down until the money is reached (ITM). Participants surviving Day 1 will return for Day 2 already in the money.

Skip The Lines: Register For Okada Manila Millions Via The PokerStars LIVE App

With the massive turnouts so far, the registration lines can get pretty long. To save time and get straight to the tables, you can handle your registration through the PokerStars LIVE App.

By getting this sorted now, you can skip the queues and spend more time focusing on the game.

Check on Somuchpoker for the full schedule and real-time updates. There are plenty of ways to jump into the action or win your way into the bigger events for a fraction of the cost.

Other Key Events This Week

Daily Qualifiers: There are Okada Millions Qualifiers running almost every night at 20:00. For just PHP 1,900 (~USD 30), you can win a seat into the PHP 8,000 Main Event.
Mystery Bounty (May 8-10): A massive favorite with a PHP 2,000,000 (~USD 32,400) guarantee. It kicks off Friday, May 8, with a PHP 15,000 buy-in.
High Roller (May 9-10): For the high stakes players, the High Roller starts Saturday with a PHP 50,000 buy-in.
Deepstack & Turbo Events: If you like fast-paced games, there are Super Stack Turbos and Knockout events starting every evening between 19:00 and 21:00.

Information and images courtesy of PokerStars LIVE Manila.