PokerStars LIVE Manila: Elmo Celi bests Lester Edoc for Main Event title; Jerome Sarabia, David Erquiaga among side winners

For the first time in nearly two years, live tournament action returned to PokerStars LIVE Manila with a Special Tournament taking place from December 2 to 5 at their hub at Okada Manila. In compliance with government regulations, proof of vaccination was required, face masks were mandatory, and only active players were allowed on the tournament floor. Throughout the four days, the sound of chips shuffling was a thrill to the ears as players piled in for the highlighted Main Event. Elmo Celi emerged the biggest winner after defeating Philippine pro Lester Edoc. Other winners were Jerome Sarabia, David Erquiaga, Wendell Garcia, Ronn Ryan Mesina, Koji Asaka, and Kang Seungmin. The series drew a total of 918 entries and ₱4,773,098 (~US$ 94,812) in combined prize pools. We’ve got those results for you down below.

Elmo Celi bests Lester Edoc at the Main Event

Local player Elmo Celi had plenty to celebrate after capturing the first ever Main Event title of his career and he did so by defeating one of the country’s elite players, Lester Edoc, at heads up. Celi claimed the ₱ 450,800 (~US$ 8,955) first prize, which was his largest career win to date. His only other victory was at the brand’s 2018 Super Series 9 Bubble Rush event for ₱ 70,000 (~US$ 1,290). The latest win bumped up his live tournament earnings to ~US$ 24K.

The Main Event drew the biggest crowd of 456 entries across two starting days. With buy in at ₱ 6,000 (~US$ 120) each, it more than crushed the advertised ₱ 1M guarantee for a sweeter prize pool of ₱ 2,335,450 (~US$ 46,390). Once the final table was reached, it was loaded with talent, with Edoc as the most decorated. Having been denied a win by David Erquiaga at the previous night’s NLH Super Knockout Turbo, Edoc’s determination took him all the way to heads up against Celi but fell short for the second time. His two runner up finishes earned him a combined ₱ 379,800 (~US$ 7,544).

Buy in: ₱ 6,000 (~US$ 120)

Guarantee: ₱ 1,000,000 (~US$ 19,860)

Entries: 456

Prize pool: ₱ 2,335,450 (~US$ 46,390)

ITM: 70 places

Final table payouts

1st Elmo Celi – Philippines – ₱ 450,800

2nd Lester Edoc – Philippines – ₱ 284,000

3rd Rommel Angeles – Philippines – ₱ 203,500

4th Rick Jason Ambata – Philippines – ₱ 160,300

5th Alexander Ungria Jr – Philippines – ₱ 125,900

6th Kenzo Mendoza – Philippines – ₱ 98,400

7th Renato Villanueva – Philippines – ₱ 74,100

Opening Event: Jerome Sarabia bags first live win for ₱ 120,000 (~US$ 2,385)

The Opening Event did not disappoint with 223 turning up for a smashing prize pool of ₱ 571,058 (~US$ 11,340). This figure was well over 2.5 times the advertised ₱ 200K guarantee with 31 players earning a cut. Among the players at the final table were John Carlo Sayo and Junnie Pamplona with the latter Pamplona eventually reaching a second final table. In the end, the bragging rights went to Jerome Bryan Sarabia who bagged his first ever live tournament title and a top prize of ₱ 120,000 (~US$ 2,385).

Buy in: ₱ 3,000 (~US$ 60)

Guarantee: ₱ 200,000

Entries: 223

Prize pool: ₱ 571,058

ITM: 31 places

Final 9 payouts

1st Jerome Bryan Sarabia – Philippines – ₱ 120,000

2nd Steven Steven – Indonesia – ₱ 80,578

3rd Pescador Seigfredo – Philippines – ₱ 57,400

4th Paolo Carlo Tiongson – Philippines – ₱ 46,500

5th John Carlo Sayo – Philippines – ₱ 36,800

6th Junnie Pamplona – Philippines – ₱ 28,000

7th Alejandro Cruz – Philippines – ₱ 20,400

8th Salvador David – Philippines – ₱ 15,000

9th Jasper David – Philippines – ₱ 12,400

Biggest buy in: David Erquiaga wins the NLH Super Knockout Turbo

The most expensive event was the ₱ 15,000 buy in NLH Super Knockout Turbo which drew 52 entries for a cash prize pool of ₱ 420,940 (~US$ 8,360). The title came down between two highly decorated local pros Lester Edoc and David Erquiaga. At the runout, it was Erquiaga who went the distance to claim the ₱ 132,600 (~US$ 2,634) first prize and a pile of bounty rewards. Erquiaga adds to his abundance of victories, inching closer to the US$ 300K mark. As for Edoc, he would go on to reach the final table of the Main Event and once again finish second.

Buy in: ₱ 15,000 (~US$ 298)

Entries: 52

Cash Prize pool: ₱ 420,940 (~US$ 8,360)

Bounty Pot: ₱ 260,000 (~US$ 5,165)

ITM: 7 places

Payouts

1st David Erquiaga – Philippines – ₱ 132,600

2nd Lester Edoc – Philippines – ₱ 95,800

3rd Darill Gregorio – Philippines – ₱ 61,100

4th Omar Salem – Australia – ₱ 46,400

5th Yale Zeng – China – ₱ 35,800

6th Mark Alden – Philippines – ₱ 27,400

7th Wenpeng Dai – China – ₱ 21,840

Freezeout crusher: Ronn Ryan Mesina lands first and second

Though not as popular as the other events were two freezeout tournaments where local player Ronn Ryan Mesina ruled the action. Mesina placed second to Wendell Garcia at Event #2: ₱ 8,000 Freezeout for ₱ 45,000 then carried the momentum into the following day, closing out Event #4: NLH Turbo Freezeout for ₱ 89,468. This was his first ever known live tournament win, earning a combined ₱ 134,468 (~US$ 2,670). Strong showing as well for local player Harold Neal Ruaya who placed 3rd at both events for a combined take of ₱ 115,100 (~US$ 2,286).

Event #2: Freezeout

Buy in: ₱ 8,000 (~US$ 159)

Players: 33

Prize pool: ₱ 225,350 (~US$ 4,476)

ITM: 6 places

Payouts

1st Wendell Garcia – Philippines – ₱ 54,250

2nd Ronn Ryan Mesina – Philippines – ₱ 45,000

3rd Harold Neal Ruaya – Philippines – ₱ 45,000

4th Isabelo Braza – Philippines – ₱ 45,000

5th Joseroy Jeremias Jr. – Philippines – ₱ 20,300

6th Godofredo Manguinao – Philippines – ₱ 15,800

Event #4: NLH Turbo Freezeout

Buy in: ₱ 10,000

Players: 38

Prize pool: 324,368

ITM: 6 places

Payouts

1st Ronn Ryan Mesina – Philippines – ₱ 89,468

2nd Christopher Pasion – Philippines – ₱ 75,400

3rd Harold Neal Ruaya – Philippines – ₱ 70,100

4th Georgiev Christo – Bulgaria – ₱ 37,400

5th Jon Mari Doria – Philippines – ₱ 29,200

6th Joseph Talamayan – Philippines – ₱ 22,800

Other results

Event #6: NLH Knockout – KOJI ASAKA

Buy in: ₱ 5,000

Entries: 83

Cash Prize pool: ₱ 271,244

Bounty pot: ₱ 83,000

ITM: 11 places

Payouts

1st Koji Asaka – Japan – ₱ 63,572 (heads up deal)

2nd Junnie Pamplona – Philippines – ₱ 63,572 (heads up deal)

3rd Eden Dailo – Philippines – ₱ 34,800

4th Lester Timonera – Philippines – ₱ 26,800

5th Raphael Berroya Bulaong – Philippines – ₱ 21,200

6th Michael Bueza – Philippines – ₱ 16,600

7th Florencio Matias – Philippines – ₱ 13,100

8th Edgar Asehan – Philippines – ₱ 10,200

9th Rembrandt Ngo – Philippines – ₱ 7,800

10th Ting Yen Huang – China – ₱ 6,800

11th Rommel Dones – Philippines – ₱ 6,800

Event #7: NLH Deepstack – KANG SEUNGMIN

Buy in: ₱ 10,000

Entries: 33

Prize pool: ₱ 281,688

ITM: 6 places

Payouts

1st Kang Seungmin – Korea – ₱ 95,800

2nd Perry HIgging – Philippines – ₱ 66,200

3rd Yale Zeng – China – ₱ 42,300

4th Dodge Ledesma – Philippines – ₱ 32,400

5th Sandro Bruni – Italy – ₱ 25,400

6th Nicholas John Woodward – UK – ₱ 19,588