PokerStars LIVE At Okada Manila Named IAG Best IR Poker Room Second Year In A Row

For the second consecutive year, premier poker destination, PokerStars LIVE at Okada Manila, has been named the Best Poker Room In An IR by Inside Asia Gaming (IAG). The recognition came at the annual IAG Academy IR Awards held on September 9, 2025, widely regarded as a benchmark for excellence across Asia-Pacific’s gaming and hospitality industries.

In the Best Poker Room category, PokerStars LIVE Manila edged out a strong shortlist of contenders: MGM Cotai Poker Room, Newport World Resorts Poker Room, and The Venetian Macao Poker Room.

“On behalf of PokerStars and Okada Manila we are very thankful to receive this award” said PokerStars LIVE Manila Senior Operations Manager, Lorie Torre-Lagrosas.

PokerStars LIVE At Okada Manila

Since opening inside the world-class Okada Manila in January 2019, PokerStars LIVE has been a major hub for live poker in the Philippines . Daily cash game tables are always bustling and throughout the year the brand stages numerous festivals, such as the flagship Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT), that draw in players from all over the world.

In just over a month, players can experience the award-winning room with the APPT Manila Championship taking place from October 16 to 27, 2025. The festival packs in some serious numbers with ₱155 Million (~US$ 2.6M) in guarantees headlined by a massive PHP 60 Million (~US$ 1M+) Main Event prize pool.

More on the room: PokerStars LIVE Poker Room

APPT Manila Championship Highlights

In total,  63 trophies are up for grabs with a mix of iconic PokerStars shards and spadies. Buy-ins range from ₱2,500 (~US$ 43) to a jaw dropping ₱1,000,000 (~US$ 17.3K). Here are the highlights:

• Okada Kick-off: Oct 16 -18 (₱8 Million GTD) – ₱20,000 
• APPT Open: Oct 17 – 20 (₱20 Million GTD) – ₱60,000
• PokerStars Red Dragon: Oct 19 – 21(₱20 million GTD) – ₱70,000
• APPT National: Oct 21- 24 (₱10 million GTD) – ₱35,000
• APPT Super High Roller: Oct 22 -23 (₱10 Million GTD) – ₱500,000
• Mystery Bounty: Oct 23 – 26  (₱10 Million GTD) – ₱25,000
• APPT MAIN EVENT: October 23-27 – (₱60 Million GTD) – ₱165,000
• APPT One Million Challenge: Oct 23 -24 – ₱1,000,000
• APPT Mini Championship: Oct 26 (₱3 Million GTD) – ₱35,000
• APPT Championship High Roller: Oct 26 -27 (₱10 Million GTD) – ₱300,000

Last year, the festival paid out over ₱247 Million (~US$ 4.27M) with the APPT Main Event generating a prize pool of ₱59,922,720 (~US$ 1,028,270). This year, the brand remains ambitious with a Main Event guarantee that already surpasses the record. 

Full Schedule: 2025 APPT Manila Championship