PokerStars Live Manila Anniversary Special: Issa wins the Main Event, Tollefsen runner-up

Pokerstars Live Manila have been hosting their Anniversary Special Main Event this weekend, and will be pleased with a turnout of 534 entrants, who created a prize pool of PHP2,279,112 ($47,716). When play had concluded at the end of the first day, just 76 remained, with Henrik Tollefsen leading the way, with 528,000 chips. 

Final Table

When the final table convened, there were four players from the Philippines still in contention, but Tollefsen continued his march, seemingly toward the title. When play reached heads up, the Norwegian faced UK player Jean Issa. Tollefsen held a comfortable chip lead of almost 5 to 1, but the early momentum swung heavily towards Issa, and in a surprisingly short period of time, he had taken the title, and PHP 486,600 prize money ($10,192). 50 places were paid, and the top 10 received a bonus prize of a PHP25,000 entry into the Megastack 5 Main Event.

Jean Issa

Payouts (top 10)

1^st – Jean Issa – PHP486,600

2^nd – Henrik Tollefsen – PHP314,600

3^rd – Mike Takayama – PHP203,600

4^th – Gerad Casey – PHP162,000

5^th – Jenelee Dizon – PHP126,500

6^th – Jay Lapinid – PHP106,200

7^th – Carlo Aziz Hassan – PHP90,900

8^th – Woo Young Kim – PHP80,800

9^th – Joseph Sia – PHP70,700

10^th – Nickolai Alexandrov – PHP60,312