Poker is heating up in the Philippines with PokerStars LIVE Manila Megastack 18 providing all of the exciting action. The festival kicked off on February 15, 2024 and is scheduled to run through February 25, 2024. Out of the 39 shiny PS spades on the mantle, nine have already been spoken for. Here are the latest winners.
PS Manila Megastack – Daily Updates
PS Manila Megastack – Festival Results
PS Manila Megastack – Player Guide
Event 3: Kickoff – MICHAEL DE LEON
The Kickoff Event drew 368 entries over three starting flights to easily crush the guarantee for a much richer PHP 5,183,059 (~USD 92,600) prize pool. 53 players earned a cut with the final three opting on an ICM deal. Philippine player Michael De Leon was crowned champion and walked away with the largest cash prize of PHP 763,000 (~USD 13,630) plus an APPT Manila Package, and of course one of the coveted PS Spade trophies.
Other finishers were top grossing Philippine player Marc Rivera in 8th place, Day 2 chip leader Terry Gonzaga in 20th place, and defending champion Alvir Inocentes in 44th place.
Date: February 15 to 17, 2024
Buy in: PHP 16,500 (~USD 295)
Guarantee: PHP 3,000,000 (~USD 53,600)
Entries: 368
Prize pool: PHP 5,183,059 (~USD 92,600)
ITM: 53 players
Read up on the action via the live updates:
Event 8: Freezeout – TETSUNORI SAITO
Date: February 16, 2023
Buy in: PHP 15,000 (~USD 270)
Entries: 22
Prize pool: PHP 281,688 (~USD 5,035)
ITM: 4 places
1st place – SAITO TETSUNORI – Japan – PHP 121,126 (~USD 2,164)
Final hand: Saito Tesunori 
, Lam Aaron Henry 
, board 
Event 10: Knockout PLO Bounty Turbo – SHAYNE BLANCO VILLANUEVA
Date: February 16, 2023
Buy in: PHP 10,000 (~USD 180)
Entries: 42 (30 unique)
Prize pool: PHP 442,512 (~USD 7,910)
ITM: 6 places
1st place: SHAYNE BLANCO VILLANUEVA – Northern Mariana Islands – PHP 94,712 (~USD 1,700)
Event 13: Super Deep Freezeout – ANTHONY CIERCO
The Super Deep Freezeout ran a lengthy 14 hours before France’s Anthony Cierco locked up the win for his first PS spade and win on Philippine soil. Cierco defeated UK’s Stephen Nathan at heads up with 
quads on a board 
.
Date: February 17, 2023
Buy in: PHP 25,000 (~USD 450)
Entries: 70
Prize pool: PHP 1,527,750 (~USD 27,300)
ITM: 9 places
1st place: ANTHONY CIERCO – France – PHP 458,750 (~USD 8,200)
Event 15: Knockout Bounty – HAI SHIEN TAN
Singapore’s Hai Shien Tan went on a slashing spree dusting 11 players on his road to victory at Event 15: Knockout Bounty. Including his own bounty reward, Tan pocketed PHP 60,000 plus the first prize payout of PHP 189,364, for a combined PHP 249,364 (~USD 4,460). This was Tan’s second ever PS spade trophy with his first at the Manila Megastack 17 Mixed NLH/PLO game.
Date: February 17, 2023
Buy in: PHP 15,000 (~USD 270)
Entries: 91 (78 unique)
Prize pool: PHP 1,165,165 (~USD 20,820)
ITM: 13 places
1st place: HAI SHIEN TAN – Singapore – PHP 249,364 (~USD 4,460)
Event 16: 25K NLH Turbo – LESTER EDOC
Filipino ace Lester Edoc emerged victorious at the 25K NLH Turbo to ship a a payout of PHP 198,800 (~USD 3,550). Edoc entered the final table as chip leader and maintained it to the finish to easily defeat Damien Peter Stanley at heads up. Edoc outlasted the 24 entry field and won his career 9th PS Spade.
Date: February 17, 2023
Buy in: PHP 25,000 (~USD 450)
Entries: 24 (23 unique)
Prize pool: PHP 523,800 (~USD 9,360)
ITM: 5 places
1st place: LESTER EDOC – Philippines – PHP 198,800 (~USD 3,550)
Links:
PokerStars LIVE’s biggest Manila Megastack season opens its doors in a week
Tricia David
Tricia David has long experience as a recreational poker player and has been covering poker events since 2010 for numerous outfits in Asia. She spent one year working part time with Poker Portal Asia then became editor and lead writer for all event coverage of the Philippine Poker Tour (PPT). Under the PPT, she overlooked content for their website, and produced live updates on all their events. In addition, she served as the live and online events website content writer for the Asian Poker Tour. Currently, she does live events reporting in Asia for online news site Somuchpoker and is also one of their news contributors.
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