The record-breaking Manila Megastack 18 Main Event has finally reached the closing end of its chapter with the final nine set to crown a champion this Sunday, February 25th. A total of 917 entries were recorded across four starting flights, generating a massive PHP 36,034,345 (~USD 644,500) prize pool to easily smash the PHP 20,000,000 (~USD 357,430) listed guarantee. 139 runners returned to the felt for Day 2 and saw Norway’s Henrik Tollefsen capture the lead following eleven hours of play.
PS Manila Megastack 18 – Festival Results
PS Manila Megastack 18 – Player Guide
PS Manila Megastack 18 – Photos
Running alongside the Main Event final table are side events Mini Main Event, High Roller, Run It Twice Turbo, Knockout Turbo, PHP 100,000 (~USD X) NLH Turbo, and Last Chance Super Hyper Turbo, for those eyeing to snag the last few trophies up for grabs.
Main Event Day 2 Recap
Action pumped up quickly for the Day 2 rounds with a number of eliminations seen within the first five minutes of the day. Each already guaranteed a return on their buy-in, only 85 of the 139 qualifiers stood in contention for the Main Event title by the first break. Day 2 chip leader Lester Edoc remained in the lead just up until early evening where a bad beat left him crippled and eventually fall in 39th place by the hands of Flight A chip leader Shin Hyeonho. Shin preserved his stack and cruised through several blind levels with a healthy chip count, not until Henrik Tollefsen claimed it all.
The crushing win pushed Tollefsen to soar through the ranks and rise to the lead with the last four tables running. Local runner Jeremy Catalig was also racing for a spot into the Final Day and successfully inched over Tollefsen after claiming a huge chunk off of Choi Jaeki with 18 players remaining. Action closed in on the final nine after Tollefsen delivered three straight eliminations to amass a massive 9,595,000 (95 BB) stack to lead the final games. Local runner Kim Michael Enriquez was the last to go after his 
was dominated by Chang Jae Yi’s 
to lock in the final nine.
Tollefsen, who stands in the lead, is no stranger to winning big field tournaments with at least three Main Event wins under his belt. That includes the 2022 APPT Open Main Event where he outlasted the 464-entry field to clinch the PHP 3.2 Million (~USD 57K) top prize. Joining him on the hunt for the PHP 6,170,000 (~USD 110,300) listed up top are next in rank John Paul Flores and South Korea’s Chang Jae Yi. In addition to the the noteworthy payouts to be awarded, the top two finishers are also set to receive an APPT Main Event package valued at PHP 120,000 (~USD 2,145).
Final Table Chip Counts
| Player | Flag | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
| Tollefsen Henrik | Norway | 9,595,000 | 95 |
| Flores John Paul | Philippines | 3,930,000 | 39 |
| Chang Jae Yi | Korea, South | 3,230,000 | 32 |
| Catalig Jeremy | Philippines | 3,125,000 | 31 |
| Morikawa Yuta | Japan | 2,810,000 | 28 |
| Sembrano Alvin Jeff | Philippines | 1,990,000 | 19 |
| Chen Jingliang | China | 1,260,000 | 12 |
| Landry Craig | Australia | 785,000 | 7 |
| Cheung Jose | Philippines | 780,000 | 7 |
Remaining Payouts
| Rank | Prize (PHP) |
| 1 | ₱6,170,000 |
| 2 | ₱3,850,000 |
| 3 | ₱2,775,000 |
| 4 | ₱2,135,000 |
| 5 | ₱1,645,000 |
| 6 | ₱1,260,000 |
| 7 | ₱970,000 |
| 8 | ₱750,000 |
| 9 | ₱569,345 |
PS Manila Megastack 18 – Main Event Live Updates
Manila Megastack 18 Main Event Review
Date/s: February 21 – 25, 2024
Buy-in: PHP 45,000 (~USD 804)
Guarantee: PHP 20,000,000 (~USD 357,430)
Prize pool: PHP 36,034,345 (~USD 644,500)
Entries: 917
ITM: 139 players
Flight A: 176 entries, 27 qualified
Flight B: 231 entries, 35 qualified
Flight C: 372 entries, 56 qualified
Flight D (Turbo): 138 entries, 21 qualified
Final Day: Sunday, February 25
Check out the highlights here:
