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APPT Manila 2026 Main Event Smashes Attendance and Prize Pool Records at Okada Manila
- APPT Manila 2026 Main Event draws record 1,413 entries, PHP 97.6M prize pool
- Joungsun Kim leads 269 Day 2 qualifiers; only 207 to be paid
- Defending champion Justin Ong exits early, new champion guaranteed
Image by Somuchpoker
APPT Manila 2026 Main Event attracted a record 1,413 entries, creating a PHP 97.6 million prize pool. Joungsun Kim leads 269 Day 2 survivors, while only 207 players will reach the money. Defending champion Justin Ong exited before Day 2.
The Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) Manila 2026 has drawn large crowds throughout its run at Okada Manila, with the tournament area at Cove Manila consistently filled by players, railbirds, and poker fans from across Asia and beyond.
The festival reached its biggest milestone yet as the APPT Manila 2026 Main Event delivered the largest field and prize pool in the event's history.
The PHP 80,000 (approximately USD 1,300) buy-in Main Event attracted 1,413 entries across four starting flights, generating a PHP 97,666,560 (approximately USD 1.608 million) prize pool.
The figures establish new records for the APPT Manila Main Event in both participation and total prize money.
The latest edition comfortably surpassed the previous records. The 2025 Main Event attracted 1,246 entries and produced a prize pool of around PHP 87 million, while the 2024 edition recorded 1,304 entries and approximately PHP 91 million.
The 2026 tournament also exceeded its original PHP 60 million (approximately USD 1 million) guaranteed prize pool by more than PHP 37 million.
The record field was built across four starting flights, each contributing significantly to the overall turnout.
- Day 1A: 300 entries, 47 survivors
- Day 1B: 348 entries, 56 survivors
- Day 1C: 527 entries, 94 survivors
- Day 1D Turbo: 238 entries, 72 survivors
- Day 1C attracted the largest field with 527 entries, while each of the remaining flights also recorded more than 200 entries. By the conclusion of the opening flights, 269 players had secured their places in Day 2 from a total field of 1,413 entries.
The final numbers underline the tournament's growth, with the prize pool expanding from the original PHP 60 million guarantee to nearly PHP 100 million.
Joungsun Kim Returns as Overall Chip Leader
Joungsun Kim enters Day 2 as the overall chip leader after finishing Day 1A with 855,000 chips, equivalent to 171 big blinds.
Wesley Zikai Huang and Cezar Quiambao occupy the next positions on the leaderboard with identical stacks of 484,000 chips, or 121 big blinds each. Kim returns with a substantial advantage, holding nearly double the chips of his closest challengers.
Although the record-breaking turnout has dominated attention, the immediate objective for the returning players is reaching the money. Of the 269 survivors, only 207 players will receive a payout, meaning 62 eliminations are required before the money bubble bursts.
Players who survive to the money are guaranteed a minimum payout of PHP 128,000 (approximately USD 2,100). The eventual champion will earn the tournament's top prize of PHP 15,530,000 (approximately USD 255,800).
The tournament is also guaranteed to crown a new winner after defending champion Justin Ong failed to advance through any of the four starting flights, ending his title defence before Day 2.
Day 2 Focus Shifts Toward the Money
Day 2 resumes with 60-minute levels as the remaining field begins the race toward the money. The first milestone will be reducing the field by the final 62 players before the bubble bursts.
Once all remaining players have secured a payout, attention will turn to accumulating chips for a deep run toward the final table and the APPT Manila 2026 Main Event title.
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