Two months ago, the Asian Poker Tour made a grand return to Manila after a two-year hiatus, with the festival proving to be the tour’s most successful Philippines-based tournament series ever to play out in the country. Immediately afterwards, APT headed to Vietnam to close out the year with the APT Phu Quoc, setting a new tour-stop record in the process.
Now the tour has the upcoming APT Manila Classic 2025 to look forward to, scheduled for Friday, 7 February, to Sunday, 16 February. Hosted in collaboration with Metro Card Club, the ten-day poker series will take place at the Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria. On our last visit to Manila, it was the United States’ Daniel Lee who stood on the peak of greatness, beating out a country record 1,081-strong APT Main Event field to take home his maiden major tournament title and the largest share of the PHP 100 million (~USD 1.7 million) prize pool.
The bar has been set, and hopes are high the tour continues its record-setting trend for this thrilling series, which features 100 tournaments and boasts a mouth-watering total festival prize pool guarantee of PHP 120 million (~USD 2 million). The APT Main Event itself comes with a PHP 60 million (~USD 1 million) prize pool guarantee. Players attending will be spoilt for choice, with 18 high roller tournaments, 14 mixed games and 16 Omaha tournaments to sample, along with 12 key events. Of these, seven tournaments come with PHP seven-figure prize pool guarantees - a veritable poker buffet spread to choose from! Read on as we take a closer look at the festival’s key events examining buy-in, structure, guarantee, and potential field size estimates based on the tour’s previous Manila outing.
Guarantee: PHP 60M (~USD 1.0M)
Date: Feb 9-15
Buy-in: PHP 60K (~USD 1,019)
APT Taipei Poker Classic 2024 Main Event champion Rene Von Reden
The APT Main Event is the highlight of the festival, featuring a PHP 60 million (~USD 1.0M) guarantee and will see players compete for the coveted award-winning Gold Lion APT Main Event Trophy.
Two months ago, at APT Manila 2024, the Main Event more than tripled the tour’s Philippines field size country record, drawing 1,081 runners, and in turn set a new APT Main Event prize pool record for the country at PHP 100 million (~USD 1.7 million).
The APT Main Event has seen an average of four-figure fields across its festivals in 2024, with prize pools coming in at a minimum of USD 1 million. Expect the same to happen as we make our first stop of the year in 2025.
With 2024 done and dusted, it is now Germany’s Rene von Reden who holds the record for the tour’s largest Main Event win, climbing above a 1,991-strong field to claim the largest-ever prize awarded in Taiwan at TWD 14,413,200 (~USD 453,960).
Date: Feb 7-8
Buy-in: PHP 12K (~USD 210)
APT Manila 2024 Philippines National Cup champion Marco Espela
The Philippines National Cup kicks off the series, with the two-day tournament beginning on Friday, 7 February. The last winner of the Philippines National Cup was local Marco Espela, who claimed a prize of PHP 1,170,050 (~USD 19,890) after a heads-up ICM deal.
In 2024, the National Cup consistently set in-country records for opening event attendance, with both Taipei events setting field size and prize pool records respectively. Taiwan’s Kaihung Hu holds the current record for the largest National Cup victory, overcoming a 1,608-player field at APT Taipei Poker Classic 2024 to claim the TWD 2.52 million (USD 79,820) top prize.
Players will start with 30,000 in chips, with three starting flights—A, B, and C—all taking place on Friday. Levels for each flight are set at 30 minutes, 20 minutes, and 15 minutes, respectively. The top 14% of each starting field will advance to the Final Day and secure a spot in the money.
**Mystery Bounty Hunter – Sponsored by Natural8**
Date: Feb 8-9
Buy-in: PHP 20K (~USD 355)
APT Philippines 2024 Mystery Bounty Hunter champion Youngje Ahn
The Mystery Bounty Hunter – Sponsored by Natural8 begins on Saturday, 8 February, running alongside the final day of the National Cup.
The four editions of this tournament in 2024 all set APT country records for field size and prize pool, with three surpassing the four-figure entry mark. South Korean Youngje Ahn was the last winner of this event in the Philippines, taking home a PHP 1,046,680 (~USD 17,790) top prize.
Malaysia’s Isaac Phua holds the record for winning the tournament’s largest-ever field taking down the APT Taiwan Poker Classic 2024 event, outlasting 1,328 entries to take home a TWD 1.9 million (~USD 60,880) top prize.
Players start with 30,000 in chips, with two opening flights scheduled. Flight A begins at 11:00 AM local time, featuring 30-minute levels, while Flight B starts at 5:30 PM with 20-minute levels. The top 14% from each flight will advance to the Final Day and secure a place in the money.
Guarantee: PHP 20M (~USD 339K)
Date: Feb 9-10
Buy-in: PHP 600K (~USD 10.2K)
APT Philippines 2024 Super High Roller champion William Teoh
Kicking off on Saturday, 8 February, the two-day APT Super High Roller is the second of the tour’s three signature tournaments after the Main Event and will be the first on the schedule, offering participants a chance to claim the prestigious Pewter Lion APT Super High Roller Trophy.
Malaysia’s William Teoh took home the lion in the event’s last outing in Manila, outlasting a field of 59 entries to take the PHP 9,785,100 (~USD 166,350) top prize from a total prize pool of PHP 32,621,100 (~USD 554,560). The USA’s Isaac Haxton holds the record for the largest prize in the event’s history, triumphing over a 137-entry field to secure a top prize of TWD 9 million (USD 287,885).
The event features a shot clock, with players starting with 250,000 in chips and five 30-second time banks, which are reset at the start of the Final Day. If more than 16 players remain at the start of the Final Day, an additional reset will occur at the Final Table. Day 1 action consists of sixteen 40-minute levels, with the surviving players returning on Thursday, 31 October, to battle it out until a champion is crowned.
Date: Feb 9
Buy-in: PHP 30K (~USD 509)
APT Manila 2024 Super Stack champion Philipp Zukernik
The one-day Super Stack takes place on Sunday, 9 February, running alongside the Final Days of both the APT Super High Roller and the Mystery Bounty Hunter.
Canada’s Philipp Zukernik was the last winner to claim the Super Stack title in the Philippines, conquering a 258-player field in APT Manila 2024. He secured the largest share of the PHP 6,757,020 (~USD 114,870) prize pool, taking home the top prize of PHP 1,432,020 (~USD 24,345).
The Super Stack a fast-paced tournament with a dynamic structure. Players begin with 100,000 in chips, with ten 25-minute levels to start. After registration closes, levels shorten to 20 minutes, maintaining the tournament's brisk pace.
**Zodiac Classic – Sponsored by Natural8**
Guarantee: PHP 15M (~USD 254k GTD)
Date: Feb 13-14
Buy-in: PHP 90K (~USD 1.5K)
APT Manila 2024 Zodiac Classic champion Joseph Cheong
Since the buy-in increase introduced at APT Taipei 2024, the Zodiac Classic has consistently offered one of the largest guarantees outside the Main Event. This tournament attracts an average field of over 200 entries, generating an average prize pool exceeding USD 300,000.
The United States’ Joseph Cheong claimed the last Zodiac Classic ran in the Philippines, overcoming 226 entries to secure the lion’s share of the PHP 24,662,250 (USD 419,260) prize pool, taking home the PHP 5,216,250 (USD 88,675) top prize.
The two-day tournament begins on Thursday, 13 February, with thirteen 40-minute levels scheduled for Day 1. Players start with 40,000 in chips and two 30-second time banks. Time banks reset to five at the start of the Final Day and again at the Final Table.
Guarantee: PHP 6M (~USD 102K)
Date: Feb 15-16
Buy-in: PHP 20K (~USD 339)
APT Manila 2024 Double Stack champion Sungwoo Son
Double Stack tournaments in 2024 have all set new in-country tour records for field size, with the event averaging over 500 entries and generating a sizeable average prize pool of over USD 270,000.
South Korea’s Sungwoo Son was the Double Stack champion in APT Manila 2024, triumphing over a 434-entry field to pocket the largest share of the PHP 7,493,444 (USD 127,390) prize pool, taking home the PHP 1,103,000 (USD 18,750) top prize.
This two-day event features two starting flights, both taking place on Tuesday, 5 November. Players start with 60,000 in chips, with Flight A beginning at 11:00 AM featuring 30-minute levels, and Flight B starting at 5:30 PM with 20-minute levels.
Each flight plays down to the top 14%, securing an in-the-money finish, but only players advancing to the Final Day will cash. A shot clock comes into effect one table off the money, with players receiving two 30-second time banks, which reset to five at the Final Table.
Guarantee: PHP 15M (~USD 255K)
Date: Feb 15-16
Buy-in: PHP 200K (~USD 3.4K)
APT Manila 2024 APT High Roller champion Daniel Neilson
The final scheduled signature event of the festival, the APT High Roller boasts an impressive PHP 15 million (~USD 254,842) prize pool guarantee, with the champion earning the coveted Bronze Lion APT High Roller Trophy.
Australia’s Daniel Nielson won this event in our previous Philippines outing. The tournament generated a prize pool of PHP 23,396,400 (~USD 397,740), with Nielson taking home the first-place share of PHP 4,317,000 (~USD 73,390).
This tournament attracts an average field over 170 entries and generates an average prize pool exceeding USD 570,000. Day 1 of the two-day event features sixteen 40-minute levels, with the survivors advancing to the Final Day to contend for the trophy.
Players start with 100,000 in chips, with a shot clock in play from the outset. Each participant receives five 30-second time banks, which reset at the start of the Final Day and again at the Final Table if the Final Day begins with 16 players.
Guarantee: PHP 5M (~USD 85K)
Date: Feb 14-15
Buy-in: PHP 25K (~USD 424)
APT Manila 2024 Mini Main Event champion Gun Jegal
The final key event of the festival features a PHP 5 million (~USD 84,947) prize pool guarantee and spans two days, offering two starting flights. The Mini Main averages a field size of over 470 entries and generates an average prize pool of over USD 230,000.
In APT Manila 2024, South Korean Gun Jegal binked the event and took home PHP 1,374,000 (~USD 23,360), beating out 320 entrants en route to victory.
Flight A begins at 11:00 AM on Wednesday, 6 November, with 30-minute levels, while Flight B starts at 5:30 PM, featuring 20-minute levels. Both flights play down to the top 14% of their respective fields, and players must advance to the Final Day to secure a payout.