Viet An Nguyen Takes Overall Lead; Overlay Still Looming
By Christian Zetzsche
Flight C chip leader Viet An Nguyen
Three of the five starting flights of the 2026 Gods Of Poker Manila Main Event have concluded and a total of 24 players have now punched their ticket for Day 2 inside of the Grand Ballroom at the City of Dreams Manila Luxury Hotel Resort & Casino for the crown jewel of the festival. The total tally stands at 168 entries for the PHP 82,500 buy-in, but that still leaves it well short of meeting the PHP 30 Million (∼ USD 500,000) guarantee with two more flights to come.
A new overall chip leader has been crowned in Vietnam's Viet An Nguyen, who bagged up an astonishing 2,515,000 in chips. At the end of the late registration, Nguyen was already the largest stack by some margin and never really left the top of the leaderboard.
Russia's Dmitrii Belikov was among the Flight B casualties before the money but his exploits in the afternoon heat were crowned by success, as he bagged up the second-largest tally of 1,890,000. Belikov was also responsible for bursting the Flight C bubble when he dominated Kenneth Isip with sevens versus treys all-in preflop.
Former Formula 3 race car driver Gary Thompson also had a busy day, as he was eliminated right from the get-go in Flight B. He then jumped into Event #48 Omaha Dealer's Choice to win the trophy and top prize of PHP 126,000 to then use these funds for another bullet in the Main Event. Thompson spun that up to 960,000 in chips at the end of play to secure his third cash of the festival and become eligible for leaderboard prizes. However, his points tally would be far higher if he didn't "stone bubble four High Roller Events" as per direct quote after bagging up his chips.
Gary Thompson
David "Dave Spade" Erquiaga followed a similar path as like the previous two players mentioned, bowed out from Flight B and then bagged up 846,000 to boot just after midnight. The same alplies to Aj Acdal albeit with a lower stack of 325,000.
End of Flight C chip counts:
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds Day 2 |
| 1 | Viet An Nguyen | Vietnam | 2,515,000 | 252 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Dmitrii Belikov | Russia | 1,890,000 | 189 |
| 3 | Manoj Pentakota | India | 1,108,000 | 111 |
| 4 | Gary Thompson | Ireland | 960,000 | 96 |
| 5 | David Erquiaga | Philippines | 846,000 | 85 |
| 6 | Nikolas Rivera | Philippines | 632,000 | 63 |
| 7 | James Bonnano | Guam | 500,000 | 50 |
| 8 | Joemark Vasay | Philippines | 389,000 | 39 |
| 9 | Aj Acdal | Philippines | 325,000 | 33 |
| 10 | Lloyd Locsin | Philippines | 240,000 | 24 |
| 11 | Tatsuki Usami | Japan | 218,000 | 22 |
Ryan Hong, Emmanuel Derecho, Aleksandr Gorichev, Ronald Haverkamp, Lok Ching Li and Rudy Edenata were some of the late night casualties who are very likely expected to give it another shot tomorrow.
The festival dubbed as The Arena of Champions awaits a surge of players for Flight D and E which are both scheduled to take place on Thursday, Augusst 27, 2026 with schedules starting times of 12.30 p.m. and 6 p.m. local time respectively.
Flight D kicks off the scheduled events with one 60-minute and one 120-minute level before the late registration closes at 4 p.m. local time followed by 30-minute levels throughout thereafter. Flight E then follows the same late registration level structure before the door shuts at 9.30 p.m. local time with 20-minute levels once the registration is over.
Side Events for as little as PHP 13,200 and as high as PHP 110,000 await for Hold'em and Omaha lovers in case they don't want to jump into the Main Event or have already bagged up chips. Advancing multiple times is also possible with the larger stack being carried into Day 2 and a min-cash to be awarded for each inferior bag taken out of play.
Level 11:
10K/25K (25K BBA)End-of-Flight C Chip Counts
By Christian Zetzsche
Flight C has concluded with 11 players out of 80 entries remaining and they join the 13 survivors of the first two flights to bring back at least 24 players out of 168 total entries for a share of the PHP 30 Million guaranteed prize pool.
However, another two flights remain on Thursday, August 27, 2026, and they will very likely boost the overall significantly albeit with an overlay certainly looming.
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds Day 2 |
| 1 | Viet An Nguyen | Vietnam | 2,515,000 | 252 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Dmitrii Belikov | Russia | 1,890,000 | 189 |
| 3 | Manoj Pentakota | India | 1,108,000 | 111 |
| 4 | Gary Thompson | Ireland | 960,000 | 96 |
| 5 | David Erquiaga | Philippines | 846,000 | 85 |
| 6 | Nikolas Rivera | Philippines | 632,000 | 63 |
| 7 | James Bonnano | Guam | 500,000 | 50 |
| 8 | Joemark Vasay | Philippines | 389,000 | 39 |
| 9 | Aj Acdal | Philippines | 325,000 | 33 |
| 10 | Lloyd Locsin | Philippines | 240,000 | 24 |
| 11 | Tatsuki Usami | Japan | 218,000 | 22 |
Level 11:
10K/25K (25K BBA)Isip Eliminated by Belikov on the Flight C Bubble
By Christian Zetzsche
Kenneth Isip and Dmitrii Belikov
Kenneth Isip pushed all-in for 126,000 from under the gun and Dmitrii Belikov called from the next seat, all other players folded.
Kenneth Isip: 3 ♥️ 3 ♦️
Dmitrii Belikov: 7 ♥️ 7 ♦️
The dominated pair found no escape on the A ♠️ J ♥️ 4 ♠️ A ♦️ 6 ♠️ runout and that let the bubble burst. All 11 remaining players are bagging their chips and have locked up a cash prize already.
Full chip counts and a brief recap of this flight are to follow.
Level 11:
10K/25K (25K BBA)Nguyen Grows His Lead on the Bubble
By Christian Zetzsche
Nothing major has happened on the money bubble yet, but Viet An Nguyen has further increased his lead in this flight and overall at the expense of David Erquiaga.
Nguyen barreled through a board of A ♦️ Q ♥️ 3 ♠️ 4 ♥️ J ♣️ for 50,000 on the flop, 130,000 on the turn and 150,000 on the river.
Erquiaga used a time bank and eventually called.
Nguyen tabled the Q ♦️ 3 ♦️ for two pair to win.
| Player | Chip Count |
| Viet An Nguyen | 2,470,000 |
|---|---|
| David Erquiaga | 790,000 |
Level 11:
10K/25K (25K BBA)Nguyen Busts Hong to Set Up Bubble Play
By Christian Zetzsche
Ryan Hong
Viet An Nguyen had raised and was up against Ryan Hong, who had just over 200,000 behind and jammed the 7 ♥️ 6 ♥️ 4 ♠️ flop.
"Okay call, seven," Nguyen said and slammed his cards on the felt.
Ryan Hong: K ♥️ 9 ♥️
Viet An Nguyen: 7 ♦️ 3 ♠️
The flush draw and two live cards missed on the Q ♦️ turn and 8 ♦️ river, bringing the field down to the last 12 players on the Flight C bubble.
Viet An Nguyen
| Player | Chip Count |
| Viet An Nguyen | 2,020,000 |
|---|---|
| Ryan Hong | 0 |
Level 11:
10K/25K (25K BBA)The Clock Strikes Midnight
By Christian Zetzsche
Tatsuki Usami and Aj Acdal
Tatsuki Usami scored a lucky double when he jammed the J ♦️ 8 ♣️ into Aj Acdal with the K ♥️ 10 ♠️ and got there on the 9 ♠️ 7 ♠️ 6 ♦️ 2 ♣️ 5 ♠️ runout.
Acdal then opened to 150,000 with 15,000 behind and David Erquiaga just called before they got the rest in after the 6 ♣️ 5 ♥️ 3 ♣️ flop.
Aj Acdal: K ♦️ J ♥️
David Erquiaga: K ♠️ 7 ♠️
The live cards and gutshot of Erquiaga missed on the 10 ♣️ turn and A ♠️ river.
Right after these two hands, the clock struck midnight two spots away from securing a cash prize.
| Player | Chip Count |
| David Erquiaga | 1,125,000 |
|---|---|
| Aj Acdal | 375,000 |
| Tatsuki Usami | 300,000 |
Level 11:
10K/25K (25K BBA)"If at first you don't succeed, try, try again"
By Christian Zetzsche
Czardy Rivera and Gary Thompson
Czardy Rivera flipped for his tournament life against Gary Thompson and they tried to confuse the dealer by meshing the cards several times before restoring the correct order while the rest of the table laughed.
Czardy Rivera: K ♥️ Q ♣️
Gary Thompson: 6 ♥️ 6 ♦️
The pocket pair was counterfeit on the A ♦️ A ♠️ 8 ♦️ 3 ♣️ 8 ♠️ runout and Rivera doubled.
He was, however, all-in soon again versus Thompson and in dire shape with sixes versus aces. They meshed the cards again and produced ace-six versus ace-six before flipping em back.
Czardy Rivera: 6 ♠️ 6 ♦️
Gary Thompson: A ♣️ A ♠️
The K ♠️ 7 ♣️ 4 ♣️ 9 ♠️ 8 ♥️ board sent Rivera to the rail.
| Player | Chip Count |
| Gary Thompson | 1,275,000 |
|---|---|
| Czardy Rivera | 0 |
Level 11:
10K/25K (25K BBA)Pentakota Finishes off Gorichev
By Christian Zetzsche
Aleksandr Gorichev
Aleksandr Gorichev pushed all-in for his last 91,000 and Manoj Pentakota called from the big blind, after which Gorichev sighed as it had been his previous nemesis.
Aleksandr Gorichev: A ♥️ 6 ♣️
Manoj Pentakota: A ♠️ Q ♦️
Gorichev had heaps of outs until the 8 ♥️ 5 ♥️ 3 ♥️ 4 ♦️ turn but the Q ♠️ river sealed his fate.
An excited Viet An Nguyen was watching from the other table and has the current chip lead.
| Player | Chip Count |
| Viet An Nguyen | 1,825,000 |
|---|---|
| Manoj Pentakota | 880,000 |
| Aleksandr Gorichev | 0 |
Lucky Double Into the Break
By Christian Zetzsche
Aleksandr Gorichev
In the last hand before the next break, Manoj Pentakota raised to 40,000 and Aleksandr Gorichev jammed the button for 417,000. Both blinds folded and Pentakota asked for a count before he eventually called all-in for less.
Manoj Pentakota: A ♣️ J ♥️
Aleksandr Gorichev: A ♥️ K ♠️
The inferior kicker came on the J ♣️ 8 ♣️ 3 ♥️ flop and the 6 ♣️ turn took away an out from Gorichev. No miracle came on the Q ♥️ river for Pentakota to double for 326,000.
When the 15 remaining players from their 15-minute break, the blinds will be 10,000-25,000/25,000.
| Player | Chip Count |
| Manoj Pentakota | 692,000 |
|---|---|
| Aleksandr Gorichev | 91,000 |
Level 10:
10K/20K (20K BBA)Four to the Money in Flight C
By Christian Zetzsche
Ronald Haverkamp
Ronald Haverkamp lost the remainder of his short stack and he was joined on the rail by China's Yichen Zhu. He put his hopes on 9 ♦️ 5 ♦️ which flopped second pair on A ♣️ 5 ♣️ 2 ♥️ .
Viet An Nguyen had that crushed with the A ♦️ 7 ♦️ and the K ♣️ turn had Zhu on the ropes. Only Nguyen improved on the A ♥️ river to bring the field down to the last 15 players, of which only 11 will advance to Day 2.
| Player | Chip Count |
| Viet An Nguyen | 1,600,000 |
|---|---|
| Yichen Zhu | 0 |
| Ronald Haverkamp | 0 |
Vasay Jams Into Zhu
By Christian Zetzsche
Yichen Zhu opened to 40,000 and then called a three-bet to 100,000 by Joemark Vasay in the small blind. Vasay continued for 75,000 on the 9 ♦️ 7 ♠️ 2 ♠️ flop to pick up a call and jammed the 4 ♣️ turn.
Zhu had 164,000 behind - eight big blinds - and folded after some consideration.
| Player | Chip Count |
| Joemark Vasay | 685,000 |
|---|---|
| Yichen Zhu | 164,000 |
Level 10:
10K/20K (20K BBA)Belikov Takes From Thompson
By Christian Zetzsche
Dmitrii Belikov
Gary Thompson opened to 50,000 from under the gun and was called by Manoj Pentakota in the next seat as well as Dmitrii Belikov in the small blind.
They checked the K ♦️ 9 ♦️ 4 ♠️ flop to the 3 ♣️ turn. Belikov now bet 80,000 and Thompson was the only caller.
Belikov used time on the J ♦️ river and bet 270,000, Thompson tank-folded.
| Player | Chip Count |
| Dmitrii Belikov | 1,175,000 |
|---|---|
| Gary Thompson | 1,095,000 |
| Manoj Pentakota | 461,000 |
Level 10:
10K/20K (20K BBA)Rivera Doubles Through Pentakota
By Christian Zetzsche
Czardy Rivera
Czardy Rivera still had a few chips behind preflop when Manoj Pentakota had called what he believed was a shove and exposed his cards already. The all-in was, however, only after the J ♣️ 6 ♠️ 2 ♦️ flop and Rivera happily got the last of it in.
Czardy Rivera: A ♣️ 6 ♣️
Major Pentakota: A ♦️ 4 ♠️
The 10 ♥️ turn locked up the double prior to the now meaningless 9 ♠️ river. Pentakota was given a chip penalty for half of a big blind.
| Player | Chip Count |
| Manoj Pentakota | 475,000 |
|---|---|
| Czardy Rivera | 210,000 |
Level 10:
10K/20K (20K BBA)Celebrating Too Early Backfires for Burette
By Christian Zetzsche
Guillaume Burette
Guillaume Burette jammed two times in a row and the second shove for the last 180,000 was called by Dmitrii Belikov in the small blind.
Guilleume Burette: A ♣️ Kh:
Dmitrii Belikov: 8 ♣️ 8 ♠️
The French player fist-pumped in celebration on the K ♦️ Q ♦️ 3 ♣️ flop and 10 ♣️ turn. Lady luck had bad news for him with the 8 ♥️ river ... seat open, 17 players remaining.
| Player | Chip Count |
| Dmitrii Belikov | 850,000 |
|---|---|
| Guillaume Burette | 0 |
Level 9:
8K/16K (16K BBA)Off to the Hyper Turbo You Go
By Christian Zetzsche
Emmanuel Derecho
Manoj Pentakota and Emmanuel Derecho were flipping for stacks with both holding near identical stack sizes in the following showdown.
Emmanuel Derecho: J ♦️ J ♥️
Manoj Pentakota: A ♥️ Q ♥️
"Maybe I make it in time for the Hyper Turbo [High Roller]", Derecho said.
He may have made it by a minute after the 9 ♥️ 7 ♣️ 3 ♥️ 6 ♦️ A ♦️ runout.
Derecho was all-in for 249,000 and just about covered.
| Player | Chip Count |
| Manoj Pentakota | 550,000 |
|---|---|
| Emmanuel Derecho | 0 |
Level 9:
8K/16K (16K BBA)No Final Two Tables Yet
By Christian Zetzsche
Ronald Haverkamp dropped back into the shorter stack zone and several other players are right there with him.
Aj Acdal was also there but he doubled through Ryan Hong when he spiked the 9 ♠️ 8 ♣️ 6 ♠️ 3 ♦️ 10 ♥️ river with his K ♦️ 10 ♣️ to make top pair.
| Player | Chip Count |
| Aj Acdal | 350,000 |
|---|---|
| Ryan Hong | 300,000 |
Level 9:
8K/16K (16K BBA)Thompson Gets a Shove Through
By Christian Zetzsche
Gary Thompson
With the board showing J ♣️ 9 ♠️ 5 ♦️ Q ♠️ , David Erquiaga used one time bank and then bet 85,000 in the cutoff. Gary Thompson on the button used time as well and then jammed.
Several seconds passed before Erquiaga asked how much the shove was for. That was deemed to be for 490,000 and Erquiaga burned three time banks before folding.
Still 19 left on three tables, one more to break and balance.
| Player | Chip Count |
| David Erquiaga | 945,000 |
|---|---|
| Gary Thompson | 700,000 |
Level 8:
6K/12K (12K BBA)Nguyen Doesn't See the Straight; Busts Li Anyways
By Christian Zetzsche
Lok Ching Li
Lok Ching Li jammed the button for around 160,000 and was called by Viet An Nguyen in the big blind, who brought out his phone to record the showdown and cheer loudly for cards that would help.
Lok Ching Li: 7 ♥️ 7 ♠️
Viet An Nguyen: A ♣️ Q ♥️
Nguyen paired his ace on the A ♠️ K ♦️ 10 ♥️ flop and made broadway on the J ♥️ turn, was then seemingly upset when Li spiked the 7 ♦️ river for a set.
Only then the other players pointed out the straight and Nguyen was all smiled.
| Player | Chip Count |
| Viet An Nguyen | 1,100,000 |
|---|---|
| Lok Ching Li | 0 |
Level 8:
6K/12K (12K BBA)Edenata Eliminated by Belikov
By Christian Zetzsche
Rudy Edenata
We are now down to the final 20 players across three tables and Rudy Edenata, who was among the big stacks after the late registration, is no longer among them.
Edenata got the last 80,000 in with the K ♦️ J ♣️ and found a customer in Dmitrii Belikov, who had the inferior Q ♦️ J ♠️ .
The Ks: Q ♠️ 8 ♠️ 9 ♠️ 7 ♠️ board brought all spades and Belikov had one of them to reduce the field further.
| Player | Chip Count |
| Dmitrii Belikov | 700,000 |
|---|---|
| Rudy Edenata | 0 |
Level 8:
6K/12K (12K BBA)Nguyen Finishes Off Sugita
By Christian Zetzsche
In a previous hand, Viet An Nguyen had barreled through a board of 9 ♠️ 6 ♥️ 4 ♦️ Q ♣️ A ♠️ and jammed the river into Kei Sugita, who opted to fold with around 160,000 behind.
Sugita then pushed soon after from the button and was up against Nguyen, of course.
Kei Sugita: A ♥️ K ♠️
Viet An Nguyen: A ♠️ 2 ♥️
With the 9 ♠️ 7 ♦️ 2 ♠️ 5 ♦️ Q ♠️ runout, Nguyen ended the hopes of Sugita in the third of five flights.
| Player | Chip Count |
| Viet An Nguyen | 915,000 |
|---|---|
| Kei Sugita | 0 |
Level 8:
6K/12K (12K BBA)Game Over for Halim
By Christian Zetzsche
Harry Halim and Gary Thompson
Gary Thompson raised from under the gun and was called by Manoj Pentakota as well as Harry Halim in the big blind. On the 8 ♦️ 6 ♠️ 3 ♠️ flop, Halim led for 40,000 and Thompson raised to 110,000, which forced out Pentakota.
Halim took a time bank to shove and Thompson snap-called for 259,000.
Gary Thompson: A ♠️ A ♣️
Harry Halim: 9 ♣️ 8 ♣️
The K ♣️ turn and K ♥️ river awarded the double to Thompson.
Halim chopped for fumes and was then all-in with side action between Yichen Zhu and David Erquiaga.
The two active players checked the A ♣️ 10 ♣️ 2 ♥️ flop, Zhu bet the J ♣️ turn for 30,000 and the Q ♥️ river for 65,000. Erquiaga called and Zhu tabled 10 ♦️ 7 ♣️ for one pair, Erquiaga had the A ♠️ K ♣️ for broadway and Halim briefly showed his cards before they were mucked.
| Player | Chip Count |
| David Erquiaga | 1,150,000 |
|---|---|
| Gary Thompson | 675,000 |
| Yichen Zhu | 380,000 |
| Harry Halim | 0 |
Level 8:
6K/12K (12K BBA)Hsu Eliminated by Erquiaga
By Christian Zetzsche
Cheng-Pin Hsu
At the end of the level, David Erquiaga raised to 22,000 and Harry Halim called. Cheng-Pin Hsu then jammed for 157,000 in the small blind and Erquiaga came along, Halim got out of the way.
Cheng-Pin Hsu: A ♣️ 10 ♣️
David Erquiaga: A ♥️ J ♠️
Hsu was behind and it remained to be the case on the Q ♣️ J ♣️ 7 ♠️ flop but the Taiwanese player had a gutshot royal flush draw. More outs to a possible chop came with the :td: turn but the 2 ♥️ river brought no help.
The blinds then moved up to 6,000-12,000/12,000 with 23 players left.
| Player | Chip Count |
| David Erquiaga | 975,000 |
|---|---|
| Cheng-Pin Hsu | 0 |
Level 7:
5K/10K (10K BBA)Sugita Doubles; Bonnano Adds Chips
By Christian Zetzsche
Kei Sugita
Kei Sugita was all-in for 95,000 on the J ♣️ 9 ♦️ 3 ♣️ flop against Viet An Nguyen.
Kei Sugita: K ♣️ K ♦️
Viet An Nguyen: Q ♥️ 10 ♦️
The 4 ♥️ turn was a brick and the 10 ♣️ river only gave Nguyen an inferior pair.
Shortly after, James Bonnano three-bet to 65,000 and David Erquiaga then cold four-bet to 135,000 in the small blind. It folded back to Bonnano and he pushed all-in after some consideration.
Erquiaga folded when. it was deemed to be for another 320,000and then flashed the Q ♥️ before he said "ace-high".
"Me too," Bonnano replied and cheekily turned over the A ♦️ J ♠️ for the inferior kicker.
| Player | Chip Count |
| Viet An Nguyen | 825,000 |
|---|---|
| David Erquiaga | 770,000 |
| James Bonnano | 620,000 |
| Kei Sugita | 320,000 |
Level 7:
5K/10K (10K BBA)Zhukov Flushed Away by Halim
By Christian Zetzsche
Aleksei Zhukov
Harry Halim raised to 20,000 and Gary Thompson called, as did Majoj Pentakota. Aleksei Zhukov then jammed for 81,000 in the blinds and Halim was the only caller.
Aleksei Zhukov: J ♠️ J ♥️
Harry Halim: A ♣️ 3 ♣️
The suited ace got there on the 7 ♣️ 7 ♦️ 2 ♣️ 10 ♣️ turn and Zhukov couldn't boat up with the 2 ♦️ river.
| Player | Chip Count |
| Harry Halim | 440,000 |
|---|---|
| Aleksei Zhukov | 0 |
Level 7:
5K/10K (10K BBA)Gopez Clobbered Out by Hong
By Christian Zetzsche
Ryan Hong and Edilberto Gopez
Edilberto Gopez got it in ahead with pocket tens against the 5 ♠️ 5 ♣️ of Ryan Hong.
However, the 8 ♦️ 5 ♥️ 2 ♦️ 5 ♦️ J ♣️ board had other plans and Gopez walked away from the table in disgust.
Emmanuel Derecho
Right after on the same table, Ronald Haverkamp was dominated with A ♣️ 10 ♣️ against the A ♦️ Q ♥️ of Emmanuel Derecho. They chopped thanks to the 4 ♠️ 2 ♠️ 2 ♦️ A ♥️ K ♠️ board.
| Player | Chip Count |
| Ryan Hong | 600,000 |
|---|---|
| Edilberto Gopez | 0 |
Level 7:
5K/10K (10K BBA)A Double After the Break
By Christian Zetzsche
Joemark Vasay
Jingliang Chen was the first player to bust after the break and the next player at risk happened to be Joemark Vasay. He three-bet jammed for 193,000 and Ryan Hong reshoved behind to force out initial min-raiser Emmanuel Derecho.
Joemark Vasay: A ♦️ 4 ♦️
Ryan Hong: A ♣️ Q ♥️
The inferior kicker made an appearance on the 10 ♥️ 5 ♥️ 4 ♥️ 2 ♣️ 8 ♠️ board.
| Player | Chip Count |
| Joemark Vasay | 425,000 |
|---|---|
| Ryan Hong | 350,000 |
| Emmanuel Derecho | 215,000 |
| Jingliang Chen | 0 |
Level 6:
4K/8K (8K BBA)Bonanno Enters Break With a Double
By Christian Zetzsche
James Bonnano
Gary Thompson raised to 16,000 and Cheng-Pin Hsu three-bet to 45,000 in the next seat. James Bonanno then jammed for 219,000 and Thompson folded, Hsu called.
James Bonnano: Q ♦️ Q ♠️
Cheng-Pin Hsu: A ♣️ K ♦️
"I gonna win that one," Bonnano said when he saw the queen in the window of Q ♥️ 8 ♦️ 3 ♠️ . The K ♠️ turn confirmed his double to make the 9 ♠️ river a formality.
Right after, the players went on a scheduled 15-minute break during which the T-500 chips were raced off. Recommencing blinds will be 5,000-10,000/10,000 with an average of 35 big blinds.
| Player | Chip Count |
| James Bonnano | 455,000 |
|---|---|
| Cheng-Pin Hsu | 205,000 |
Level 6:
4K/8K (8K BBA)No Ka-Ching for Saquing
By Christian Zetzsche
Moses Saquing
Moses Saquing jammed for 123,000 in the hijack and Gary Thompson went all-in over the top to isolate successfully.
Moses Saquing: K ♣️ Q ♦️
Gary Thompson: 7 ♥️ 7 ♦️
The flip went to Thompson on the A ♠️ 10 ♠️ 10 ♦️ 10 ♥️ 3 ♣️ runout and the final three tables were set.
| Player | Chip Count |
| Gary Thompson | 380,000 |
|---|---|
| Moses Saquing | 0 |
Level 3:
2K/4K (4K BBA)Eleven Players to Qualify for Day 2
By Christian Zetzsche
Henrik Tollefsen raised to 8,000 for Louis Bilodeau to call in the next seat, Dakota Anderson also came along in the blinds. They checked the 9 ♣️ 7 ♣️ 6 ♦️ flop to the 4 ♥️ turn on which Anderson's bet of 15,000 won the pot uncontested.
After the hand was over, floor staff confirmed a total of 80 entries for Flight C with 11 players set to advance. That'll be a while though as we still have 55 hopefuls left.
| Player | Chip Count |
| Dakota Anderson | 218,000 |
|---|---|
| Henrik Tollefsen | 138,000 |
| Louis Bilodeau | 102,500 |
Level 6:
4K/8K (8K BBA)Li Locks Up Lee
By Christian Zetzsche
Lok Ching Li
The field is down to the last 28 players spread across four tables and with the next elimination, there will be a random table breaking.
No longer in the mix are Doyoung Lee and Euryd Rivera with the former running into a monster preflop against Aussie Lok Ching Li.
Doyoung Lee: Ac: 2 ♣️
Lok Ching Li: A ♠️ A ♦️
Other players jokingly said it was a chop on the J ♦️ 6 ♠️ 6 ♥️ J ♣️ A ♥️ runout but aces full of sixes definitely beats two pair.
| Player | Chip Count |
| Lok Ching Li | 325,000 |
|---|---|
| Doyoung Lee | 0 |
| Euryd Rivera | 0 |
Level 6:
4K/8K (8K BBA)Rivera Runs Hot for a Minute
By Christian Zetzsche
Nikolas Rivera
Nikolas Rivera flipped with 10 ♣️ 10 ♥️ against the A ♣️ K ♥️ of Lloyd Locsin and held thanks to a board of 6 ♠️ 6 ♥️ 2 ♦️ Q ♣️ 4 ♠️ to double.
He was then involved in a three-way all-in and had the very best of it preflop.
Donghee Richi Ko: 10 ♦️ 10 ♣️
Edgar Asehan: A ♣️ Q ♠️
Nikolas Rivera: A ♦️ A ♥️
There was no upset on the 8 ♠️ 6 ♦️ 5 ♣️ K ♠️ J ♥️ runout for a double knockout.
| Player | Chip Count |
| Nikolas Rivera | 495,000 |
|---|---|
| Lloyd Locsin | 185,000 |
| Edgar Asehan | 0 |
| Donghee Richi Ko | 0 |
Level 6:
4K/8K (8K BBA)The Rapid Action Continues
By Christian Zetzsche
Bonifacio Mondalo
Edilberto Gopez raised to 16,000 and Manoj Pentakota called on the button. Bonifacio Mondalo then jammed for 86,500 and it folded back to Pentakota who asked for a count and called.
Bonifacio Mondalo: A ♦️ 9 ♦️
Manoj Pentakota: Q ♦️ J ♣️
The queen came on the 10 ♥️ 10 ♣️ 6 ♠️ Q ♠️ 9 ♠️ runout and that sent Mondalo quickly out of the tournament area.
| Player | Chip Count |
| Edilberto Gopez | 385,000 |
|---|---|
| Manoj Pentakota | 350,000 |
| Bonifacio Mondalo | 0 |
Level 6:
4K/8K (8K BBA)Thank You Mister Dealer
By Christian Zetzsche
Manoj Pentakota
Manoj Pentakota was all-in for 74,500 with 10 ♠️ 10 ♦️ against the J ♦️ J ♠️ of Euryd Rivera and the J ♣️ J ♥️ of Czardy Rivera.
Both Rivera's needed a good river-a after the A ♦️ 10 ♣️ 5 ♦️ flop and A ♠️ turn had improved Pentakota to a full house. Two aces were left in the deck but they didn't come on the 4 ♦️ river.
"Thank you delaer," Pentakota remarked.
Euryd Rivera
Euryd Rivera was then all-in for 38,000 with K ♠️ 10 ♠️ against the 6 ♠️ 4 ♦️ of David Erquiaga. The 9 ♥️ 9 ♠️ 3 ♠️ 5 ♦️ Q ♥️ almost caused an upset.
Right after on the same table, Lukasz Jankowski busted in a flip with fours versus ace-king.
| Player | Chip Count |
| David Erquiaga | 900,000 |
|---|---|
| Manoj Pentakota | 250,000 |
| Czardy Rivera | 220,000 |
| Euryd Rivera | 85,000 |
| Lukasz Jankowski | 0 |
Level 5:
3K/6K (6K BBA)Acdal Doubles Through Hong
By Christian Zetzsche
Following a raise to 12,000 and a call, Aj Acdal three-bet big for almost his entire stack and left just 6,500 behind which then went into the middle after the A ♠️ 5 ♦️ 4 ♥️ flop.
Aj Acdal: A ♦️ 10 ♥️
Ryan Hong: Q ♣️ J ♠️
The 4 ♠️ turn locked up the double to make the 6 ♣️ river a formality.
| Player | Chip Count |
| Ryan Hong | 235,000 |
|---|---|
| Aj Acdal | 220,000 |
Level 5:
3K/6K (6K BBA)Two Classic Flips in a Row
By Christian Zetzsche
Petteri Miettinen
Petteri Miettinen flipped with Q ♥️ Q ♠️ for the last 87,500 and he was up against the A ♥️ K ♦️ of Aleksandr Gorichev. The A ♠️ 6 ♠️ 4 ♣️ 3 ♥️ 6 ♦️ board sent Miettinen to the rail.
One table over, Alvir Inocentes was also flipping against David Erquiaga.
Alvir Inocentes: A ♠️ K ♦️
David Erquiaga: J ♣️ J ♠️
The 10 ♦️ 9 ♠️ 8 ♠️ J ♦️ 9 ♥️ board gave Erquiaga jacks full of nines.
| Player | Country |
| David Erquiaga | 930,000 |
|---|---|
| Aleksandr Gorichev | 370,000 |
| Alvir Inocentes | 0 |
| Petteri Miettinen | 0 |
Level 5:
3K/6K (6K BBA)Gorichev Gets a Shove Trough
By Christian Zetzsche
Aleksandr Gorichev
Aleksandr Gorichev checked the K ♦️ J ♠️ 8 ♦️ 4 ♠️ turn for Edgar Asehan to bet 40,000. Gorichev then jammed for 93,000 and Asehan asked for a count before he folded. The Russian is now at a table with fellow countryman Dmitrii Belikov, who is near the top of the leaderboard on the final five tables for now.
| Player | Chip Count |
| Dmitrii Belikov | 500,000 |
|---|---|
| Aleksandr Gorichev | 230,000 |
| Edgar Asehan | 75,000 |
Level 5:
3K/6K (6K BBA)Erquiaga Among the Leaders; Tan Out
By Christian Zetzsche
Ryan Tan
Japan's Tatsuki Usami flipped for his tournament life with Q ♠️ Q ♦️ against the ace-king of Ryan Tan. The board ran out 7 ♦️ 4 ♦️ 2 ♠️ 7 ♣️ 3 ♣️ and Usami doubled to leave Tan with a single T-500 chip.
While the hand concluded, David Erquiaga arrived from a broken table with a monster stack. It was also Erquiaga who sent Tan out when the latter got the chip in preflop, Rudy Edenata stuck around from the big blind.
In the end, Edenata check-folded the K ♠️ 6 ♣️ 3 ♠️ 9 ♦️ 7 ♣️ river when Erquiaga over-bet 120,000.
"Five high," Erquiaga jokingly declared but his 5 ♦️ 4 ♦️ was actually the open-ender that got there. Tan's A ♦️ K ♣️ were briefly exposed, too.
By the time the hand concluded, the next level was already underway with now 41 players left.
| Player | Chip Count |
| David Erquiaga | 675,000 |
|---|---|
| Rudy Edenata | 485,000 |
| Tatsuki Usami | 195,000 |
| Ryan Tan | 0 |
Level 4:
2.5K/5K (5K BBA)The Field Starts to Shrink
By Christian Zetzsche
Within the last few minutes, several players busted and among them were Ju Won Chung, Kai Ang, Samuel Schwarz, Jeonggil Kim, and Atsushi Takeuchi.
Ang departed against Guillaume Burette when the latter had looked up his all-in along with Oliver Lirio.
Burette's jam on the A ♣️ 7 ♣️ 6 ♠️ 6 ♥️ 7 ♥️ river was not called by Lirio as well and he was then shown it was a good decision when the Frenchman revealed the A ♠️ A ♦️ for top set, Ang's A ♥️ K ♠️ were second-best.
| Player | Chip Count |
| Guillaume Burette | 465,000 |
|---|---|
| Oliver Lirio | 75,000 |
| Kai Ang | 0 |
Level 4:
2.5K/5K (5K BBA)Asehan Knocks Out Tollefsen
By Christian Zetzsche
Edgar Asehan
The chips of Henrik Tollefsen had been reduced to a severe short stack when he got it in against Edgar Asehan, who looked him up with the K ♥️ Q ♦️ and flopped the nut straight before rivering a flush on the J ♥️ 10 ♠️ 9 ♥️ 7 ♥️ 6 ♥️ runout.
There are currently 51 players remaining, which means another 40 hopefuls need to bust before Flight C concludes.
| Player | Chip Count |
| Edgar Asehan | 148,000 |
|---|---|
| Henrik Tollefsen | 0 |
Level 4:
2.5K/5K (5K BBA)Game Over, Mister Anderson
By Christian Zetzsche
On a heads-up turn of Q ♦️ J ♦️ 10 ♠️ 3 ♠️ , Dakota Anderson jammed into Lloyd Locsin for the last 106,000 and the latter burned through some time banks before he called.
Anderson revealed his K ♠️ Q ♥️ for the top pair and straight draw, while Locsin was ahead with the J ♥️ 10 ♥️ for two pair.
The river was the 2 ♠️ and Anderson departed with a "I was hoping you'd fold this garbage".
| Player | Chip Count |
| Lloyd Locsin | 520,000 |
|---|---|
| Dakota Anderson | 0 |
Level 4:
2.5K/5K (5K BBA)Winner in the Titan Stack High Roller
By Christian Zetzsche
Tom Verbruggen - Titan Stack High Roller Champion
While Flight C continues with 53 players out of 80 entries remaining, the champion has been crowned in the Titan Stack High Roller. Serial crusher Tom Verbruggen, who has already notched up several trophies in Asia in the last few years, has defeated Fendy Kosasih in heads-up.
He denied the Demigods Challenge winner from Indonesia the chance for the double-fisted Hulk smash in the winner shots with the two gauntlet trophies and will have quite a handsome one to display on his own shelves.
Both players started very even in chips before Verbruggen won three big pots on the river.
In the final hand, Kosasih was at risk with A ♠️ 4 ♣️ against the A ♣️ Q ♠️ of Verbruggen, who remained ahead throughout the Q ♣️ 9 ♠️ 6 ♠️ 7 ♠️ 10 ♦️ board.
Verbruggen claimed the top prize of PHP 1,670,400 while Kosasih had to settle for PHP 1,113,600. Watch out for him in the last two flights of the Main Event tomorrow!
Level 3:
2K/4K (4K BBA)Painful Fold for Anderson
By Christian Zetzsche
Dakota Anderson
Dakota Anderson had bet 20,000 on a previous street and then bet the 7 ♥️ 6 ♠️ 2 ♣️ K ♦️ 8 ♦️ river for 55,000. LLoyd Locsin then jammed for 224,500 and that sent Anderson deep into the tank.
The American burned through eight of his ten available time banks before he folded.
"Friend, if this is a bluff you deserve it ... I literally had top of my range," Anderson said in the table chat.
| Player | Chip Count |
| Lloyd Locsin | 315,000 |
|---|---|
| Dakota Anderson | 116,500 |
Level 3:
2K/4K (4K BBA)Ko Doubles Through Gorichev
By Christian Zetzsche
Richi Donghee Ko
Richi Donghee Ko had all but the last 30,000 in preflop and then got it in after the 9 ♣️ 7 ♣️ 7 ♦️ flop, Aleksandr Gorichev looked him up.
Richi Donghee Ko: 3 ♥️ 3 ♣️
Aleksandr Gorichev: A ♥️ Q ♠️
The K ♥️ turn and J ♠️ river were both paint but Gorichev missed.
| Player | Chip Count |
| Aleksandr Gorichev | 255,000 |
|---|---|
| Richi Donghee Ko | 108,000 |
Level 3:
2K/4K (4K BBA)Chip and a Chair for Galvez No More
By Christian Zetzsche
Kei Sugita
Renniel Galvez had a big clash with Kei Sugita when he flopped a pair and the ace-high flush draw only for Sugita to turn broadway on a board of K ♥️ 10 ♣️ 5 ♥️ Q ♣️ 10 ♠️ .
Galvez's A ♥️ 10 ♥️ were exposed, as were the A ♣️ J ♣️ of Sugita, and the stacks were counted. Sugita was the at-risk player for 83,000 and that left Galvez on fumes.
His last 7,500 went in preflop the next hand and Sugita isolated.
Renniel Galvez: Q ♥️ 9 ♥️
Kei Sugita: 9 ♠️ 9 ♦️
The pocket pair held on the 6 ♠️ 5 ♦️ 5 ♣️ 10 ♥️ 2 ♠️ board.
| Player | Chip Count |
| Kei Sugita | 275,000 |
|---|---|
| Renniel Galvez | 0 |
Level 3:
2K/4K (4K BBA)Small Pot for Hong Against Derecho
By Christian Zetzsche
Ryan Hong
Ryan Hong raised for Emmanuel Derecho to defend the big blind and check-call a A ♥️ 8 ♥️ 5 ♣️ flop for 5,000. They checked down the 5 ♥️ turn and J ♥️ river when running hearts brought a four-card flush out there.
Derecho tabled the Q ♠️ 8 ♦️ and Hong won the pot with the A ♣️ 8 ♣️ .
| Player | Chip Count |
| Ryan Hong | 255,000 |
|---|---|
| Emmanuel Derecho | 55,000 |
Level 3:
2K/4K (4K BBA)Late Registration for Flight C Has Closed
By Christian Zetzsche
The late registration has closed with 58 players out of 80 entries remaining and the blinds increased to 2,000-4,000/4,000 for all late entrants to enter with 30 big blinds. Below are the biggest stacks in Flight C after four hours of play.
All levels for the remainder of this flight will last 35 minutes each.
| Player | Chip Count |
| Viet An Nguyen | 660,000 |
|---|---|
| Rudy Edenata | 465,000 |
| Aleksandr Gorichev | 400,000 |
| David Erquiaga | 360,000 |
| Edilberto Gopez | 320,000 |
| Dmitrii Belikov | 220,000 |
Level 2:
1K/2K (2K BBA)More Than 70 Entries for Flight C Already
By Christian Zetzsche
The clock is ticking for all those interested to join the PHP 30 Million guaranteed Gods Of Poker Manila Main Event - at least for today. Flight C has reached the late stages of level two with 52 players out of 72 entries remaining and that has brought the overall field size up to 159 total entries.
Some recent casualties included Kei Sugita, Ronald Haverkamp, Sunggyu Lee, Thanh Cao Nguyen, and Benigno Ledina. New in the field are Gary Thompson, and Player of the Series contender Alvir Inocentes.
The live updates for this flight will commence after this break when the late registration has closed.
Level 2:
1K/2K (2K BBA)Watanabe Eliminated by Schwarz
By Christian Zetzsche
Samuel Schwarz
Almost half-way through level two, the field shows 54 players out of 61 entries remaining and the last casualty was Katsutoshi Watanabe from Japan. He got it in preflop with A ♦️ 7 ♦️ against the 9 ♥️ 9 ♦️ of Samuel Schwarz.
The 6 ♠️ 4 ♥️ 3 ♦️ 9 ♠️ 2 ♦️ board ended the run of the player from Japan, who can still re-enter until the start of level three in this flight.
Watanabe was replaced by Norway's Henrik Tollefsen, who is a resident of Manila and very frequent participant in the major local tournaments.
| Player | Chip Count |
| Samuel Schwarz | 170,000 |
|---|---|
| Katsutoshi Watanabe | 0 |
Level 2:
1K/2K (2K BBA)Six Tables in Play in Flight C
By Christian Zetzsche
The action has certainly picked up in Flight C as there are currently six tables in play and out of the 54 entries recorded, only six casualties have emerged some 20 minutes into the second level which is set to last another 100 minutes.
Once the field returns from the second break, the registration for this flight will close. All new entries right now get 60 big blinds worth, max late entry will get 30 big blinds still.
The overall tally has now reached 131 entries.
Level 1:
500/1K (1K BBA)Four Tables Running for Flight C
By Christian Zetzsche
Around half an hour remains in the first level of Flight C and the field has reached 27 players out of 31 entries remaining. During the one and a half hours so far, four players have been eliminated and the first to go was Rudy Edenata despite doubling back to the starting stack not long ago.
Seung Hyun Han and Dmitrii Belikov followed to the rail before Justin Ong busted and immediately re-entered.
The overall field size now stands at 118 entries and the late registration for Flight C is open until approximately 6.30 p.m. local time.
Level 1:
500/1K (1K BBA)First Re-Entry in Flight C Avoided
By Christian Zetzsche
The cards are already in the air for some 40 minutes in Flight C and there are 18 players showing according to the clock. High Roller regular Rudy Edenata had lost half of his stack and then jammed for 55,000 preflop to get called by Atsushi Takeuchi.
Edenata had two live cards with Q ♠️ 8 ♥️ versus A ♠️ K ♠️ and hit one of them on the 10 ♥️ 8 ♣️ 7 ♥️ 6 ♠️ J ♠️ runout to double, instead sending Takeuchi to half the starting stack which is still a very healthy 60 big blinds.
| Player | Chip Count |
| Rudy Edenata | 112,000 |
|---|---|
| Atsushi Takeuchi | 65,000 |