Welcome to the 2018 PokerStars.net APPT Manila
The first starting flight of the PokerStars.net Asia Pacific Poker Tour Manila ₱55,000 Main Event gets underway at 2:00 p.m. local time today at the City of Dreams Manila resort which hosts the PokerStars LIVE Manila poker room.
With 5 of the events of the APPT Manila series awarding the winner a Platinum Pass valued at $30,000 to the PokerStars Players NL Hold’em Championship (PSPC) in addition to the first-place money, the turnout has been very promising so far and the ₱40 million series guarantee was already beaten on the third day of the nine-day series.
Tsolmon-Erdene Ochir took home the first of five Platinum Passes at APPT Manila, along with the first-place prize of ₱1,541,000 after winning the ₱15,000 APPT Kickoff Event. Local hero Marc Rivera claimed the second Platinum Pass after topping a field of 829 players in the ₱30,000 APPT National for ₱4,559,000. Three additional PSPC Platinum Passes remain up for grabs, including one in the Main Event.
The Main Event features unlimited reentry and two starting flights, the second flight being on Friday, August 10 at 6:00 p.m. The prize pool is guaranteed to be at least ₱20 million. Players will start with 30,000 in chips and will play twelve 45-minute levels. There will be a 10-minute break every three levels. The registration and reentry period will be open for 9 levels. Players who bag on Day 1a but are not satisfied with their stack will have the option to play again on Day 1b. Their biggest stack will carry through to Day 2, on Saturday August 11.
Main Event Day 1 Level Structure
| Level | Duration | Small Blind | Big Blind | Ante |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 45 | 50 | 100 | 0 |
| 2 | 45 | 75 | 150 | 0 |
| 3 | 45 | 100 | 200 | 25 |
| 4 | 45 | 150 | 300 | 50 |
| 5 | 45 | 200 | 400 | 50 |
| 6 | 45 | 250 | 500 | 75 |
| 7 | 45 | 300 | 600 | 100 |
| 8 | 45 | 400 | 800 | 100 |
| 9 | 45 | 500 | 1,000 | 100 |
| 10 | 45 | 600 | 1,200 | 200 |
| 11 | 45 | 800 | 1,600 | 200 |
| 12 | 45 | 1,000 | 2,000 | 300 |
Two Main Events winners have already been crowned during the 2018 APPT season including Lin Lu who took down the 2018 APPT Macau Main Event for HK$3,095,000 (~$394,549) and Michael Soyza who secured the APPT Korea Main Event title for ₩158,700,000 (~$150,000). Each of them was awarded a coveted PSPC Platinum Pass as well for their win.
Who will be the third Main Event Champion of 2018 APPT season?
Stay tuned to PokerNews to find out, as the Live Reporting team will be bringing you all the Main Event action straight from the tournament floor.
on the flop to the 
on the turn. Ochir bet 1,500 and both Doddapaneni and the button called.
, Ochir checked and Doddapaneni bet 3,000. The player on the button glanced at his cards once more and then decided to let go. Ochir looked at the board and slowly pushed his cards into the muck.
, Quxiao Chen checked to Kitty Kuo who bet 12,000 into a pot around 15,000 and Chen quickly check-raised all in for 36,900.
for aces over nines and Chen turned over 
for trip nines. 
. The big blind and the original raiser checked. Ungria Jr bet 3,000. The big blind folded. The original raiser called.
and was checked around to the 
river. The player under the gun opted to check again. Ungria Jr bet 5,000. His opponent called. Ungria Jr showed 
on the river. Phua looked at his stack and then announced he was all-in. The dealer threw the all-in button in front of Phua and Chen snap-called. 
for the turned wheel, Chen looked a bit stunned and then threw her closed cards over the line. The dealer turned around the 
to show what Chen held. After both their stacks were counted, Phua was deemed to have the bigger stack and Chen was eliminated in 2nd place.
. Kuo checked. The big blind continued for 3,300. Kuo check-called again.
river completed the board and Kuo threw in a bet of 13,000. Her opponent raised to 43,000. Kuo responded by moving all in for around 57,000. Her opponent snap-called and tabled 
for a rivered straight but that wasn't good enough as Kuo turned over 
for a higher straight.
into the 
