button in SafariWelcome to the SiGMA Poker Tour Manila Day 1c
At 6 p.m. local time, the third of five starting days for the first-ever SiGMA Poker Tour Manila Main Event will be kicking off inside of the Grand Ballroom at the stunning City of Dreams Manila hotel and entertainment complex. The flagship tournament of the festival is taking place in cooperation with the venue's Soul Poker Club and the entire series features more than a dozen events boasting a combined PHP 20 million (≈$323,675) in guaranteed prize pools.
All eyes will be on the PHP 40,000 (≈$650) SPT Manila Main Event, which comes with a PHP 15 million (≈$242,755) guarantee and two flights have already been completed on May 31, 2026. The opening flight attracted 77 entries of which 10 players advanced whereas the turbo heat 1b produced another 11 entries and two players made it through. Run-away chip leaders at the top of the leaderboard are Gursimran Brar (988,800) and Alex Tchong (672,900), who have more than two times their nearest follower.
Among the notables already through to the money stages are Henrik Tollefsen (252,400), Patrick Clarke (245,200), Anton Del Rosario (110,900), as well as Dylan Yip (90,200). Each of the five starting plays is scheduled to reach the top 12.5% of their respective field and the money bubble in the first flight burst rather early in level 13.
All players start with 40,000 in chips and that represents 200 big blinds at 100-200. As has been the case for many major international live poker events, the big blind ante format is in play and that is also the case for the action clock. Players have to act within 20 seconds preflop and on the flop whereas the turn and river has 30 seconds available to everyone. There is also an option to try and qualify multiple times for Day 2 in which case the larger stack will be carried over with a min-cash awarded for each inferior stack.
On Day 1c, the action will be fast-paced either way as the level duration of 20 minutes awaits. The late registration is open for the first 11 levels with closing blinds of 700-1,400 and a big blind ante of 1,400. For tomorrow's Day 1d, the level duration reverts back to 40 minutes each while the final turbo heat has levels of 20 minutes once again.
Several other tournaments are available for poker enthusiasts from near and far including the debut of the The Hendon Mob Championship on Asian soil. With a buy-in of PHP 12,000 (≈$194), the tournament takes place during the final two days of the series on June 3 and 4, 2026, featuring a PHP 3 million (≈$48,551) guarantee. Other notable events on the schedule include the PHP 15,000 Mystery Bounty, a PHP 5,000 Deepstack Turbo and a PHP 5,000 Last Chance event, as well as the invitation-only ATFX Highroller Invitational.
In the ongoing PHP 15,000 Sigma Bounty Event, there are 14 hopefuls left out of a field of 47 entries and they are competing for PHP 380,465 in cash prizes for the top six finishers as well as instant cash prizes for each knockout.
Among those expected to join the Main Event action are South Africa's Sugen Singh, David "Dave Spade" Erquiaga, Kim Enriquez, Edgar Asehan, Ivan Tabucal, and Renato Villanueva as they all bowed out from Day 1a.
Never Miss a Moment with MyPlayers on PokerNews
Stay closer than ever to the action with MyPlayers. This brand new, free feature on PokerNews puts your favorite poker players front and center. Whether you're keeping tabs on legends like Daniel Negreanu or following a friend grinding their way through a Day 2, MyPlayers delivers real-time updates tailored just for you. No subscriptions, no paywalls - just the hands, chip counts, and bustouts that matter most.
It’s simple: log in, search for any player in our live coverage, hit the star, and they’ll be added to your personalized MyPlayers list. You’ll see their progress across all live-reported events, with chip counts and updates pinned right where you need them at the top.
From railbirds to backers, MyPlayers is the smarter way to stay connected to the game.
Stay tuned for all of the live poker action from here in the Philippines as the PokerNews live reporting team is on the floor to cover all of the action until a Main Event champion has been crowned on June 4, 2026.