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Main Event
Day 1c Completed
2026 SiGMA Poker Tour Manila
Main Event
Day: 1c
Players Left 10 / 362
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Level 17
: Blinds 2,500/5,000, 5,000 ante
The third starting flight of the inaugural 2026 SiGMA Poker Tour Manila Main Event has concluded just before midnight and currently stands at 103 total entries with a possible overlay and a lot of value waiting for poker enthusiasts from near and far in the capital of the Philippines. For a buy-in of PHP 40,000 (≈$650), the flagship tournament of the festival at the luxurious five-star City of Dreams Manila hotel and entertainment complex boasts a PHP 15 million (≈$242,755) guarantee.
On Day 1c, there were 15 entries and the top two finishers were destined to reach the money stages. In somewhat unusual fashion, Edzel Villares was responsible for the first knockout of the flight in just the third hand of play. He was then knocked out himself, re-entered and sent Raffaele De Nicola to the rail on the 1c bubble to advance with a stack of 435,900. Villares was joined on Day 2 by Lukasz Jankowski (164,100), who previously finished on the final two tables of the 2023 APPT Cambodia Main Event.
So far, a total of 14 players have qualified for Day 2 and Villares leaped into third place among them with his late surge. With the action in the money set to resume on the fastest flight to reach the money, the blinds will roll back to at least level 13 which features blinds of 1,000-2,000/2,000. An overview of all qualifiers can be found below:
SiGMA Poker Tour Manila Main Event Day 2 Qualifiers 1a-1c:
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | BB Day 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gursimran Brar | India | 988,800 | 494 |
| 2 | Alex Chong | Hong Kong | 672,900 | 336 |
| 3 | Edzel Villares | Philippines | 435,900 | 218 |
| 4 | Marco Espela | Philippines | 273,900 | 137 |
| 5 | Henrik Tollefsen | Norway | 252,400 | 126 |
| 6 | Jaeil Lee | South Korea | 250,400 | 125 |
| 7 | Patrick Clarke | Ireland | 245,200 | 123 |
| 8 | Rodolf Ramo | Philippines | 209,900 | 105 |
| 9 | Justin Ong | Philippines | 190,600 | 95 |
| 10 | Lukasz Jankowski | Poland | 164,100 | 82 |
| 11 | Oleg Mordassov | Switzerland | 136,000 | 68 |
| 12 | Anton Del Rosario | Philippines | 110,900 | 55 |
| 13 | Christian Cloutier | Canada | 100,700 | 50 |
| 14 | Dylan Yip | Ireland | 90,200 | 45 |
Among the notable casualties on Day 1c were Edgar Kim, Edgar Asehan and Marko Tabak while Christopher Su went from big stack to zero to set up the bubble play which ultimately led to a very similar story for De Nicola. With more even stacks among the final trio, the Italian flopped a jack-high straight but couldn't get away from it when Villares turned a flush to check-raise and move all-in in the dark prior to the river card.
Another three events were running inside of the Grand Ballroom in cooperation with the Soul Poker Club with eight entries generated in the Main Event satellite. The PHP Sigma Bounty Event drew a total of 47 entries with PHP 615,465 in cash and bounty prizes up for grabs. Only the top six finishers locked up a cash prize for their efforts and Canada's Christian Cloutier ended up as the champion.
Down to the final five players, there was a three-way all-in with all three players holding ace-queen. The A♥Q♥ of Cloutier rivered a flush to eliminate Stefan Van Huyssteen and it ultimately set up the Canadian for the victory. Cloutier already bagged up chips on Day 1a of the Main Event, as did sixth-place finisher Dylan Yip from Ireland.
Final Result PHP 15,000 Bounty Event
| Place | Player | Country | Cash Prize (in PHP) | Cash Prize (in USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Christian Cloutier | Canada | PHP 148,465 | $2,401 |
| 2 | Minjung Kim | South Korea | PHP 87,500 | $1,415 |
| 3 | Benhur Ybarsabal | Philippines | PHP 53,300 | $862 |
| 4 | Anthony Castro | Philippines | PHP 38,000 | $614 |
| 5 | Stefan Van Huyssteen | South Africa | PHP 30,400 | $492 |
| 6 | Dylan Yip | Ireland | PHP 22,800 | $369 |
Last but not least, the Cubeia Platinum Freeroll sponsored by the online poker provider drew 75 entries and $5,000 in prizes are up for grabs thanks to Cubeia. Among the notable participants were the two well-known local Filipino poker pros Richard "Hotsauce" Marquez and David "Dave Spade" Erquiaga as well as Sugen Singh from South Africa. All of them are expected to join the action with two more flights to come in the Main Event.
Day 1d is scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m. local time on Tuesday, June 2, 2026 with a regular level structure of 40 minutes each. It will be followed by the last-chance turbo heat 1e at 6 p.m. local time with a 20-minute level duration.
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Stay tuned for all of the live action from Manila right here on PokerNews as the live reporting team will be on the floor to cover the 2026 SiGMA Poker Tour Manila Main Event all the way until a champion has been crowned on June 4, 2026.
Level 17
: Blinds 2,500/5,000, 5,000 ante
After the blinds had gone up, three-way limped action led to the K♦3♥2♦ flop on which Raffaele De Nicola check-called a bet of 5,000 by Lukasz Jankowski. The Q♦ followed on the turn and De Nicola check-folded to a bet of 15,000.
It was then De Nicola who bet the 9♦8♦7♠ flop for 15,000 and Edzel Villares check-called to check the 2♦ on the turn. De Nicola bet 35,000 and Villares' action clock ran down to almost zero before he declared a raise to 85,000. De Nicola spread out his remaining two time bank extensions before he called and Villares announced an all-in in the dark prior to the 6♣ river.
De Nicola made the call without using any further time banks and was shown the J♦4♦ for the jack-high flush, exposing his own J♣10♦ for the flopped jack-high straight. Both stacks were counted and Villares' 105,200 covered by one big blind to finish Day 1c half-way through level 17.
Level: 17
Blinds: 2,500/5,000
Ante: 5,000
Level 16
: Blinds 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
Lukasz Jankowski raised the button to 8,000 and picked up two callers. They ended up checking down the entire board of A♦3♥2♠Q♣K♣ and Edzel Villares mucked his cards. Raffaele De Nicola showed his J♣9♣ and Jankowski won the pot holding the K♥10♠ for a rivered pair of kings.
Level 16
: Blinds 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
Lukasz Jankowski raised the button to 8,000 and Raffaele De Nicola came along in the big blind. On a flop of 9♣4♠2♠, De Nicola check-called for 11,000 before the 6♠ turn went check, check. De Nicola bet the 2♣ river for 26,000 and Jankowski used one time bank before sending his cards into the muck.
Level 16
: Blinds 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
Edzel Villares raised to 8,500 out of the small blind and Raffaele De Nicola called in the big blind. The flop came A♦8♣5♥ and Villares grimaced while pointing at the flop: "That's my bet," he said referring to the eight-five. Villares then bet 15,500 and De Nicola folded.
Once the blinds went up, Villares won another pot with his aggressiob and has taken over the lead.
Level: 16
Blinds: 2,000/4,000
Ante: 4,000
Level 15
: Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
Raffaele De Nicola raised it up to 6,000 on the button and Edzel Villares defended the big blind to then check-fold the A♣8♣2♠ flop to a bet of 4,000. Villares limped the next button and won the three-way pot with a bet on an ace-high flop.
Level 15
: Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
In a battle of the blinds to the A♠K♦2♣4♦K♣ river, Lukasz Jankowski checked and then paid off a bet worth 15,000 by Edzel Villares. He tossed the chips towards his opponent already and the suspicion was correct, as Villares tabled the winner with K♠6♦.
Jankowski then opened the button to 7,000 and folded to a shove by Raffaele De Nicola in the big blind.
