The 16th edition of the Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) 2025 is in full swing at the luxurious Cove Manila, City of Dreams Manila, with several champions already crowned.
However, all eyes are now on the biggest highlight of the festival — the highly anticipated APPT Manila Main Event, which is set to begin and promises to be the centerpiece of the entire series.
2025 APPT Manila Main Event
The 2025 APPT Manila Main Event makes history this year with a record-breaking ₱58,000,000 (~US$1,010,000) guaranteed prize pool — the largest in the event’s history!
To give more players a shot at glory, the tournament features four starting flights with a ₱80,000 (~US$1,395) buy-in.
Players will start with 30,000 in chips, equivalent to 300 big blinds at the opening level.
Blinds increase every 40 minutes, and late registration remains open until the end of Level 10 (around 7:10 PM).
Each flight will play down to approximately 15% of the field or until the end of Level 15.
🃏 Tournament at a Glance
- Dates: July 31 – August 4, 2025
- Buy-in: ₱80,000 (~US$1,395)
- Guaranteed Prize Pool: ₱58,000,000 (~US$1,013,970)
- Payouts: Top ~15% of the field
Day 1 Schedule:
Day 1A: July 31 (Thu)
Day 1B: August 1 (Fri)
Day 1C: August 2 (Sat)
Day 1D (Turbo, 20-min levels): August 2 (Sat)
Day 2: August 3 (Sun)
- Final Table: August 4 (Mon)
As the 2025 APPT Main Event approaches, several well-known names have already been spotted at the tables — including defending champion Xiong Cheng, who secured his seat through the APPT Super Qualifier and is aiming for back-to-back titles.
Two former champions are also in attendance:
Wu Yuanning (China) – 2023 APPT Manila Champion
Florencio Campomanes (Philippines) – 2019 APPT Manila Champion
Their presence guarantees an even tougher and more thrilling field for this year’s event.
🏆 Early Highlights:
Youngtaek Lim Dominates the APPT National
Youngtaek Lim delivered a commanding performance in the APPT National, dominating the field from start to finish.
After topping the Day 1A chip counts, Lim continued his momentum through Day 2, entering the final table as the overwhelming chip leader — and never looked back.
His victory run felt almost surreal — with a series of stunning eliminations that left both opponents and spectators in disbelief.
With this dominant performance, Lim captured his first-ever APPT trophy (APPT shard trophy) along with a prize of ₱3,340,000 (~US$59,900).
Leo Kamiya Wins APPT Open Title
Australia’s Leo Kamiya captured his second APPT shard trophy in this series, along with a top prize of ₱2,999,000 (~US$52,430), emerging as the APPT Open Champion.
The final table was full of twists and turns. During the heads-up battle against Korea’s Gi Boum Kim, Kamiya initially held the lead but lost momentum after suffering a bad beat. However, he quickly bounced back with a revenge bad beat of his own to reclaim control and seal the victory.
After his win, Kamiya said:
“It feels amazing to win! This is my first time finishing first in a major event.
I’m really happy and thankful that things ran well for me — finally, a big win!”
Maxwell Rosete Wins Okada Kickoff Event
Maxwell Rosete, in red-hot form, took down the Okada Kickoff, the first major event of the series.
This early victory was especially meaningful for Rosete, who finished 3rd in the 2024 APPT Manila Main Event.
Rosete reflected after his win:
“I finished third last year, and now I’ve got another chance to chase the Main Event trophy.
My plan is simple — play every hand the best I can and hope luck stays on my side.”
Other Highlights
🏆 APPT Super High Roller
The APPT Super High Roller continues today with 14 players remaining from a total of 18 entries.
💰 The top four finishers will make the money, with the champion taking home ₱4,200,000 (~US$72,700).
🃏 PokerStars Red Dragon Update
Justin Ong leads the charge in PokerStars Red Dragon Day 2!
The PokerStars Red Dragon Main Event has reached its final stage,
with the final table of nine set from a total field of 433 entries.
During Day 2, Justin Ong dominated the tables, crushing two final-table stages and bagging over 40% of the total chips in play, making him the clear favorite for the title.
Red Dragon Poker APP Officially Launched
The long-established tournament brand Red Dragon Cup has now released its own app — “Red Dragon Poker.”
The Red Dragon Cup is a well-known Asian poker brand with a strong reputation across the region. Originating in Macau, it quickly became one of the most influential poker events in Asia. Red Dragon Poker tournaments regularly attract players from all over the world, offering massive fields and impressive prize pools.
For those interested, we highly recommend downloading the “Red Dragon Poker” app to join more exciting tournaments.