The APPT Manila 2025 festival marked the 16th edition of the prestigious Asia Pacific Poker Tour series, held from July 23 to August 4, 2025, in the luxurious setting of Cove Manila. Over 13 days, APPT Manila offered a rich tournament schedule for both hobbyists and high-stakes players, with a guaranteed prize pool exceeding ₱130 million (approximately $2.5 million). The Main Event was undoubtedly the biggest draw, offering players the chance at nearly a million dollars with a buy-in of around $1,400.
₱19 Million in Just One Week
Local player Justin Ong dominated a massive Main Event field of 1,246 entries to take home the top prize of an astounding ₱14,800,000 (approximately $256,400). Alongside this hefty win, he secured a trophy and a package for the APPT Manila Championship worth ₱210,000. This achievement becomes even more impressive with his victory at the Red Dragon Open, where he outperformed 433 competitors just five days earlier.
With his previous win at the Red Dragon, Ong collected over ₱19 million from the entire festival, marking a career-defining achievement and one of the best results in Asian poker history. He also secured two packages for the APPTC, opening up further opportunities for success.
Final Table: A Battle of Nerves and Bluffs
Entering the final as the chipleader, Ong faced his biggest rival, fellow Filipino Oliver Lirio. Like Ong, Lirio had eliminated several players and entered heads-up with a larger stack. However, his chiplead didn't last long. Ong returned to aggressive play, successfully executing bluff after bluff until he regained the lead. In the tournament's final hand, Ong's 8 d 8 c bested Oliver Lirio's J d 9 d in a coin flip.
A tired Ong, smiling after his victory, remarked: “It was a long festival, and now I’ll go home to enjoy my win with my family. I’ve been away for too long.” He also assessed his face-off with Lirio: “When we got to heads-up, I was behind, so I felt no pressure. Even though I knew the pay jump was huge, I felt no pressure because he was the chipleader. I bluffed him a lot and gradually turned everything in my favor.”
|
Position |
Player |
Country |
Winnings (USD) |
|
1. |
Justin Ong |
Philippines |
~$256,370 |
|
2. |
Oliver Lirio |
Philippines |
~$160,230 |
|
3. |
Chase Cokaliong |
Philippines |
~$114,330 |
|
4. |
Kim Enriquez |
Philippines |
~$88,345 |
|
5. |
Ryan Tan |
Philippines |
~$67,730 |
|
6. |
Sungmin Oh |
Korea |
~$52,140 |
The APPT Manila 2025 Festival in Pictures
This year's APPT Manila festival ran from July 23 to August 4 and attracted thousands of players from around the world. The tournament schedule was packed, featuring 70 events in a short period. The entire festival took place in the luxurious Okada Manila Casino, which for several weeks became the epicenter of poker in Southeast Asia.
We also bring you more exclusive shots from APPT Manila 2025. For more information about the entire event, visit our partner SoMuchPoker, where you can find detailed results and the full course of the tournaments.
Source: SoMuchPoker, Flickr
