PokerStars LIVE is back in the Philippines this week. The Manila Special 2026, a seven-day festival running from June 15 to 21 at Okada Manila, carries more than PHP 7,000,000 in total guarantees and lands at a perfect time for grinders across Asia looking for affordable buy-ins and a clear route into the region’s biggest summer event.
Held inside the dedicated PokerStars LIVE Manila poker room, twice named the best in Asia, the series leans into volume and value rather than nosebleed buy-ins. From the opening Mini Warm-up Marathon to the closing Survivor Knockout, almost every tournament is built to give recreational and mid-stakes players a real shot at a deep run.
A Week of Affordable Action
The schedule opens on June 15 with the Mini Warm-up Marathon (Event #1), a PHP 3,500 buy-in carrying a PHP 750,000 guarantee across three flights. From June 16 to 18, the Warm-up (Event #6) steps things up with a PHP 4,500 buy-in and a PHP 2,000,000 guarantee, played to the money across four starting flights.
The week closes on June 21 with a flurry of bounty and turbo events, headlined by the Survivor Knockout (Event #32), a PHP 10,000 buy-in with a PHP 20,000 bounty and a PHP 1,000,000 guarantee. Satellites feed every flagship, with seats into the Main Event available from as little as PHP 1,500.
The Main Event and the APPT Manila Pathway
The centrepiece is the Manila Special Main Event (Event #16), a four-flight, play-into-the-money tournament with a PHP 7,500 buy-in and a PHP 3,000,000 guarantee. Day 1 flights run June 18 to 20, with the final on June 21.
Beyond the prize pool, the Main Event doubles as a launchpad: the top three finishers each collect an APPT Manila Main Event package worth PHP 150,000, while places four through nine bank a Super Qualifier entry valued at PHP 9,000. With dedicated Step 1 Mega Qualifiers starting at just PHP 500, the Manila Special is one of the cheapest ways onto the felt for APPT Manila (July 28 to August 10, PHP 60M GTD) at Cove Manila.
Why It Matters for Asian Players
Manila has quietly become one of Asia’s most reliable year-round poker hubs, with the game fully legal and regulated across licensed casino properties. Okada Manila, a five-star integrated resort in Entertainment City roughly eight kilometres from NAIA airport, sits at the heart of that scene. For players in Korea, Japan, India, and across Southeast Asia, a short flight and a modest buy-in can now translate into a full week of action and a genuine path into a PHP 60M festival.
Entry is strictly 21-and-over with valid government ID or passport required, and a 3% staffing fee applies to all prize pools. Organisers also note that guarantees are suspended in the event of a typhoon, a sensible caveat for a June festival in the Philippines.
Whether you are planning to fly in or simply want to follow the action, the Manila Special is shaping up to be one of the most accessible stops on the 2026 Asian calendar.
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