Zhiqiang Liu won the APPT Open at the APPT Championship Manila 2026 on Monday, October 12, taking ₱3,917,520 from a 403-entry field at Okada Manila’s Coral Lounge after beating the Philippines’ William Ysmael heads-up. On the same night, Filipino player Edgar Asehan won the ₱30,000 APPT National for ₱2,380,480 from 519 entries, according to Somuchpoker’s Day 5 report.
With both early trophies handed out, the season-ending festival now turns to the ₱165,000 APPT Championship Main Event, which carries a ₱60 million guarantee and runs October 15-19, according to PokerStars Live’s official APPT Manila Championship page (checked October 13, 2026).
Who made the APPT Open and APPT National final tables?
The APPT Open (₱60,000 buy-in, ₱15 million guarantee on the official schedule) had a final table led by Asian players. Every finalist also received a ticket on top of their cash, per Somuchpoker’s results:
- 1st: Zhiqiang Liu, ₱3,917,520
- 2nd: William Ysmael (Philippines), ₱2,435,000
- 3rd: Jason Kyle Magbanua (Philippines), ₱1,735,000
- 5th: Dongwook Kim (South Korea), ₱1,040,000. Kim led the final nine coming into the last day.
- 9th: Thanh Cao Nguyen (Vietnam), ₱425,000
The APPT National final table was even more regional. Asehan beat China’s Siyuan Liu (₱1,500,000) heads-up. South Korea’s Hogyun Kang finished third for ₱1,085,000, Japan’s Masataka Setoguchi fourth for ₱835,000, and Filipino Melvin Bataac fifth for ₱640,000. Japan’s Naoaki Ishihara and South Korea’s Homin Lee and Yongseok Choi also cashed at the final table.
When does the APPT Championship Manila 2026 Main Event start?
The APPT Championship Main Event runs October 15-19, 2026 at the Coral Lounge in Okada Manila, with a ₱165,000 buy-in and a ₱60 million guarantee, per PokerStars Live. Times are Manila time (UTC+8), which is one hour ahead of Bangkok and Jakarta and one hour behind Seoul and Tokyo.
Before the Main Event, the official schedule also lists these events:
- PokerStars Red Dragon: October 12-14, ₱50,000 buy-in, ₱15 million GTD
- APPT Super High Roller: October 14-15, ₱500,000 buy-in, ₱5 million GTD
- Survivor Knockout (₱50K bounty): October 14-15, ₱25,000 buy-in, ₱5 million GTD
Three more events run alongside the Main Event’s final days:
- APPT Mystery Bounty: October 17-18, ₱25,000 buy-in, ₱5 million GTD
- APPT Mini Championship: October 18-19, ₱35,000 buy-in, ₱3 million GTD
- APPT High Roller: October 18-19, ₱200,000 buy-in, ₱5 million GTD
The last time the APPT came to Okada Manila, the summer Main Event drew a record 1,413 entries (our report on that ₱97.6M prize pool). The ₱60 million guarantee is therefore the number to watch this week.
Can players from outside the Philippines enter?
Yes. The APPT Championship Manila is a live event, so anyone who meets the venue rules can buy in at Okada Manila, and players from South Korea, Japan, China, Vietnam and Malaysia are already in the field this week. PokerStars Live lists a minimum age of 21 and says players need valid ID such as a passport. The tournament area is non-smoking and the dress code is casual. For event questions, the official page gives live@pokerstarslive.com and a tournament WhatsApp line.
For the rest of the region’s calendar, see the PSR poker events page. If you are comparing online options before you travel, read our GGPoker vs PokerStars guide for Asia.