The Manila Megastack 4 Main Event is up and running at PokerStars Live Manila poker room at City of Dreams Manila. Random updates are posted right here as action continues throughout the day. Registration is now closed. We will be playing to the maximum of 16 levels or down to 10 percent of the field.

9:00PM: Day 1a ends with Tech on top

Day 1a has just ended with John Tech bagging the most chips, 681k. There were a total of 22 players left in the field.

9:00PM: Tran and Augustyn avoid the rail

With the last several hands to play declared, the short stacks began to shove their chips. In one hand, Brice Augustyn shoved and was called by Franklin Acfalle. Augustyn doubled up when his K♦ 4♠ landed a king on the board. At the last hand, Augustyn joined another player who was all in with Jae Wook Shin calling both of them. Augustyn tripled up with his 4♣ 5♥ that landed trips on the board. Shin collected the side pot with his A♠ Q♦ landing a pair.

Tran also enjoyed a double up with his jack-ten landing a ten on the board against ace-queen.

8:45PM: Tech vs Ong

Ben Ong and John Tech engaged in a preflop raise war and after Ong finally flat-called the 60k raise, it was off to the flop of J♣ 3♥ 4♣ . Ong checked to Tech who bet 57k. Ong called. At the turn of 9♥ , both players checked. Then on the river of J♠ , they checked once more. Tech won with his A♦ K♠ .

8:30PM: Worth triples up

Justin Worth has watched his stack swing up and down and with 24 players left in the field, he shoved his remaining chips joining Renato Villanueva who also had his chips all in. The big stack Jae Wook Shin called and it was a showdown. Worth had Q♠ J♠ , Villanueva with K♥ Q♥ , and Shin with A♠ 5♦ . The board ran 2♣ 5♣ J♣ 4♥ Q♣ and Worth tripled up with two pairs. Villanueva earned a small side pot.

8:15PM: Tech eliminates Simba

John Tech has eliminated another player in the field, Sim jae Kyung aka Simba. Simba went all in with his remaining 147k chips and Tech, after initially raising double the blinds, tanked for a bit then called. Simba had 5♣ 5♦ and Tech had A♠ 4♦ . The board was good to Tech as it ran 7♠ A♦ Q♥ A♣ K♣ booting Simba out of the field.

8:00PM: Huerto with a few snowmen

Joven Huerto was all in with pocket eights and needed to get lucky against John Tech’s pocket jacks in order to stay in the game. The flop gave him exactly what he needed when it ran 8♣ 2♥ 9♥ A♦ 7♥ . His set of snowmen came with a nice double up.

7:45PM: Co unafraid of the big stacks

Eugene Co found himself in a hand with two big stacks, John Tech and Justin Worth. During the hand, Worth raised to 15k and both Co on the sb seat and Tech on the bb called. At the flop of 10♦ 7♣ 4♠ , they all checked, but on the turn of 10♥ , action got busy with Co checking to Tech. Tech bet out 17k, was called by Worth, then Co check-raised to 40k. Tech folded and so did Worth and Co was awarded the pot.

7:30PM: Tran avoids elimination

Linh Tran only had 51k chips left and decided to take a stand and shove with his Q♦ 9♣ . He was called by Joven Huerto with A♠ J♦ . With the board running 2♣ 8♣ 9♠ 6♣ 6♥ , he connected with a pair and earned a double up.

7:15PM: Montebon doubles up through Dimaano

Trifie Montebon got all his chips in the middle and found one caller, big-stacked Ronald Dimaano. Montebon had J♣ 10♦ and Dimaano had pocket fours. The board landed a ten on the river giving Montebon a higher pair and a much needed double up.

7:00PM: Dimaano ousts two players

Ronald Dimaano celebrated his recent win after eliminating two players with his pocket kings. Catching the action at the flop of 10♥ 8♣ 6♠ , Mark Larsen shoved with is remaining 13k, Dimaano raised to 35k, and Anton Chernykh called generating a nice side pot. At the turn of 8♦ , Dimaano quickly went all in and with less chips, Chernykh had something to think about. He eventually called and was disappointed to see Dimaano’s pocket kings way ahead of his jack-ten. Larsen had seven-five. Wit the river of 7♣ , Dimaano swept it and sent Larsen and Chernykh packing.

6:45PM: Shin and Tech continue to increase their stacks

Jae Wook Shin now has around 370k chips after shaving some off Glenn Jacobo’s stack. Action began with Shin raising to 12k and getting called by Jacobo who initially limped in. At the flop of 10♣ 9♠ 2♣ , Jacobo led out for 12k only to face a raise by Shin to 35k. Jacobo eventually called. At the turn of J♣ , Jacobo checked to Shin who immediately announced all in with his massive stack. Jacobo tanked for a bit once more but opted to fold and fight another hand.

As for John Tech, he raised preflop and Justin Worth called. Both players checked the action all the way to the river and Tech won with his K♦ 9♦ pair as Worth mucked.

6:30PM: Overcards no good against Simba’s pocket pair

In a fifty-fifty flip, Simba and another player called an all in. Simba and the other caller checked the board down to the river as it ran J♣ 2♥ 8♣ 3♠ J♦ . Simba had pocket sixes and scooped the pot against pocket fours and ace-king.

6:15PM: Worth hurts Tolentino’s stack

Justin Worth and Richard Tolentino were all in preflop with Worth holding pocket tens against Tolentino’s ace-king. The board ran blanks for Tolentino and gave Worth another ten to further improve his hand. Worth now has over 100k chips while Tolentino fell to around 10k.

6:00PM: Nice betting gives Yao a decent pot

Kicking off the betting round with a raise by Hui Yao, three players joined in and saw a flop land 9♣ 3♦ 8♥ . Action checked to Yao who continued and bet 3k which was called by two players. At the turn of 10♣ , action was the same with Yao continuing his bet of 8600. One player stayed with him and on the river of 9♦ , Yao won the pot with top pair holding jack-ten after they both checked.

5:45PM: Tech at 250k

John Tech has been the bane of the players at his table. With a big stack, he has been dominating the table, testing players by shoving his big stack, and eliminating a few in the process. He sits with around 250k chips. He was recently moved to another table. We shall keep an eye on how he progresses in his new spot.

5:30PM: Card rush for Shin

Table 2 could only sit in awe as Jae Wook Shin amassed numerous pots with big hands that railed several players at his table. Shin had three ace-kings, one of which railed Derek Hernandez, then eliminated returning champion Euryd Rivera. Rivera had ace-jack while Shin had pocket queens on a board that gave Rivera trips with his jack but with a queen also on board, Shin landed a full house. If that wasn’t enough, he was shipped more chips when he railed Bryan Huang that saw betting all the way to the river. With the board 10♠ A♠ 6♣ J♠ 4♠ , Shin put Huang all in and Huang called for his tournament life. Shin showed A♥ Q♠ for top pair and Huang mucked while getting up to leave. Shin sits with 300k chips.

5:15PM: Benz rakes in another sizable pot

Sebastian Benz in on a roll. Already the big stack at his table, he called a player’s bet of 4200 on a board showing Q♠ 5♣ 9♣ . At the turn of A♥ , both players checked. Then on the river of J♣ , he bet 8500 then called a raise to 20k. Benz won with A♣ Q♦ two pairs.

5:00PM: Ladies shine on Reyes

Regie Ann Delos Reyes looked down at a pair of ladies and after a preflop raise war that led to a pot climbing to nearly 40k, they dealer finally got the chance to lay out the flop. It ran Q♠ 4♥ 8♠ . Action began with an all in announcement and Delos Reyes snap-calling. Her ladies hit a set and burned her opponent’s pocket aces. The turn and river kept her ahead and she doubled up.

4:30PM: Cheung can’t get away from Intia

Another massive pot was claimed at an outer table. Coming into the hand at the flop of 6♦ K♣ 3♠ and a pot of around 53k already swimming in the middle. Sparrow Cheung bet 8k, Luke Pangan was all in with 11k, and Jester Intia moved all in for 41,450. This immediately sent Cheung deep into the tank until time was finally called on him. He reluctantly made the call and was crushed to see Intia with 3♥ 3♣ set against his A♦ K♦ top pair. Pangan had J♥ J♠ . With the turn of K♥ , it was possible for Cheung to catch up, but with the river of 8♠ , Intia took it down and amassed around 150k chips.

4:15PM: Benz climbs to 160k in a three-way all in

It was a crazy three-way all in extravaganza with action kicked off by a mid position player who raised from 600 to 1200. Acting next was Sebastian Benz who pumped it up to 5300. Next to him was John King who decided to call, but Ashley de Guzman four-bet to make it 17k. The initial raiser got out of the way but Benz wasn’t going anywhere and made the call. Next was King who wasted no time announcing he was all in for around 60k total. De Guzman dumped the rest of his chips in which was 10k, then Benz joined in the fun. At the showdown, Benz had K♠ K♥ , De Guzman with A♠ K♣ , and King opened up 8♠ 7♠ which shocked the entire table. The board ran K♦ 2♦ Q♦ 6♠ 5♦ keeping Benz in the lead and he was shipped a massive pot over 160k.

4:00PM: Leonarez railed by Tech

It was a painful way to depart the field for Jesse Leonarez. He moved all in on a boad showing 3♣ 10♥ 9♦ 7♠ . Needing to call around 24k, John Tech assessed the board and finally made the call. Tech had 10♠ 8♠ for top pair and a straight draw, while Leonarez held 7♦ 9♣ for two pairs. The river landed a 10♦ giving Tech trips and all of Leonarez’s chips.

3:45PM: Camacho loses some to Marquez

Maria Camacho lost a bit of chips in a hand that began with Richard Marquez raising just over double to 1325. Camacho, and the blinds Justin Worth and Koh Hong Fo both called. At the flop of J♥ 9♠ 4♦ , action checked to Camacho who laid out a 2k bet and was check-called by Marquez. On the turn of K♠ , Marquez took the initiative and bet 3k which only Camacho flat-called. Then on the river of 2♦ , Marquez laid out 21,300 chips that covered Camacho’s stack. She opted to fold.

3:30PM: Cheung raises for a nicely earned pot

With a 4500 pot in the middle and board showing 4♥ 9♠ 10♣ , Tetsuya Tsuchikawa bet half the pot, was called by big stacked Jester Intia, but Sparrow Cheung on the button made it 6500. After tanking, Tsuchikawa folded and so did Intia, giving Cheung a nicely earned pot.

3:15PM: Yao vs Tech

Hui Yao muscles John Tech by raising to 1150 on Tech’s big blind. Tech called and the flop ran 6♣ 7♣ 5♠ . Both players checked to see a free turn card land K♣ . Tech checked again, Yao bet 1k, and Tech called. On the river of 7♠ , Tech checked again, Yao quickly dumped 4k into the betting line, and Tech gave up his hand.

3:00PM: Rivera in the house

Returning champion Euryd Rivera has just joined the event.

2:45PM: Maturan turns a straight for a big scoop

What a crazy hand! XXX just scooped up close to a triple up in an action packed hand. After a raised pot preflop, three players saw a board run 6♥ 10♠ 9♠ . Action ensued with Jiayi Sun betting, getting raised by Nominel Maturan, three-bet by Kok Hong Fo, four-bet by Sun, then shove shove shove. Sun had king-ten, Maturan had pocket kings, and Fo had a pocket nines for a set at the flop. Dramatically, the board landed a king on the turn giving Maturan the lead, and with the river of 5♠ , he won a massive pot bringing him to around 90k.

2:30PM: 120 players

We are now at the start of level 5. There are 120 entries in the books. Mike Kim, Srinivas Polishetty, and RJ Villanueva have all joined the field.

2:30PM: Chernykh’s big slick avoids split vs Graham

Anton Chernykh flipped open his ace-king against Johnny Graham’s ace-queen on a board that had an ace and the rest rags. Chernykh won the pot, around 18k.

2:20pm: Tran claims one over Kim

Catching the hand only at the river, the board showed 3♠ 7♥ K♣ 9♠ Q♥ . A big pot was already weighing down the middle and Tommy Kim faced a 20k bet from Linh Tran. After tankig for quite some time, Kim folded and scooped a big pot without showing.

2:15PM: Pitero chipping up

Having previously won a nice pot against a couple of players at his table, Rene Pitero claimed another pot. The hand began with a raise by the button player from 300 to 1300. The flop ran Q♣ 10♣ A♣ and everyone checked. At the turn of 2♣ , action checked to Pitero who bet 3k. No once matched it up and Pitero earned another nice pot.

2:00PM: More notables at the felt

With chips shuffling all around the room, empty seats are quickly being filled. Among the notables who arrived late were Bryan Huang, Jesse Leonarez, John Tech, SooJo Kim, Lloyd Fontillas, and Tetsuya Tsuchikawa to mention a few.

1:45PM: Riad settles for a split

John Riad was in a raised pot preflop against three other players with 2300 already in the middle. At the flop of J♠ 6♠ 3♥ , everyone checked. At the turn of J♣ , Riad checked from the small blind then check-raised the utg player from 600 to 2000. The utg called. On the river of 6♥ , Riad bet 11k and was called. Both players had a jack and had to settle for a split pot.

1:30PM: Park bets for the pot

Sometimes all you gotta do is bet the pot and it’s yours. In a hand the began with a 4x the blinds raise to 800 preflop, three players called and off to the flop they went. By the time the dealer filled the board to the river, no one had made a move to bet so button player Sun Park dropped in a big bet and everyone folded.

1:15PM: Early casualties

First player to bust out was Dominic Siew from Singapore. Just a few minutes ago we saw American player Annie Bordallo fall at the hands of Edmund Eng.

1:00PM: Notables at the felt

Action is already heating up the tables. Some of the notables at the felt are Welsh poker pro Dave Colclough, Korea’s Sim Jae Kyung aka Simba, Canada’s Linh Tran, Hong Kong’s Sparrow Cheung, Japan’s Iori Yogo, Norwegian player Kai Paulsen, and Justin Worth from Australia.

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