The 2024 Asian Poker Tour (APT) Manila that wrapped yesterday was a grand success. The series drew players from across 53 countries, garnering 8,102 total entries across 101 trophy events and collecting a whopping PHP 349,691,602 ($5,944,757) in prize money. While it had a dream ending for the USA’s Daniel Lee, who won the record-breaking Main Event and banked a career-best PHP 15,060,000 (~$256,020), we saw several women etch their names in poker history. Among the female champions, South Korea’s Youngshin Im and Japan’s Sayaka Seshimoto were some of the biggest winners. Here is a quick recap of their victories.
South Korean Pro Wins Her First APT Title With Her Victory in Hyper Turbo Format
South Korea’s Youngshin Im won her first APT title by winning Event #100: Hyper Turbo – High Roller. A well-travelled professional with over $ 600,000 in live earnings, Im overcame a strong field of 46 high rollers (41 unique), taking home the top prize worth PHP 341,950 (~$5,813).
Japan’s Hidenari Tomita finished runner-up, earning PHP 236,000 (~$ 4,012), while fellow Japanese player Tatsumi Iwasaki rounded out podium finishes with PHP 151,000 (~$ 2,567).
HYPER TURBO – HIGH ROLLER FINAL Payouts
Place | Name | Prize |
1st | Youngshin Im | PHP 341,950 |
2nd | Hidenari Tomita | PHP 236,000 |
3rd | Tatsumi Iwasaki | PHP 151,000 |
4th | Rex David Clinkscales | PHP 115,000 |
5th | Dashsodnom Enkhjargal | PHP 90,000 |
6th | Tuvshintugs Batbold | PHP 70,00 |
Sayaka Seshimoto Secures Her First APT Title in Event #73: NL Hold’em – Freezeout
Sayaka Seshimoto won Event #73: NL Hold’em Freezeout at the 2024 APT Manila, securing her first APT title, and a career-best payout of PHP 595,304 (~$10,120). The Japanese player took down a massive field of 144 entrants and defeated Jass Chew Wei Jun in the heads-up showdown. Wei earned PHP 405,000 (~$6,885). Younghun Moon made it to the top 3 and pocketed PHP 267,000 (~$4,539). Only the top 20 players took a share of the prize pool.
2024 APT Manila Event #73: NL Hold’em Freezeout Payout
Rank | Player | Prize (PHP) |
1st | Sayaka Seshimoto | PHP 595,304 |
2nd | Jass Chew Wei Jun | PHP 405,000 |
3rd | Younghun Moon | PHP 267,000 |
4th | Yoontae Hwang | PHP 221,000 |
5th | Hao-Shan Huang | PHP 177,000 |
6th | Rungrot Nuannoi | PHP 139,000 |
7th | Andrei Vavilonskii | PHP 104,000 |
8th | Ronald Cassidy Yusuf | PHP 77,000 |
9th | Yu Sheng Lin | PHP 60,000 |
Ma Arlene Rivera Triumphs in Event #56: Women’s Event
Ma Arlene Rivera is the better half of the Philippines’ all-time money list leader Marc Rivera. While Marc Rivera didn’t taste any success in this year’s APT Manila. However, his wife did, as Ma Arlene Rivera triumphed in Event #56: Women’s Event II, capturing her first-ever poker title and a payout of 225,168 (~$3,828).
Li Jun Zhang ended up in the runner-up place, banking 163,000 (~$2,771), and South Korean player Daon Kang ended up in 3rd place for PHP 105,000 (~$1,785). From the 55 entries, the top 8 players collected a payout.
APT Manila Event #56: Women’s Event Final Table Payout
Rank | Player | Prize (PHP) |
1st | Ma Arlene Rivera | PHP 225,168 |
2nd | Li Jun Zhang | PHP 163,000 |
3rd | Daon Kang | PHP 105,000 |
4th | Pussacha Nonsing | PHP 80,000 |
5th | Ha Eun Jeong | PHP 62,000 |
6th | Grace Takayama | PHP 48,000 |
7th | Chu Yi Jedidah Tan | PHP 38,000 |
8th | Yukako Hiroi | PHP 30,000 |
Saori Tokunaga Wins Event #46: Women’s Event
Japanese player Saori Tokunaga outlasted a field of 76 ladies, in APT Manila’s Women’s Event, taking home her first APT title, and the top prize of PHP 140,091 (~$2,381). This victory marked her second poker title, pushing her career earnings over $13,600.
Catherine Dolores Calunsod ended up as the runner-up, earning PHP 100,000 (~$1,700), while Tokunaga’s fellow countrywoman Misaki Tominaga finished in third place, and collected PHP 66,000 (~$1,122). From the 76 field, 11 players split the prize pool.
Event #46: Women’s Event Final Table Payouts
Rank | Player | Prize (PHP) |
1st | Saori Tokunaga | PHP 140,091 |
2nd | Catherine Dolores Calunsod | PHP 100,000 |
3rd | Misaki Tominaga | PHP 66,000 |
4th | Clarence Cabaling | PHP 51,000 |
5th | Ferlyn Cabaling | PHP 40,000 |
6th | Maria Cristina Argao | PHP 31,000 |
7th | Hyunjin Lim | PHP 25,000 |
8th | Magdalene Low Yi Jia | PHP 19,000 |
9th | Jenelee Dizon | PHP 15,000 |
Camilla Samsing Wins Second APT Title at the 2024 APT Manila
Camilla Samsing emerged victorious in Event #14: Limit Triple Draw – Lowball Mix, securing her second career Asian Poker Tour title and a first-place prize money of PHP 125,026 (~$ 2,125). The PHP 12,000 buy-in event drew 33 entrants, generating PHP 338,025 (~$5,987), which was paid to the top 5 players.
Samsing defeated China’s Tao Ying in the heads-up play, Ying collected PHP 86,000 (~$1,462) for her impressive run. Norway’s Kai Danilo Paulsen finished 3rd in the event, earning PHP 55,000 (~$935).
Event #14: Limit Triple Draw – Lowball Mix Final Table Payouts
Rank | Player | Prize (PHP) |
1st | Camilla Samsing | PHP 125,026 |
2nd | Tao Ying | PHP 86,000 |
3rd | Kai Danilo Paulsen | PHP 55,000 |
4th | Yu Tang Wang | PHP 40,000 |
5th | Zhun Wang | PHP 32,000 |
Chu Yi Jedidah Tan Wins Event #84: Flip ‘N Go Hyper
Jedidah Tan from Singapore captured her first APT title in Event #84: Flip ‘N Go Hyper, taking on a unique format that required one in seven players to reach the money through a Flip Out Stage played in Crazy Pineapple style. Tan, made multiple final table appearances in this series, which includes a 7th place finish in Event #56: Women’s Event. She overcame a competitive final table to secure the top prize of PHP 90,994 (~$1,546) and her first victory of 2024.
Kwok Chun Yip from Hong Kong claimed the runner-up spot with PHP 67,000 (~$1,139), while Marc Richelieu Rivera, husband of Ma Arlene Rivera, finished in third place, earning PHP 44,000 (~$748). The event attracted 63 entrants, from which only the top 9 received a payout.
Event #84: Flip ‘N Go Hyper Final Table Payouts
Rank | Player | Prize (PHP) |
1st | Chu Yi Jedidah Tan | PHP 90,994 |
2nd | Kwok Chun Yip | PHP 67,000 |
3rd | Marc Richelieu Rivera | PHP 44,000 |
4th | Zhun Wang | PHP 33,000 |
5th | Tsz Fung Wong | PHP 26,000 |
6th | Terrance Scott Leung | PHP 20,000 |
7th | Seongsu Kong | PHP 16,000 |
8th | Ayato Shibata | PHP 12,000 |
9th | Haruna Fujita | PHP 10,000 |
Jia Yu Chen Victory in Event #51: Hyper Turbo – NL Single Draw 2/7
Taiwan’s Jia Yu Chen navigated a small but impressive field of 40 entrants in Event #51: Hyper Turbo – NL Single Draw 2/7, to claim her first Asian Poker Title, kicking off her live poker journey with a bang. Chen collected the top prize money of PHP 72,536 (~$1,233).
Chen defeated Two-time APT winner Song Wang in the heads-up, denying her third career title. Wang earned PHP 50,000 (~$850). This was her second final table finish in the 2024 APT Manila. Only the top 6 players shared the prize pool.
Event #51: Hyper Turbo – NL Single Draw 2/7 Final Table Payouts
Rank | Player | Prize (PHP) |
1st | Jia Yu Chen | PHP 72,536 |
2nd | Song Wang | PHP 50,000 |
3rd | Craig Anthony Cooper | PHP 30,000 |
4th | Michael James Lee | PHP 20,000 |
5th | Tsz Fung Wong | PHP 20,000 |
6th | Kai Danilo Paulsen | PHP 10,000 |
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Source: Asian Poker Tour
Image Credit: Asian Poker Tour